The Hot Sergeant (Second Chance Military Romance) (Hargrave Brothers - Book #2)

by Alexa Davis

  Today, I was stuck in meetings all day. The first one found me and Mac locked up in his office with Kyla, Nico and three paralegals. We were drawing up motions for the civil trial and making sure that we’d collected copies of everything we could to replace what was taken in the robbery. I felt like I was seeing double by the time we broke for lunch at noon, but I was in the middle of a brief and I didn’t want to stop. I told the rest of them to go on and I’d step out and get a sandwich or something later. Knowing me the way that she does, Marie didn’t wait for me to go out and get my own lunch. She appeared at the edge of my desk with a sandwich and chips and a cup of coffee. She sat them down in front of me and I said,

  “Thank you, Marie. I have no idea what I would do without you.”

  “Sir, I’m not sure you could do it without me,” she said with a wink.

  “I think you’re right, Marie,” I agreed as I took a sip of my coffee. I sat it down and once again said, “I think you’re right.”

  “Miss Winston came in a little bit ago. She’s in her office. She asked me not to disturb you, but if you took a break she’d like to see you.”

  “Thank you, Marie.”

  “You’re welcome, sir, and don’t forget, you really would never survive without me.”

  I laughed. “I know I wouldn’t.”

  After Marie left, I ate my sandwich and finished my coffee, all the while reading the files in front of me. I went into the executive washroom and brushed by teeth before heading down the hall to find Alicia. Carla was still on vacation for the holidays so there was no one at her desk. I tapped softly on Alicia’s door before hearing, “Come in.”

  “Hey,” she said, standing up from behind her desk,

  “Hey, yourself, I thought you were taking the day off?”

  “I tried,” Alicia said with a tired smile. “Jack showed up and ruined my mood.”

  “What?” I said, suddenly alarmed, “While you were alone? What did he want?”

  She went around the desk and put her hand on his arm. “I’m okay, you can calm down. Let’s sit and I’ll tell you about it.” We went over and sat on the sofa and she said, “First of all, please don’t be mad but I talked to Kyla last night about Jack. I didn’t tell her why, but I told her he wasn’t the right man for her. She trusts me and because of that, she told him she didn’t want to keep seeing him.”

  “I’m not mad,” I told her honestly. I actually prefer Kyla know something if it kept her away from him. “He’s pissed?”

  “Yeah.

  “He came to the door this morning when my parents’ were out and when I opened it, he pushed his way in. He asked if I said something to Kyla about him. I was caught off-guard because I knew Kyla would never tell him anything I said. I played dumb and he said she just abruptly broke things off and he suspected it was because I said something. He scared me, not because of anything he said or did; it was the way he was looking at me. I told him to leave and he finally did. The FBI agent from downstairs checked in on me and I told him I was fine and he said he’d watch out for him and not let him up again.”

  “I want to punch the S.O.B. in the mouth.” My fists were clenching on their own. If he’d been there right then, I don’t think I could have controlled myself.

  “Me, too,” she smiled and went on, “But we can’t so I say we put our energy to better use.”

  My cock twitched in my pants and I smiled and said, “What did you have in mind?”

  She looked at her new watch and said, “That all depends on how much time you have, and how you feel about this couch.”

  I jumped up and almost ran to lock the door. I came back and took her into my arms, kissing her full on the mouth and massaging the small of her back with my fingertips. She responded with a moan that only egged me on. In one swift motion I had her blouse unbuttoned and the snap that held her bra released. I kissed her neck, paying special attention the side just below her right ear where I knew she loved it.

  While I did that, she wrapped her fingers through my thick hair. I used my lips and tongue on her flesh until she was biting her lip to keep from screaming. She didn’t cry out and let whoever might be in the office today know what was going on inside her office.

  I pulled away from her and got undressed and then I spread my shirt out on the couch and sat on it. I pulled her down so she was sitting backwards on my lap facing away from me. She used her legs to push herself up and I took my hot cock in my hand and rubbed it against her sensitive, wet bud. She was biting her lip hard and whimpering.

  It didn’t take long before she was coming with a silent scream and it didn’t take much longer for me to follow. When we both calmed down, I let her off of my lap and she turned around and folded her body into mine.

  “I hate this, but I have to get back to work.”

  I smiled. “I know, baby. Me, too.” We stood to gather our clothes and I looked down at the couch and said, “Maybe you should have that couch cleaned before we open back up for business after the holidays.” She laughed and I grabbed her again for another kiss. This one was long and deep and our tongues tangled up in a sexy dance. God, I love kissing her.

  When we broke the kiss I said, “Don’t clean it just yet. I want to do that again.” We started to kiss again when my phone rang. I didn’t want to answer it, but finally I slid my finger across the screen and put it to my ear.

  “Hey, bro, what’s up?” I brought my finger to my lips and then pressed the speaker button.

  “Hey, Alex, what’s up?” The nonchalant sound of his voice pissed me off. I was still trying to process his involvement in all of this.

  “Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?” Alex asked.

  “No, just taking a short break from work and have to get back in a few.”

  “Well, first off, I wanted to thank you for the Giant’s tickets. I’m so stoked, you have to go with me, Okay?”

  “I’ll have to see what’s going on here at work and let you know,” I said, trying not to let the disdain come through in my tone.

  “Okay, secondly, I was wondering if you and Alicia would like to have dinner Saturday night? My parents will be in town. We’d love to see you, and I’d love for them to meet Alicia.”

  I had a good relationship with Alex’s parents. It made me really sad to think of how crushed they would be when it came out that the son they were so proud of was nothing more than a crook. I looked at Alicia and she shrugged as if to tell me it was my decision. I sighed inwardly and told Alex,

  “Sure, I’d love to see your parents. Where and what time?”

  “At my place, say seven?”

  “Okay, see you then,” I said before hanging up. Alicia put her arms back around me and laid her head on my chest.

  “I know how hard this thing with Alex is hard on you. I’m sorry.”

  I only nodded and held her for a few more minutes. Looking at my watch, I said, “I guess I should get back.”

  “Thank you for lunch,” Alicia said with a smile.

  I grinned at her. “Best lunch I’ve ever had.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  ALICIA

  I was nervous about this dinner with Alex and his parents, mostly because the nervous energy coming off of Adam on the drive over was so thick in the car that you could cut it with a knife. When we pulled up in front of Alex’s big three-story house, I stopped Adam from opening the car door and asked him, “Are you okay?”

  He nodded and started to get out again. I stopped him again. “Adam, words please. Can you do this, babe?”

  “Yeah, baby,” he said. His voice was hoarse. I wasn’t so sure that he could pull this off, but before I could object again he was out of the car. He came around and opened my door but didn’t meet my eyes as he took my hand and led me up to the front door. I saw his hand tremble as he raised it up to knock. This was tearing him up and because of that, it was killing me. We’d gone to look at our own new house the night before. It was amazing and I loved it. Adam said he did, too, but he
was so anxious about this dinner today that he couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for anything else.

  “Hey! There they are.” Alex opened the front door. He was dressed casually in a golf shirt and jeans and he was wearing an apron. He grasped Adam’s hand and shook it hard and then leaned in and kissed my cheek. I felt nauseous at his touch, but tried to keep a neutral expression. “Come on in, guys. I’m so glad you could make it.”

  I smiled at him because Adam wasn’t and I wanted to draw attention away from him. “Thank you for having us. Adam’s been excited about seeing your parents.”

  “They’re excited to see you, too, buddy.” Adam finally managed a smile.

  “Yeah, thanks,” he said. Alex led us into the den where there was an older couple waiting. They both got to their feet and Alex’s dad, who he introduced as Bill, enveloped Adam in a big hug. His mother hugged him, too, and then they both shook my hand.

  “Adam you look great!” Mr. Fritz told him. “It’s so good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Bill. Suzie, you look as beautiful as ever.” The older lady blushed red.

  “You always were a sweet-talker,” she said. “So, Alicia, you’re from England?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “No ma’am, I’m Suzie. Can I get you two something to drink?”

  “I got it, Mom. Have a seat.” Alex excused himself and came back with a carafe of coffee. “If you want something stiffer help yourself to the bar,” he told them. “I’m going to finish up dinner.”

  “Do you need help?” I asked.

  “Nope, you all stay out of my kitchen,” he said with a grin. “It’s almost finished.” Adam and Mr. Fritz fell into easy conversation and Mrs. Fritz turned to me and said,

  “Alex tells me you’re getting married on Valentine’s Day?”

  I smiled. One thing I loved talking about was marrying Adam. “Yes, at the Plaza. I’m really excited.”

  “Good, it will be here before you know it. Mr. Fritz and I have been married thirty-five years this month.”

  “Congratulations, that’s amazing.” I found out that she was easy to talk to. She wanted to hear all about our plans for the wedding. She seemed sincere in her praise and offered up a few tips of her own.

  “Where are the two of you planning to honeymoon?”

  “You know, that is the one detail that we haven’t discussed yet,” I told her.

  “You should go to Hawaii,” Mrs. Fritz told her, “That’s where Alex’s father and I honeymooned. It was so lovely.”

  “It does sound lovely,” I told her, “I’ve never been there.”

  “We stayed in Oahu. It’s a beautiful island. The water in the ocean there is warm all the time, and so clear you can watch the fish swim by.”

  “That would definitely be a nice change from the cold, dirty water we have here in New York, wouldn’t it?” I told her with a grin.

  “Yes, dear, you would just love it. Waikiki is another beautiful place.”

  I listened with sincere interest as Mrs. Fritz described the islands to in vivid detail. I was about to ask her how long it had been since they’d been there, when suddenly, all hell broke loose.

  From outside of the house came a piercing scream. It sounded human and male, but when I went over the details of the night later with the police and in my own head I couldn’t have sworn to either. Before anyone could react to that, however, the front door crashed in and two large men dressed all in black and wearing nylon masks over their faces burst inside.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Mr. Fritz said, surprising them all by rushing towards the men.

  “Dad, no!” Alex yelled as he was just coming into the room from the kitchen. The men were huge, and both were armed. He tried to grab for his father, but he was too late. One of the men swung his overly muscled arm out like a clothesline, striking the older man in the head and knocking him to the floor. Alex was pushed backwards and caught himself on a chair to keep from also tumbling to the floor.

  Suzie Fritz screamed and Alex went over to her and held her back gently, but firmly as she tried to go to her husband. “You can’t help him if you get hurt yourself,” I heard him whisper to her.

  Alex looked towards the men and asked, “What do you want?”

  Adam had stepped protectively in front of me and we all held our breath and waited for the men to speak. Neither of them did. Mr. Fritz was beginning to rouse, and one of the men kicked at him with his foot until the poor old man had crawled all the way to the dining room to join the rest of us.

  The man in front motioned at the other with his head. The man in the back nodded and began to approach them. He pointed his large, black gun at us as he did, but didn’t speak a word. He reached first for Alex’s mother. As he grabbed her by the arm she screamed out Alex’s name. Alex tried to hold on to her, but the man struck him with the butt of the gun, knocking him backwards.

  The man forced the older woman to sit in one of the dining room chairs and then with the hand not holding the gun he reached into his pocket and pulled out a roll of silver duct tape. He held it in my direction and grunted, motioning me towards Mrs. Fritz using a jerk of his head.

  I knew what he wanted. He was telling me to tape the woman to the chair. I didn’t want to do it, but I was smart enough to know that refusing to do something when a man had a gun pointed at you could get people killed. I sat my purse down on the table and took the tape. I whispered, “I’m sorry,” to Alex’s mother as I began to wrap it around her wrists and ankles and the arms and legs of the chair.

  “It’s okay, dear,” the older woman said, making me want to smile at her. I loved the older generation. Even in times like this they seemed to remember their manners. One man had his gun on me, and the other on both Alex and Adam. Mr. Fritz sat slumped in a chair, still looking dazed.

  “Can I make sure my Dad is okay?” Alex asked.

  The man simply shook his head no. Alex looked distressed, but this time didn’t try to move. The dark bruise forming on his cheek had convinced him that not doing what these men told them to was a bad idea. After I finished with Mrs. Fritz’s arms and legs, the man made a motion across his mouth with his hand and pointed back at her. I tore a piece of the duct tape about six inches long and placed it across the older woman’s mouth. I could see tears forming in her eyes, and it made me feel like crying, too.

  Afterwards, the man made me do the same to Adam, Alex, and lastly Mr. Fritz just as he seemed to be coming around. The man then taped me to a chair, while the other kept the gun trained on them. After we were all secured, the men left the room.

  I could hear shuffling and commotion in the rest of the house as the men apparently tore things apart, looking for whatever it was they had come for. I tried to take comfort from the look of love that Adam gave me with his eyes. He was trying to convey to her that all would be okay. I tried once to smile at him, but the men had taped my mouth so tightly that the smile actually hurt. I glanced at Alex’s parents. His father’s eyes looked both sad and angry, and his mother had hers closed, a stray tear found its way down her cheeks every now and then. I looked at Alex then. He wasn’t making eye contact with any of us. His eyes looked cold and angry to me.

  After what seemed like hours, we heard the men leave through what was left of the front door. Adam waited several minutes to make sure they hadn’t returned, and then began to use his leg and arm muscles to wiggle his chair towards the dining room table. I watched, in awe of this strong, brave man that I loved as he used the corner of the table to peel the tape from his face. He got it off one side, leaving an angry red mark on his cheek and upper lip where it had clung. He then scooted towards where I left my clutch, and using his mouth again he opened it and after a great deal of effort he got my cell phone out. The small gun he had bought me to carry in my purse also fell out on the table. I could see Alex watching and the look of surprise on his face when he saw the gun.

  Adam wasn’t able to use his face to dial 911, b
ut he was able to press the last number dialed with his nose. He laid his ear on the phone on the table and said,

  “Come on, Kyla pick up.”

  “Hi, girl! Thought you had dinner plans tonight,” Kyla said as she answered the phone.

  “Kyla it’s Adam.”

  “Adam? Is everything okay?”

  “Not really, I need a really big favor, okay?”

  “Absolutely boss, what’s up?” she said.

  “We’re out at Alex Fritz’s place on the Island. The address is 1112 North Sycamore Drive. I need you to call the police and have them come out here right away.”

  “The police? Adam, what’s going on?”

  “Tell them there were two intruders here and they tied us up. We need help,” he looked over at Alex’s father and then said, “Maybe they should send an ambulance, too, just to make sure everyone is alright.”

  I knew Kyla wanted to ask more questions, but the urgency in his voice made her simply say, “Okay, I’m on it,” instead.

  Adam pushed the “End” button with his chin and then looked at them all and said, “Help is on the way, guys, hang tight.”

  The police and an ambulance showed up within twenty minutes after Adam had spoken with Kyla. I heard a man’s voice outside say, “This guy needs medical,” and suddenly remembered the limo driver. He must have been who we had heard scream. I hoped he was alright.

  Two uniformed officers came inside first. They had their guns drawn and did a search of the house before removing the tape from me and the others. As soon as they had gotten Alex freed, he grabbed his cell phone out of the drawer under the kitchen counter.

  “Sir, no phone calls yet. We need to talk about what happened here first.”

  Adam gave Alex a questioning look. Who would he be calling at a time like this?

  Alex looked reluctant but he sat back down and as if suddenly remembering what had happened, he said, “Mom Dad, are you guys okay?”