by Ciana Stone
He’d damn sure love to do that very thing. But not here, so he stood and offered her a hand. Charli let him pull her to her feet and for a few moments they just stood there, looking at one another.
“Where were you? Where did you go?” She asked and for the first time he saw something that surprised him. The wall was down. What he was seeing was Charli unmasked.
“I’ll tell you, but not here.”
“Then where?”
“Your place.”
“When?”
“I’ll be there before six.”
“Will you?”
“I will.”
“Okay, until then.”
With that, she turned, climbed out of the ring, grabbed her bag from a bench along the wall, and left. Grady watched her go, wondering why in the world he’d promised to tell her where he’d been and whether it wouldn’t be smarter to stand her up.
Smarter for whom was the real question, though. Was he protecting Charli or himself?
*****
Charli sat on the front porch swing, feeling the breeze from the ceiling fan stir the hot air. She didn’t know whether to believe Grady or not. Would he show up? She hoped so. Today she’d realized something about herself that was exhilarating and terrifying. She’d been with the wrong men her entire life.
She could see it so clearly now. She’d chosen men she knew she could dominate because she’d never fall in love with one of them, never have her heart ripped out by one, and always be able to walk away with no remorse. It was just sex. No emotions involved.
Charli was as bad as all the men she’d heard women complain about. Just in it for the sex then, wham, bam, thank-you, ma’am, out the door.
Grady stripped away the shield she’d been hiding behind, laid her bare to her own desires and weaknesses. She secretly longed for a man who could best her, someone stronger and faster. A hero who would run to her rescue and a man strong enough to tell her when she was wrong and stand up to her temper when she flew off the handle.
She wanted a man she could admire and respect, a man who made her want to rip his clothes off with just a smile or word, and one whose smile was like the sun emerging from behind a dark cloud.
Damn it all, she wanted to let herself love and Grady was pushing all her buttons, which scared the holy hell out of her. She wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to deal with it. Maybe now was one of those times to do like she’d been trained. Wait, watch, and look for the moment she was supposed to act.
She sure as heck hoped that was the right strategy because she was on as alien ground as she’d ever walked.
Dust in the distance told her that someone had turned off the paved road. It wasn’t long before his truck came into view. She stood and walked over to the top of the steps to wait.
He parked and walked up to the steps, stopping once again a rung below her so they were eye to eye.
“I didn’t know if you’d show up,” she admitted.
“I said I would.”
“And you’re a man of your word.”
“I try to be.”
“That’s good to know. Did you want to take that swim?”
“I do.”
“Then I need to get changed into my suit.”
“You won’t need one.”
“I won’t.”
“No. But we could probably use some towels.”
Charli pointed to a chair on the porch where she’d put towels. Grady grinned, stepped up to grab the towels, and then offered her his hand. She took it and together they started for the lake shore which was basically at the edge of the front yard.
Grady tossed the towels on the ground, sat down, and pulled off his boots and socks. Charli sat beside him, watching as he took off his hat and peeled off his T-shirt.
“So how long have you been in law enforcement?” he asked.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Six months?”
“Really? You weren’t a cop before you came here?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, well…”
“What is it you really want to know, Grady?”
He gave her a smile. “Okay, fine, let’s cut to the chase. Kyle said you were an Operator.”
“Oh? Now why would he tell you something like that, I wonder?”
“He’s a friend.”
“Or a bird of the same feather.”
“Pardon?”
“You heard me. I see how you scope out a room, or a parking lot. How your eyes sneak a look at the top of buildings and to the perimeters. It’s a giveaway that most people wouldn’t notice. You’re very good, to all appearances a good ol’ boy from West Texas. But that’s not the whole of it, is it, Grady? Hell, sparring with you told me real clearly that you’re a pro.”
The look he gave her spelled his displeasure at her turning it around and making it about him. “So you were Special Ops,” he said.
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’ve got eyes too, Charli, and even if I didn’t, only an Operator would notice the behavior common to Special Ops personnel.”
Charli shrugged. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss her military career with Grady. She didn’t care if he was Special Ops. She’d walked away from all that and tried her best to not think about it, even when it called to her like a fucking siren from the deep, trying to pull her back into those hellish waters she loved but had to stay free of or lose what was left of her soul.
“All of us have ghosts.” His voice was soft and filled with compassion, but that was not the surprise. Her shock came from him virtually admitting her suspicions about him were true.
“Some worse than others and it’s not something I want to talk about.”
“Then we won’t. Can I ask if you’re really out?”
“I am.”
“For how long?”
“Six months, twelve days, and ten hours or so.”
“And you came straight here?”
“Pretty much. A friend put in a word for me with Tom, who has a soft spot for military personnel since he’s a Marine.”
“Kyle?”
“Yep.”
“How’d you and Kyle meet?”
“I was the one they sent in to get him when he lost it.”
“You were the one who brought him in?”
“I was.”
“He was a good Operator.”
“Yes. And a good man.”
“How long did it take you to track him down?”
“Two months.”
“And after you did?”
“Took another month to get close enough to drug him and get on a transport back home.”
“Bet he was pissed when he woke up.”
“Enough to break my collarbone, two ribs and stab me before he realized I was a woman and then he really lost his shit.”
“As in, he got more violent?”
“No, as in he finally lost it over the woman and child that were killed. For four days he cried and stared into nothingness and didn’t speak a word. But I sat with him, held him when he cried, fought with him when he wanted to hurt someone, and starved with him when he wouldn’t eat. And when dawn came on the fifth day, he told me I should go and that he owed me.
“We’ve been family ever since and he was there when I needed him.”
Grady nodded. “I hear you.”
“That’s confidential intel and not to be shared, you feel me?”
“I do.”
“Then enough said about that?” She looked at him.
“Enough said.”
She stood, peeled off her clothes, ran into the water, and dived. When she surfaced, she looked around. There was no sign of Grady, but there was a pile of clothes on the ground. He rose silently behind her. She wouldn’t have known he was there had he not kissed her on the top of her shoulder. Charli turned to face him.
“SEAL Team Two,” he said softly, with no trace at all of the good ol’ Texas boy in his speech.
; Charli was not really surprised, but was a whole lot impressed. “Why aren’t you with your team?”
“I need space in between missions.”
“Don’t they need you?”
“Maybe. I spend the first week near them and then I head here.”
“Because there’s big sky and lots of air to breath?”
“Yes.”
She nodded and looked up at the sky. “This is a good place to breathe.”
“Yeah.” He pulled her to him and as she wound her legs around his waist, he held her loosely with his hand on her hips. “I heard from Tom and a couple of the guys at the oil site what you did there, when those roustabouts took hostages.”
“I just did my job.”
“Yep, but I heard it from the hostages. You didn’t behave like a policeman, did you?”
“Didn’t I? Wasn’t the job to get the hostages out safe and unharmed?”
“Yeah, it was.
“Then I did what I’m paid to do.”
“You miss it.”
Charli stiffened at those words and turned her head away. For a long time, there was silence.
“You miss the rush, the danger, the fear—all of it.”
She could have lied and was sorely tempted, but Grady wasn’t a civilian who couldn’t understand. He was part of the most elite team of warriors the country had ever produced and one of the few people in the world who understood, at least in part.
“Yes.” She returned her gaze to him. “God help me, I do.”
“Then why not go back?”
“Because I’m cursed.”
“Cursed? What does that—“
“Look, I like you, Grady—no, that’s not true. I don’t know if I really like you, because I don’t really know you. But I respect you, hell, I’m in awe of you because I know what it takes to become what you are. And I want you so much it’s like a physical ache inside me. I’ve trusted you with who and what I am, but beyond that there’s little left to say.
“Yes. I admit it. I want to go back so bad it’s like trying to beat an addiction, but it’s my addiction and I’ll learn how to kick it and how to live with my demons. And I’ll do it in the only way I know.
“But right now, here we are, alone and naked with no one to interrupt or interfere, so if you want to fuck, then let’s get down to it. If you’re man enough to take me, then I promise it’ll be one for the record books. But if you’re looking for another woman to seduce so she’ll fall in love with you and weep when you walk away, then look in another direction because that’s not me. I don’t have any love to give.”
She saw the change in his eyes and didn’t react fast enough before he had hold of her, his hands clamped on either side of her face and his gaze pinned to hers. “You think you’re the only one with demons, Charli? You know better. We all have them and we all hope we can outlast them or outrun them. We do what we do because someone has to, because if we don’t people die—innocent people. So we’re the monsters in the night, the fear that makes people lock their doors and shutter their windows.
“We’re the Angels of Death and we’re the Wings of Freedom all rolled together in a fucked-up blend that not even we understand. So, yeah, I get that you have demons and I get that you need to beat them your own way.
“I’m not asking for or even looking for love, but I’m not going to be your fuck toy either. I want you and you know it, but I’m not gonna rape you or fight you for it and I’m not gonna let you use me like a dildo, and right that seems to be the only kind of sex you can handle. So, I’ll wait and maybe before I disappear back down the rabbit hole, you’ll be ready.”
“For what?”
“You know.”
“I’ll never submit, Grady.” God knows she wanted to, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know how.
“You will. And it’ll set you free. Charli. Trust me on that.”
“Not going to happen.” He’d either take what he wanted from her or there would be nothing because she couldn’t willingly cede control.
“We’ll see. And it’s time for me to go, sugar. Thanks for one hell of an interesting ten minutes.”
“In other words, fuck off, right?”
“Not even close, baby. This game just got interesting.”
With that, he kissed her hard on the mouth, released her, and waded to shore where he dressed and then walked away.
Charli watched him leave and then dived into the water, feeling the coolness sooth her hot flesh. If only something could soothe her soul.
Chapter Ten
Charli was just walking out of her front door when her phone rang. It was the station. “Sampson.”
“Some lady just got shot at a church in Taylorsville and the perp is headed our way on 417, driving a white Camaro. She’s Latino, wearing a blue tube top and shorts with silver high heels. She’s armed and dangerous. Taylorsville PD is in pursuit and we’re sending both squad cars to intercept.”
“I’m headed that way now.” She snatched up her keys from the table by the door, grabbed her hat from the coat rack, barreled out of the door, and ran smack into a big hard body.
“Shit!” She looked up. “Damn, Grady, what’re you doing here?”
“Where’re you off to in such a hurry?”
“Suspect in a shooting headed this way on 417. Gotta try and cut her off.”
“Her?”
“That’s what I’m told.”
“Come on. I know a way.”
She almost argued, but realized that he knew the area far better than she did, so without argument she handed him her keys and climbed into the passenger seat of her car. “You know I could get fired for involving a civilian in a police matter.”
“If it was anyone but Tom, yeah.”
“Good point.” She buckled up.
“So what’s the skinny on this situation?”
“All I know is that the suspect is driving a white Camaro, is Latino, wearing a blue tube top and shorts with silver high heels, and is armed. Taylorsville PD is in pursuit and both of our squad cars are on the roll to intercept.”
“If she’s on 417, she’s looking to cut across the west side of the county, hit the Interstate, and head for the border.” She held on to the “oh shit” handle above the door as he made a sliding turn onto the hard-surface road.
“We need to cut her off.”
“That’s doable.” Grady grinned and laid on the gas. “So what’re you doing after we catch the bad guy?”
“Going to the station to finish my shift.”
“And after that?”
“Going home.”
“Come to my place.”
“What for?”
“Dinner.”
She looked at him in surprise. “As in sit down and eat what you cook?”
“Generally that’s the way it’s done, yes.”
“Can you?”
“Can I what?”
“Cook?”
“Come to dinner and find out.”
“Help me get this bitch and you’re on.”
“Done.”
Twenty minutes later Charli saw the Interstate. They were running parallel to it. She scanned the southbound lane. “There!” She pointed.
Grady didn’t blink or hesitate. He just ran the car off the road, through grass and rock, dodged a few trees, and skidded onto the Interstate without ever once putting on the brakes.
Charli turned on the light on the dashboard. “Get me beside her. And hit the lights and siren.”
Fifteen seconds later, that’s right where she was, parallel to the white Camaro, racing down the highway like a bat out of hell. “She’s not going to pull over.”
“Then let’s help her.” Grady eased off the gas. The Camaro pulled ahead of them, then he nudged the back end panel of the car just enough to send it into a spin.
It crossed the road and went off the left side, weaving and bouncing down a small embankment. Grady followed and by the time the car ran into a metal divider in the hi
ghway median, he was pulling up behind her.
Charli got out of the car with her weapon drawn. “Out of the car!” she shouted. “Slowly.”
The door opened and a young woman climbed out with her hands up.
“Turn around, hands on the car.”
In seconds, she had the young woman cuffed and in the back of her car. She pulled out her phone to call it in and at that moment, three police cars rolled in with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Two were Taylorsville units and the other was a Cotton Creek patrol car.
“We’ll take her.” The officer who was the first to get out of one of the Taylorsville units announced.
“Not your jurisdiction.” The Cotton Creek officer, Rick Maple, who had also gotten out of his car, argued.
“Our case, our collar.” The Taylorsville officer pointed out.
“Her collar.” Rick pointed to Charli.
“You can collect her from the station, but she goes with me.” For a moment, she thought the man would argue, but he didn’t.
“Whatever. We’ll follow you.”
She nodded to Rick and climbed into the car with Grady. “Let’s go.”
Then she looked over the seat at the young woman. “You have anything to say before I turn you over to the Taylorsville officers? Like why you shot that woman?”
“He not supposed to marry her. He supposed to marry me.”
“So you shot her? Why not shoot him?”
“I love him. We are going to run away together.”
“Oh? And when was this supposed to happen?”
“Last night. Ricky supposed to me at hotel on the highway, but he no show. So I go to church and there he is with blonde puta.”
“But instead of shooting him, you shoot the bride. Why?”
“I love him. Robby my life.”
Charli cut a look at Grady before turning her attention back to the woman. “Is that right? So how long have you and Robby been together?”
“Six months.”
“How’d you meet?”
“At club. Pussy Cat Club. I work there.”
“Pussy Cat Club? The one on the north end of the county over on 535?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to know if the woman’s still alive?”
“No. I don’t care. All I—“
“We’ve got a tail.” Grady said softly.