by Desiree Holt
The man took his time, examining every nook and cranny. He stared right at her, or at least at their hiding spot, and her blood ran cold. Now she knew what he’d been doing with the drugs missing from the evidence vault. He’d been selling it to Montero.
The man she’d turned in as a dirty cop stood thirty feet away. Being caught was not an option as their cover would be blown.
Chapter 9
“What do you see?”
Montero called while he paced. “What the hell happened here?”
Cigar Smoker turned and gestured at paw prints in the dirt. “Looks like a mountain lion attacked them.” He poked his head in the back, grabbed a black bag and a zip tie and tossed them toward his boss. “The distraction allowed the prisoners to escape.”
“How did it get inside the van?”
“Who knows? Maybe they thought it was road kill and they picked it up to stuff. It came to and slashed them to death for their stupidity.”
The man’s nonchalant attitude about what happened told Rico this guy knew nothing about big cats. He was equating stunned deer behavior with that of pumas. Maybe his stupidity would the death of him.
Max’s muscles had tensed when Cigar Smoker looked their way.
“Breathe, Max.”
Her lungs released a long breath but her respiration was choppy. Sure they were in danger but they were in a much better position than a few minutes ago. Maybe his puma had scared her more than he thought. She’d stayed calm and even relaxed when he nudged her with his head, his way of reassuring her. Now, she looked terrified.
“I know him.”
Alarm flooded his bloodstream. If she knew him, they might be made. They had no other play than wait out the vermin.
“It’s Schwartz, a dirty cop I outed.”
“And your lover.”
She nodded and her nostrils flared.
“Looks like he found a second career.”
“Yep.”
“He’s the reason you came to DEA?”
“He beat me and killed my dog.”
Rage boiled inside, hot and spoiling for a fight. He hit her? Killed her K-9 partner? The man deserved to die. Or at least be reduced to begging her for his life. His wound ached, every movement a stabbing pain in his shoulder.
“If we can catch them and get their phones, we can convict. We’ll have the evidence.” Pain seared in his scapula like a hot brand but he breathed until it receded to an ache. “But you’re going to have to trust me and we have to split up.”
Worry creased her brow. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s the only way, love. I promise you it will work. I always keep my promises.”
Max leaned in a brushed her lips on his. Her friendly kiss hit him straight to the heart. “Okay.”
He gave her the rest of the directions with hand signals commonly used with police and military. Both were fluent in this language and they separated.
Discarding his clothes to use as a distraction, he shifted, more painfully than usual due to the gunshot wound. His paws spread wide on the red clay dirt and he tested his damaged shoulder. He could run but not at full speed but he probably couldn’t climb trees so ambush wouldn’t work.
Max had traversed rougher terrain to get close to the SUV. Montero and Schwartz talked near the vehicle and it looked like they were leaving. If they were going to hatch their plan, the time was now.
He stalked silently behind them, listening, waiting for Max to appear. He hated using her as bait but it was the only way to get the dirt they needed.
Max stepped into the open and his heart lurched. He steadied himself. Catching them by surprise was the only way this scheme would work. Schwartz spun and aimed his gun at her. Her hands at her side, she posed no immediate threat. Hopefully this asshole wouldn’t shoot her for spite. Schwartz laughed instead. Stupid arrogant man.
“Where’s your accomplice?” Montero demanded.
“Accomplice? You mean partner. She’s a snitch. A cop. Or at least she was.” He snarled at her. “Who are you working for now?”
“What? You’re the only one who can be on the take?”
Schwartz crossed the twenty yards between them and slapped her, snapping her head to the side. Rico’s muscles tensed, the need to disembowel his prey strong. He swallowed back the growl forming in his throat and stayed perfectly still. His Max had amazing strength. She’d expect him to wait.
Max stood straight and stared down her aggressor. “You want the drugs or not?”
Schwartz glanced at Montero who nodded. “Yeah. We do. Where’s your partner?”
“Ran off like a pansy. Better for me. Twice the commission.”
“Still don’t trust you.”
“Goes both ways.”
“You got the money?”
“Not here. Get in the car.”
She shook her head. “Not happening. Fool me once… Show me the fucking money and I’ll give you the coordinates for the stash. You don’t show me the money, no coordinates. You kill me, no drugs.”
“Say I believe you, Max. Why?” She wasn’t safe yet. Schwartz still pointed a weapon at her.
“You humiliated me with the force. A snitch can never work in the same house again. Sure, you deserved what you got and more. But I paid the price. I joined the DEA but the training officer made it clear I didn’t have what it takes.” Prickles of guilt skittered under his skin. She hadn’t deserved his shitty attitude. He had a lot to make up for. “So if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I figure one score and I can make a fresh start. Hector had no idea who I was. He bought everything I told him, hook, line, and sinker.”
“Fine. Mr. Montero, let’s show her the money. We leave her here until we see if the drugs are where she says they are. They aren’t we come back and take care of her. If they are, we might be able to use her.”
“Hey, wait. I said I was in for one sale. That’s it. I’m done. On either side of the law.”
Montero took a moment, then moved to the Hummer. He removed a gym bag and unzipped it wide to show Max the contents. She bobbed her head in assent. It must be the money.
“Got a piece of paper and a pen?”
Schwartz pulled a pad and a pen from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to Max. She scribbled down the location of the drugs. One wrong move and he’d find his entrails hanging from his gut.
“Here.” She flipped it back to him. “I’ll be waiting. Oh, and Mr. Montero, if I don’t return with his money within twenty-four hours, he’ll come looking for his product and his money.”
“Threats?”
“Promises.”
“He’ll think you took it.”
“Not likely. He is a family friend giving me a job to earn a bit of cash. Who do you think he’ll believe? A low level dealer or his niece?”
Max played her part well enough the men conferred for a moment before heading to the SUV.
“The money?” she called after them.
Montero rolled down his window. “If the drugs are where you say they are, we’ll be back and deliver you to the border ourselves. If they aren’t, you’re on tonight’s menu for whatever creature catches you.”
Rico breathed a sigh of relief as the SUV rolled past. The agents would catch Schwartz and Montero at the site and Max had documented her conversation on the dead man’s cell phone.
Waves of colored dots exploded in front of his eyes and he swayed when he took a step. He lost his balance and crumbled on the ground, forgetting he was in his puma form. From a distance Max’s startled gasp registered her shock but for the second time in one day, reality narrowed to a pinpoint and flickered out.
Chapter 10
Glaring light hurt his eyes. Intense burning in his shoulder brought him fully conscious. He lay on a gurney in an ambulance, with enough lights on to illuminate Times Square.
“Sorry,” the paramedic said, dabbing gauze around the wound he’d been cleaning with something akin to lighter fluid.
�
�How bad is it?”
“Good news is, it’s through and through. Bad news is you’ll need stitches.”
Rico squirmed but the medic held firm. “No.” Then he noticed the IV fluids dripping into his other arm. The blood loss must have been substantial for him to faint. And in his alternate form. He glanced at Director Mann who spoke with another agent nearby. No furtive looks were directed his way. Everyone acted normal. He must have changed back while unconscious.
“Okay. Fine. You do it.”
The man snorted then thought better when he caught his patient’s glare. “I haven’t stitched anyone up since the Army.”
“If you’re good enough for soldiers, you’re good enough for me.”
“I can give you a local anesthetic.”
“Nope. Just do it.”
“If you’re sure.”
The first sting of the needle dulled as he contemplated Max’s reaction. Had she seen him change? Did she know who and what he was? Hell of a way to share something so sensitive.
Director Mann approached and raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t go to the hospital this once?”
“Wouldn’t want to fall behind on my reports, Director.”
Mann knew that was a crock of shit and cracked a rare smile. “Okay. Well to bring you up to speed, we got Montero and Schwartz picking up the drugs. Anderson gave us the audio file where they incriminated themselves, so you’ve earned a week off.” He paused, like he expected Rico to argue, which normally he would.
“Great. Thanks.” Mann’s brow creased as though confused but he said nothing. “Where’s Anderson?”
“She agreed to go to the hospital for head x-rays. Then she’s going home. Or rather to her hotel. She looks like hell. So do you for that matter.” Mann strode toward his own car. “I assume you’ll give her a high score on her eval?”
“Yeah.”
* * *
Three days since he’d last seen Max and he was going bat shit crazy. Where the hell was she? She wasn’t answering her cell, at least not his calls. She didn’t return any of his messages. The manager at her hotel said she’d checked out the morning after Schwartz and Montero’s arrests but had no information on where she’d gone. It was like she’d disappeared.
He paced the length of his living room and back again, noticing the nice rut he was creating from his worry. His wound had healed quickly, his injuries always did due to his shifter ability. What pained him was the loss of his intended mate, an amazing woman who was as strong and determined as any man and sexier than any female had a right to be.
What he needed was to see her, explain what he was, and beg her for a chance to stay in his life.
Three short knocks sounded on his front door. Probably old Mrs. Johnston bringing over another casserole for the poor injured bachelor. If he heard about her granddaughter Grace one more time, he’d scream. She was a nice lady so he indulged her but told her he was taken.
He yanked open the door only to freeze in place. Max stood in front of him, staring him down like some Roman goddess on a tirade. Without waiting for an invitation, which he wasn’t sure he could utter anyway, she marched past him.
He closed the door slowly to give him time to remember to breathe. She’s here, don’t screw it up.
“I’m here to pick up my evaluation.” Her staccato words shot out like machine gun rounds. Clipped and sharp.
Forcing himself to relax, he leaned against the closed front door. “And?”
“I want it so I can get my next assignment.”
A dagger to the heart couldn’t have hurt more. “That’s right. Your three days with me are over.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not done yet.”
“Why?”
“I’m on vacation.”
Her jaw set and she propped her fists on her hips. “So do it anyway.”
He shrugged. “You know, I don’t think I’m done with you.”
“The hell you aren’t.”
“You don’t find me a satisfactory trainer?”
“Not what I said.”
“Then what do you mean?”
She stood a little straighter but her feet shuffled a bit, a sign of nervousness.
“I don’t know.”
Her façade was crumbling. The wall she’d built over the past couple of days to deal with the incredible occurrences and his hurtful words as Hector started to crack.
Pulling her close was the only thing that would make it right. Make him feel whole. When he stepped forward, she threw up her hands to ward him off. Of course, she’d fear him. He was a monster in her eyes.
“I won’t hurt you, Max.”
“You wouldn’t mean to.”
She wasn’t talking about his shifting. Her fear was emotional.
“I won’t hurt you and I always keep my promises.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She brushed a few away. “What are you, Rico?”
Without looking at her, he began to pace. The movement calmed him and maintaining distance seemed to soothe her.
“I’m a puma shifter. That means I have two sides to my soul. One is dominant, the human side. The other is the puma. I don’t have to shift, I choose to. It’s a gift from my native American ancestors.”
One glance confirmed she was actively listening. He continued. “You know how the native tribes in the Americas believed in spirit animals? Some individuals became so connected to their spirit animal that it resided within them and they were able to embody that animal. That is what I am.”
“You killed those men?”
“They would have killed us.”
“You took a bullet for me.”
“I’d do it again.”
“I know.”
“Where have you been?”
“I needed time to process what I’d seen. I knew you’d come so I changed hotels and turned off my phone.”
“And now you’re ready to move on?”
The tears returned. She was conflicted. “I guess so.”
“Let me give you an option.”
Her eyes widened but she said nothing so he pressed on. “We need a K-9 agent in our office. Our last one moved with her Navy husband. I thought you’d fit the bill.”
“That’s why you didn’t do my eval?”
“It’s one reason.” He stopped pacing to face her. “You are important to me. You’ve shown more grit than most of the agents I’ve ever met. Male or female. I need you in my life.”
“Are you saying this because I know your secret?”
He exhaled frustration from his tight chest. “No. I trust you with that. I…” He closed his eyes to summon the fortitude to beg. When he opened his eyes, she stood three feet in front of him, waiting. She was close enough to touch but she needed to hear this first. “Max Anderson, I love you.”
He saw shock and confusion in her eyes. What had she expected? Then the sun shined on him with her wide smile. “Say that again.”
“I love you, Max.”
Her lip between her teeth, she hesitated. Then her hands were on his face and she was kissing his mouth. Sweet, joyful kisses that he basked in while the realization that his dream might be possible turned passionate when he wrapped her in his arms.
“So is that a yes?”
Through her thick lashes, she looked at him. “About the K-9 position? Yes.”
He playfully bit her lip. “No, you wicked woman. About us.”
Us sounded damn good. Her body felt damn perfect pressed her his.
“Yes.”
“That means mutually exclusive.”
“Of course.”
He swept her off her feet in a move Rhett Butler would have been proud of.
“I seem to recall a promise to take care of your needs. I always fulfill my promises and its time.”
He carried her to his bed and gently laid her down. Taking his time, he stripped her bare, stroking and caressing every inch he revealed. She would know before this night was through how very special she was.
With slow, deep kisses, he sought to erase the memory of their charade as Hector and Ronnie. His tongue delved deep into her soft, warm mouth, sliding and gliding in an intimate dance with her own. Her quiet, contented moans echoed in the silence and he checked the rising desire in his groin.
He moved his hand down her side, skimming the generous curve of her hip, traveling to her thighs. She shifted, parting her legs slightly, inviting his exploration. At the juncture, he pressed against her heated wetness and slid a finger inside. She gasped but arched against his hand. She wanted this, no she needed this. And he would be the man to release her feral side.
He licked a trail from her chin to her cleavage. He slid another finger inside her, her muscles tightening, her legs wide. She was ripe for him, ready to burst forth. He sensed an unmet need. A wildness inside her that needed freeing.
“Tell me what you want,” he said between nips on her breasts. Her nipples begged for attention, tight pink buds. He sucked one into his mouth, pulling hard as he stroked into her slick channel. Her hips met each stroke of his hand.
“Faster. Harder. Come on. Come on.” She was panting, he was throbbing but her desires would be satisfied this time before his.
He thrust three fingers into her. Her muscles tightened on his digits and he sucked her other nipple into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth and lightly biting in time with his strokes.
Her groans were guttural, her hips thrusting wildly. His cock swelled painfully in his pants and he would come when she did. Her excitement was his and he fed off it, his desire coiling deep in his pelvis, ready to explode.
“Rico!” She screamed his name as her inner muscles contracted rhythmically on his fingers. Her body jerked as she came and continued to tremble with aftershocks as she relaxed. Her release was complete.
She ran her hand to his crotch, chuckling at the bulge she cupped. “Rico…we could have come together.” Her hand gently squeezed then kneaded. Squeezed then kneaded.
“Max, you’re…going…to…” The air caught in his throat as the sudden and violent orgasm shook him to the core. She continued to stroke firmly until he held her hand in place with his own. “You made me come in my pants.”