Handcuffs and Lies

by Bronwyn Green

  “Hey Mikey, we gonna finish our business, or what? ‘Less of course you’re sharing.”

  The audible leer in the other man’s voice sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Not a word,” Michael whispered against her lips. Turning his head toward the other men, he chuckled. It sounded cold. Deadly. “Sorry boys, this one’s mine.”

  “You gonna fuck her, or are we gonna finish this?”

  Michael looked at her, his eyes glowing with anger. “Oh yeah—I’m definitely gonna fuck her. Just as soon as we’re done here.”

  Tori’s stomach dropped like an out-of-control freight elevator as she stared into his glittering hazel eyes. She should have waited for him to call back. She was so over her head.

  Michael slid his hand possessively up her ribcage, stopping only when it rested under the swell of her breast. He held her gaze, as if daring her to object.

  The three men drew closer. The man who’d spoken to Michael earlier reached out and tugged at one of her short curls. His eyes were small and cruel looking as he appraised her body with a hard stare. “C’mon darlin’, lemme show you what a real man is like.” He jerked his thumb toward a tall, lanky guy with watery blue eyes. “Me an’ my boy here can show you a real good time.”

  Forcing a smile, Tori hooked her fingers in the front of Michael’s waistband. The backs of her fingers brushed across his tightly muscled stomach and his body heat soaked into her skin. She looked up at him through her lashes. “Sorry guys, Michael promised me the ride of my life.”

  His fingers convulsed on her ribcage at her husky words. She knew, even if the others were clueless, that he was ready to throttle her.

  Michael chuckled again, that same cold, dead sound. “Let’s get this over with,” he said to the others. With ice in his eyes, he turned back to Tori and pulled her closer, close enough to feel the raging erection pushing against his fly. “Seems I’ve got things to do.”

  The sensation of his hard cock pressed against her had stolen any words she might have thought to say, and her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow. Try as she might, she couldn’t tear herself from his furious gaze. Anger had brightened the color of his eyes. The dark green ring lining the light brown irises seemed to grow darker while the gold flecks circling the pupils seemed sharper in the low light. He was beyond pissed.

  Forcing herself to move, she pushed from his embrace and dropped onto the ugly orange couch, setting her purse on the cushion beside her. The piece of furniture looked like something even Goodwill would turn down. “I’ll just wait here ‘til you guys are done.”

  A scruffy looking blond guy looked pointedly at her before turning his attention to Michael. “Why don’t you take care of your girlfriend while I finish up out here.”

  Her stomach leapt wildly at the barely veiled threat in his tone. Michael nodded once, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her into a room that opened off the main area. With a careless shove, he slammed the door behind them and locked it.

  Michael Tanner stared at the woman who’d haunted every fucking dream he’d had for the past three years. Dreams, nightmares, wandering thoughts—his partner’s little sister wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone. Former partner, he corrected himself. The dead didn’t have partners—especially not when their partners had failed them so miserably in life.

  He glared at her, unable to believe she’d just managed to interrupt a pivotal drug deal, unable to look away as her pink tongue moistened her lips. Full, perfect lips. Lips that belonged wrapped around his cock. He’d had that mouth on his body, he was sure of it—he just couldn’t remember a damn thing. All he knew was, the morning after Alex’s funeral, he’d woken up wrapped around Tori’s supple, naked body, still drunk off his ass. He’d made the only move he could. He’d snuck out of her bed and hoped like hell she didn’t remember any of it either when she woke up.

  Shaking off the phantom memories of Tori stretched beneath him, he stalked toward her, backing her toward the creaky bed. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded, his voice nothing more than a harsh whisper.

  “I—”

  He cut her off, placing his hand over her mouth. “Quietly.” Carefully, he freed her lips.

  “I needed to talk to you,” she murmured.

  Thank God, Niko, his new partner, had possessed the foresight to suggest he take her to the bedroom. The last thing they needed was a civilian witnessing the deal that was about to go on with two of Lucky’s highest ranking associates.

  “Jesus, Tori! It couldn’t wait until I was off duty? What the hell is so important that you had to break three years worth of silence and avoidance?”

  She pressed her lips into a tight line, as if she was holding back a torrent of words. Shoving her hand into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out a small baggie and held it on the palm of her hand. He immediately recognized the embossed design on the pills. His throat closed at the thought of Tori putting herself into danger getting these. He wanted to pull her into his arms and make her promise that she’d stay away from anything having to do with Lucky.

  Instead, he took the pills from her. He didn’t mean to caress her palm and fingers as he took it from her. It just happened, along with the jolt of energy that flared where their skin touched.

  He glanced at the door as coarse laughter drifted to them from the other room. Fear he hadn’t felt in years churned in his gut. Keeping his cover intact was going to be practically impossible with her here. “You know, they expect to hear us going at it,” he whispered.

  She shook her head. No way, she mouthed.

  “Are you trying to blow my cover and get me killed?” he whispered almost soundlessly.

  Her eyes brightened, but she blinked away the sudden tears and held his gaze.

  Fuck. He never could say the right thing where Tori was concerned. Instead of trying, he pushed her backward. The springs screeched in protest as she landed and the laughter sounded again from the other side of the paper thin walls.

  “Move the bed,” he murmured.

  “What?”

  He sat down next to her at the foot of the bed and began a slow rocking motion, throwing an arm across her waist when she would have scrambled off it. “You started this by showing up tonight,” he whispered fiercely, “now finish it.”

  If the two hired thugs in the other room believed Tori was anything other than a quick lay, she was in danger. He’d failed to save Alex’s life, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to do the same thing with his best friend’s sister. He’d made a promise and he’d keep it no matter what.

  “I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “I didn’t ask you to.” He didn’t ask her to, but goddamn it, he wanted to. “Fake it.”

  He slowed the rocking motion as she stared at him with her mouth hanging open. “C’mon baby, suck it. That’s right, take me deeper.”

  She swallowed hard as a bright pink hue crept up her neck to stain her cheeks.

  Michael held up the pills. “Where did you get these?” he hissed.

  “Off another dead kid in the ER.”

  The pain in her eyes was unmistakable. She hated to lose anyone, but to lose them to the same dealer responsible for her brother’s death was killing her.

  “We’ll talk about this after they’re gone.”

  “But—”

  “For fuck’s sake, moan already.”

  She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She looked like a deer in the headlights.

  He sighed, then groaned, purposefully holding her gaze. “Goddamn baby, your mouth feels so good.”

  Tori’s breath caught in her throat, and he felt it like a fist to the gut. Lips parted and eyes glassy, she looked more than a little aroused. He let his gaze travel over her body. Her chest rapidly rose and fell, and her nipples had pebbled into tight little points. Tight little points he’d give just about anything to taste.

  “C’mon, Tori, you’ve gotta give me something.”

  Slashes of sc
arlet highlighted her cheeks, and she closed her eyes. Keeping them shut, she moaned. The sound streaked along his nerve endings, and he wanted to hear her make that sound for real. He wanted to cause it.

  “More,” he whispered.

  She repeated the noise and his cock hardened instantly. She was going to kill him.

  “Mmm baby, you’re so wet for me.”

  Her eyes flew open and narrowed. She looked like she wanted to hurl something at him.

  Despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn’t stop the wicked grin that spread across his face. He used to love teasing her. Just one more thing that had died with Alex.

  Michael pushed the thought away and focused on the present. On keeping Tori safe.

  Biting her lower lip, she moaned again, louder this time. It was all he could do not to pin her to the mattress and fuck her properly. He needed to keep his mind on the assholes in the next room, not on what it would feel like to slide between her legs…and actually be able to remember it this time.

  After what seemed like an eternity of moaning and gently moving the bed, she glanced at him again. “I want you deeper. Please, fuck me harder!” she rasped.

  He almost choked. What the fuck was the matter with him? He was used to being undercover, playing a role. This was no different than anything else he’d done in the last two and a half years. Except that he couldn’t quite remember what the end goal was. Tori’s sweet scent distracted him, and all he could think about was getting her naked. This needed to end.

  He breathed heavily, panting now, while he shook the bed almost violently. Leaning over her, he let his lips brush across the tender skin of her cheek and ear. “You need to scream now.”

  “I don’t do that,” she snapped, her body swaying with the motion he’d initiated.

  He leaned closer, holding her captive with his proximity. “What—scream? Or come?”

  Her eyes, huge and dilated, locked with his while his lips hovered mere inches from hers. The small taste at the door hadn’t been nearly enough. Blushing wildly, she held his gaze for a moment, and called out. “Harder, Michael… I need it harder.”

  God help him, but he wanted to give it to her as hard and fast as she demanded.

  Closing her eyes, she broke the connection between them and cried out. “Yes, yes, yes!”

  Michael groaned loudly, trying to control the surge of lust that had him by the balls. It was a good thing she’d closed her eyes. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would have been able to mask the raw need coursing through him. He slowed the frantic pace of the squeaking springs, then stopped it altogether.

  “Now what?” she whispered, her eyes still closed.

  “Now we hope they’re done out there, and I get you the fuck out of here,” he growled.

  She flinched slightly at his tone, but he couldn’t let it bother him. He needed to distance himself and keep his head in this case. The bed protested loudly as he stood, pulling her along with him. He could hear Niko’s phone ring from the other room as he swiftly unbuttoned Tori’s shirt.

  She slapped at his hands. “What the hell are you doing?” she whispered.

  He met her gaze and grimaced. “You don’t have the look of a woman who’s just been thoroughly—”

  “Don’t say it,” she warned, trying to pull his hands away.

  He ignored her and yanked her shirt out of her jeans and rapidly mis-buttoned it. Threading his fingers through her already tousled curls, he messed them up a bit more before doing the same thing to his own hair.

  “Rub your lips,” he ordered, nearly silent.

  Glaring at him, she rubbed the palm of her hand vigorously across her mouth.

  “Harder.”

  “Isn’t that my line?” she sneered before continuing. Removing her hand from her mouth, she pouted for his inspection. “Better?”

  “Damn,” he whispered. “Damn, damn, damn.” Unable to help himself, he tunneled his hands through her hair and lowered his mouth, claiming hers almost brutally. Tori struggled for about a tenth of a second before she melted against him and his body rejoiced. His still hard cock pressed against his fly with renewed vigor, seeking her heat.

  Her arms wrapped around him and her fingers stroked the nape of his neck. The gentle caress was almost enough to push him over the edge. His lips left hers to trail along her jaw line and down her neck to nip the tender skin. She trembled, her hands convulsing in his hair, so he repeated the action before delving into the sweet warmth of her mouth again.

  For a moment, he had the briefest memory of kissing her the night of Alex’s funeral. He’d called a cab to get them home after the bar that night, and, like some kind of misguided gentleman, he’d insisted on walking her to the door. Of course, he’d never been a gentleman. As soon as they’d reached her front porch, she’d kissed him goodbye, and he’d let her. He didn’t push her away like he should have—he’d kissed her back. When their clothes started disappearing in the living room, he’d picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Every other memory of that evening was gone—until he woke up in her bed. Guilt crashed over him, and he shoved her away now like he should have three years ago.

  Clearing his throat, he gave her the once over. “There. Now that looks more believable.”

  Her mouth dropped open and incredulousness lit her eyes.

  He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the door. “C’mon, baby. Time to get the hell out of Dodge.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she whispered, her anger evident.

  “That’s where you’re wrong.”

  Chapter Two

  Unable to pull her hand from Michael’s much larger grasp, she had no choice but to follow him from the bedroom into the grungy dining room. The blond man sat alone at a table, baggies of crack piled around him and a gun resting casually in front of him. Eyes narrowed, he leaned backward with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at them.

  “What the fuck, Mike? We were in the middle of a deal.”

  Before Michael could answer, Tori spoke. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault—”

  “Damn straight it is. Do you have any idea what you could have done? What you might have done?”

  Nothing she could say would make any of this all right, but she wanted to try and explain.

  However, the other man wasn’t finished, yet. “Good fucking luck explaining this to the captain,” he said to Michael. Not sparing her a glance, he blew out a disgusted sigh. “Your shift is just about over. Get her out of here.”

  Michael’s grip on her hand slackened, and she pulled away. Shame swamped her like a tidal wave. She’d acted without thinking it through, and she could have cost Michael and his partner their investigation and possibly their lives. Grabbing her purse from the couch, she noticed it was unzipped. A trickle of unease skated down her spine. She always zipped it. Rifling through it, she searched for her wallet. She needed to call that cab driver back here and get as far away as possible from the worst idea she’d ever had.

  Her wallet wasn’t in there. Panic sank like a stone to settle in the pit of her stomach. She lifted the couch cushions and looked underneath. It wasn’t there either.

  “What’s wrong?” Michael asked.

  “My wallet’s missing.”

  “Are you sure you had it when you came in?”

  “Yeah, I paid the cabby, and I know I put it back in my purse and zipped it. When I picked up my purse just now, it was unzipped.”

  Michael exchanged a look with the other man. “Did you turn your back on them at all?”

  The blond man frowned. “When I answered the phone.” He turned to Tori. “Is anything else missing?”

  “It doesn’t look like it.”

  Tori glanced at Michael. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him.

  “C’mon.”

  “I’ll find my own way home.” She knew she was being stubborn and petulant, but at this point she didn’t care. She wanted to get away from Michael and the jumbled emot
ions and raw need he left in his wake. Hopefully distance would quell both the confusion and desire roaring through her body.

  “Absolutely not. We’re not finished.”

  She snorted. “The hell we’re not. Look, this was an awful mistake, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Trust me.” She flipped open her cell phone and started for the door.

  Michael grabbed a leather jacket from the back of a chair and slipped it on as he blocked the door. Plucking her phone from her fingers, he glanced at the blond man. “Call dispatch and have them run some extra patrols past nine thirty-two Myrtle, northwest.”

  She was surprised he remembered her address. Surprise gave way to fear. Two criminals not only had her wallet, but they also knew where she lived.

  The other man was already dialing the phone when Michael grabbed her hand and tugged her onto the porch and down the steps. “We need to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to say.”

  “Really? How about the fact that you risked your job and criminal prosecution to bring me something you should have turned over to your supervisor? That’s something that needs discussing.”

  She fought the urge to roll her eyes. The thing that pissed her off the most was that he was absolutely right. Once again, she’d acted impulsively and look where it had gotten her.

  “I’ll take you back to the hospital, and you can file a report.” His tone softened as he gazed at her under the halo of the street lamp. “Explain that you were upset when you left, and you forgot. We’ll talk about the rest later. Now, get on the bike. You can use the smaller helmet on the back.”

  “You’re insane if you think I’m getting on a motorcycle.”

  “Probably, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are getting on it. We’ve got a lot to do and a limited time to do it.”