A big old guy fastened his arm around Jade’s neck, clearly trying to strangle her. “Stay back.”
“Kel—lan.” Her face turned blue as her attacker lifted her off the ground.
“What the hell?” His first instinct was to yank his .45 from his boot, but remembering where he was—at a local high school—he threw his body forward, attacking the man who had dared to place a solitary finger on Jade, let alone his hands.
The impact forced Jade’s assailant to release her and she had the good sense to scramble to her feet and run. With Jade out of the way, Kellan threw a punch. “Who are you?” He threw another left hook before the perpetrator responded.
The big guy sneered. “Who you want me to be, stud?”
Kellan ignored the insinuation. He’d straddled the brute as soon as he’d knocked him to the ground and Kellan wasn’t about to give up his position.
In agent mode, he cuffed the brute’s neck with one hand, pinning him to the asphalt. “Jade? Come here!” Normally, he wouldn’t have called for her, but this dude didn’t look familiar.
She crept up behind him. “Yes?” Her voice trembled.
“Who is this guy?” Kellan waited. When she didn’t respond, he glanced up. “Jade?”
Her bottom lip quivered. “I … don’t … know!”
“What are you doing here, asshole?” Kellan tightened his hold, choking the fellow. “I asked you a question!”
Clearly strangled, the guy turned blue and gagged. Kellan smirked as the criminal tried to breathe. “Now you know how it feels. Don’t ’cha, buddy? Kind of hurts?” He squeezed harder. “Uncomfortable?”
The brute growled. Apparently realizing Kellan didn’t give a fuck, he soon fought with all his might, trying to toss Kellan aside. For a minute there, it was a real struggle. About the time Kellan had tired of the fight, numerous sirens blared around them.
Two police cruisers raced into the parking lot, coming to a screeching halt. Officers hurriedly left their vehicles.
“Freeze!” Some rookie dumbass had the audacity to draw on Kellan.
“What’s going on here, Kellan?” Officer Jack Greber was on the scene. “Larry, lower your weapon! He’s one of the good guys.” A beat later, he added, “At least, I think he is. Quit choking him, Kellan. You’ll kill him.”
“Jack, that might be a good thing.” Kellan loosened his grip but decided it didn’t feel right. He added pressure once more, just enough to prove he meant business. “This guy attacked Jade Summers.”
“For the love of God, Kellan.” Jack pulled him away from the beast. “What are you trying to do? Murder him in cold blood and in front of witnesses?”
He’d thought about it.
The other officers rushed Jade’s attacker. He was dragged to his feet and secured in handcuffs.
Kellan glared at the sorry excuse of a man. Rage pumped through his body as he studied the van right next to Jade’s parked car. If he hadn’t been there, this guy would’ve taken her hostage and then what? He glanced at Jade, noticing the fright in her eyes, the way her body shook violently as if she were scared to death.
She had every reason to be afraid. If this burly fellow worked for Hank Sarsarone, then he was there for a purpose and money was driving him. Hank’s thugs earned more than a few pennies for their time. Because of the income and the perks, they seldom made mistakes.
“Listen, you.” Kellan pointed. “Come after her again or anyone I know or care about and I’ll kill ya with my bare hands.”
“Kellan!” Jack pushed him aside. “For heaven’s sakes! Remember where you are! There’s an audience full of kids here.”
Kellan jerked free of Jack’s grip. “And there would’ve been a lot of witnesses if Jade had been abducted, but nobody would’ve seen anything.” This time he jabbed his finger against the attacker’s chest. “Ask Hank how he’d feel if someone went to his grandchild’s school.”
“Are you threatening Mr. Sarsarone?” The fellow laughed. “I’ll need your name please.”
“What I thought.” The dumbass didn’t even know what had happened. Kellan needed confirmation so he could report back to his boss and the Cartwells. “So Hank Sarsarone made his first move.” He snorted at that. “Tell him we’re ready for him.”
It was time to play hardball. “And the name is Kellan. Kellan Andrews. Tell him to send a damn army.”
* * * *
An hour later, Kellan followed Jade home. Kane and Evan Cartwell had arrived on the scene soon after the cops arrested the man who had attacked her. With Kane there to watch over Nory, Kellan had offered to take her home but she’d refused.
Jade was shaken but not rattled enough to leave her car in an open parking lot where one of Sarsarone’s guys could vandalize it. She wheeled into her driveway, hit the garage door opener, and parked a few seconds later.
Kellan was on his game. By the time she removed her keys from the ignition, he was opening her door.
Everything about him screamed sex appeal. At least six-foot-four, he was ripped and cut, a tough guy of sorts. His neck and face were toned and totally perfect. A firm jaw, gentle lips, and a well-defined chin made him look sculpted in a way, as if some famous artist had crafted him for the ladies. Had that been the case, the artist would’ve undoubtedly realized he’d created a masterpiece. Even Kellan’s five o’clock shadow added to his good looks. In a way, it made him look more rugged for the wear.
“Are you okay?” Kellan cocked his head and peered down at her.
Jerking away from her thoughts, she quickly asked, “Would you like to come in?”
“Do you live here alone?”
There wasn’t any play in his voice and she realized then what he planned to do. The Clink bartenders had a reputation for protecting their own and watching out for all women. Jade knew the drill. She’d watched Kellan and others like him search through a house or building before Nory could even enter.
“Jade?”
“Yeah?” She shook off her temporary zoned-out state and added, “I mean, yes. I live here alone.”
For a split second, he seemed stumped. Then he passed her. “Wait here.”
“I’m coming in there, too,” she said, feeling safer as long as she could stay close to him.
“All right,” he said. “You can show me around.”
Together they walked through her condominium, opening closets, peering under and around furniture, and checking windows and doors for secured locks. Soon, they were right back where they’d started. He stood next to the refrigerator, mere steps from the garage. The way he watched her made her slightly uneasy. Should she invite him to stay for a drink, a cup of coffee, or perhaps an early dinner?
“Thank you.” She swallowed. “For everything.”
“You don’t need to thank me. What happened today shouldn’t have happened to you.”
“Why did it?”
“I don’t know.” He grimaced. “Jade, have you ever been with Nory when she’s been approached?”
“No.”
“But you know about her father and what’s going on?”
“You mean about her dad’s debt to the mob?” She sighed. “Even the students at Fletcher High know about Nory’s past. The cops around here talk. A lot of ordinary folks are on Kane Cartwell’s payroll and the locals seem proud of that fact.”
Kellan narrowed his eyes on a stack of college textbooks. “Going anywhere tonight?”
“I’m taking online classes this semester.”
“No roommate?”
“We covered that one in the garage.” Plus, he’d searched her condo so it was pretty obvious she lived there alone. At the moment, she wouldn’t mind a roommate.
“Comfortable couch?”
Or maybe not. She sort of liked where this conversation was going.
“It’s very comfortable but I’ll be fine, Kellan.”
“I’m not asking,” he said, opening up her refrigerator.
“By all means, make yourself at home.” She
was slightly miffed then. She appreciated a man who wanted to protect her but she didn’t feel all warm and fuzzy inside when one strong-armed her. She didn’t know Kellan well enough for him to open her drawers or snoop in her cabinets. And her refrigerator? That was far from acceptable.
She gulped then, remembering what she’d recently put in the freezer.
Lately she’d been quite curious and with her twenty-first birthday approaching, she’d purchased a few things to make sure she brought in the new era with a few experiments. One such test would require research and the tools for said research were right inside her freezer. Before he had a chance to open it, she stepped in front of him, blocking his view of blueberry yogurt, tofu, and fruit.
Kellan had once saved Nory’s life and she’d always found him insanely sexy but Kellan was the kind of man a young woman typically avoided. He could tear up her world with one look, one kiss, and she didn’t need a man like Kellan throwing a wrench in her plans.
Jade planned to tiptoe into the next stage of adulthood. Besides, she had a real thing for Reason. He was a cutie pie, the sexy quiet type. Kellan, on the other hand, was definitely a man’s man. The kind of guy who looked out for his own and expected that much from everyone around him.
“We’ll go to the grocery store and I’ll get us stocked up.” He placed his hand on the freezer.
She gripped his wrist. “I don’t need to go to the market. Everything I eat is—” She stopped talking as soon as she noticed how Kellan had deliberately closed the difference between them. “What are you doing?”
“Do you understand what happened to you today?” His expression was tight, serious.
Jade was still miles away but she wasn’t thinking about the incident at the high school. She needed to steer him away from the kitchen. She’d had enough nerve-wrecking moments for one day. Besides, a woman with her lack of experience didn’t typically explain why a bowl of ginger fingers and a “freeze play” dildo were the only items in her freezer. “I’m almost twenty-one and I can handle myself.”
“Because you’re almost twenty-one?” He laughed at that. “Tell me something, Jade. How would you have ‘handled yourself’ today if I hadn’t been in the parking lot?”
“But you were.”
“Yes,” he said, inching still closer. His aftershave was an Irish blend she wouldn’t soon forget. It filled her senses and made her feel vulnerable. She’d never been this close to a man. Apparently sensing her nervousness, Kellan quickly added, “And you might as well get used to it because I’m not going anywhere right away. So if you don’t want me to stay upstairs in the bedroom next to yours, then make sure you have linens for the couch. I’ll be here tonight and the night after and the night after that. Until the feds or the Cartwells or both put a stop to this madness with Nory and her father, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why do you care?”
“Be glad someone does.”
She flinched at the bite in his voice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” That bite wasn’t quite as snappy.
He turned to walk away but abruptly stopped and glanced over his shoulder. Amusement stamped its place on his handsome face. “Oh, and um, Jade? Whatever you’re hiding in that freezer? We’ll probably discuss it soon.” His lips twitched. “In fact, if it’s what I think it is, feel free to grab some more from the grocery store.”
Chapter Four
Eight hours later, Kellan tossed and turned. He’d been on his feet most of the night, pacing in front of the window, waiting for Sarsarone’s men to make a move. And they would soon make their bold play.
Jade’s attacker had friends in the right places and within an hour of his arrest, someone had bailed him out. Soon after, Kane had called to let Kellan know the details. There wouldn’t be a hearing. Apparently, Jade had dropped the charges. Still, dropping the charges wouldn’t keep this guy from returning in the near future.
Kellan sat up again, narrowing his eyes on the empty street. Nestled against a forest, Jade’s condominium complex was located at the end of a cul-de-sac and other than the occasional coyote call, the neighborhood remained still and quiet.
Stretching out again, Kellan couldn’t help but think about the woman in the next room. In the short time they’d spent together he’d realized a lot about Jade Summers. She was brave and strong with an appealing inner strength, one which had undoubtedly helped her when she’d first been attacked.
He admired the young woman’s independence, too. Even though she probably realized she needed protection, she hadn’t willingly invited him to stay.
His lips twitched, right along with his cock. He grinned at the memory of shopping with her. She’d pushed the buggy right past the gingerroot, turning two shades of red when he paused to browse. After he’d taunted her without saying a word, they’d quickly gathered fruits and vegetables before moving on to collect other necessary items.
Once they returned to her place, Kellan gave her a break. He made a few calls and checked in with Madden since he was basically his handler on this job. He had avoided her refrigerator at all costs. He’d play later, when it was more appropriate.
They enjoyed a great dinner which consisted of a Greek salad and white wine. He liked her company and while Jade’s current predicament had put her in a dangerous situation, they would undoubtedly become fast friends—as if friendship was all he wanted.
Kellan grunted then and stretched out on his right side, staring at the plain wall. He needed to get some sleep. About the time he closed his eyes, he heard a terrible racket downstairs.
Scrambling to his feet, Kellan grabbed his .45 from the nightstand, and raced out of the room. Adrenaline kicked in and he almost knocked Jade over as he sped right by her.
“Kellan?” Jade called after him from the top of the stairs. She gripped her robe at the collar and met him halfway. “Someone’s here. Did you hear that?”
“Stay in your room. Keep the door locked.”
“You’re not leaving me up here.” She grabbed hold of his bare bicep. “I’m coming with you.”
He quickly considered the dangers. Thinning his lips, he debated what might happen if he left Jade alone. What if Sarsarone’s men were waiting for them downstairs? What if they weren’t? What if they’d watched her place long enough to realize she wasn’t alone? Their first goal would be to conquer by dividing them.
“Keep your back against the wall,” he whispered, sliding along the flat surface. As they approached the foyer, he grabbed her hand. They took the final three steps together and he released a heavy breath as soon as he spotted a large flat rock in the center of her dining room floor.
Jade screeched. “Now I’m being vandalized?”
“Sarsarone’s guys have a wicked sense of humor.” Kellan’s nickname was Stone Cold and he could see the red paint and the word “cold” from there. Of course Sarsarone would’ve known his codename. Clink had been under the mob boss’s surveillance for over a year.
“They think this is funny?” Jade looked scared to death. “I’m not laughing, Kellan!”
“Listen to me.” He grabbed her shoulders with both hands. “Look at me.”
She shook her head over and over again. “I’m Nory’s friend. That’s all. I mean … I don’t want anything to happen to her but I don’t know anything.” Of course she didn’t know anything. Nory protected her family and her father. “What do these people want from me?”
That was the million-dollar question. And Kellan wouldn’t stop until he knew the answer.
Outside, a car wheeled out of the neighborhood at a high rate of speed. Barking tires stirred the dogs in the neighborhood, too. Kellan turned on the porch light and a few lamps in the living room.
Stooping to pick up the rock, he asked, “Why’d you call the cops and decide not to press charges?”
“I didn’t.”
He cocked his head. “You didn’t talk to anyone?”
“No,” she replied, going to the kitchen for a
broom. “If I had, you would’ve known it. I’ve been with you all afternoon and evening.”
“Fuck.” Some operative he’d been. He should’ve been on top of this right from the start.
As if she’d never seen a bare-chested man before, Jade blushed, kept her gaze on the floor, and swept up the glass. “Why?”
“The guy who attacked you—Martin Davis—he walked today. According to Kane, the charges were dropped.”
“I guess that’s how it goes,” she muttered. “When you deal with the mob, you quickly learn they can buy anyone, even those who are in Kane Cartwell’s pocket.”
Detecting the note of bitterness in her voice, he asked, “You don’t like the Cartwells?”
“Kane smothers Nory.”
“And what if he didn’t?” Kellan asked, taking the broom and trying not to pay attention to the fact that she seemed jittery around him.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s probably justified. It’s just that she can’t go anywhere or do anything unless she’s guarded. Think about your teenage years. Would you want to live that way?”
“But she’s living,” Kellan pointed out. “And given the mob war going on around her, that’s something she should be thankful for and she is.”
“I don’t call that living and unless you’ve lived under strict guidance and direction, you probably wouldn’t understand.”
Kellan lifted his head. “Sounds like you know a little something about it.”
“Let me grab a dustpan,” Jade said, changing the subject. When she returned, she bent down to the floor and he nearly salivated at the sight of her cleavage. Cursing himself for thinking about all the ways they could pass the time and forget their troubles, he carefully swept the broken glass into the pan. The rest of the cleanup took about an hour and most of it was done in silence.
“Do you have any wood around here?”
“Actually, there’s some plywood around back. Some of the units have wood-burning stoves and use it in the wintertime. I’ll be right back.”
Kellan placed his hand on her wrist. “Let me. Go back to bed. I’ll board up the window and be upstairs shortly.”
Screw Me Sideways [Clink 1: A Cowboy Sex Story] (Siren Publishing LoveEdge) Page 3