by Reana Malori
“Daddy, why is baby Owen running around without his clothes on?” Sophia asked Stefano as he walked her over to the table to grab some food.
“Because he’s a very independent little boy who likes to give his momma fits,” he said, laughing at the scene in front of him.
“Like I give to momma?”
All the guys around him laughed. “Yes, baby. Just like that. But you know, little Michael is just like your cousin Owen. Those two are going to get into a lot of trouble when they get older.”
Noah stepped outside at that very moment. “Nope, my son’s going to be an angel.” Just then, Janae called out to him.
“Noah! If you don’t grab your son and get him to put some clothes on, I’m running away.”
Loud laughter followed him as he moved left to intercept the little boy running circles around his mother. How could such a tiny person move so fast? “Oh, no you don’t.” Grabbing up his son, he began marching back to the house. “Listen, young man, you’re not getting daddy in trouble today. You’re gonna get some swimmers and shorts on before you go into the pool. Got it?”
His son gave him a shrewd look, his hazel-green eyes stared back at him with intelligence that shouldn’t be present in a child so young. “Hi, Daddy! Mommy run and chase!” Owen bent over in a deep belly laugh as if having his mother scramble after a naked, squirming child was the funniest thing ever.
“Kid, I can see you’re gonna give your mommy and me a run for our money.” Noah moved quickly to get his son dressed and back outside with his cousins.
Once he was back outside, Nicole got him into the kiddie pool with the other kids around his age. Nicole and Damian, Ethan and Vanessa’s son, were the big kids of the bunch, so they made sure to lord their power over the younger children. He wasn’t bothered though, he knew they’d keep a watchful eye on the smaller kids. And if there was something they couldn’t handle, one of the adults would step in.
Taking a swig of soda, he couldn’t help but be happy with where his life was. Today was a good day for him and his brothers. Business at Overwatch Security was damn good. Their families were flourishing, and his brothers were happy. Well, most of them anyway, he thought before glancing over at Daniel and Charity who were off-again, and then to Tony who was ignoring everyone. The woman he thought Tony was in love with had married another man. He knew those two would figure it out soon enough.
“Hey, Baby. Thank you for wrangling the kid.” Janae walked up to him and gave him a soft kiss.
“Not a problem. I’m your hero, right? That means wrestling our kids to behave when needed.” Pulling her closer to his side, he gave thanks for whatever he’d done in his life to bring Janae into his world.
“Heath and Stephanie will be here in an hour. They got in late last night and needed a bit more rest.”
“Okay, that’s fine.” It would be good to see his friends and their family. It had been too long since he’d last seen him. At that time, Heath had been talking retirement. Noah hoped he was serious because he had a proposition for him. All the guys were on board with bringing Heath onto the team if he wanted it. He wouldn’t be an equal partner, but he also wouldn’t have to start at the bottom.
“Oh, I heard from my mom. They’re having a blast on the cruise with your mom and dad. I think those four are getting into more trouble than we thought. Whose idea was it to see if they’d all get along?”
Noah smiled. Shortly after the wedding, the two older couples seemed to strike up a close friendship. They’d been to Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, and to professional football games in multiple states. Now they were on a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean. Maybe being retired wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “Not mine. I know my parents are incorrigible. I think they all gravitated to each other like moths to a flame.”
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she rested her head on his chest. “If you say so, big guy.” They both heard the doorbell ring. “I’ll get it.”
“Nah, it’s okay. I got it. You rest, sweetheart.”
Noah walked to the door, thinking it was Heath and Stephanie. It wasn’t. Cole Reynolds, or Hawk as they called him, stood at the door. Hawk worked with them at Overwatch and was one of the best guys they’d brought in. While all the guys they worked with were welcome to stop by at any time, Cole seemed to be more of a loner. He focused on work, he went home, and he didn’t socialize much, no matter how many times the offer was extended. Former Army Delta, Hawk was one of their deadliest assets. “Hey, Hawk. What’s up, man? Come in. Want a beer?” He offered, motioning towards the kitchen.
“Hey, Ghost. Nah, I’m good. You know that issue I was helping my lady with?”
It took Noah a moment to remember. He’d been out of town at his in-laws’ house with shit started to go down with Hawk’s lady cop. “Yeah, the guys told me about it. That shit getting hot again?”
“Yeah, I think I got a lead. I know you guys are having a family weekend, but I need to update everyone on the latest. We can’t waste time next week.” Hawk stood at the foyer, but Noah didn’t want him to feel out of place.
“Come on inside. If I don’t offer you something to eat, Janae will tear me a new one. All the guys are out back.” Stepping into the backyard, Noah saw eyes turn to Hawk as he strolled across the yard to greet some of the team.
“Cole? Are you hungry?” Janae was walking over to the man with a cold beer.
“I could eat,” he answered with a smile.
“I just bet. Come on, grab something first, then you guys can talk business.”
A bevy of male voices yelled out, “What? We’re not working! Come on, Janae, we didn’t do anything.”
Once they were out of earshot, Noah moved to the group of men. “It’s all good fellas. I think Hawk is looking for some help to close a tricky situation with his lady. I think it may be time to go hunting.”
~ FIN ~
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Keep swiping to read an excerpt from Persuade Me.
Persuade Me
Summary
~ Sometimes good and evil must coexist to bring about the reckoning. ~
Ebony - I've never begged for anything. Until the day I begged him to save my life.
Fear was not a word I used. Failure had never been an option. Even as life threw me curveballs on a regular basis, I powered through. My job as a police officer drove me to do better, be better than anyone else, and to protect those who needed my help. My position as President of the Fairfax Chapter of Lady Guardians instilled a sense of sisterhood and passion for my community. I'm proud of the person I've become and have no regrets about the life I've lived. Well, except one--and it happens to be the man hovering over my body as I bleed out on my front lawn.
Cole - Life on the other side wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but my forgiveness will be found in the unlikeliest of places.
The day I came home to find my beautiful neighbor on the verge of death, my world shifted. She'd seen me when all I wanted to do was hide, not allowing me to wallow in my guilt and memories. The things I'd seen in combat, scarred me for life, changing me into someone I hardly recognized. But it didn't matter to her. Now someone had hurt her. The woman I desired from afar, even as I knew it was best that I stayed on my side of the street. I was no good for her. For anyone. But someone had tried to harm her, and that just wouldn't do at all.
CHAPTER 1
Ebony
Pain radiated through her body as she realized she’d been shot. Her face was wet from the steady flow of tears
falling from her eyes. Ebony lay in the front yard of her home as her life seeped out into the grass. Eyes wide, but blurry from pain, she tried to focus on the sights and sounds around her. The sky above her was a gorgeous light blue, with small clouds floating by, breaking up the view. The only thing she heard around her was the whizzing of vehicles as they drove down the street.
A low keening noise sounded in the silence. It was like an animal in distress. Ebony’s ears picked up the wail, but it seemed to be muffled, far away. As she tried to move her lips to call out, to yell for someone to call 9-1-1, she realized the sound was coming from her. Fear coursed through her mind, and wetness continued to fall from her eyes.
It couldn’t end this way.
There was too much still left to do.
It wasn’t her time to die.
She had people who loved her. People who wanted her to live. She’d be damned if her last breath would be taken like this. Lying in a pool of her own blood. Alone.
Digging her fingers into the dirt as she twisted in pain, she felt the fresh dirt under her nails. Wouldn’t it be some bullshit if these were her last moments on earth? A seasoned police officer with more than a decade of service under her belt, it was almost embarrassing that she’d been caught off-guard.
When the sound of the weapon firing met her ears, she’d pulled her service-issued gun from its holster, ready to respond to the threat. No matter how fast she was, it had already been too late. Hot lead filled her body, the heat slicing through her soft flesh.
The shock came first. Then the pain.
Falling to the ground, she’d tried to fight the convoluted thoughts going through her mind. During her years of being a cop, she’d come across her fair share of criminals, thugs, and murderers. Hell, she’d even been shot before and lived to tell the tale. Those times she’d been actively engaged, ready to risk her life to bring down her target. Injury or death had been an expected outcome.
Today was not one of those situations. There was no preparation for this. Ebony hadn’t been going after a criminal or harassing a potential suspect. No, this time, she’d been coming home after finishing up a long ass shift. She’d been working extra hours on a case dealing with human trafficking, and something about it was getting to her. Things weren’t adding up. She was missing something, and that shit bothered her.
Bone tired and ready to crash for the next two days, she wasn’t focused on her surroundings. Her mind was prepared to shut down, even if only for a few hours. She’d been thinking long and hard about a hot shower and a cold beer. Ebony had let her guard down for only a few moments, which she knew never to do.
Within seconds, her world was thrown off its axis.
Now she lay in the dirt and grass in front of her home—her safe space—with a bullet lodged inside her. Moving her head to the side, she noticed the blood pooling on top of her clothing, the dark red liquid seeping into the grass.
Wincing with pain as she shifted, Ebony “Diamond” Thompson, tried to think of a way out of this. She wasn’t going out without a fight. The voice of Deuce, the Vice President of the Lady Guardians, entered her mind, and she almost smiled at the thought of her friend.
Deuce would pull out these sayings from her time in the Marine Corps that would throw everyone for a loop. They’d be sitting around the club, shooting the shit, and having a drink, doing nothing much. Then BAM! Deuce would pull out one of her favorite sayings. Ebony’s favorite was: ‘Blood makes the grass grow. Marines make the blood flow. Kill! Kill! Kill!’
Ebony could feel a small chuckle bubble through her as she thought about her longtime friend and partner in crime. Deuce would kick her ass if she died this way. Ebony tried to roll over, but a sharp sting clawed its way through her chest. Falling back down, she let out a deep breath.
Well, if she died on her lawn, her grass would be nice and green. At least according to Deuce and the US Marine Corps. Her Homeowner’s Association would appreciate that. They were a bunch of prudes who had nothing else better to do but get in other people’s business.
Deuce would probably kill everyone in her path when she found out what happened to Ebony. Even after knowing her for ten years, Ebony still held onto a healthy dose of fear for her best friend. Laughing a little at the thought of Deuce’s small five-foot-six-inch frame going all Marine Corps revenge killer, she groaned as the pain intensified inside her body. Wincing, she fought to control the need to close her eyes and wait for the inevitable.
Fuck this shit. She needed to fight.
“Help me,” she whispered. Her voice was low, and where she lay was shielded by the hedges on each side of her yard. It was mid-afternoon, so not many people in her lovely, middle-class neighborhood were at home. She didn’t expect anyone to have heard the shot. Even if they did, they might not have realized what the sound was.
Feeling herself getting weaker by the minute, she tried to pull her cell phone from her pocket. “Help me,” she prayed to whoever was listening.
Sobs tore from her body as she accepted what was happening. Someone wanted her dead. They’d learned where she lived. Waited until she was alone, with her guard down. The motherfucker shot her. And she had no idea who it could be.
Her list of enemies was too long to think about, and her mind was too garbled to think clearly. She’d put a lot of people behind bars over the years. Even had a few complaints filed against her for excessive force, but none of those charges stuck. It wasn’t her fault some men were bitch ass pansies who couldn’t take getting their ass kicked by a woman.
She wasn’t worried about finding the perpetrator—not much anyway. Her brothers and sisters in blue would find out who did this to her. Hell, Deuce would probably find the shooter before they did.
If only she could tell her friend thank you for all the times she’d had her back. For all the ways she’d supported Ebony in her role as President of their Lady Guardians chapter.
Ebony’s vision began to fade. Blackness converged on the edges of her eyes. She was going into shock from blood loss. She couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. Her life would slip away as if she were falling asleep.
For thirty-three years, she’d lived a life that others would envy. Had grown up with two amazing parents who’d loved and supported her without question. Achieved the career she’d dreamed of: catching the bad guys and making the streets better. And rode a badass motorcycle daily. Who wouldn’t want a life like that?
Her only regret was that she was going to die alone. No husband. Not even an ex-husband. No boyfriend who’d miss her if she didn’t call him to check-in and share their days. Children hadn’t been in the plan for her, especially with her career choice. The dangers were too many. She didn’t want to risk not coming home one night and leaving her child on their own, their only parent dead at the hands of a criminal.
If she’d had a long-time boyfriend or husband, maybe it would have been different. But she didn’t. There was only her mother and her little sister. Her father had passed away from a massive heart attack six months after she’d graduated from the Police Academy.
For months he kept repeating how proud he was of her. He’d brag to all his friends that his daughter, his princess, was at the top of her graduating class. Six months after she’d walked across that platform, he’d gone to work one day, and never made it back home.
Her breath was shallow as she felt her heartbeat slowing down. The only good thing about this situation was that she’d get to see her father again. They could look down on her mother and sister and make sure they were doing okay. Protect them from up high, just as she and her father protected them while on this earth.
With one last surge of energy, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. The small device in her hands, she managed to press the nine- and the one- before it fell from her fingers.
“I’m sorry, momma,” she tried to say, but the words came out mumbled.
“Hey!”
> A loud voice called out to her, but she had no energy to respond. Relief flooded her body when she heard someone running in her direction.
“Ebony! Can you hear me? Fuck!” She heard fumbling before he spoke again. “Yeah, we need an ambulance. My neighbor’s been shot. She’s a police officer. I don’t know how long she’s been out here. I just got home.” He paused. “Okay, let me check. Hold on.”
She felt his hands on her body. She was about to die, and all she could think about was how good his touch felt. As soon as he’d spoken above her, she’d recognized his voice. The fine ass guy across the street. Cole. The one whose look was so intense, she felt butterflies in her stomach every time they crossed paths.
There was something about him that pulled her closer, made her want to know him better. But she hadn’t been willing to put herself out there, so she refrained from approaching him. There were so many reasons not to go down that path. Hot naked sex was all well and good, but it would be rude to kick the guy out of her bed once she had her fill, only to see him every morning when she left for work.
Plus, there was also the possibility that even if she approached him, it wouldn’t turn out the way she wanted. What if he rejected her? What if she wasn’t his type? Maybe he already had a woman who made his toes curl and fucked him until he was weak in the knees. Even with all those negative thoughts, it didn’t mean he didn’t fill her dreams at night. Because he sure as fuck did. And when she woke up, her pussy would be wet and the gasp still on her lips from the phantom dick that had been giving it to her for hours as she slept.
It didn’t matter if she’d pictured his large, pale body between her dark legs. Or his rough beard scratching against the soft skin of her inner thighs as his mouth devoured her pussy. Not to mention her silent wish that he had a thick, fat dick to slide inside her body, every thrust making her moan with need and desire.