Hero

by Julia Sykes

  His eyes burned into mine, and his jaw ticked. Then his gaze slid over me, assessing. After a moment, the fury in his eyes melted into concern, and he released Neil to come to me. His big hands cupped my face as he studied me intently.

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked, his voice low and rough.

  “I’m fine,” I lied. My arm throbbed where my ex-husband’s fingers had dug into me, but my pain went so much deeper than that. “Take me home,” I begged. I had to get away from Neil, away from the memory of the night he’d raped me.

  “This isn’t over, Chloe,” Neil seethed. “It’s not over between us.”

  Dex turned a glacial stare on him. “Yes, it is. If you ever come near her again, you’ll answer to me.” He curved a protective, possessive arm around my waist. “Come on, Chloe. I’m getting you out of here.”

  I moved on numb legs, allowing him to steer me toward the exit. He made my excuses to Sarah for me. She said something apologetic, and whatever I murmured in response must have been appropriate, because she didn’t seem angry that I was leaving early.

  Dex helped me into a taxi and gave his address as our destination. I rode in silence, trying my best to keep my mind blank, to keep thoughts of that night from rising up to claim me.

  Dex’s big hand rubbed up and down my arm, but the warmth of his touch didn’t penetrate my pebbled flesh.

  A few minutes later, we arrived at his building. He paid the fare and ushered me up to his apartment, where he guided me down onto the couch. He sat down beside me and curled two fingers beneath my chin, finally calling my gaze up to meet his.

  “Tell me what you want me to do,” he said gravely. “I can help you get a restraining order. I can have him arrested for assault.”

  I blinked at him. “He didn’t assault me. He just grabbed my arm.”

  His jaw tightened. “I wasn’t talking about tonight. I know he hurt you before you divorced him. Did you press charges then?”

  My skin turned frigid. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s over. I’m over it.”

  He frowned at me for a long moment. I thought he was going to lecture me for lying, but he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

  Tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked them back.

  I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want to remember.

  Acting on impulse, I curved my hand around the back of his neck and pulled myself into him, pressing my lips to his. He went utterly still, but I persisted. I molded my mouth against his, kissing him insistently until he responded, his lips parting on a resigned sigh. His tongue slid against mine, slow and soothing.

  I didn’t want soothing. I wanted raw, all-consuming passion.

  I boldly sucked his lower lip into my mouth and bit down. He growled, and his hand fisted in my hair, applying enough pressure to make me gasp at the edge of pain. Using his grip on me, he guided me down onto my back, settling his body over mine. I slipped my hands under his t-shirt and raked my fingernails across his shoulders. A low sound of disapproval rumbled from his mouth into mine, and he grabbed my wrists, pinning them against the cushions above my head. His hard cock pressed into my thigh.

  Panic fluttered in my chest, and I yanked against his iron grip. His fingers tightened, holding me more securely than manacles. I wrenched my head to the side, breaking away from him so I could gasp for breath.

  “Get off me,” I forced out on a pained whisper.

  He uttered a sharp curse and pulled away. But I could still feel the weight of his body bearing down on me, crushing my chest. I struggled to suck in oxygen. The air tasted like stale whiskey.

  His big hand reached for me, and I flinched. He scowled and took several steps back. I shoved myself up, somehow managing to find my balance on shaking knees.

  I’d been a fool to think I could ever be with Dex physically, that I could let him into my heart and make myself vulnerable.

  “I have to go,” I announced, not looking directly at him.

  “Chloe…” He reached for me again. I dodged away.

  “I’m fine,” I tried to convince myself. “I just… I have to go,” I repeated. “I’m sorry.”

  I skirted around him and darted through the door. He didn’t follow me. I tried to ignore the disappointment that tightened my gut.

  I don’t want him to come after me, I reasoned. I can’t be with him. I can’t give him what he wants.

  I needed to get away. I needed to go home. My time in New York was over. My time with Dex was over.

  14

  Dex

  Don’t go after her, I ordered myself. My Dominant instincts might be telling me to chase her down and stop her, to hold her close and promise her I would always protect her, but that wasn’t right.

  She’s not mine. It wasn’t my place to pry into her painful past. I hadn’t known her very long. I’d enjoyed our time together, but it wasn’t as though she was my sub. She might have trusted me with her submission, but that didn’t make me her Dom.

  Still, I didn’t like the idea of her being on her own with her bastard ex-husband in town.

  Just because I couldn’t be the one to protect her didn’t mean I couldn’t call on someone else to look after her. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and found Sharon’s contact details.

  “What’s up, Dex?” she answered.

  “I need you to check on Chloe.”

  “Isn’t she with you?”

  “No. She just went back to her hotel. I want eyes on her.”

  “Why? Is she in some kind of danger?”

  I considered telling Sharon about Chloe’s ex, but decided against it. Chloe clearly didn’t want me to know about that part of her life, so I doubted she’d appreciate me sharing it with Sharon.

  “I just want to make sure she’s okay,” I said. “Would you mind putting a detail on her?”

  “Sure. I’ll do it myself.”

  “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  “No, you don’t. I like Chloe. I don’t mind watching her back.”

  “Good. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow. You’ll make sure Chloe gets there safely?”

  “Of course. I’ll go check in on her now and escort her to the field office in the morning.”

  “Thanks,” I said again before ending the call.

  I took a deep breath and set the phone down before I could give in to the impulse to call Chloe and check on her myself. She wanted space, and I would respect that. I’d see her in the morning, and everything would go back to normal between the two of us.

  “What do you mean, gone?” I demanded, glaring at Sharon.

  She pursed her lips in obvious disapproval of my rudeness. “I mean exactly what I said: Chloe’s not coming in today. She’s gone. I took her to JFK this morning, at her request.”

  “But she’s not done with her research,” I insisted.

  “She said she’d conduct a phone interview with Javier next week,” Sharon supplied. “Other than that, she’s gotten most of what she can from New York. We pretty much wiped the Kings out here, remember? She’s gone back to Chicago. Kennedy set it up for her to meet with the FBI director there for more research. Chloe mentioned interviewing Hernandez. He’s been transferred back to Chicago, and she wants to ask him some questions.”

  “What?” I burst out, furious at the thought of Chloe going anywhere near Hernandez.

  Sharon rolled her eyes. “I don’t understand what you’re not getting about this. I’m being very clear. Chloe left. She’s probably already back in Chicago. If that bothers you, go do something about it. Something that doesn’t involve yelling at me. You’re being a total alphahole. It’s not like you.”

  I drew in a deep breath, trying to process the fact that I wasn’t going to see Chloe today. Or maybe ever again.

  Fuck that.

  Sharon was right. I didn’t like that Chloe was gone, and it was up to me to do something about it. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I’d made with Katie. I’d wai
ted for years to tell Katie how I really felt about her, and I’d lost her.

  I wasn’t going to lose Chloe. I might not have known her for very long, but there was something between us. I hadn’t felt this strongly about a woman since… well, since Katie.

  I braced myself for the usual ache in my chest brought on by the thought of my lost love. It was oddly faint. I was too focused on making plans to go after Chloe.

  “I’m taking some time off. Tell Kennedy I’m not coming in today,” I told Sharon.

  “But you’re already in,” she countered, even as I turned and headed toward the elevator to exit the field office. “You can tell him yourself,” she insisted. “Damn it, Dex. Come back here. Ken’s going to get all pissy.”

  “What did you just say about me, Silverman?” I heard Kennedy’s dangerous drawl, but I didn’t turn back to face them.

  “Sorry, Sharon,” I called over my shoulder. “I owe you one.”

  “You damn sure do,” she said as the elevator doors closed behind me.

  I pushed her from my mind. I’d make it up to her when I got back from Chicago.

  Apparently, Chloe thought she could run back home and throw herself into danger, where the Kings were still widespread and violent. Well, that simply wasn’t going to happen. Not without me there to protect her.

  I’d told myself Chloe wasn’t mine, but that was only because I hadn’t claimed her. That was about to change. In a few hours, she’d acknowledge that I’d earned the right to call myself her Dom. She would likely resist at first, but I had some experience getting past her emotional walls and drawing forth her submissive nature.

  Smiling to myself, I started formulating my plan to tame her.

  “Dex? What the hell are you doing here?” Jason fell into step beside me as I strode through the Chicago FBI field office, intent on my purpose.

  “I’m here for Chloe,” I told him. “I have to talk to Director Parkinson before she assigns Chloe to an agent and sends her out in the field.”

  “You’re a little late, man. I don’t think they’ve left yet, but Parkinson paired her with Reed Miller.”

  “What?” I demanded on a shout. Several people turned at their desks to look at me. My friend Sam caught my eye and smiled, her violently orange hair bouncing slightly as she shot to her feet and waved me over. I shook my head. I didn’t have time to chat about gaming with her. I had to get Chloe away from Miller before he got his filthy hands on her.

  “Where is he?” I demanded, glowering at Jason.

  “I think they’re still in Parkinson’s office, but I wouldn’t advise barging in. You know how Kennedy’s a hard-ass? Well, imagine him in female form. She’ll eat you alive if you try to question her judgment.”

  “I don’t give a fuck,” I growled, turning toward the director’s office. It was in the same location as it used to be when I worked here, in the same place Franklin Dawes used to occupy. I grimaced at the thought of the traitor, but quickly shook it off. I didn’t have time to brood over what had happened with my former boss and how I’d failed to save Katie from him.

  Right now, I needed to save Chloe from Reed Miller.

  “You’re acting crazy, you know that, right?” Jason pointed out as he continued to keep pace with me.

  I shook my head, choosing to ignore him. All I could focus on was getting Chloe away from Miller.

  I reached the director’s office and threw the door open, striding into the room. Miller turned to me, his features slack with surprise. Chloe’s expression was even more dumbfounded.

  “Dex?” she said my name breathlessly. “What are you doing here?”

  “Making sure you’re safe.” I stepped between her and Miller, shoving him aside with my shoulder.

  “Dexter Scott,” Parkinson said my full name in an icy tone. I turned my attention to her. The whites of her eyes stood out against her dark skin. They narrowed a fraction, but otherwise her face was deadly calm. Her black hair was swept back in a tight bun, adding to her severe appearance. “You no longer work here,” she enunciated each word, drawing them out with condemnation. “And even if you did, I would not tolerate you smashing your way into my office. I assure you, Miss Martin is perfectly safe with my team. And now that you have my assurances, you can return to New York, where you belong.”

  “Not happening,” I bit out. “Chloe might be safe in the field office, but the situation with the Latin Kings is dangerous out there, and you know it. Miller can’t protect her.”

  Parkinson’s brows rose. “And you can?”

  “Yes,” the single word rang out as a clear challenge.

  “I have paired Miss Martin with Miller because he says he knows her socially,” Parkinson continued coldly. “He wanted to help his friend.”

  I turned my glower on Miller. “His friend,” I repeated. So, he knew her socially. I could only think of one place where their paths would have crossed: Dusk. Had he shared a scene with her? Had he touched her?

  “I will not tolerate violence in my office,” Parkinson said sharply, just before I could punch Miller in his smug, too-pretty face.

  I was even further enraged to realize that he wasn’t matching my aggression. His black eyes simply watched me with mild interest, as though the threat I posed was of no consequence to him.

  Jason’s hand closed around my shoulder, holding me back. I hadn’t even realized he’d followed me into the office.

  “I also know Chloe socially,” he supplied calmly. “I would be more than happy for her to shadow me instead of Miller.”

  “That’s not your call to make,” Parkinson said pointedly.

  “I, um…” Chloe’s voice was uncharacteristically high and thin. She cleared her throat. “Maybe it would be better if I shadow Jason. Please.”

  The director’s coffee-brown eyes turned on Chloe, assessing. After several long seconds, she nodded. “Fine,” she declared. “You can go into the field with Harper. But if you decide you want to bother me with any more changes, don’t. I’m letting you do this as a personal favor to Kennedy, but if you cause more problems for me, you’re out. Am I clear?”

  “Yes,” Chloe said quickly. “I won’t cause any trouble. Thank you.”

  I was on the verge of demanding that I accompany Chloe, but I decided against it. I didn’t want Parkinson to kick her out. I knew how important Chloe’s research was, and I didn’t want to fuck that up for her. I’d just have to shadow Jason, too. And Parkinson didn’t have to know about it.

  “All right, then,” the director said. “Miss Martin will start working with Harper starting tomorrow. And Scott,” she snapped at me. “I don’t want to see you in my office again. Unless you plan on transferring back to Chicago, you are not part of my team. You’re all dismissed.”

  The four of us turned and left her office. I stuck close to Chloe, making sure Miller kept his distance. Once Jason closed the door behind us, Miller had the gall to try to speak to me.

  “Katie will be glad to hear you’re in town,” he said, all geniality. Smarmy asshole. “She misses you.”

  My heart twisted. The pain of my loss might have been dulled by my concern for Chloe, but hearing Katie’s name on Miller’s tongue brought back my anguish. The reminder that she belonged to him made my chest ache.

  She misses you.

  Fuck. I missed her, too. Katie had been my best friend before Miller swooped in and stole her. Now, I couldn’t stand to be anywhere near her. It hurt too much.

  “Dex?” Chloe’s small hand closed around my forearm, calling my attention to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I forced out.

  “We should all meet up for a drink later,” Miller continued, as though I wasn’t on the verge of attacking him. “You in, Chloe?”

  “She already has plans,” I asserted, my voice rough with anger.

  “Do I?” she questioned drily.

  “Yes. I’m taking you home. Right now.”

  “But I want to talk to Reed about what’s goi
ng on with the Kings in Chicago,” she protested. “He said he’d help me with my research.”

  “Not fucking happening,” I ground out. “If you have questions, I’ll answer them. Come on.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and began steering her toward the elevator that led out of the field office. She tensed, trying to plant her feet. I fixed her with a stern stare. “Do you want to walk, or do you want me to carry you?”

  She made an exasperated noise, but she started walking. “What is wrong with you? You’re being a total dick.”

  The elevator doors closed behind us, giving us privacy. I rounded on her. “You know Miller from Dusk,” it came out like an accusation.

  “Yeah. So what? I know Jason from Dusk, and you don’t seem to want to murder him.”

  “Did you ever have a scene with him?” I had to know. “Did he ever touch you?”

  “Who, Reed?” she appeared genuinely bewildered. “Of course not. He’s with Katie.”

  Katie. My chest ached. I’d confessed my love to Katie for the first time in this elevator. I’d told her I loved her, and she’d slapped me across the face. Then she went running straight into Miller’s arms.

  “What’s going on with you?” Chloe’s voice was softer this time, concerned rather than annoyed.

  “I just don’t like Miller.” I tried to ignore the knife in my heart.

  “That seems to be an understatement.”

  I drew in a deep breath, turning my focus to her. “That doesn’t matter now. I came to Chicago because I want to talk to you.”

  “Because you think no one else can protect me like you can?” she challenged.

  “I know they can’t. They don’t understand you like I do. They don’t know how to keep you safe from your own curiosity.”

  “Don’t tell me you came here to stop me from doing my job,” she warned.

  “No. I came here to help you do your job. Safely.”

  “Well, you heard Parkinson. I’ll be shadowing Jason. You like him. You can trust him to protect me.”

  I shook my head. “I’ll be shadowing both of you.”

  “But Parkinson said—”