by Lee Taylor
Mick’s eyes flamed menacingly as he and Bobo closed in on either side of her. In the last couple of minutes the energy in the group had changed. Annika felt a warning flicker streak up her back. There were now more than a dozen tweakers surrounding them, snarling softly like a pack of feral dogs. Knowing that Baker was somewhere in the crowd, and that most of the would-be attackers were shit-faced, Annika swallowed her fear and faced the ringleaders with a practiced nonchalance.
“That won’t be necessary, guys. I just wanted to introduce myself. Make your acquaintance.”
Mick growled, “Don’t think for a minute, bitch that we don’t know who you are. Nope, Loo-ten-ent Ah-nee-ka Neel-son, you’re a favorite of ours. We got a whole chat room devoted to you. You should see what photoshop can do to that bitchin’ body of yours, blondie. We got pictures of you gittin’ it on with five to ten guys at a time. Your momma would be scandalized and your daddy would be reachin’ for his shotgun.”
Annika leveled him an icy smile.
“Guess it’s lucky for you that I have neither a mother nor a father. And boys, I don’t scandalize easy.”
“Unluckily for you gentlemen, I do. As does my partner. And I’m scandalized that you ignorant-assed cowards would not only insult an officer of the law but one of my officers.”
Annika turned and was more than a little relieved to see Nate and Sam striding through the crowd toward her, their still-running squad car angled haphazardly at the curb. No doubt, they’d seen the crowd and heard the exchange. Annika didn’t know who looked more fierce, Nate or Sam. But if she was forced to choose, it would be Sam. Accustomed to his quiet, distinguished demeanor she saw for the first time the fabled special operative that her internet research had uncovered. He looked downright scary.
Nate’s blazing eyes scanned the cowering group. In a voice as hard as it was dangerous, he said, “You got ten seconds to get your sorry asses as far away as you can run.”
As the wide-eyed wasters backed away, he added, “And boys? I see you within a hundred yards of this development or I ever hear you threaten one of my officers again, be they male or female, you can plan on spending the next three months at St. Cloud. From what I hear the ‘residents’ there enjoy eco-nuts as much as they do perverts who fuck little kids. And trust me, it won’t be ‘fry daddy’ those guys’ll be shoving up your ass. After a week or two, your own momma won’t recognize you. Now git!”
As the gang scattered like a flock of frightened mallards on opening day of hunting season, Nate turned toward Annika, his eyes narrowed and his mouth drawn in a hard thin line. To her surprise he looked past her, to Sgt. Baker who was standing off to the side.
Closing in on the white-faced officer, Nate growled, “You wanna tell me, Sergeant Baker, why you were standing twenty feet away from your fellow officer who was surrounded by a dozen fried crack-heads threatening to rape her?”
Baker went from white to red in a matter of seconds. Stepping back from Nate’s fierce glare, he stammered, “She… she seemed like she had it under control… If… they’d tried to hurt her, I woulda—”
“Would have what, Sergeant? Done your duty? Come to the aid of a fellow officer? Stepped up like a goddamn man? Called for back-up like any rookie would have known to do?”
Nate shook his head, his voice tight with strain.
“Get the hell into my squad.”
He whirled on Annika. “And you. You get in the one you and Baker came in. Sam’ll drive you back to the station. The four of us are going to have a conversation about what went down here.”
Annika managed to grab a shaky breath. Locking her arms across her chest, her hands clenched in tight fists, she glared back at Nate.
“I’m perfectly capable of driving myself, Detective. I don’t need a chauffeur….”
Nate’s face registered surprise for a split second then hardened ominously. His voice was dangerously calm.
“Lieutenant, that attitude of yours is getting on my last nerve. Now, do as I tell you. Get in that squad with Commander Carter and get the hell back to the station. Now.”
As Nate strode back to the curb muttering under his breath, Sgt. Baker scurried to catch up with him. Babbling like a squeaky-voiced teenager, he whined. “See, Nate. That’s what she’s like. You can’t tell her anything. She thinks she can do… She dismisses you like….”
His voice trailed off as Nate gunned the engine and peeled away from the curb.
Sam opened the passenger door of the other squad and jerked his head at Annika.
“Get in, Lieutenant.”
Annika stared straight ahead as they wove dangerously fast through the crowded mid- day streets. Her lips hurt from biting them. After a moment she hazarded a glance at Sam. His jaw was rigid, his eyes were hidden behind his shades, but the tension in his body was palpable from across the seat. It was hard to reconcile him with the man who three nights ago had requested that she call him Sam. She had a feeling it would be ‘Commander’ from here on out. After a few tense minutes, Annika broke the silence.
“It probably looked worse than it was. I had the situation under control. I know those guys –or at least guys like them. They’re all talk.”
Sam’s voice could have sliced through steel. “As Detective Stryker indicated, Lieutenant, we’ll discuss the situation back at the station.”
So much for calling him Sam. Annika turned her head to the window trying to hide her disappointment. She should have known better. First and foremost, Sam was a cop. When the chips were down, they retreated. Got as far away from emotion as they could get. Ultimately that’s who and what they were. Both she and Sam.
Nope. Never mess with a cop. She never had… and now it looked like she never would.
~~~
Sam wheeled the squad car around the corner with a noisy squeal of the tires. Roaring down the ramp into the parking garage he brought the car to a shuddering halt, the front fender inches away from the cement wall. He sat for a long moment his hands gripping the wheel. Even now his heart was pounding. He forced himself to take deep calming breaths to bring his heart rate down to its usual steady beat. In a lifetime, he didn’t know if he would forget those slimy miscreants moving in on Annika while that cowardly bastard Baker slunk back in the crowd. He hoped to God that Nate planned to fire the gutless sergeant, because it would be a shame to beat the crap out of a fellow officer.
He allowed himself to look over at Annika. She was pale and the strain on her face was understandable. Christ, she had to have been frightened. And if she was like any other adrenalin junkie he knew, she was coming down hard from the scare. Too bad he couldn’t deal with the testosterone dump he was feeling the way he wanted to. But if he couldn’t fuck her brains out, the least he could do was hold her.
She was out of the car and heading toward the exit by the time he reached her.
“Come here, you.”
Sam’s voice, more like a growl than a request, startled him. Annika stopped and looked back at him, clearly shocked.
Sam tried again, getting his voice within normal range.
“Come here, Princess.”
She stepped back and hesitated, frowning uncertainly.
Sam reached out and pulled her toward him, wrapping her in his arms. He heard her startled gasp and was gratified to feel her heart pounding against her chest. Hers was beating as rapidly as his. He held her trembling body tight up against him until he was sure that he could bear to let her go.
“Are you okay, Annika?”
She nodded and gave him a shaky smile.
“I think I am.”
He pulled her back into his arms and pressed her head against his shoulder.
“Dammit, baby, you scared the shit out of me. And I swear to God if Nate hadn’t dragged him back with him, I’m not sure how many pieces Baker would be in at this moment.”
Annika eased back surprise clear on her face.
“I… I don’t understand. I thought you were angry with me. Both you and Na
te. That I’d let you down. Broken some kind of a rule.”
“Jesus, Annika. You faced down twelve drug-crazed men who were openly drooling at the thought of what they were going to do to you, and you didn’t so much as blink. God, I don’t know if you are the bravest woman I know or just a damned good cop or both. All I do know is that you scared the shit out of me and the only way I’m going to start breathing normally is to beat that cowardly piece of crap who was supposed to be your partner within an inch of his life. Damn, Annika. Even the greenest grunt in the Army knows you don’t stand back and let a dozen men advance on your partner.”
Annika peered up at him. Her violet eyes were dark, intense. Her cheeks were flushed and her voice shook with uncertainty.
“Commander? You… you called me ‘Annika’. And ‘baby’… and… ‘Princess’.”
Sam huffed out a harsh laugh and gave an audible sigh.
“Yes, I did, didn’t I? See what happens when you scare a guy half to death? What do you think, Princess? Think you could give a guy a break now that he has outed himself and maybe call me Sam?”
She huddled against him. Her low murmur was barely audible.
“I did the other night, Sam. You just didn’t hear me.”
~~~
“You’ve been on this force fifteen years longer that I have, Sergeant. For that reason and that reason only, I’m putting you on disciplinary leave for ten days rather than firing your ass. In addition, I know Commander Carter here well enough to know that you’d be drinking your dinner through a straw for the next year if you were no longer a police officer. You’ve seen him in the ring. He’s not a guy you wanna piss off any more than you want to piss me off. We’ll wait until Chief Roberts returns to decide how long you’ll be on probation. And, Sergeant Baker, you better spend the next ten days figuring out why the hell you’ve been acting the way you have for the last six months. There better be some damn good reasons or my recommendation is that you start casing the malls to see if they need a night watchman. Now get the hell out of here.”
Nate stared at the doorway his face pinched with a thoughtful frown watching Baker’s retreating back. He dragged his hands through his unruly hair then turned to face Sam and Annika.
“Something’s going on with Baker. He didn’t used to be like this. He used to be a decent cop. Never a star, but steady. I thought he might be into booze or even drugs. Dan’s a friend of his. Told me Baker was having financial problems. Like a lot of the folks around here, he got hit in the housing crisis. Poor sap fell for that ‘no doc loan’ crap. Damn, you’d think a veteran cop would be smarter. Watching the ne’er do wells day after day, thinking they can get something for nothing. Dan also said that Garrett and his wife separated. But hell, half the force is either divorced or should be. Be sure you never marry a cop, Lieutenant.” He paused for a moment then his lips hitched up in a smile. “That is unless you are a cop—or a gorgeous firefighter.”
He shook his head, clearly still upset.
“I would apologize to you, Lieutenant, on Baker’s behalf, but you know how both Sam and I feel about what happened. You handled yourself well in a difficult situation. I’m impressed. I’m also glad Sam and I came along when we did.”
Annika stepped forward but before she could speak, Nate held up his hand and glared at her.
“I swear to God, Lieutenant, if the next words that come out of your mouth are that you had everything under control, I won’t only put you on probation, I’ll fire your ass!”
Annika shrugged and Sam saw the glimmer of a smile tugging at her lips.
“Then I guess I better not say what I was about to say.”
“No, Lieutenant, you better not.”
Nate folded his arms across his chest and glared at her, but his eyes were twinkling. “And don’t forget, you’re going out tonight with Erin and me. Tonight’s our big Friday night bash at the Pub.”
Annika startled. “I… I forgot about that, Detective. I know Erin wanted me to come but… it’s been a long day and I’m really not much for parties.”
Nate glared at her.
“So now you’re gonna play the ‘poor tired little woman’ card? The hell you are. Erin and I will pick you up at 8 o’clock. Be ready.”
“Is that an order, Detective?”
Nate shook his head, and his mouth tipped up in a genuine grin.
“Yes, Lieutenant, that is an order. Christ, woman. Does it require an order from your commanding officer to get you to come out for a night on the town?”
Annika flushed and looked down, avoiding Sam’s eyes.
“No. I guess not.”
“Good. Be ready at 8 o’clock sharp. And wear your dancing shoes and your shortest skirt.” He nodded at Sam. “Make this guy a little crazier than he already is.”
After the door closed behind her, Nate turned to Sam with an aggrieved look.
“Jesus, Sam, are you sure you’re up to her? Did you see her with those men? And after I kicked them out? Hell, I’ve had veteran officers twice her size shakin’ in their boots after a scare like that. Then when I give her an order, she just glares at me and says “Thank you very much but I’ll drive my own damn car.”
He shook his head in disbelief. When he saw Sam’s grin, he nodded.
“Okay, hotshot. I know you like a challenge. But for what it’s worth, my money is on the lieutenant.”
“So’s mine, Nate.”
Sam shoved down his uneasiness and faced Nate with more confidence than he truly felt.
“Call me crazy, but I think the Ice Princess is starting to crack. I’m betting she’s ready for a guy who’s not afraid to light a fire under her. Free the hot woman locked inside all that ice.” He shrugged. “Only problem I see is that she doesn’t know it yet.”
Nate considered him with narrowed eyes and a thoughtful frown.
“You’re on to something, hotshot. Erin said the same thing last night, I shit you not. Said if anyone could get to Annika, you could.”
“What more do I have to say, Nate? How many times have you told me that Erin is the smartest woman you know? I just hope she and I are both right.”
Nate heaved a heavy sigh and glanced at his watch.
“C’mon, hotshot. What do you say we get our asses down to the gym and get in the ring? I need about ten rounds with the best fighter I know to shake off this day. And from the look on your face, you could use twenty.”
Chapter 9
“All right, dammit! Nate says I’m supposed to wear my dancing shoes? Fine! How about these, Mr. Smart Ass Detective? And is this skirt short enough?”
Annika twirled in front of the mirror, and a tiny satisfied smile crept across her face. So what if it had only taken her two hours to decide what she was going to wear? The top of her bed, littered with every item of clothing she owned, testified to the task. But each time she’d lost her nerve her eyes landed on the short flared skirt and lacy cropped top she and Erin had spotted at the mall boutique. She would never have bought them except that Erin had shrieked and clapped her hands in delight when she saw them on Annika. And as she was learning, no one said no to Erin.
“Girl, that skirt was made for you. Damn, I thought my legs were great. But you give me serious competition. And, Annika, I swear until I saw that halter on you I wouldn’t have known you have a full cup size on me. Best news is you won’t even have to wear a bra. Now, honey, all we need is a pair of ‘fuck-me shoes’ to set off that skirt and you’ll be all set.”
Annika knew what Erin and even Nate was doing. They were setting her up for Sam. It was no secret how he looked at her. She’d heard all the guys talking about it, ribbing him. But he just blew them off. Didn’t seem to care who noticed. He followed her around with his eyes and didn’t look away when she caught him staring at her. No, she was the one who looked away, flustered at his open appraisal. The twinkle in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips were a giveaway. It was as though he were daring her. And his friends? Nate and Erin, and even Co
nnor, were encouraging him. Making him think that he had a shot at her. What they didn’t know and weren’t likely to find out—until Sam told them—was that the hot-looking woman in the mirror truly was the Ice Princess everyone called her behind her back.
She’d earned that nickname in Jr. High School, and it stuck. At first she thought the boys were talking about her long white-gold hair and she liked that they thought she was a princess. If only. No, they meant she was a tease. Beautiful, but ice cold. As she got older, they got more explicit. They called her a cock tease. Leading on all the guys, then shutting them down when they came on to her. Only she wasn’t trying to lead them on. She couldn’t help the way she looked. Blonde, busty, and beautifully remote. What they didn’t see was her fear.
When she got to college she made a serious effort to break through her inhibitions. But long ago memories—abusive foster ‘dads’ groping her when she was too young to fight them off—kept her in her shell. Over time, she stopped pretending and accepted the fact that intimacy terrified her. She was meant to be alone. But her body didn’t get the message. Mother Nature won out. Maybe there was something about Swedish women after all. At a bachelorette party for one of her few friends, she ‘won’ a sex toy and it opened a whole new world to her. Soon she had a small collection of toys that became her best friends. Something about the naughtiness of them made them even more erotic. Best of all, they made men superfluous. Unnecessary.
~~~
Sam did his best to swallow the mouthful of beer without choking, but it was no use. It took Charlie pounding on his back to recover from the brew heading down the wrong pipe, and a full minute to get back to breathing without wheezing. He didn’t have to worry about making a scene. Nate had taken care of that. Leave it to the bad boy to enter with not one but two of the most stunning women who’d set foot in Regan’s Pub. The tall grinning show-stopper sauntered into the Pub with one arm around Erin and the other around Annika. The three of them were a sight to behold. Whistles, jeers and catcalls laced with flat out envy rocketed throughout the bar. There wasn’t a man or woman in the Pub—or the town for that matter, who didn’t know Nate. He was a local hero, and fast on his way to becoming a state and national star. Erin’s gentle presence had captured the admiration of the town folk, who’d watched her survive a grueling murder trial and win the heart of the baddest guy around. So naturally if anyone was going to make an entrance with his woman, it was Nate. He did that when he walked in by himself. Add one dark-haired goddess and a blonde one to match, and the response was deafening.