by Shaw, LK
“Are you alone, or is anyone in the house with you?”
“I’m alone. My boyfriend is a police officer. Victor Rodriguez. I need him here. I need him to come home…please.” My voice cracked on the last.
“We’ll get a call into him. The patrol car should be there in a few minutes. You’re doing great, Estelle. Just hang in there with me, okay?”
“Okay.”
I could hear the faint sound of sirens. They grew louder with each passing second. I could see flashing blue lights out the window and still I jumped when there was a pounding on the front door.
“Police, open up.”
“That’s them. Go ahead and open the door.”
“I’m coming,” I called out.
Two officers stood on the other side.
“Miss Jenkins?” The short, stocky older one asked. He looked around Ernesto’s age.
“Yes.” I stepped back and let them in.
The operator on the other line spoke. “Alright, I’m going to let them take over from here.”
“Yes, thank you.”
My gaze landed on the two officers standing in the middle of my living room. I didn’t know if the operator would really let Victor know what happened, and I needed him here.
“I need to call my boyfriend, please. He’s a police officer.” My hand gripped tightly to my phone.
The older one nodded. “While you’re doing that, we were told there was a gun somewhere?”
“Yes, on the floor in my bedroom.”
“Did you touch it?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Okay, we’re going to get a forensics team here. Make your call quick, and then we need to ask you some questions.”
My shaking finger punched the speed dial button for Victor.
“Hey babe, what’s up?”
“Someone broke in tonight. The cops are here now.” I could feel the pressure behind my eyes now that he was on the phone, but I blinked the wetness back.
“Fuck. I’m on my way.”
“No, no, you’re working. I’m okay.” Hearing the urgency in his tone made me feel guilty. I was being silly, overreacting like this. The police were here. They’d do what they needed, and it would all be fine.
“Well, I’m not okay. Who are the officers there?”
I didn’t even know. “What are your names?”
The second officer, slightly younger one with a tall, lanky build and beady eyes, spoke up for the first time. “I’m Officer Brighton and this is Officer Pascale.”
“I heard them,” Victor said in my ear. “I don’t recognize their names, but tell them I’m with the forty-third precinct under Captain Petty. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I’d calmed down and there was no longer this urgency to needing him here. I was glad he was coming, but he didn’t need to rush. “I’m sorry for taking you away from your work.”
“Baby, you and your safety is far more important to me. I’ll go crazy the rest of the night if I don’t come home anyway. I need to see for myself that you’re all right.”
Victor was telling the truth. He needed that reassurance. I don’t know why I thought otherwise. It did make me feel less guilty.
“I’ll see you soon then.” All my muscles ached from the tension I’d been holding onto. With Victor on his way, I could breathe easier. I set the phone on the couch.
“Thank you for letting me call him. He’s on his way. Oh, he wanted me to mention Captain Petty and the forty-third precinct. That’s where he works. His name is Victor Rodriguez.”
They nodded and Officer Brighton spoke up. “The forensics team is on their way to process the crime scene. I need you to tell us what happened.”
My legs were still a little shaky so I took a seat on the edge of the couch. “I was almost asleep when I heard a noise. Then I heard footsteps. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my bat, and when the intruder stepped through my bedroom door, I whacked him a few times. He escaped out the front door. I called 9-1-1, and you two showed up.”
“Could you tell what he looked like?”
“No. He was wearing gloves and a ski mask.”
“And you’re sure it was a man?” Pascale asked.
“I can only assume so. He was tall and the grunts of pain he let out when I bashed him across his head definitely sounded masculine.”
“Do you know why someone would want to break into your house? Any enemies? Ex-boyfriends maybe?”
I hesitated to mention Mr. Álvarez. At least until Victor got here. The man had been powerful and all reaching. He’d definitely had police on his payroll. It didn’t mean that either of these two were, or had been, but a voice told me to be cautious.
“No enemies that I know of. I also parted amicably with all my ex-boyfriends so I don’t think any of them would have had reason to break in.”
Brighton scribbled all the information down in his notepad.
“Where’s the weapon you used?”
I pointed to where I’d leaned it against the wall.
“We’ll need to take that as evidence. Check for fibers of any kind.”
“That’s fine.”
The front door opened, and a uniformed Victor stood there with a crazed look in his eyes. They landed on me, assessing, making sure I was unharmed. The frantic expression on his face slowly disappeared. Officers Brighton and Pascale moved forward as though to stop him from rushing to me.
“You must be the boyfriend.”
He merely pushed past them. I was already on my feet. Victor palmed my cheek, the maniacal fear still hovering just below the surface. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I’m fine, now that you’re here.”
He turned back to the officers. “Victor Rodriguez.”
“Forensics should be here any minute. They’ll do what they need to do and we’ll be on our way. You’ll be available for any more questions if we have them?” Pascale directed the last to me.
“Yes, I’m not going anywhere.”
The crime scene team showed and processed the entire house. Fingerprints were taken from various surfaces. Both the gun and my bat were taken as evidence. There were no signs of forced entry. No windows broken. They concluded the intruder used a common device called a bump key to disengage the deadbolt on the front door. By the time Victor and I were alone in the house, I was dead on my feet. It was oh-dark-thirty, and I’d been up half the night. He tugged my hand.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” With a gentle touch, he helped me under the covers and smoothed my hair back.
“You going back to work?” I asked, drowsily.
“No. I was going to be off in a few hours anyway. I already notified my captain.”
I said a silent prayer of thanks. As much as I didn’t want him to get in trouble for missing work, I was thankful he wasn’t leaving me.
“I’m really”—yawn—“glad.” My eyes were so heavy.
“Get some rest.” There was a feather light stroke of his lips across my forehead. “I’m going to go lock up. I’ll be right back in here when I’m finished.”
I murmured okay, feeling safe knowing he wasn’t going anywhere, and then I was out.
Chapter 26
I woke alone. The room was brightly lit, with the afternoon sun coming through the blinds. After a visit to the bathroom, I went out to look for Estelle. I found her sitting on the couch reading a book with the television on, but silent, in the background. She looked tired with dark circles under her eyes and heavy lids. She’d woken up a couple times throughout the early morning hours. I’d held her close until she fell asleep again.
Hearing the fear in her voice last night was something I never wanted to experience again. I don’t know how dad did it after mom died. If anything happened to Estelle, I don’t know if I could survive without her. It didn’t matter if she didn’t love me back yet. It wouldn’t change my feelings for her. I’d love her until I drew my last breath.
I took another step forward, and the flo
or creaked. Her gaze darted up to meet mine. She smiled and set her book on her lap. “Hey. You sleep okay?”
“I did, thanks.”
“Did your captain give you a hard time for rushing over here last night and not finishing your shift? I’m sorry if I caused you any problems.”
I sat on the couch next to her and pulled her close. “You didn’t cause any problems at all. He understood. Dad and I both work under him, and he knows what family means to us. If one of us needs the other, we drop everything. It’s been like that since I joined the force.”
“Family, huh?”
My lips brushed hers. “Most definitely. You're part of my family now. Which means you come first in everything.”
“Well, I'm glad you didn’t get into trouble.”
“Even if I had, it would have been worth it.”
I sat holding her close for a minute, grateful she was safe. I pulled back to look at her.
“I know the lock doesn’t seem to be broken, but I want to change it anyway. Just in case. I’m going to run out and get a new one. Do you want to come with?”
Estelle hesitated. “No, I’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. I live here. I’m not going to let some unknown person scare me so much that I can’t stay by myself for an hour. I’ll be fine. I’ve got my book to keep me occupied.”
“I won’t be long. I’m also gonna call Manny and see if he can stop by in the next couple days and install a security system. It will make me feel better.” I didn’t expect Estelle to protest, and I was glad she didn’t.
“Thank you. I’ll feel better too.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
I quickly ran to the hardware store and picked up a new deadbolt and chain lock for a little bit of extra security. Within an hour I was back at Estelle’s.
“Everything still all right?”
“I’m good. A little hungry, but otherwise okay.”
I held up the bag in my hand. “Give me a little bit to install these and then maybe we can order in and watch a movie.”
“Sounds good.”
Estelle went back to her book while I worked on replacing the lock. I caught her watching me occasionally. Once I installed everything, including the chain lock, I checked everything out to make sure it all worked.
“That should do it.” I held out my palm where both keys laid. She hesitated for a second and only picked up one. Her bold stare met mine.
“Why don’t you keep the other one.”
My gaze bounced back and forth between her and the key in my hand. “Are you sure? This is a huge step.”
She nodded gravely. "I know. I'm a little freaked out about it. But it also feels right. I don’t do relationships, yet here I am. I’m going full force forward with this whole thing. If this is too fast and too weird for you, you can tell me. I’ll take the spare key too. And now I’m regretting this, because you probably feel obligated to take it since I just kind of thrust it—”
I smothered the rest of Estelle’s words with my mouth. Her awkward babbling had been adorable, but there was no way I was letting her think that I didn’t want that key. I’d been holding back a little, taking my cues from her. She just bulldozed her way forward, and I had to keep up. I didn’t mind in the least. I took a final sip from her lips before pulling back.
“Does that answer your question on whether I want it or not?”
She blinked appearing a little dazed. Finally, her eyes focused and locked on mine. Then she smiled. “I guess it does.”
“Good, now, why don’t you go relax. I’m gonna grab something to drink and then we can order food.”
I grabbed a glass of water and sat next to her on the couch. Maybe other men my age were hanging out at bars or clubs and having the time of their life. This right here though, sitting with my woman close, getting ready to eat together and watch a movie was what I called perfection. I’d never been a club kind of guy anyway. I wanted quiet nights at home. Even not so quiet ones if it involved the sounds of kids laughing and being happy. That was the kind of life I wanted. And I wanted it with Estelle.
“Where do you want to order from?” I asked her
“I don’t care. Why don’t you decide?”
“Anything in particular that you’re in the mood for?”
“I’m not sure. Wherever you pick I’m sure I can find something on the menu.”
“Okay, what about barbecue?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No, that doesn’t really sound very good.”
I glared at her. “Seriously?”
Estelle’s lips twitched before she burst out laughing. “I’ve always wanted to do that. You should have seen your face.”
“Woman,” I growled right before I tackled her. I pinned her down on the couch, her entire body shaking with laughter. “What am I going to do with you?”
Her expression grew serious. “Love me?”
“I do love you.” The words just came out. I hadn’t planned on saying them, but now that I had, I wasn’t taking them back. “I love you more than I ever thought possible. It’s okay if you need more time. I’m not going anywhere.”
A sheen covered Estelle’s eyes, but she quickly blinked it away. She swallowed once. Then twice. I didn’t have to hear the words from her. I knew. Instead, I leaned down and kissed her, tasting them on her lips. Our tongues tangled. She responded with passion, clutching at me, pulling me tighter to her. Her moves were desperate and frenetic. She yanked at my belt, making quick work of unbuckling it. She tugged at my jeans, pulling them down.
“Please,” Estelle begged, thrusting her pelvis upward. “Please.”
I shifted onto my knees on the floor and worked her pants down, the need for her catching fire. I wanted to take it slow, but she wasn’t having it. She pulled me back to her, spreading her legs, the left one falling off the couch. I half collapsed on top, settling against her heated center. She braced her foot against the floor and thrust upward again.
I hissed at the contact. In a single move, I positioned myself and plunged into her wet pussy. Estelle screamed as I pistoned in and out, her nails digging into my ass, urging me to go faster. Her teeth nipped at me, and I crashed my lips down on hers, lost in the frantic passion that slammed into me.
The sound of skin slapping against skin rang in my ears along with Estelle’s cries for more. My orgasm rose inside me. I needed her to reach hers first. My hand found its way between us, and I rubbed her clit, hard and fast, generating the friction needed to send her over the edge.
Her moans and pants grew louder. Her body trembled and then with another two flicks of my thumb against her, she screamed as the orgasm rushed through her. She jerked beneath me, her teeth biting her bottom lip. The sight pushed me over the edge, and with one hard forward lunge, my cock exploded, bathing her insides with my seed.
Estelle’s pussy clenched down, milking more and more of it from me. I shuddered against her neck, my tongue flicking against her skin to lap up the salt from her sweat-dampened skin. My lips brushed her ear, and I whispered those three words into her ear. “I love you.”
* * *
Estelle was fast asleep in bed. I was out in the kitchen cleaning up. Just as I finished washing the last cup, my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, so I let it go to voicemail. A minute later, it rang again. With a groan, I answered.
“Hello?”
“Is this Victor Rodriguez?”
“Can I help you?”
“My name is Landon Roberts.”
Landon. Landon. Where did I know that...Shit, this was Brody's former handler at the D.E.A.
“I understand you’ve been looking for Miguel Álvarez,” she broke the silence.
“Yes. I assume Brody has filled you in on everything?”
“He did. He said that there was an attempt made to take a family friend a few weeks ago.”
“That’s correct. Also, I don’t know if it’s related in anyway, but a few days
after that a vehicle rammed into us. Then last night someone broke into my girlfriend’s house.”
“I assume this girlfriend is the family friend in reference to the other incidents.” There seemed to be a tone of exasperation in her tone.
“One and the same.”
“Jesus,” she cursed under her breath. “First Brody and now this.”
I refrained from commenting, because it sounded like she was talking to herself. There wasn’t anything to say anyway. She focused back on me and our conversation.
"It's quite possible all three are connected. Word has traveled through my organization that Álvarez has put out a call to bring the woman to him."
“I thought he’d been captured in Mexico.”
Landon was silent. Then she broke it. “Mr. Álvarez has, in no way, been taken into custody. He is currently still at large. And not in Mexico, either.”
“Wait a minute. Are you telling me he’s here? In the city?”
“If you were told he’d been apprehended, then it would seem as though you’ve been given incorrect intel.”
I paced the length of the kitchen. “Three days ago, I was told explicitly that he was on his way back to Chicago to stand trial.”
Landon huffed out a breath. “I’m not sure who told you that, but Miguel Álvarez is most definitely in Chicago, somewhere, and has been for the last three months, based on an extremely reliable source we have inside.”
Jesus Christ.
“Mr. Rodriguez?”
I shook myself. “Call me Victor.”
“All right then, Victor. Who told you about this alleged arrest?”
“My partner.”
“I see. Well, I can’t speak to that. But he is most definitely Stateside.”
Fuck. "Do you have any idea where exactly he is?"
“If we did, we would have arrested him. I have someone attempting to gain information on the inside, but after what happened with Brody, Álvarez is being extra cautious.”
“So what does that mean?”