by Taylor Lee
After Greg left, Jax turned a decidedly less amused glance on both Viviana and Francis. “Okay, which one of you devious charlatans is going to tell me what the hell is going on?” He turned first to Viviana, then looked at Francis. “Given how un-forthcoming Sergeant Moreau is, how about we skip the mating dance and you tell me, Francis, what she’s roped you into now?” Seeing the troubled look Francis exchanged with Viviana, Jax settled back in his chair and nodded thoughtfully. Then leaning forward, his voice was silky soft, which made it even more threatening. “Better yet, why don’t you both come clean. Now!”
Chapter 12
Francis glanced at Viviana, then said haltingly, “I assume Chief Hughes wasn’t aware that we were meeting today, uh, right, Sergeant?”
Viviana sniffed. “Why would he be? He’s not my supervisor.” When Jax glared at her, not hiding his rising anger, she quickly added, “It was nothing, Jax. Francis merely told me that Ariel, the young victim that helped us bring down Santiago Lopez, is back on the street.” She hesitated, then shrugged dismissively. “Unfortunately, an all-too-familiar story for girls who have been systematically abused.”
Jax glanced from one to the other of them, not missing Francis’s surprise at Viviana’s nonchalant response. He frowned and pinned a narrow gaze on Viviana, not letting her look away. “May I presume that when you rudely bolted from your meeting with your new commander this afternoon, you didn’t bother to tell him that you were going to meet your CI?” When she just tipped up her chin and didn’t answer him, he added, “And may I also presume that you haven’t told your new commander that Francis is your CI?”
Viviana pushed back from the table and stood. She tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the table, then inched toward the exit. “No, and I don’t intend to. Until . . . ”
Jax’s voice was low, silky soft as he rose to his feet. “Until what, Sergeant Moreau?”
She shrugged as she quickened her pace. “Until I’m sure I can trust him.”
In seconds Jax was beside her, capturing her arm and jerking her up next to him. Ignoring her outraged demand that he release her, Jax said to Francis, “Please give Commander Bannon my regrets. He and I were looking forward to making a serious dent in one of your most expensive bottles of scotch. We had even hoped that you and Sergeant Moreau would join us. Unfortunately, it appears that I have a more demanding mission that requires my attention.” He glared at Viviana and murmured, “You can make this easy or hard, Sergeant. But you and I are leaving, and we’re leaving together. We can do that in a civilized manner, or, if you prefer as I most certainly do, I will throw you over my shoulder and cart you out of here with your delectable ass up in the air.”
At her heated shriek, he tightened his grip on her arm and said coolly, “Your choice, Sergeant. What’ll it be? We walk out together or . . . ”
When Viviana shoved his hand off her arm and marched toward the door, Jax threw Francis a cocky smile. “She really is getting better behaved, don’t you think, Francis?” He gave a dramatic sigh as he caught up with her. “Although even I admit we have a long way to go.”
Jax caught up with her in the parking lot. “Slow down, Viviana.” Seeing the storm clouds raging in her flashing azure eyes, he reached for her arm. “Listen up, feisty woman, I’ll take you home if that’s where you want to go.”
Her voice was crisp as she wrenched free of his grip. “That won’t be necessary, Jax. I have my car and will be driving myself home.”
Jax walked her to her car without speaking. Approaching her Mazda3 MPS, he took her key fob from her hand and unlocked the door. Guiding her into the driver’s seat, he leaned down and said, “I’ll meet you at your house. Drive carefully, Sergeant. We have an important discussion on our agenda.” Brushing his lips against her cheek, he said with a grin, “Bet my Giulia is faster than your Mazda.”
Viviana wasn’t surprised to see Jax’s snazzy Alfa Romeo Giulia in the driveway when she arrived. Or to see him lounging by her front door. His Ferragamo aviator shades masked what she was sure were laughing emerald eyes, given the sexy smile curving his full lips. Determined to keep him from entering her condominium, she went on the offensive. Standing at the bottom of the staircase, she said firmly, “Just so we are clear, Jax, I do not appreciate you running me to ground like a fugitive criminal. Or embarrassing me in front of my commander and Francis.”
“Hmm. That’s interesting, Viviana, I viewed my actions more as a man who had spent a passionate night with his woman and was eager to see her again. That was until she didn’t bother to return any of my three telephone calls. It was then that I stopped thinking about how glorious our night had been and began wondering what the little hellion was up to now. Particularly when I learned from her commander that she’d blown off their meeting—their introductory meeting, no less.”
“I was busy, Jax.” Seeing his expression harden visibly, she added, “Besides, you are not my supervisor, and I don’t need to let you know every little thing that I’m doing.”
Jax took several slow steps toward her until he was only one step higher than her. Given that he was at least six inches taller without the additional elevation, he dwarfed her with his presence. He nodded and said carefully, “That is true, Viviana. While I’m not your direct supervisor, as the chief of police I’m responsible for your actions even more than when I was your commander. I’m also responsible for seeing that the new VCU commander has as smooth an introduction to the unit as possible. That includes helping him get a grip on his senior staff.”
Viviana allowed her fury to spill over. “And helping your new commander, who happens to be a former special operative, get a grip on his new position includes managing one little woman that he couldn’t possibly manage without your help?”
Jax grinned. “Given who the little woman is, yeah, sweetheart, that is exactly what I mean. Which doesn’t say anything about Commander Bannon’s capabilities as it does about the manageability of the little woman.”
Forcing herself to be calm and determined to take control of the conversation and him, she said, “Can I take that to mean, Chief Hughes, that you plan to interject yourself into everything I do?”
Jax shrugged. “At least in the beginning, I plan to keep an eye on the VCU and the squad that operates within it. Jesus, Viviana, get real. You charged out of a private meeting with your new commander on his first goddamned day without so much as an explanation? Not only was that discourteous but it was extremely unprofessional. Unfortunately for you, your bad behavior piqued my interest. Since you didn’t tell your commander where you were going or why, you can tell me. What’s up with Francis?”
Viviana’s anger spiked. “Oh my God. You really are going to insist that you know what I am doing every minute of the day . . . ”
Jax’s frown hardened. “No, Viviana, not every minute of the day, but every minute of the night? Damn straight.” He started to qualify his statement. “But once Bannon gets on his feet—”
Forcing herself to be calm, Viviana interjected, “You know damn well, Jax, that you brought one of your best buddies in so that you could still control me. Don’t you think the least you should do is butt out and give Greg a chance to deal with me?”
Jax gave a nonchalant shrug. “And I will. Once I’m sure that you’ve given him your allegiance and your trust. The way you did with me, although it took me three solid weeks of browbeating you and then ultimately spanking your ass to convince you that I was your boss.”
Too angry to respond civilly, Viviana spat out, “And that’s what I can expect from Greg Bannon?”
Jax’s voice softened, but his firm jaw and narrowed gaze confirmed his seriousness. “No, Viviana, that is what you can expect from me if you don’t behave and treat your commander and my very good friend respectfully.” Stepping down next to her, he pulled her up against him. Parking his shades on top of his head, he pinned her with his intense emerald gaze. “To make a point that doesn’t need to be made, the only man responsible for span
king your ass is me.” A glimmer of a smile touching his lips, he added, “And just so you know, my prickly princess, I take that responsibility seriously.”
Reaching for her chin, insisting that she look up at him, Jax said softly, “How about we continue this discussion inside? I like your patio deck almost as much as I like mine. Probably because I have some extraordinary memories of evenings we’ve spent there. X-rated memories.”
Viviana shrugged out of his hold, determined to fight the sensations flooding her core. Damn him. Just standing next to him, near his provocative fragrance and compelling maleness, made her long for his arms around her. Which only underscored his power over her. As much as she wished she could give in to his seductive invitation, she knew she needed to stand her ground. Insist that he understand how much she resented his invasive oversight.
Twisting away from his grip, she shook her head. “No, Jax. Not tonight. I’m tired.”
Jax frowned, but seeing the determination etched on her face and her rigid body language, he eased up and said carefully, “Hmm. Tired, Viviana, or angry with me?”
Her response was immediate. “Both.” She looked away, then after a brief moment, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I . . . want to be alone, Jax.”
Jax studied her for a long moment, then decided not to challenge her. He blew out a hard sigh and said, “Against my better judgment, princess, I’ll go.” He leaned down and kissed her flushed cheek, then headed to the driveway. At he started to climb into his sleek automobile, he turned and gave her a teasing salute. “Good night, Sergeant Moreau. Sleep well.”
Chapter 13
Sitting on her deck, Viviana snuggled under a blanket to ward off the chill of the night, trying not to second-guess herself. She deserved congratulations for standing up to Jax. God knows it wasn’t easy. He was overwhelming to say the least. Which, she reminded herself, underscored how important it was for her not to concede if she was going to have a smidgen of autonomy in her work. She knew she could handle Greg. She frankly didn’t know if she could handle Jax. Particularly because at the moment she would give just about anything to be lying next to him; preferably both of them naked.
As if to torment her, her phone vibrated. She looked down and saw his text. “I came on too strong, Viviana. I apologize.”
Surprised but gratified, Viviana quickly replied, “Thanks. I’m sorry I was so defensive.”
A minute later, his text appeared. “I miss you, tiger. I wish I had you in my arms.”
Viviana groaned, then tapped out, “Me too.”
“Good night, prickly princess.”
Viviana smiled but had to fight the tears burning her eyes. “Good night, arrogant man.”
***
As he closed his phone, Jax settled back in his cushioned deck chair and shook his head with a heartfelt groan. Damn, it was hard to believe that just last night on this very patio, he and Viviana had declared how much they loved each other and made wildly passionate love almost until dawn. But here they were, not twenty-four hours later, wrestling with the issues that had been tearing at them since they met. At base, he admitted she had a right to be angry that he was insinuating himself into her professional life. He was. But he also knew that if he didn’t, she’d pussy-whip his buddy Greg as flagrantly as she had every one of her superior officers with the exception of him.
Even as he chastised himself for his overbearing interference, Jax couldn’t help wondering what had set her off. Knowing Viviana as well as he did, he was sure she was on to an important case, one that had fired up her fierce independent streak. According to Greg, even her partner didn’t know where she was going when she left his office today without so much as an explanation. Jax snorted. That wasn’t a surprise. O’Reilly had long ago given up trying to get Viviana to confide in him before she was good and ready. It was a price Mick willingly paid to be her partner. But Jax wasn’t so sanguine. He knew her pathological secrecy was dangerous. It clouded her judgment and made her take unnecessary risks. As an accomplished commander, Jax knew the importance of teamwork. He’d thought he might even have convinced his hardheaded lover of that strategic necessity. But apparently all it took was getting him off her back for her to revert to her go-it-alone-at-any-cost MO. Unfortunately for Viviana, he may not be her immediate supervisor, but he sure as hell was in charge of her—whether she was willing to accept that basic fact or not.
Which brought him to the problem of the guy who was the quick-tempered detective’s supervisor. Jax needed to decide how he was going to handle his buddy Greg Bannon. After all, while Jax was the police chief and Greg’s boss, Bannon was the VCU commander. The least he could do was let him command. Jax breathed out a heavy sigh, acknowledging that under ordinary circumstances, that was a no-brainer. That was precisely what he would have done. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was Sergeant Viviana Moreau, the Enchantress, his unsuspecting buddy was charged with commanding.
***
“I gotta tell you, you live an interesting life, Jax.” Greg Bannon’s laughing blue eyes conveyed the irony underlying his casual remark.
Jax shot his friend a grin. “Hell, man, I always have and I always will.” He added with a wink, “However, methinks my good buddy may have a more loaded description in mind than ‘interesting’ ”
Greg Bannon laughed. “Yes, Chief Hughes. ‘Interesting’ doesn’t begin to describe the shenanigans I’ve observed since I agreed to command the SJPD Violent Crimes Unit. Damn, Jax, you and I have worked together in missions we were lucky to survive, in some of the most dangerous conflagrations in the world. But as hairy as those life-threatening adventures were, since I arrived in little ole San Jose, Cal-ee-for-nia, I’m guarding my family jewels more closely than I ever have.” Jax chuckled but didn’t miss the edge in Greg’s voice. “Not because I’ve been threatened directly, you understand. If anything, given the fact that my job description is that of commander, what one would think would be a dangerous position at least to this point has been relatively uneventful. First, because I haven’t done a whole hell of a lot of commanding. In fact, a better description of what I’ve been doing is observing. Understand, the view from the sidelines in this rip-roaring dramatic free-for-all you’ve hooked me into is entertaining as hell, but—”
Jax held up his hand, interrupting his friend. “No need to pussy-foot around the issue, Greg. That’s why I wanted to have breakfast with you. I owe you an explanation and frankly an apology. I’ve put you in a challenging position. To be clear, I would never have recommended you to assume command of the VCU if you weren’t more than qualified to head the department. But we both know that I had an ulterior motive. I needed someone I could trust, someone who was up to handling a certain unmanageable sergeant, who for better or worse I’ve fallen in love with. And, buddy, if ever there was a guy who could manage that Gordian knot of a task, it’s you.”
“I appreciate your confidence, Jax. Not to be cocky, but I agree with you. I headed up a similar department in the NYPD five years after I got my shield. After nine-eleven, like a lot of us in law enforcement, I knew I needed to enlist, which I did. The best thing I ever did in my life was to become a Ranger, especially when I caught the gold ring and you drafted me on to your elite squad. And we sure as hell did survive some dangerous missions. That’s why I jumped at the chance to work with you again. But I’m gonna be honest, Jax. Given this last couple of days, I’m less concerned about managing the inimitable Sergeant Moreau than I am about managing you!”
Jax didn’t bother to hide his surprise or erase the frown he felt crease his brow. “Hmm. Given that managing me isn’t exactly on your to-do list, bro . . . ” Jax stopped mid-sentence and sought to lighten his tone. “Ah, hell, man, you’re right. I’ve got my head so far up my ass when it comes to Viviana that it’s damn hard to be objective. But you need to understand, Greg, the lone ranger who nearly blew up a two-year mission in Belize through her inability to be a team player is alive and well in the pathologically indepen
dent Sergeant Moreau. I’m gonna be frank. She’s devious as hell. Not intentionally—it’s just that she decides when or if she’ll bring anyone else into a case. It’s a narrow-mindedness that only escalates the danger—especially to her. I’m telling you, she’s more afraid of collaboration than she is of the most hardened criminal. I know I’ve told you how she set up a private meeting with Santiago Lopez, a murderous pimp who was on the ten most wanted list of every PD in the fuckin’ country.”
Greg put up his hand and stopped Jax’s tirade. “You don’t have to tell me that, Jax, because you already have—several times.” Greg blew out a hard sigh and pinned a firm gaze on Jax. His normally easygoing demeanor was decidedly more serious. “Look, man, I was there in Belize. I saw that indomitable woman spit in the eye of the paramour of the fuckin’ Morales cartel’s el Jeffe. Then went on to brazenly provoke a crazed, murderous son of a bitch in front of his heavily armed gang. Do you honestly think I don’t know what I’m up against, Jax?”
At Greg’s earnestness, Jax stifled his angry retort and was glad he had when he heard his friend’s next words.
“Jax, I’m gonna do something that I’m confident no one in your life has ever done. That, buddy, is to give you love life advice. Look, Jax, you’ve done something that none of the guys who know and admire the hell out of you thought that you ever would. You fell in love. Holy Christ, man, how could you not? There isn’t a guy with a dick who wouldn’t crawl over broken glass on his hands and knees if that gorgeous woman looked at him the way she does you. Admit it, you and Viviana are crazy in love with each other. Fanatically so. But here, buddy, is where I’m gonna take my life in my hands and put my treasured cojones on the line. You gotta let her be her, Jax. You put too tight a lasso on her; you could strangle her and she’ll fight like hell to get free. Not because she doesn’t want you or love you.” With a slight grin, as if trying to soften his indictment, Greg added, “It also doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need a little discipline. The kind of firm hand that I’m confident my dominant commander is more than capable of applying.”