Tank (Moonshine Task Force Book 2)

by Laramie Briscoe

  “Trevor, you can come on back.”

  I didn’t even notice the nurse standing in front of me until she spoke. Blaze leaving my home, and possibly my life, is the scariest thing in the world for me right now. There is one thing I do know, and it’s after what happened with the gunman, I’ve got to be honest with her. No matter what happens here today, we’ll figure it out.

  “How are you doing?” the nurse smiles at me as she holds the door open. I don’t miss the way her eyes rake down my body. Sounds egotistical, but I’m used to it and it doesn’t even affect me anymore. The only thing that affects me now are Blaze’s eyes running down my body, her hands touching my flesh. It’s enough to cause a reaction just thinking about it.

  “I’m good, ready to see if I can get this cast off and into a boot.”

  “Kinda early, huh?” she makes small talk.

  I shrug because I don’t really want to do the small talk dance with her. More than anything, I want this appointment over so I can figure out what my next few weeks look like.

  She escorts me to another room and I have a seat on an examination table, waiting impatiently for the doctor to come in. I’ve done some reading online, so I know there’s a chance, if my break has healed enough, I can get the cast off today. I was very fortunate about where Brooks hit me because most of the impact was on the front passenger side, and I’m hoping that’s what allows me to get out of this cast today. I want to take a shower, to walk without the crutches digging into my armpits, to get back to work, and to make love to Blaze the way I want to. I wasn’t lying when I told Blaze I’m a fast healer, either. I always have been, plus I’m stubborn as fuck.

  “Morning, Trevor,” the doctor greets me as he comes in.

  There are no pleasantries from me. “How did that x-ray look?”

  The older man laughs slightly as he shakes his head at me. “I don’t know that I’ve ever met someone who’s more anxious to get back to work than you. The state of Alabama is lucky to have you.”

  I don’t need someone to kiss my ass and tell me how great I am. I’m fully aware that I’m only four weeks out from a wreck that could have killed me, but I also know that I have been feeling better the last couple of days. Stronger, more aware of my surroundings, there’s been a lot less pain and I’ve not had to take any pain killers since that first physical therapy appointment. More than anything, I just want my life back. I’m aware it won’t be the same way it was before the wreck, there might be things I have to account for and accommodations I have to make. I’m good with that, but I’m not good at sitting around.

  He pulls out a piece of paper before he puts his glasses on, reading what looks like a report. “I have to say I’m a little surprised, but I’ve seen the human body do amazing things. Looking at the x-ray, the report, and talking to your physical therapist, I’m going to say we can take this cast off. You’ll still have to be careful, but we can get you in the pool next week. There will be absolutely no running on it yet and you’ll probably walk with a limp until you’re completely healed. Your physical therapist will help you with that. I’m going to send a note over to Holden letting him know that right now we’ll keep your return to work week-to-week provided you do everything else you’re supposed to.”

  Happiness explodes in my chest. “I’m so ready.”

  As he leaves the room, my phone pings and my smile falters for the first time.

  Holden: Excited for you to get that cast off brother, but you better be making your appointment with the shrink. We just need her to sign off on you – as soon as that’s done, you do the physical course and you’re back.

  Fuck me. I’ve been putting it off, but I won’t be able to any longer. So far I haven’t been able to remember shit about the wreck, and I’m scared if the departments shrink starts digging, I will remember. I don’t want and don’t need that fear in my life. But the writing is on the wall – I’m going to have to face whatever it is, because I won’t be able to go back to my job until I do.

  Tank: Got it, I’ll make my appointment tomorrow and I’ll keep you up to date on all progress. Can’t wait to get back.

  Ignoring the nagging in my gut, I text Blaze, letting her know I’m getting the cast off, and they’ll be giving me a boot. I sigh deeply, feeling like one obstacle that’s been standing in my way be lifted.

  * * *

  “Look at you, walking by yourself,” Blaze grins as she watches me approach her SUV at the drop off area.

  “I know, right? I can’t even begin to tell you how nice this is,” I get inside, shutting the door.

  “I’m excited that your boot goes with your tux pants,” she looks down at it.

  “I requested black, for the suit pants and because Batman,” I wink at her as she laughs.

  “You’re in a really good mood.”

  She’s right – I am. I hadn’t realized how grumpy I’ve been, even though I’m thankful I wasn’t hurt worse in the wreck. I’ve still been on edge, because I haven’t known what the future will bring for me and while that’s true of everyone, I can admit now how damn scared I was. When they took the cast off, put the boot on, and then told me to walk – that was potentially the scariest moment of my life. But I did it, and guess what? While it hurt a little, and definitely felt weird, it’s freeing to know I won’t be held back as much anymore.

  “I am, and I’m sorry I’ve been kind of a pain in the ass lately. I’ve been worried, scared to death actually, that I wouldn’t be able to be the same kind of cop, same kind of man, I was before. You know how much physical activity and my job mean to me. I want to be able to get out and do things with you, with Stella when she’s old enough. It means the world to me.”

  Reaching over, she grabs my hand. “I get it, I totally do, and you haven’t been awful. None of us know how we’d react if we were in your situation.”

  “I don’t know how you’ve handled it so well, Blaze, I mean what you saw and what you did, was amazing.”

  “It was my job.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it, babe. It was my job that day I saw that guy hold the gun to your head, but it didn’t make it any easier. I felt more out of control that day than I ever have in my life. My emotions were in a blender, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make a rational decision. I have no idea how you administered medical care to me and kept it together.” And that’s the realest I’ve ever been with her. If we want to face things and start repairing the relationship we fucked up, we have to start somewhere.

  She swallows so hard I can see her throat move. “I didn’t want anyone else touching you,” her voice is low as she drives us back to Laurel Springs. “In my mind, no one cares for you like I do, so I wasn’t sure if anyone else could give you the kind of attention I could. While it hurt to see you lying there, see the blood pouring from the cut over your eye, see the swelling that was already happening on your face, and hear you gasping for air, I knew I could keep you going. I knew what to do to make it better, and I was going to be damned if I let anyone else touch you. No one else knew you physically and emotionally like I did, and in my heart I knew I’d provide the best care.”

  There’s a clarity to her voice and a clarity to the feelings that hit me square in the chest. She’s damn right, no one does care for me better than she does. Not even my sister or my mom. Blaze cares with her whole heart and her whole body. It reminds me that we have a lot of work to do, and now that I feel like a whole man, we’re gonna be putting in a huge amount of time to make it work.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Blaze

  Sometimes when I dress up for these parties, I don’t even recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. No, that’s a lie; I do recognize myself, but the me I see is the one who let everyone else control her life. It’s the sixteen-year-old girl who was being groomed to marry a rich man and become a society maven. If I close my eyes and think hard, I can still see her. With her platinum blonde hair, wearing her pearls like a southern debutante does, clea
r eyes innocent as hell only wanting to please her parents.

  I can remember her very clearly. She wore pink lipstick and looked at men underneath long eye-lashes, and she giggled when a boy with proper family lineage would pay attention to her. Daphne would shrink into the crowd, smile prettily, curtsy, and be the envy of every other southern debutante in the room.

  The memories aren’t happy and I don’t like reliving a past that’s painful. Squaring my shoulders, I lean closer to the mirror, making sure the fake lashes I’m applying are even. “Nice,” I grin at myself, running my tongue over my teeth to make sure my bright red lipstick isn’t on the white enamel. The little black dress I’m wearing covers the tattoos on my arms, and for one night, I look like what my parents truly want their daughter to look like. As I turn in the mirror to look behind me, making sure my ass is covered, one of the waves I’ve curled my hair into escapes from my updo. It’s an easy fix before I put earrings in my ears and a bracelet on my wrist. One last time, I give myself a once-over before spritzing perfume on my pulse points and leave Trevor’s bathroom.

  Entering the bedroom I hear a wolf-whistle. He’s standing in the doorway, actually standing there, with his hands above his head braced against the frame. He takes my breath away for a moment, because he’s so damn fine. I mean dayum, I’m going home with that tonight. As usual, he’s oblivious to how hot he is.

  I’ve only seen Trevor in a tux once before, at a work associate’s wedding. I’d been a guest and Trevor had been in the wedding party. Back then we hadn’t been together, and all I wanted to do was go up to him, push the jacket off his broad shoulders, and throw my arms around his neck. Tonight, that’s what I want to do, too.

  Instead, I know I need to get my head in the game. We have appearances to make. It’s so good to see him without crutches, but I’m worried he’s pushing himself too hard. “You okay?”

  “Am I okay?” he raises an eyebrow, watching as I put my feet into a pair of Louboutins – one of the only extravagant purchases I’ve allowed my mom to make for me in the last few years. There are certain things I’ll skimp on, but one thing I do love are a pair of fuck-me pumps with the red sole. “Woman, are you okay? You fell down from Heaven and landed in my house. Fuck me,” he winks at me.

  “Did you really just feed me that bullshit pick-up line?”

  “I’m hoping it helps me get lucky later on tonight,” he pushes off the door frame and slowly makes his way over to me.

  Since he’s been laid up with his injury, he’s lost weight, but it looks good on him. Just like it’ll look good on him when he gains it back. Trevor has the type of body that can carry some muscle and be lean as fuck. He’s hot both ways. My hands itch to curl around his midsection as he approaches me. There’s a small hitch in his stride, but if I weren’t looking for it, I wouldn’t even notice it.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispers as he finally gets within touching distance. Grabbing me around the waist, he adjusts his stance so we’re eye level.

  I smile slowly, averting my eyes downward. When I look this way and he looks at me the way he is now, it makes me shy. Right now, I’m all Daphne. A part of me wants to bury my face in his neck until I come back out like Blaze. “You think?” He knows I’m not fishing for compliments. What I’m wearing, what I’m portraying, just isn’t me.

  His finger slides under my chin, tilting it so that I’m looking into his blue eyes, clear as the water bordering the Bahamas. “I’ve never lied to you before, why would I lie to you now?” He reaches in, kissing me softly but powerfully. As he pulls away, he licks his lips before breathing out a harsh breath. “And I’m one of the only people in the world who knows what you have hiding under that dress covering you completely up. Do you know how hot that is? You know what a lucky bastard I am?”

  “About as lucky as I am,” I go in for the kill, curling my arms around his midsection, pulling him close. “You look good enough to eat in this tux.”

  He leans in, his breath hot on my ear, his voice deep and sexy when he speaks. “If you’re hungry later, then please, let me be your main course.”

  God, I love this man. He matches me in everything I do, and I never shock him. In fact, sometimes he shocks me. I’ve never in that kind of relationship before and now I’m letting him meet my parents.

  “Why’d you get so quiet?” he questions, his eyes searching mine.

  “Are you ready to meet the parents? Like truly, are we at this point in our relationship?”

  Trevor pulls me so our bodies touch, his palms cupping my ass. “We’re whatever you need me to be. You’ve done everything you can to help me over these past few weeks, you’ve stuck by me when other people would have run. If you’re ready for me to meet your parents, then I’m proud to stand by your side and be the man you need me to be.”

  Unexpected tears clog my throat and pool behind my fake eyelashes. Trevor’s a sweet guy, but he’s also sweet in his gestures. He’s not always the most talkative, so for him to say these words to me and mean them – it makes me love him even more. My parents have scared away more than one of my boyfriends. Knowing that he’ll be with me no matter what is one of the most freeing feelings I’ve ever had.

  “You ready?” he asks, checking the chunky, black watch he wears on his wrist.

  I know from experience the watch is what he likes to wear because it’s practical, but it’s also the sexiest watch I’ve ever seen in my life. Hell, maybe it’s everything Trevor is and does that’s sexy. If anyone asked me, I probably wouldn’t be able to explain it.

  “I am,” I answer, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.

  “Your lipstick doesn’t smear when you kiss me,” he comments, running the pad of his thumb along my lower lip.

  “Nope, it’s a stain. It’ll stay for a few hours at least,” I playfully nip at his thump, sucking the nail up to the knuckle and running my tongue around the tip. “See, didn’t smudge at all.”

  A flame lights in his eyes and I can almost guess what he’s thinking. “Interesting,” he lets me go. “Is my hair okay? Did you want me to wear it down?”

  It’s up in its normal man bun, and surprisingly he looks well-kept with it up like it is. “No, keep it, I like it.”

  “I trimmed the beard up for you,” he runs a hand along the tamed hairs on his chin.

  “Thank you, but you know more than anyone, I love you just the way you are.”

  He pulls on my hand. “If you had to button up and look presentable, the least I can do is the same.”

  “You look way more than presentable, Mr. Trumbolt. You look edible.”

  He groans deep in his throat as I turn, swaying my hips as I walk out of the bedroom. I can feel his eyes on me, so I make an even bigger curve with my hips, swiveling them as I turn around to face him.

  “So do you, Ms. Coleman. I’ll have a lot of fun eating you later on tonight.”

  I can feel my face blush and I’m positive it’s crimson in color. “You be good,” I warn him.

  The smartass grin he gives me tells me he’s not going to be good. It tells me we’re going to tempt fate, and we’re going to do things in my parents’ home that my dad’s only done with his mistresses. “I always give it to you good, baby. This time won’t be any different.”

  I close my eyes, sighing deeply. Let the man off his crutches, put him in a boot, and he’s already making promises about his sexual prowess. Only thing is, I know better than anyone, Trevor’s not making promises he can’t fulfill.

  He’ll make good on every single one.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Trevor

  I’ve never ridden in the back of a limo before. Not even for my high school prom like so many have done. Blaze told me we would have a ride. Silly me, I figured it would be a friend or a family member picking us up. I never expected to see a stretch limo pull into my drive.

  “When you said we’d have a ride, this wasn’t exactly what I imagined,” I take a drink of the beer I got out of the fully stocked
bar.

  She takes a drink of her wine. “Yeah, well my family spares no expense – ever. Especially when they like to show me what I’m missing.”

  The way she says the words makes me wonder if she does miss it. There’s a catch in my gut. “Do you miss it? They can give you a lot of luxuries I’ll never be able to give you.”

  She’s quiet for a heartbeat, and mine almost stops. “No, none of those things have ever been important to me. You know I don’t touch the money in my trust unless there’s something I really want. I’ve never missed this stuffy-as-fuck life. I mean look at me tonight.” She waves her hand around her face and down her body, as she wrinkles her nose.

  I do look at her, and while I like what I see, I know it’s not the true woman I love. Leaning over, I run my thumb over her bottom lip. “While you are gorgeous with this suck-my-dick red lipstick, you’re right. This isn’t the everyday you, but this you is one I can definitely appreciate.”

  Her pulse is visible at her throat, her chest rising and falling with the intensity of her breathing. “You can?” she takes a drink of her wine, a smirk on her face.

  “Who wouldn’t appreciate the tightness of that dress? Get the fuck outta here, you know you’re hot as hell.”

  A blush covers her cheeks, making them a pretty pink. “C’mon babe, you’ve never been shy before.”

  It’s as if I’ve thrown down a challenge. I see her shoulders square, and she sets down the glass of wine she’s been drinking. Her eyes cut over to the raised partition separating us from the driver.

  “What are you thinking?”

  The smile she gives me is one hundred percent sin. It’s the type of smile women have used since the beginning of time to tempt a man – and fuck if I’m not tempted. I’ve had a semi since I saw the fuck-me heels. I’ve been a good guy while I’ve been recovering. I haven’t pressed either of us to get physical, because I wasn’t sure how much my body could take. Now that the cast is off and I feel ninety-five percent like my old self, I’m ready to shed this celibate skin I’ve been living. I miss Blaze and the hot sex we had. I’m ready to reclaim that part of our relationship.