The Detective's Trust (Brothers in Blue #2)

by K. Langston

  He nodded silently, coming to a halt when we arrived at the door. He pulled the key card from his wallet and slipped it into the slot, stepping aside for me to walk through first. But I only made it a few steps before his large fingers gently curled around my upper arm and I was pressed against the closed door.

  Oh God.

  My breath became trapped in my throat as he lowered his head, bringing his delicious smell with him.

  Was he going to kiss me?

  I wish the hell he would. I was dying to know what his lips would feel like on mine. How they would taste.

  “Do it,” I pleaded, the sound of my voice low and needy, revealing all of my desire.

  “I can’t.” His voice was hoarse with agony.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s wrong. I shouldn’t want you this much.”

  I reached for his right hand, still clinging to my arm, and brought it to my chest. “Do you feel that?” My heart pounded like thunder, desperate to be one with his. “There is nothing wrong about that.”

  His forehead fell to mine. “I have to protect you.”

  My other hand lifted to his jaw, the scruff there tickling my palm, sending a surge of heat between my thighs. “I’ve never felt safer.”

  “I have to keep you safe from me.”

  “You won’t hurt me,” I reassured him. “I won’t let you.”

  I watched in utter fascination as he lowered his shield. The armor that he used so valiantly to protect himself, to protect me from him, fell. I felt it in his gaze. The way his eyes roamed my face, as if seeing me for the first time. Then his eyes focused on my mouth, the hunger residing there was enough to bring me to my knees.

  The shrill sound of his phone ringing shoved my leaping heart into my stomach.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, he let go of an angry curse before fishing his phone from his pocket.

  “Cunningham,” he barked down the line, his eyes holding mine for another moment before he resurrected that wall between us again. “Jameson, I’ve been expecting your call.”

  I hated that look of disappointment in her eyes. It gutted me to take the call, but I had no choice. Part of me was thankful for the interruption but the other part, the larger part, was still thinking about the ways I wanted to ravage her mouth.

  And put my hands on other places besides her pounding heart.

  Fuck, what is this woman doing to me?

  She grabbed a few things from her bag and went into the bathroom. I heard the water running as I spoke with Special Agent Ryder Jameson.

  I had to admit, the man was good. He was able to tell me more about Vinny Rodriquez than I’d ever been able to find out on my own. “He got out on good behavior, though according to the reports, his parole hearing wasn’t supposed to be for another six months.”

  “Any way we can find out why it was moved up?”

  “I’m working on that,” Ryder said. “I also found out who paid his legal fees and helped him get set up once he was released.”

  “Who?”

  “Cesar Del Marco.”

  “You’re fucking kidding me.”

  Dios Del Mal Cartel, meaning God of Evil, was one of the deadliest and profitable in the world. Del Marco was a former Mexican Judicial Federal Policeman who rose to power by dealing with Columbian cartels on the border.

  “Afraid not. We’ve been watching Del Marco for years but the son of a bitch keeps his shit tight. He has a lot of US government officials and police officers on his payroll. Which makes him virtually untouchable. My question is, why hasn’t Del Marco gone after your girl before now?”

  I opened my mouth to correct him but stopped myself.

  My girl.

  What I wouldn’t give to make her mine.

  “Revenge. Vinny would have never been caught if Cassidy hadn’t been in that closet and later testified. This is personal for him.”

  “I think we should approach Del Marco, ask him to call Vinny off.”

  “How the hell do you propose we do that? And what makes you think he cares what happens to her?”

  “I know ways to make him listen.”

  My body tensed, bracing myself for battle. “What do you have in mind?”

  Deep down I knew Reid was right—he would hurt me. It would be the greatest heartbreak of my life, but I welcomed the pain. Maybe I was depraved. Or maybe I’d had to endure so much pain in my life that I’d grown used to it.

  That was a scary thought.

  One thing I couldn’t miss either was the grief Reid still carried along with the guilt, and the reason I recognized it was because I carried it, too. Neither one of us were able to save Bodie, no matter how hard we tried or how badly we wanted to.

  I was convinced Reid still struggled with that.

  God knows I still did.

  My mind tortured me with endless what-ifs.

  What if I would have been brave enough to come out of that closet? Would he still be alive?

  Shaking away the disturbing thoughts, I took off my dress and put on my tank top and shorts. Then I washed my face and brushed my teeth. Afterward, I hesitantly walked out. He’d finished his call and I found him sitting at the desk, pecking away on his laptop. He lifted his eyes, trailing them down my body as I walked out and tucked my things in my bag.

  Reaching for my own laptop, I grabbed the power cord and moved to the bed.

  I needed to get some work done and take my mind off the man on the other side of the room and the way his gaze heated my core.

  Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet. “I’m going to grab a shower.”

  He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him while I settled in bed, pulling up my email to download Max’s manuscript. One thing I loved about my job—and there were many things I loved about my job—but the best part was I could work from anywhere. It gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and go where I wanted. I got to travel a lot with Max. Helping her at her book signings and keeping her organized had become somewhat of a full-time job as well.

  Lord knows I needed the distraction.

  I followed up on a few other emails, letting my clients know I would be unavailable for an undetermined amount of time due to a family emergency, but I would still continue to work so as to not interfere with their deadlines. Thankfully, most of them were not pressing. Then I took care of a few loose ends for Max and shot her an email letting her know her schedule for next week. Her response was immediate.

  You’re with him, aren’t you?

  Who? I replied.

  Do I really have to say his name?

  I debated whether to tell her or not. Reid had told me not to, but I didn’t see the harm in it. I’d told Max about him years ago and she’d always encouraged me to reach out to him, but I didn’t see the point. There was too much time and distance between us and a mountain of pain.

  Yes, I’m with him.

  I knew it! Thanks for telling me, asshole. At least now I know you’re safe. Have you jumped his bones yet?

  That’s none of your business.

  You’re my best friend. Of course it’s my business. Now spill, damn it. You won’t tell me what the hell is going on. Tell me this!

  No, I haven’t. And I don’t plan on it. If he wants me, he’ll have to make the first move.

  Nope. That’s not gonna work for me. You need to initiate it. He’ll never do it on his own.

  Why do you say that?

  Because you’re his best friend’s baby sister. Everyone knows that’s dangerous territory.

  She was right. Reid would never cross that line. Even with Bodie being gone, he’d never do it on his own. I was going to have to be the one to push. I’d told Max about Reid a long time ago and she’d always encouraged me to reach out to him, but I was too afraid.

  However, now that I was here with him, it didn’t seem so hopeless.

  I’ll think about it.

  Don’t think, sister. Do.

  I heard the water shut off so I quickly s
hot her another email.

  I gotta go. I’ll be in touch soon.

  I didn’t wait for a reply before I quickly closed out the window and set about my first round of edits. I submerged myself in my work, but I found myself reading several sentences over and over again. Then any hope of getting anything done evaporated when he finally emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

  My mouth went completely dry as he walked across the room to his small black duffle bag, lifting it up to the foot of the bed before unzipping it to snag a pair of boxer briefs and athletic shorts.

  I stared shamelessly beneath the hood of my long lashes, doing my best to remain inconspicuous but his gaze captured mine. And like a stupid moth being drawn to a burning flame, my eyes remained locked on his, allowing them to draw me in.

  The rivulets of water glistening on his shoulders and chest stole my attention, robbing me of oxygen. Then he straightened his spine, a large bead trickling, rolling across the hard planes of his abs before disappearing beneath his towel.

  I swallowed hard, my throat becoming extremely dry.

  Then with a muttered curse, Reid went back into the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving me a panting mess on the bed. I closed my laptop and put it on the bedside table, knowing there was no way I would be able to concentrate now. I killed the light and snuggled beneath the covers, begging for sleep to find me soon.

  * * *

  Darkness surrounded me as I crouched down in the closet behind Bodie’s old boards. My body trembled with fear as I listened to my brother plead with the man on the other side of the door. My curiosity was beginning to get the better of me. I knew whatever it was they were arguing about, it was bad.

  Really bad.

  My brother had not been himself lately, and I think this man had something to do with it.

  I inched closer to the door, curling my sweaty hand around the knob and twisting it slowly to crack it open. I couldn’t see my brother but I could see two men with their backs facing me, but only one man spoke.

  “You know what happens when you fuck with his money.”

  “Dude, I swear. I’ll have the money. I’m competing this weekend. The pot is over one hundred G’s.”

  The guy stepped forward, pulling a large knife from the back of his jeans. His voice was menacing and low, but I didn’t miss a single word. “Time’s up.”

  The scream that ripped from his throat was the last thing I remember. I covered my ears, closed my eyes, and huddled down in the corner, my mind was in protection mode and the only thing I could do was pray.

  Pray for someone to save my brother.

  Pray for someone to save us both.

  “Bodie!”

  Cassidy’s terrified scream shredded the silence, the sound yanking me from my semiconscious state. I jumped up from my makeshift pallet on the floor, reaching for my gun lying next to me. Moonlight poured through the windows, lending enough light on the bed where I found her twisted up in the sheets, clutching them to her chest as she rolled back and forth.

  She cried out his name again and my chest constricted with the desperation in her voice.

  Fuck, she had nightmares, too.

  Sitting down next to her, I reached out and switched on the light. “Cass, wake up,” I said softly, gently nudging her.

  Her body jerked, eyes wide with surprise.

  I brushed her damp hair from her face. Her breath came in broken pants. “You okay?” I asked.

  With a nod she sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her face in her hands, a sob shaking her small body. I wasn’t sure what to do or even what to say. But I knew what she was feeling.

  The loss.

  The helplessness.

  I battled it every single day and it was even worse at night when the darkness crept in. When there was nothing left of the day except you and the memories.

  We sat in silence for what seemed like forever before she finally lifted her head, tears staining her face. Her eyes moved to the blanket and pillow on the floor then to me. “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”

  “Safer.”

  She chuckled through her tears, shaking her head. “I think I can control myself, Reid.”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about.”

  Her lips parted on a small gasp, her large, brown eyes softening. The confession poured from my tongue without regret. She’d been back in my life only a short while and she was ripping all sorts of emotions out of me.

  Shit I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years.

  After Bodie’s death, I shut down completely. I never wanted to get too close to anyone like that again.

  If losing a friend hurt this much, imagine how fucking bad it would be to lose someone you love.

  She had the power to destroy me. I knew it by her smile, her laugh, and the undeniable pull she had on me. I’d never had to fight this hard to contain what I felt. I never had to worry about my heart being stolen. But with her, it was all at risk. One wrong move would undoubtedly bring me to my knees.

  “Will you lie with me?”

  It’s all I’ve wanted to do all night. “Cass, I don’t think—”

  “Please? Just for a little while. I’m so cold, Reid. I’m always so cold.”

  The plea in her voice was my undoing. I was pretty certain it wouldn’t take much for her to get what she wanted out of me, no matter how much I tried to fight it.

  Pressing my knee to the bed, I moved to sit next to her, resting my back on the headboard and pulling her into my arms. Her sweet smell settled in the center of my chest. Every single inch of my skin craved to touch hers, to instill her with my warmth, but I had to be careful. The way Cassidy looked at me, the need in her eyes. She would want more than someone to keep her warm for just one night.

  Hurting her was the last thing I wanted to do, but somehow, it seemed inevitable.

  She burrowed her head against the crook of my neck. “I don’t think there’s been a single night since he died that I don’t dream about him,” she said, sadness thick in her voice.

  “Me, too.”

  Her arm tightened around my stomach but other than that she remained still. “You know it’s not your fault, right?”

  I nodded, but her words fell on deaf ears. Guilt plagued me, wrapping its unrelenting claws around my heart, squeezing tight. I tried for months to get him off that shit but Bodie was hardheaded and battling things no one could understand.

  “It still hurts to know he chose the drugs over me,” she said, and I hated that she felt that way.

  “Drugs make people do some fucked-up shit, Cass. I can’t tell you how many cases I’ve worked where people, who were once functioning members of society, had good jobs, and took care of their kids, found themselves lost to addiction. A slave to their next hit. It doesn’t give a fuck who you are, where you live, how much money you make, or how beautiful you are, it will eat away at your soul until you’re nothing more than a shell of your former self. Bodie may have been too weak to say no, but he loved you very much. Never doubt that.”

  “I know he loved me, but it still hurts. I lost her, too. Our mother was my whole world. I wanted to find ways to escape, to not feel the pain, but I pushed through. I coped. The pain reminded me that it was real, that she was here and alive and she loved us. Then when I lost him too, it was as if my whole world was shattered.”

  “I’m sorry, Cassidy. I should have been there for you more. I should have…done a lot of things differently.”

  Her eyes lifted to mine, searching. “You had to do what was best for you.”

  My hand cradled her face; the urge to kiss her almost unbearable. “I should have done what was best for you.”

  She leaned into my touch, pressing her lips to the base of my palm, and I knew right then that any decision I ever made from that point forward would be what was best for her.

  His warmth surrounded me like a blanket, offering comfort and safety from the outside world. A w
orld where reality lurked and danger threatened to steal this moment. Blinking, I pried my eyes open, squinting against the sunlight peeking through the blinds.

  Reid had one arm banded around my back, his large hand snug against my waist. I smiled contentedly, noting my cheek rested on his hard chest, the steady beat of his heart thumping against my ear.

  He stirred, groaning when I dragged my bare leg up and down his.

  Bringing his hand to my upper thigh, his strong fingers dug into my skin, holding it in place. “Don’t move.”

  I giggled, lifting my head. “Morning.”

  Damn, he looked even better in the morning…all sleepy-eyed, his long hair fanning the pillow. Releasing my leg, he raised his hand to push his wild hair back from his eyes before pulling it down his scruffy face.

  “What time is it?” he grumbled, glancing over at the alarm clock. “Shit, we need to get going.” He tugged his arm from beneath me. It was gentle but the loss of his closeness had my heart wrenching tight in my chest. He sat up on the edge of the bed, twisting his neck from side to side before rolling his shoulders back.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, sitting up and scooting closer, wanting to reach out and press my lips to the smooth skin of his back.

  “Texas,” he answered, pushing from the bed before I had the chance to give into the temptation.

  “What for?”

  “Too early for questions.” Were his final words before the bathroom door clicked shut. I didn’t expect him to be all warm and fuzzy after spending the night together, but I did expect something more than the cold shoulder.

  * * *

  We’d only been on the road for half an hour but you could cut the tension with a knife. To think when I woke up this morning, I was completely high on this man, but right now I wanted to choke the shit out of him.

  I learned pretty quickly that Reid Cunningham was not a morning person. He needed at least two cups of coffee before he should be allowed to interact with humans.

  Plus, I was pretty sure he was still pissed about what I was wearing. He’d asked me twice to change before we left the hotel, but I’d refused and that didn’t help his extreme level of grouchiness whatsoever. But I could care less how he felt about my attire. If the only words he was going to utter to me were demands then he could go straight to hell.