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

by K. Langston

  “I told you, until this is all over, you’re with me.”

  I lifted the back of her hand to my mouth and planted a kiss there.

  You’re going to break her heart, asshole.

  And, undoubtedly, my own.

  Once we checked in, Cassidy grabbed a shower while I called Jameson and filled him in on my meeting with Lawter.

  “As long as Oakley agrees to the terms, I can have him walking out of prison tomorrow,” Jameson explained.

  “Good.”

  “How’s your girl?”

  I pulled a tired hand through my hair.

  My girl.

  Two simple words had the power to wrap around my heart and squeeze like a goddamn vice. With everything going on, I hadn’t really let myself process what happened between us last night, but after the ride here I’m starting to realize that my feelings for her are a lot stronger than I thought. What I felt when I was inside of her. What it felt like to wake up with her lying next to me. The thought of either of those things never happening again had panic rising in my throat.

  “It’s been a long day,” I grunted my reply.

  He cleared his throat. “Listen, there’s something else.”

  There was something in his voice that instantly put me on alert.

  “I’ve been doing some digging, and some things didn’t add up when I read through Bodie’s case file.”

  “I thought those records were sealed?” I’d tried to look into it years ago but without obtaining a court order, I was denied access.

  “FBI trumps any crooked ass judges on Del Marco’s payroll. I had them reopened.”

  “What did you find?”

  “Not much more than you know already but there was a discrepancy with some of the evidence collected. I don’t have anything concrete right now, but as soon as I do, I promise you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, I think we should reach out to Vinny. Pressure him for more details about that night.”

  “Good idea.”

  “I’ve got an agent en route to him now. I’ll let you know what we find out.”

  Once I ended the call, I tossed my cell on the nightstand and rolled my neck, trying to relieve some of the tension that had knotted up between my shoulders.

  It had been a long fucking day.

  The anger nipping at my gut wasn’t helping matters. I was angry for what happened to Bodie. Angry that her life was in danger, and I was angry with myself for taking her last night when I had no fucking right to. But I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the consequences. And now that I’d had a taste, I knew I would never get enough.

  The door swung open to the bathroom, steam billowing all around her, and I swear to Christ she looked just like a goddamn angel.

  Fuck, she was beautiful.

  And everything I needed right now.

  She took a few tentative steps then moved between my open legs, placing the palm of her hand to my face. It immediately soothed me and calmed the raging storm inside. Knowing she could easily be ripped away from me scared the hell out of me. I couldn’t live through something like that again.

  I turned into her touch, placing a kiss on her wrist, seeking more of that sweet escape. Lifting my other hand, I brought it up to loosen the towel from her body.

  She shivered, moving closer to me. “Reid.”

  “Gidge.” I pressed a kiss to her lower belly, dragging my hand up and down the back of her firm thigh, pulling her closer. “You smell good,” I told her between kisses, anxious to taste her again, eager to rid my mind of everything else.

  Everything except her.

  “Reid, please.”

  I dropped another kiss just above her bare pussy. “Relax.”

  A sharp breath slipped between her lips as I pulled her down to lie on the bed beside me. Then I covered her nipple with my mouth. Her back arched, one hand threading through my hair to hold me closer.

  “Yes,” she hissed.

  I sucked. Loving each breast, licking and nipping until her nipples were pink and hard. Then I took her mouth, one hand dipping between her legs to feel how hot she was for me.

  Wet.

  I pushed my middle finger inside of her, adding a second when her breathy moans grew heavier. She moaned louder, rolling her hips against my hand until she cried out my name, pleading with me to stop.

  To keep going.

  Lifting my hand to my mouth, I sucked on each wet finger. “So fucking sweet.”

  Pressing one hand to the center of my chest, she pushed me back then positioned herself on her knees next to me, fumbling with the button of my jeans. She pulled me free, wrapping her hand around the base of my cock, stroking up and down.

  “Put it in your mouth,” I ordered.

  Her tongue darted out to taste.

  Smooth.

  Hot.

  She swirled the motherfucker, wrapping her soft lips around the head. Then her hand moved, stroking up and down with a lazy tease.

  “You better do something with it quick, babe, before I do something with you,” I growled.

  She grinned wickedly before descending, taking me all the way in. I hissed through clenched teeth, placing one hand on the back of her head, guiding her as she licked and sucked. “Christ, yes, just like that.” I closed my eyes when her fingers wrapped around my balls, massaging them in the palm of her hand gently while her mouth worked back and forth.

  “Goddamn, you look so good sucking my dick, baby. So fucking good.”

  She renewed her efforts, greedily taking me deeper. As if my praise was fueling her desire even more. When the head hit the back of her throat, I nearly came right then.

  Curling my fingers around her hair I gently pulled her off, needing to be inside of her. But she kept her hand possessively wrapped around my shaft, stroking up and down slowly.

  “Come in my mouth,” she whispered, dark need thick in her voice.

  My dick twitched in her hand, and I released her hair. She took me in once more, her eyes staying locked on mine the entire time as I came hard, filling her mouth, marking her in ways I’d never thought possible. I’d never experienced intimacy on this level.

  Then again, she’d always made me want things I shouldn’t.

  “Come here,” I said, pulling her up to take her mouth and kissing her deep. “What the hell are you doing to me?”

  “Well, I just sucked your—”

  I gave her ass a gentle smack then a squeeze. “You’re killing me, woman.”

  Her dark eyes lifted to mine. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  I kissed her again before rolling her over and showing her exactly how much I was dying for her.

  We didn’t arrive back at Reid’s house until late the following evening. Long after the sun had set and the moon had shone bright. Reid had seemed more distant today and he dodged a lot of my questions. I had a feeling he was holding back.

  It was his way of protecting me.

  And I certainly appreciated him for that, but I needed his honesty more than anything.

  He kissed the top of my head as the Uber driver rolled to a stop in his driveway. “We’re here.”

  I sighed, lifting my head to gaze into his dark blue eyes. They held mine for two solid breaths before he got out, walked to my side of the car, and opened the door. We collected our bags from the trunk and made our way up the steps. Reid pulled his keys from his pocket but stopped short of the door, his body growing tense and aware.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  Placing his long index finger over his lips, he knelt down and retrieved a hand gun from a plank of wood. The lethal look in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

  “Stay close.”

  I nodded and he shifted me until I was at his back. I attempted to draw in a few deep breaths in order to slow my pounding heart, but it was no use.

  The damn thing was trying to climb out of my throat.

  Everything had been destroyed. Every piece of furniture and personal belonging had
been ruined. Curtains and blinds ripped to shreds. Shattered glass littered the floor. Reid cleared every room. Thankfully, whoever had been here before was long gone.

  A shaky hand covered my mouth. “Oh my God, Reid.”

  He pulled his cell from his pocket. “Don’t touch anything. I need to call this in.” As he made the call, I looked around, careful not to touch anything. Although, there wasn’t much left to touch. Something told me this wasn’t just a random break-in, whoever did this wanted to send a message.

  “Police will be here shortly,” Reid informed me once he ended the call.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said as he stood next to me.

  “What the hell are you sorry for?”

  “This is all my fault. I brought this to you.”

  He gently wrapped his fingers around my forearm, pulling me closer, his eyes holding mine. “This is not your fault. I don’t want you even thinking that shit, do you hear me?”

  “But it is. I shouldn’t have come here. I should have just—”

  His hands moved to cradle my face. “You’re exactly where you should be…with me,” he said, pulling me into his arms. I nodded against his chest, hoping that I could stay here forever, because with him is the only place I wanted to be.

  It took a few hours to give our statements, process the scene, and secure the house. My initial thought had been Vinny but that was quickly eliminated once we got checked into yet another hotel and I had a chance to go out into the hall and return Ryder’s call.

  “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for hours,” he said, answering on the first ring.

  “My place was trashed when we got back. I’ve been dealing with that shit. What’s up?”

  “Rodriquez is dead.”

  “You have got to be shitting me.”

  “Bullet right between the eyes. The killer was in and out. Clean. No prints. No witnesses.”

  “If Del Marco wanted Rodriquez dead he would have had his chance in prison. His reach is pretty far. Why wait until he got out?”

  “Maybe that’s why he had him released early, so he could take care of it himself on the outside. A man like Del Marco isn’t going to do anything half-assed.”

  “True. And if it were personal to him, he would wait.”

  Ryder’s weary sigh filled the line. “There’s more. We’ve gotten word of an informant inside Del Marco’s crew. Someone close to his inner circle. All of the Intel has been delivered anonymously to the DEA and they’ve been collecting evidence for nearly five years now but none of it has been enough to take Del Marco down for good. Until now.”

  “What do you have?”

  “Audio tapes of Dante Karter and Del Marco negotiating deals, territory, and we have the location of their storage facility in San Diego. Enough to send them both away for life. Our plan is to take down Dante first. Then use him to flush out Del Marco.”

  “When?”

  “We’re putting together a team now. Twenty-four hours, maybe less.”

  “I want to be there.”

  “I figured you would. I’ll text you the information as soon as I have it.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

  “You got it.”

  Cassidy was curled up in the bed, eyes swollen and red when I walked back into the room. I quickly pulled my T-shirt over my head and toed off my shoes before slipping off my jeans.

  I climbed in beside her, pulling her into my arms. “What is it?” I asked, wiping away an escaping tear.

  Her hand curled around my neck, pulling my forehead down to hers. “I’m scared.”

  My heart twisted in my chest with the pained sound of her voice. “Don’t be. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

  “I’m not afraid for me.” She sucked back a haggard breath. “I’m afraid for you. If something happened to you because of me…” Her lip trembled, body shaking with fear. The concern in her eyes leveled me and brought me down to a place I’d never known.

  My hands cradled her damp face. “Listen to me. I take risks every single day. This is no different. Only with you, the stakes are higher. Much higher. You have to trust me, okay? Trust me to do my job and protect you.”

  Her hand covered the back of mine. “I trust you.”

  I took her mouth, the familiar, sweet taste sinking deep inside my bones.

  She made me want so much more than I could ever hope to have. She made me dream. But the thing about dreams is, eventually, you have to wake up.

  I moved my hands to her ass, cupping it and pulling her closer. My fingers teased between her legs, grazing her wet panties with every squeeze of her supple ass cheeks.

  “Reid,” she whispered against my lips, the heat of her breath making my dick even harder.

  “What do you want, baby?”

  Dipping her hands between us, they slipped beneath the waistband of my briefs, wrapping her sure fingers around me. “You.”

  I rolled her over, fitting myself between her welcoming thighs. Fuck, this woman owned me. The way her needy hands roamed my body.

  Possessive.

  Her knees bent, toes pushing my briefs down my legs. I pulled her tank top from her body then shifted up enough to slide her panties off. I bent down and placed a kiss on the inside of her thigh, then on her hipbone, running my tongue along her thin tan line before I positioned myself on top of her once more, sliding my dick between her slick heat. “I’d give anything to see you in a swimsuit. In the water. All fucking wet.”

  “Reid,” she purred.

  Lowering my head, I ran circles around her hard nipple with the tip of my tongue before I scraped it with my teeth, inhaling her addictive scent. Her hands drove through my hair, yanking me closer, arching her back and offering herself to me.

  “Take me inside.”

  With a slight shift of her hips I drove home, burying myself deep inside of her tight, wet pussy. I selfishly claimed the gasp that fled from her lips upon the invasion, savoring it on my tongue like it was my last fucking meal but my hunger only intensified with each thrust.

  I started out slow, pumping my hips back and forth, knowing she loved the buildup. Her fingers raked my back. Our lips fused, bodies molded together, creating one movement.

  Her touch was a sword, slicing me open and exposing the parts I didn’t want anyone else to see. The parts of me I only wanted to show her.

  I gripped the back of her head, twisting her long, brown locks tight around my fingers. “You going to come for me?”

  “Yes,” she cried out, falling apart beneath me, digging her nails deep into the skin of my back.

  Dipping my hands lower, I curled them around the bottom swells of her ass, using my fingers to spread her wider, loving the feel of my cock sliding in and out of her.

  An appreciative moan fled from her trembling lips. “You love that, don’t you? When I touch you like this?”

  “God, yes.”

  “I know you do. I know exactly what you like. What you need.”

  I would never call myself a jealous man but the thought of anyone else touching Cassidy was enough to push me over the edge.

  An uncontrollable urge washed over me, forcing my thrusts deeper. Fire licked down my spine, pooling in my balls as I fucked her harder and harder. I wanted to climb inside of her. Brand her. Make sure anyone who ever touched her again knew I’d already been here. I was going to ruin her for anyone else. I knew that made me a selfish asshole, but I didn’t care.

  She was trouble. Trouble in my life. Trouble in my heart.

  But trouble never felt so good.

  * * *

  Cassidy slept soundly as I dressed, her soft chestnut hair fanning the stark white sheet. I tried not to think about the feelings stirring inside of me. I didn’t want to give them a name, but I knew what they were. I’d spent hours inside of her last night, trying to fight them off, but they were still there when I woke up this morning.

  Stronger than ever.

  My heart clenched as I took a
seat next to her on the edge of the bed. She was lying on her stomach, arms curled around the bottom of the pillow cradling her head, her scent lingering like a lifeline between us. She looked so innocent, so sweet, and for a moment, I’d almost forgotten about the cruel world that waited outside.

  I pushed a few strands of hair from her face.

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t falling for her. But falling for her wasn’t the problem, keeping her was.

  Her eyes fluttered open, a smile stretching those perfectly shaped lips. That smile was like confetti. It had the power to make even the worst day a little fucking brighter.

  “You’re up early,” she muttered in a sleepy voice.

  “We need to head out soon.”

  “Where?”

  I stood up and reached for my gun on the bedside table, holstering it to my hip. “I have to go to work.”

  Shifting, she sat up in bed. “But you promised me you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone.” Twisting my wrist, I checked the time. “My friend Mike is going to look after you. So I need you to get up and get dressed. He’s expecting us soon.”

  Jerking the covers from her naked body, she got up from the bed and pulled her hair in a ponytail then put on a pair of clean panties from her bag. “I don’t need a babysitter, Reid. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself while you work.”

  I pulled her ass back down to the bed and she went down with a huff, straining against my hold. Straddling her waist, I pinned her arms above her head, bringing my mouth to hover just above hers, invading her personal space like I owned it. “What I really want to do is lay you down with nothing but the sound of my name on your lips.” I ran my nose along hers and she gasped at the contact, nuzzling her soft face with my scruffy one.

  I released her arms, pressing my hands to the mattress next to her head. “So who is this Mike anyway?” she asked, peering up at me.

  “He was my partner when I used to patrol.”

  She smiled and it damn near undid me. “So you do have friends.”

  Kissing her hard on the mouth, I shifted off, pulling her to stand with me. “Maybe one or two.”

  Cassidy didn’t push me after that, instead getting dressed so we could head out.