by Maree Green
He glared at me hard. I could see the cut Mitch had left on his lip. It looked awful, but I couldn’t find anywhere inside me that felt bad for him at all.
“Fuck you, Kaeli,” he said angrily, although there was no strength behind his voice. “Only you could make one of TJ’s goons fall for you.”
I almost stumbled with his words. Is that what it looked like to Ken? That Mitch was falling for me? I knew I shouldn’t, but I liked the sound of that. A lot.
Trying to hide my smile, I went straight up the stairs to my bedroom and locked the door behind me.
Chapter 40
Noah
Things were starting to get on top of me. My head had been in a fucked up kind of spin since Kaeli had shown up with that fucking black eye five days ago.
It wasn’t just the overwhelming need I had to protect her, or the way she’d somehow, above all comprehension, decided to trust me either. In fact, my feelings for Kaeli were only a tiny part of my problem.
What had shaken me up most was the fact that I’d seen my father. It had been the last thing I’d expected to happen to me when I’d gone out to get my jacket from the car for Kaeli at the hospital. It’d been the first time I’d seen him in almost a year and a half, and it’d almost killed me to walk straight past him like we were strangers.
It just added another weight to my chest, almost suffocating me. I’d never been more determined to finish something in my life.
But things had gone from bad to worse over the course of the week. Mr. X had gotten wind of the bad news fakes and had decided to put the exchange back until things had settled down, leaving TJ more than a little fucking feral.
Frustrated as fuck, I’d decided to go on my own little recon mission, managing to track down one of The Shadow’s dealers and finding out where the little fucker lived. I was sure it’d almost killed TJ to not go there and torture the dude, but he’d managed to hold it all together, agreeing we should just watch the guy and hope to catch him making a transaction.
Since then we’d been taking shifts to watch the guy. I knew my team was watching too. I’d only seen them once, but I knew they were there, just out of sight. Waiting.
And waiting.
Tonight TJ had taken everyone but me and Davo because Ken wanted to do business, and TJ knew Kaeli was mine.
Stupidly, I was a little excited about Kaeli’s impending visit. I kept telling myself I just needed to see she was okay, but I knew the real reason was because I just wanted her. I wanted to see her, smell her, and taste her. Oh, and maybe feel her against me. Just a little.
The sound of my cell pinging saved my thoughts from going where they had no right to go. I pulled it out of my pocket and immediately recognized the number as the disposable cell I’d given Kaeli. Why was she texting me again? She knew it wasn’t safe.
When I opened it up and saw she’d actually written words this time, I nearly cursed. I’d told her not to do that.
I stiffened the instant I read what she sent.
I think someone’s following me…
Fuck! I typed quickly. Where r u?
I waited for her answer with clenched hands. When nothing came back straight away, I started to panic. I was just about to type again when a response finally appeared.
Alley. 2 blks away.
Without wasting a second, I started striding for the door. “Davo! We’ve got a situation!” I called.
I didn’t wait for him. Kaeli could be in trouble, but by the time I’d reached the corner, Davo was beside me. “What’s up?”
“Kaeli thinks someone’s following her,” I said straight.
I knew having Davo know I’d given Kaeli my number could be dangerous, but I was pretty sure he’d be cool with it. Out of all the other guys, he seemed to be the most understanding and nonchalant when it came to my choices with women.
His eyes hardened, but that was the only emotion that came. I liked that about Davo. He didn’t ask questions. He just did what was needed to be done and got out. No fuss.
I already knew the exact route Kaeli took when she came - I’d made damn sure of that when I realized how innocent she was, so I moved through the back streets with sure, quick steps, Davo following my every lead.
We stuck to the shadows close to the buildings, our eyes wide and watchful as we moved. When we rounded the next corner, I saw them.
The guy had her cornered, a knife drawn in front of him to scare her. Pulling out my gun, I released the safety, and began my slow, agonizing approach. All I could think about was getting Kaeli away from the fucker. Then killing him.
I could hear him yelling at her to hand over the bag. “Now, bitch!” he snarled, waving the knife in her face.
My blood went from an aggravated simmer to boiling within in the blink of an eye. I moved as stealthily as possible, wanting to get as close to him as I could before making myself known.
I watched Kaeli slowly hold the bag out to him, then him snatching it out of her hands. He dropped it to the ground, instantly searching its contents. I took the opportunity to advance further.
The guy must’ve liked what he found, because he laughed and zipped it back up before standing again. “Aaron said you were a hot piece of ass,” the guy drooled.
I froze, my eyes instantly narrowing at hearing Aaron’s name. He set this up?
Kaeli’s head jerked back a bit in surprise and she blinked. Obviously she had the same thought as me.
“He also said I had to kill you.”
Yep. Last straw. I was going to kill him. Then I was going to find Aaron, and I was going to kill him. But not before torturing the fucker.
The fucking scumbag started to stalk confidently towards Kaeli, an evil grin plastered to his face.
“What?” Kaeli said, panic flaring in her eyes.
My brain hurried to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. If Aaron wanted Kaeli dead, then he was obviously trying to cover his tracks, which meant he didn’t want Ken to know he was behind it.
“Sorry,” the guy said, not sounding very sorry at all.
I decided now was a good time to move in. Taking aim, I moved out of the shadows, not surprised when Kaeli’s gaze jumped towards me. I expected the thug to turn to see what had caught her attention, but he grabbed Kaeli and forced her in front of him, holding the knife to her throat instead. Fuck.
“Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill her!”
Motherfucker!
Okay. Think. Quick!
I sneered at him, my gun still aimed at his head. “If you think I’m here for the girl, you’re stupider than I thought.”
The guy moved uneasily behind her. I could feel his nervousness in the air.
I moved closer. “Whose money do you think it is?”
The guy fidgeted again, but then he tensed, a resolve of some sort coming into his eyes. Not good.
“It’s mine now!” he yelled. “Turn around and walk away, and I might let her live.”
The knife strained against her throat. I looked at Kaeli, trying to gauge how she was holding up, but she was looking over my head, up at the grimy windows of the house behind me. I saw the knife cut into her flesh as he tightened his hold on her again. A tiny trickle of blood ran down her neck. Kaeli closed her eyes.
Game over. I checked my aim, and fired.
The guy dropped to the ground, the bullet hitting him right in the middle of his forehead. Kaeli fell to the ground with him, scrambling on her knees to get away from the dirty fucker. I wanted to go to her, but I had to get rid of Davo first.
“Davo, take the bag and get it back to the house. Text TJ and tell him what happened, and tell him I’ll make the delivery to Ken when it’s set.”
Davo just nodded, picked the bag up, and disappeared back into the shadows.
I went straight to Kaeli, helping her to her feet. “Are you alright?” I asked, frantic.
She looked up at me, her blue eyes wide. “You shot him.”
I sighed. I knew it was coming. I
was actually surprised it took killing someone for her to see the horror in me. “Kaeli, he was going to slit your throat.”
“I know! I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t have, I just can’t…you saved me,” she said, throwing her arms around my neck.
Fuck me! She was happy?! Man, I couldn’t work her out. I gave her a quick hug, wishing I could hold her longer. “Kaeli, we have to get out of here. The police are probably on their way.”
She nodded in understanding and we ran.
Chapter 41
Kaeli
My brain was blank. I was seriously spacing out.
Dead. The guy was dead. And Mitch had shot him. Dead.
Did I mention how the guy was dead?
I ran beside Mitch, his hand clamped tightly around mine like I was going to fall down at any moment. I wanted to say the chances of that happening were non-existent, but I was probably a lot closer to it becoming a reality than I knew.
I could still feel the point of the knife at my throat. I could still feel the shadow of the panic that had filled me. I could still hear the echo of the gunshot that had pierced the air.
“Not far now,” Mitch said soothingly in my ear.
Mitch was a cop. Wasn’t he? He was allowed to kill that guy because he was about to kill me. Right?
I trembled.
He must’ve been absolutely certain he had a clean shot. Right? He wouldn’t have taken it if he wasn’t. Would he?
The trembling continued.
I was so confused. I just couldn’t seem to get my thoughts straight. Did that really just happen? Maybe it was just a dream…
No. A nightmare.
We stopped running and Mitch opened a door that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He led me through it and closed it again behind us.
I blinked. We seemed to be standing in a kitchen. A short, stocky guy with dirty blonde hair stood across from us. I knew I’d seen him before, but for the life of me I couldn’t recall his name.
“You call TJ?” Mitch asked him.
He nodded. “Yeah, he’s on his way.” His gaze flashed to me and he cocked his head to the side. “She okay?”
Mitch sighed. “I think she’s in shock. I’m going to take her upstairs.”
The guy nodded and Mitch sent us moving again.
When we made it upstairs, he took me into the bathroom and closed the door. Before I could ask what we were doing – if I could ever figure out how get my tongue to work, he lifted me up to sit me on the bench beside the sink.
I watched him take a wash cloth from the shelf and run it under some warm water before ringing it out again. Then he started washing me. He started with my face and neck, then my hair, wiping sections at a time. Each time he rinsed the cloth under the tap, pink water swirled around the bowl. I wondered what it was.
When he was satisfied with my appearance, he led me from the bathroom and into a bedroom. A familiar voice deep inside my head told me it was Mitch’s room, but I couldn’t seem to put it all together.
“Put your arms up,” he said softly.
I obeyed.
Mitch grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it up over my head. For some reason it didn’t bother me to be standing in front of him in just my jeans and bra. Oh well.
I blinked when he grabbed his own shirt and shucked it off, but then he was pulling it down over my head, covering me back up. Before he pulled it over my hips, he unbuttoned my jeans and lowered the zipper. I stood still as he worked them down each of my legs, encouraging me to lean on him as he lifted each foot to remove my shoes and jeans completely.
When he was done, he gently pushed me backwards towards the bed and guided me to sit on the edge. Satisfied I wasn’t going to topple over, he strode over to the table and poured a splash of amber liquid into a glass before bringing it back over to me and placing it in my hands.
“Drink it,” he said.
I didn’t argue. I just threw it back and felt it burn down my throat.
Mitch sank down to squat in front of me, his thumbs rubbing circles on my bare thighs. It felt nice.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that for, but it seemed like a while before I finally started to feel myself coming back to the land of the living.
Inhaling deeply, I drew it down, deep into my lungs, before letting it back out again, slowly. “I’m glad you can shoot straight,” I said.
A wide grin broke out on Mitch’s face. All the tension I hadn’t noticed he’d been holding onto immediately left him. “Best there is,” he said.
Without another thought, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, lowering myself onto my knees between his legs. I held him as close to me as I could, and after a few heartbeats, his arms came around me and he held me back.
That was my green light, and I didn’t hesitate. I knew what I needed and I was going to do my best to get it. Pulling back a little, I turned my head and pressed my lips to his.
Mitch’s whole body stilled. I knew I’d caught him by surprise. I just hoped he didn’t stop me.
Slowly, I moved my hands over his shoulders, sliding one to cup the back of his neck, and the other to the side of his neck so I could stroke my thumb over the stubble on his jaw. At the same time, I licked that lip ring I was beginning to love so much.
His response was instantaneous. His hands tightened around me, pulling me even closer, if that was possible, and his mouth opened to accept my inquisitive tongue. When his tongue joined mine in the game of exploration, my body erupted in sensation, and we were suddenly in a free for all. Neither of us could seem to get enough of the other.
Mitch’s hands moved greedily, sliding under the shirt I was wearing to glide over the bare skin of my stomach, then around to the small of my back, stroking down over my ass to the backs of my thighs, before making the trek back up again and around to cup by breasts.
I moaned when he gave each of my nipples a little squeeze through my bra. “Oh, god,” I breathed. “Mitch...”
Mitch’s whole body went still, his hands still cupping my breasts. I stilled with him, wondering what was wrong. Was someone coming?
I pulled back so I could read his face, but his eyes were closed. I listened out for sound beyond the closed bedroom door, but heard nothing. I was just about to ask him what happened, but before I could open my mouth, his hands disappeared and he was pushing himself back to stand up.
I blinked with confusion, sitting back on my heels. What did I do? I thought back to what I was doing when he froze. All I’d done is groan out his na-
Oh shit.
It took all of three seconds for my mind to flash back to the last couple of times we’d made out and he’d stopped it. The same thing had happened those times too.
I’d moaned his name and he’d stopped.
God damn it. Why hadn’t I thought of that already? If he was a cop, of course he wouldn’t be using his real name.
His name wasn’t Mitch.
Chapter 42
Noah
It was torture. Plain and simple. To have her so close but not be able to have her was a pain I’d never experienced before. It cut me deep.
Pacing the room, I tried to gather my thoughts and direct them towards the big goal.
It didn’t work.
All I could think about was the feel of her under my hands. The taste of her on my tongue. The sound of her breath in my ears. It was maddening.
I knew I was probably confusing the fuck out of her, and that just gave me another shot of guilt to add to all the rest. Fuck my life.
I turned back to face her, expecting to see hurt and confusion in her expression, but the look on her face was neither of those things. Instead, it was apologetic and sympathetic.
Caught off guard, I blanched. I didn’t understand.
“Kaeli-” I started.
A pounding on the door stopped me. “Mitch! We need to talk!”
Shit. TJ.
Kaeli’s eyes widened, then one second later, she ri
pped the shirt she was wearing over her head, dumping it unceremoniously on the floor. I froze. What the hell was she doing?
“Mitch?!” TJ yelled again.
Fuck. “Ah…yeah…hang on…”
Kaeli scrambled – in her bra and panties – onto my bed, climbing under the covers. It wasn’t until she started unhooking her bra that I finally got on the same page.
Acting fast, I stripped down to my boxers and threw my jeans on the floor with the rest of the discarded clothing. Kaeli threw her bra on the floor and curled up under the blankets in a protective ball.
With one quick look back at her, I opened the door, allowing enough of an opening for TJ to see her. I hated it, but it was necessary. “Hey, man. What’s up?”
He gazed past me to where Kaeli was huddled in my bed and exhaled heavily. “We’re on lockdown. The alleys are crawling with cops.”
I ran my hand over my hair and went for an irritated look. “I’d say I was sorry, but that arrogant fucker pissed me the fuck off.”
TJ shook his head. “No, it’s all good. I’m glad you took the fucker out. You know if he was working for anyone?”
I blew out an exasperated breath. “It was definitely a job. I heard him talking to her before I showed myself. He said he was told she was a hot piece of ass, and that he had to cover his tracks and kill her.”
I didn’t need to pretend to be pissed off. Just remembering it was Aaron behind it all, and the way that piece of shit had looked at her had me seeing red.
I watched TJ’s eyes narrow. “A connection to Ken?” he asked.
I didn’t want to lead TJ to Aaron too much, but he wasn’t stupid. There had to be some truth in there or he’d see through it. “Not Ken, I don’t think. Maybe his son though. He’s made some connections over the last couple of months and could’ve mentioned the girl’s involvement when he was wasted or something…”
TJ nodded. I could see the wheels turning inside his head. “Yeah, I could see that.”