Below the Surface (The Witness Series Book 5)

by Heather D'Agostino

  “You’re beautiful,” the awe in his voice brought tears to my eyes once again but I pushed them down as I sauntered toward the bed. I paused right beside me and closed my eyes, forcing myself to gain back some of the control I’d just had.

  “Put your hands over your head,” I pointed toward the headboard. Jeff snickered as he raised his hands and placed them above his head. “If you move them, I’ll stop,” I warned as I climbed up beside him.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t know that piece of string you call underwear was under there or I’d have made you miss the party,” he growled as I climbed on my hands and knees to kneel beside him.

  “Surprise,” I murmured as I leaned forward and placed an open mouth kiss to his chest. He groaned as I moved in a trail, going lower with each kiss. My hands skimmed up and down his side and I could feel the muscles jumping and twitching with each caress.

  “You’re killing me, Lena,” he grumbled when I reached my destination. “I don’t want to come in your mouth. I want to come inside you.”

  “You will,” I teased when I sank down on him. I swirled my tongue around as I bobbed a few times, but then he broke the rules. His fingers weaved in my hair as he released a moan and I stopped. “Above your head,” I narrowed my eyes on him as I pointed toward the wall.

  I shoved at the thong as I climbed up to straddle him. My entire body was shaking with nerves as I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mouth. He moaned and pushed my tongue in to tangle with his as I worked up the courage to tell him what I wanted.

  “There’s a condom in my wallet,” he mumbled against my lips when I broke the kiss. “I’m gonna lose it if you make me wait longer.

  “Did you really mean what you said earlier?” I whispered as I looked away from him. “About trusting me?”

  “With all my heart. What’s wrong?” he started to move his hands, but thought better of it and left them where I’d asked. “I can get the condom. Is that it?”

  “No,” I shook my head, still averting my eyes.

  “Look at me, Lena,” he commanded. When I let my gaze drift back to his, he begged. “Tell me what it is? You can tell me anything.”

  “I got tested,” I forced the words out. “I got my result last week. I’m clean,” I mumbled.

  “Ok,” he dragged the word out like he was confused, but then I saw the pieces slowly click together. “Wait, you mean you don’t wanna use one?”

  “Never mind,” I started to get up, and that’s when he did move his hands. He lifted his arms so they wrapped around my neck as he pulled me down to him.

  “I love you so much,” he kissed me before he pulled back to stare into my eyes. “I fucking love you more than you could ever understand. I’m clean,” he blurted out.

  “I love you too,” I sniffed as I leaned in next to his ear. “Don’t worry about babies. I’m on the shot,” I murmured before I sunk down on him. Both of us groaned in unison before he moved his hands back above his head and gave control back to me.

  We made love multiple times that night, and each time I gained pieces of me back. Jeff was building me up into the woman I was meant to be. He saw me as person; he saw below the surface and that was a gift I could never repay.

  Epilogue

  1 month later…

  Jeff

  Moving day held more significance than one would think. In addition to Lena moving into my place, I was also moving into my new office. Dev and Jase had rented a set of offices in one of the buildings right down the street from The Rusty Nail. It worked out great since all of our women were employed there. We could spend our days in the office, and then head to the bar at night. It was a win/ win for us. For Mark, not so much. I’d talked with our captain about who would replace me in the partnership role, but it didn’t seem to matter. My position had been filled by someone already, and in a few days, he would be taking over my desk. Mark didn’t seem too unhappy, but time would tell.

  When Lena moved into my place, we left all the furniture behind for Megan. I’d paid the rent for the year, and now Megan could concentrate on saving her money since she wouldn’t have to worry about extra expenses. Other than food and such, she was taken care of. I didn’t mind helping, and it left Lena with nothing to worry about. She struggled with the idea at first, and I understood it. I was taking care of her, like Leo had told her he would. Only I actually did it. I think she thought that I was playing her in a way, but over the last week she seemed to finally be accepting it. Today, she was working a dinner shift at the bar, and I was planning to meet the guys. We were going to discuss a client that Dev had already booked and the possibility of hiring someone to run the books.

  Dev and Jase were already seated at a table in the back when I got to the bar. I waved at the girls before making my way through the crowd. When I reached the table, I noticed Mark slumped into the corner.

  “You change your mind?” I cocked a brow as I sat down.

  He sighed as he sat up, “No, I got an idea to run by you, though.”

  “He says he knows someone that we could ask to do the books and run the office stuff,” Dev leaned over the table and crossed his elbows.

  “I was talking to Amber the other night. She’d been out with Danielle on some shopping trip. I guess she’d heard me talking to one of you guys and inferred that you needed to hire a ‘secretary’,” Mark rolled his eyes as he made finger quotes. “I told her it was more than a secretary, that you guys were looking for someone to do the books, an accountant type person. She suggested Jen Stone, Mason’s sister,” his head tipped to where Mason was leaning against the door checking IDs. “I don’t know much about her. She’s a student still, but Mase could probably tell ya. I heard she doesn’t get out much. Amber says she keeps to herself, but she’s really good with numbers. Just an idea,” he shrugged as he leaned back and grabbed his beer.

  “I’ll look into it,” Dev nodded.

  “So, who’s this new client that we’re discussing?” I reached for the pitcher they had in the middle of the table and poured myself a drink.

  “You know that little jewelry store on the corner of Fifth?” Jase turned in his seat.

  “The one that sells wholesale diamonds?” I sipped my beer.

  “They want someone to ride along for their nightly deposits,” Jase finished his beer and shrugged. “I figure it’s a start.”

  “So what? We just ride with them to the bank?” I frowned in confusion.

  “Yep, and escort them inside. It’s an easy gig, but you need to renew your concealed carry permit. Without a badge, we’re not going to have the same access that we’re used to,” Dev clarified.

  “You sure you don’t want in on this?” I looked over at Mark and studied his scowl. I couldn’t understand why he was sticking around.

  “I’m just not ready to give it up. You know this has been my life since the academy. I’ve been doing this since I met the age requirement. Things have finally ironed out with Amber lately,” he lifted his hands in front of him before letting them fall to the table. “Trust me, if I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know,” he stared at me.

  “Fine,” I sighed. “I won’t mention it again. Now, when do you get to meet this new partner?”

  “His name is Tony, and I left a note on his new desk letting him know we all hang out here, and he’s welcome to join,” Mark rolled his eyes.

  “Let me get this straight,” Jase glared at Mark. “You invited some rookie cop to come join our group for drinks? What if he’s some greenhorn that’s not even legal yet?”

  “He’s got two years under his belt. He’s legal,” Mark growled. “Why the fuck do you guys always treat me like the stepchild in the group? Am I not cool enough or something?”

  “Or something,” Dev chuckled.

  “Whoa,” Jase gasped right at that moment, causing me to glance up. A leggy brunette wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a white blouse was weaving her way through the crowd. Her breasts were barely contained behind the cotto
n, and her feet were covered in a pair of high heeled knee boots. Her eyes searched the room and when she saw us, she smiled. I wasn’t sure what to make of the entire exchange.

  “Hi,” she offered a small wave to our group as she stopped by the table. “Which one of you is Mark Colby?” she shifted on her feet, causing her hips sway. My eyes swung to where Mark was blinking up at her and shifting in his seat.

  “This douche is Mark. What do you want with him?” Jase snickered.

  “I’m Antonia Rossi, thanks for the invite,” she held out her hand to Mark and I waited to see what exactly he’d do.

  “You’re Toni?” he sat up straighter, “But you’re a girl.”

  “I like to consider myself a woman, and I’m just as capable of carrying a gun as you,” she smirked. “I’m going to get myself a drink,” she motioned toward the bar with her finger before turning to make her way back through the crowd.

  It didn’t go unnoticed that Mark stared at her ass the entire time. “I am so fucked right now,” he groaned as he adjusted himself under the table, causing the rest of us to break out in laughter. “Amber is never going to go for this one.”

  The End

  Coming Soon

  Crash and Burn- Mark’s story

  Below the Surface Playlist

  Wanna know what was playing in the background while I was writing this? Here’s your answer.

  The Man Who Never Lied- Maroon 5

  Hear Me Out- Frou Frou

  I Know What You Did Last Summer- Shawn Mendes

  Love the Way You Lie (Part 2)- Rihanna and Emenim

  Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri

  Walk Through Fire- Zayde

  Into You- Ariana Grande

  Let Me Love You- DJ Snake

  Cold Water- Major Lazer

  Heathens- Twenty One Pilots

  Cold- Crossfade

  Scars to Your Beautiful- Alessia Cara

  Uncover- Zara Larsson

  Warrior- Demi Lovato

  This Town- Niall Horan

  Hold On- Extreme Music

  Yeah Boy- Kelsea Ballerini

  Better Days- The Goo Goo Dolls

  In the Name of Love- Martin Garrix

  Look After You- The Fray

  Other Works by H. D’Agostino

  The Second Chances Series

  Unbreak Me- book 1

  The Boy Next Door- book 2

  The One that Got Away- book 3

  Inside Out- A Second Chances Novella- book 3.5

  Fallen From Grace- book 4

  The Family Next Door- book 5

  The Shattered Series

  Destined (Shattered 0.5)

  Shattered (Shattered #1)

  Restored (Shattered #2)

  Renewed (Shattered #3)

  Fated (Shattered #4)

  The Broken Series

  Irreparably Broken (Broken #1)

  Saving Us (Broken #2)

  My Broken Angel (Broken #3)

  Broken Pieces (Broken #4)

  The Cook Brothers Series

  Walking Among the Cherry Trees

  Beyond the Cherry Trees

  Before the Cherry Trees (Coming Soon)

  The Witness Series

  Being Nobody- book 1 in The Witness Series

  Becoming Somebody- book 2 in The Witness Series

  Promise Me Tomorrow- book 3 in The Witness Series

  Say You Remember- book 4 in The Witness Series

  Crash and Burn- book 6 in The Witness Series (coming soon)

  The Sutter Family

  Catching Raindrops (The Sutter Family #1)

  Trusting You (The Sutter Family #2)- coming soon

  Standalones

  Privileged

  Beautiful Goodbye

  Acknowledgements

  Where do I start? When I started this journey almost 4 years ago, I never thought I’d be here. I’d hoped to sell a few books, and maybe have someone like them enough to tell me about it. I look at myself now, and think…wow. I’ve made some of the best friends a person could have over that time, and I honestly don’t know how I got by without them.

  Thank you to the best beta team a writer could ask for. Angie, Melinda, Tabitha, and Heather… You guys are some of the best women I know. You’re honest and not afraid to tell me when something is total crap. I can’t put into words how good it feels to talk to someone who understands my madness, and can help me let the voices be heard. The late-night PMs, the cliff hangers, the frustration that I force upon you… you roll right along with it and come back for more.

  Thank you, Eric, for helping bring Jeff to life. I knew when I met you last summer at Writers on the River, you’d be perfect for this character. Thank you for going above and beyond what most models do to make sure that I got the perfect picture. I look forward to working with you in the future.

  Thank you to my wonderful editor, Kellie. You are a magician when it comes to turning my manuscript into a book. I know I sometimes redefine ‘creative writing’ with my sentence structure and spelling. I’m proud to call you my editor as well as my friend.

  Thank you, readers, for sticking with The Witness Series. I never intended for it to go on this long. When I first wrote Being Nobody, I planned to give Dev and Jase each a story. I figured it would end there, but you guys asked for more. Each time I finish a book I think, “that’s it. That’s a good place to end the series,” but after each release I get requests for more. So, thank you, thank you for loving these characters as much as I do. Thank you for leaving reviews, and thank you for sharing your love of these books with other readers.

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, The Sutter Family Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series.

  She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics.

  She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

  You can follow her here:

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  Twitter: @hdagostino001

  Website: http://hdagostinobooks.weebly.com

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  Heather’s Hotties: https://www.facebook.com/groups/877863252256341/

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7034328.Heather_D_Agostino

  I love hearing from my readers, so please feel free to reach out.