Broken Rules: Book 3 in The Broken Road Series

by Huie,Melissa

  I threw my weight behind the last punch, making the heavy bag swing wildly from the impact. Sweat poured down my face and back as I grabbed the bag to hold it steady. My forehead dropped to the bag and I closed my eyes, gulping in air. I was drained, emotionally and physically. The running around, chasing every lead all over the fucking country, was wearing me down. I’d been living out of my suitcase for the last nine months. First in Europe, working a blackmail and security fraud case. Then the Cruz Cartel burst wide open, and all hell broke loose. I went straight from London to Miami, re-establishing my contacts and informants. Flying between Miami, Las Vegas, and New York, tracking down the Cartel had been hell on my body—on my life. I’d been in town for a couple of days, the first good stretch of time since I left back in February. I didn’t have a home of my own, so I’d been staying with Cole mostly, but occasionally Megan and Shane, or my parents. I drained my water and went back up the stairs to Sketch’s office. He was just hanging up the phone when I walked in.

  “Hey, your dude never showed,” I said, lingering in his doorway.

  “Yeah, it’s cool. He just called. Something came up, so we’ll figure out something.”

  I nodded, then my gaze caught on a framed picture on his desk. “Hey, is that your mom and niece? I haven’t seen her in forever. I bet she’s huge now.”

  Sketch’s eyes brightened at the thought of his precious niece. “Yeah, she’s getting so big. She’s crawling and getting into so much shit now. Murray loves her, don’t ya boy,” he said, rubbing the monstrous head of his buddy.

  “Good. I’m glad to hear that. How’s your sister? Is she getting the help she needs?” I didn’t know much, but from the bits I’d heard from Sketch, his sister had fallen in with the wrong crowd.

  Sketch rubbed his massive hands over his face, exhausted. “We haven’t seen much of her since Mom applied for emergency custody, until Bree’s dad could come back from his mission.”

  “Argh, that sucks. Did she do her time?”

  He scoffed. “Nope. I don’t know how she did it, but she’s out on probation. The women’s prison was full or something, but whatever. Either way, she’s back on the streets. She’s asked to see her when she’s been lucid enough, but half the time she doesn’t show up. Ready to go?” I followed him down the stairs, into the front lobby area.

  “I’ll be right out.” Since I had cooled down from my workout, I needed my hoodie. I used the restroom, washed my hands, and grabbed my hoodie and keys. I figured I’d roll out to Megan and Shane’s and grab my stuff, then head to Cole’s. The newlyweds deserved a night to themselves, without their family listening to every bed creak. Plus, I hadn’t given my brother enough hell yet. And who knew when I’d get the chance again.

  Unfortunately, the chance to harass my brother had to wait. Just as I was about to throw the Jeep into reverse, my phone chirped an incoming message.

  Got an update. Call me.

  Shit. When my partner, Rick Simms, said to call him, I called.

  “You beckoned?” I asked when he picked up the phone.

  “Yeah. Your informant in Vegas called in. Word on the street is that there’s a new Cruz player looking to make a name for himself. A couple hookers were found dead in Old Town Vegas.”

  “Okay…What’s your point? Hooking is the oldest profession out there, and Vegas is the freaking capital for it.”

  “Because one of the hookers had the card for Yankee’s, and Reggie’s number in her phone.” Ah, good ol’ Yankees, the club formally owned by Tomas Cruz, the CEO of Cruz, Inc. A legit and legal entity of the Cartel’s many business ventures. The club was just a front, laundering money, and selling drugs and sex to those who could afford the Cartel’s high prices. Feds raided the place three months ago, and uncovered a whole treasure trove of goodies, like kilos of cocaine and heroin, and cases of guns. The building was abandoned, and the place went up for auction three weeks ago.

  “Wait—hold up. Reggie’s been dead for over a year now. Maybe it’s old info?” Reggie Cruz was one of the bastards that tried to kill Megan at Deep Creek Lake last year, and he died by her hand.

  “Kate, her roommate said that that phone was brand new. And we checked the line. It’s never been shut off.” Rick’s deep voice, thick with exhaustion, came through. I’d heard what he wasn’t saying, loud and clear.

  “I guess we’re going to Vegas.” I sighed, and threw my Jeep into reverse.

  Chapter 2

  Kate

  A week later. ...

  VEGAS WAS A BUST. The dead hooker’s roommate had no further information on the Yankee strip club connection, but forensics was able to trace Reggie’s cell phone number to a motel outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. We moved in, but got there too late. We found a destroyed cell phone, along with another dead woman, with no I. D. We ran her fingerprints and picture through our facial recognition software, but so far, there had been no hits. We left Vegas feeling dejected, with nothing but more pieces to a freaking jigsaw puzzle.

  I gripped my pink and black polka dot carry-on, and wheeled it through the jetway, eager to get my space. My five foot, five-inch frame could fit into most spaces pretty comfortably; however, even I had issues being in the middle seat, next to two three-hundred pound, unwashed gorillas. Despite what the TV shows always portrayed, there were no private planes for this chick. Hell, the only time I got to ride on those luxury birds was when I flew with one of the big men in charge. I heaved a sigh of relief when I exited Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and headed toward the long-term parking. There was nothing more I wanted to do than to take a shower, eat some dinner, and sleep for a week. Megan and Shane’s wedding was the first day I’d had off in over ten months, and my brain was fried. Not to mention, my body was dragging with each step.

  I hefted my bag into the back of the Jeep, texted my brother that I was on my way, and started the fifteen-minute drive to his place. Truly, I picked the house of least resistance, as the trek to my parents’ house was only ten minutes longer. Being clucked over by my mom would’ve been amazing, but I knew she started her shift at the diner before the crack of dawn. And while it was not officially my bedroom, most of my clothes and personal crap were at Cole’s. I second-guessed the decision the minute I drove down Holiday Street. The street was lined up and down with random vehicles, and my spot in the driveway was taken by a jacked up black Chevy truck. I groaned and slammed my hand into the wheel. Are you fucking kidding me?

  I pulled in behind Cole’s blue truck, and wrestled with the exhaustion threatening to overtake me. Hopefully, the jokers would roll out soon so I could get some sleep. I got out, slamming the door harder than necessary, and grabbed my bags. Easing the door open, my eyes widened at the scene. Every available seat in the small living room was taken up by big guys, glued to the Ravens-Steelers Thursday night game on the 60” TV above the mantel. The shouts were so loud, that my entrance into the house went unnoticed, until Jax, Cole’s brown brindle Pitbull, barked his welcome.

  “Hey, sis,” Cole called from his spot on the brown leather recliner, his eyes returning to the game. “There’s pizza and beer in the kitchen.”

  I nodded, and dragged my bag down the hall, flicking on the lights as I closed the door behind me. The volume penetrated the thin walls, and I groaned in frustration. I looked longingly at my bed, but the shouts from the living room told me that there was no chance of going to sleep anytime soon, so I headed into the attached bathroom. As the hot water heated, I stared into the mirror, horrified at what I saw. The bags under my eyes, and unusually pale skin tone showed the stress I’d been under. The damn case had been my life for so fucking long, it was all knew anymore.

  Something needed to change. The case needed to come to a close before I fucking cracked.

  I stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash away the airplane funk, the travel dust, and some of the tension from my shoulders. After twenty minutes, and using up all the hot water, I finally emerged from the steam-filled room. I q
uickly got dressed in a pair of yoga pants, sports bra, and my favorite gray hoodie, to beat the chill in the air. I was detangling my chestnut locks when the door knob started to rattle.

  “What?” I called, but no one responded. Probably some poor slob looking for the bathroom. But the door knob rattled again. “You’ve got to be joking,” I muttered, and stormed across the room, flinging open the door.

  “Hey, girl. You’re missing the party.” Bleary-eyed and drooling, the man was a mess. Not only because he was wearing a Steeler’s jersey with pizza sauce and nacho cheese stains on his beer gut, but just in general. The loser’s words slurred with every syllable as he leaned against the doorframe for support.

  “Yeah, no thanks.” I put my hands on his chest, intending to push him back gently, when he grabbed my left wrist and pulled me into a wet, sloppy kiss. Oh, fuck this. With my free hand, I landed a swift, hard punch to his groin. He immediately released my left hand, and that was all I needed to turn around and kick him in his kidneys, causing him to shriek in agony. Our commotion finally broke through the sounds of the game, and Cole and Sketch came running down the hall.

  “Pat, what the hell did you do?” Sketch pulled up the drunk man. Cole touched my elbow, making sure I was okay. I pushed him away, annoyed that I even had to deal with the asshole in the first place.

  “That fucking bitch! I’m gonna stomp the shit out of her,” he grumbled.

  Sketch threw the guy against the wall. “You’re fucking lucky you’re my cousin, bro, because I’d stomp your ass for even trying to step up to her. Now get the fuck out.” He tossed his cousin down in disgust, then turned to me. “Sorry about that, Tink.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Whatever.” I walked through the living room and into the kitchen, pushing through the crowd to get to the fridge. I reached in and grabbed the last remaining bottle of Fat Tire, then searched the littered countertop for an opener amongst the half-empty beer bottles, plates of pizza, chip crumbs…Everything but the frigging opener. Then someone put a plastic green bottle opener in my hand.

  “Thanks…” I started to say, then froze. The letters spelling out Miami, Florida were faded from use, but I recognized the tacky souvenir anywhere. It came from a night of playing tourist, and ended with the best sex of my life. I sucked in a breath and turned around.

  “Noah,” I breathed, flicking the top of my bottle. Dressed in a black zippered sweatshirt, dark jeans and boots, I almost didn’t recognize him. His Ominous ball cap was pulled down low over his dark, chocolate brown eyes, but that smirk—oh my Lord, that smirk. It was my undoing. I tipped my beer to my lips, waiting for him to say something…anything.

  “Hey, Kate. It’s good to see you again.” Ah hell, that voice. My insides quaked as his gaze ran over my body like a hot iron, searing me with heat. Act cool, Kate.

  “You, too. Mind telling me what you’re doing in my house?” I asked, like it was no big deal that my walking sex dream was in my kitchen, talking to me.

  “Sketch is an old friend of mine.”

  “Really? Funny, he’s never mentioned you before,” I stated, taking another swig.

  “Yeah, well, he’s never mentioned you, either.” The fire in his gaze was contagious. The conversation was throwing me off-balance, and I needed to reassess the situation.

  “What brings you up north?”

  “Family. My folks live out near Chesapeake Beach,” he said with a drawl. He took a swig of his beer, holding my gaze the entire time. The knowledge of how close he’d been to me the whole time didn’t help the flush in my face. I raised my eyebrows at the revelation.

  Live, as in present tense. As in, currently living only thirty minutes away? I’m so screwed.

  “Great. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime,” I said with a smirk of my own. He opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a roar of cheers. I used the distraction to slip away, and hurried to my room. It’s not like he doesn’t know where you went, you moron! I groaned to myself in frustration as I shut my door. I could fight off drunk guys. I could shoot at people and not flinch. I could run a mile in under nine minutes. I kicked ass and took names. So why the hell am I losing my cool around him? Not sure what had changed, I wasn’t liking the way the butterflies were making a mess out of my stomach. Everything that happened in Miami was just casual, because it wasn’t real. It was an act. If it was such an act, why is he having such an effect on me?

  “Kate.” Without knocking, or asking to come in, Noah walked into my room and shut my door. I stood there, stupid and tongue-tied, then internally shook the cobwebs from my head and walked toward the door to lead him back out.

  “Noah, look, it’s great seeing you, really. But do you mind if we catch up another time? I’m beat. I’ve been away…” I didn’t make it far when he grabbed my arm and pulled me into him.

  “I know you’ve been away. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?” he whispered, walking me backward, until my back was against the wall. My breath hitched as he pressed into me, his arousal nudging my belly. “When you left me in Miami, I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He rested his arm above my head and leaned in, tracing my jawline with his nose, inhaling me. My jaw clenched to prevent a moan, a whimper…hell, any sound from escaping. “Imagine my surprise when I see your picture on the wall at Sketch’s gym. I got hard instantly, just remembering that night, having my thick cock inside that tight pussy.”

  I couldn’t help it. My lips parted, and a breathy sigh escaped. His large hand cupped my face as he buried his face in my neck. The feel of his breath sent electric shocks right down to my core.

  “You’re remembering that too, aren’t you? Remembering how I feel. How I taste.” All those memories flooded back, and my panties were drenched. Everything else went away. All that was left was Noah, and how he was making me feel. Dimly, I heard his name shouted.

  “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come home, Kate. So I’ll definitely be seeing you around.” And with a smirk, he turned and left. My body screamed for him to return, and my heart pounded.

  “Argh!” I groaned in frustration. He can NOT be here right now. I slammed the door behind him and stomped over to my bed, ripping off the blankets. Echoes from the game filtered through the walls. I sat on my bed, fuming. My body’s response to Noah was not what I needed.

  My time with him in Florida was an escape. I could be a different person, and more carefree. When I was with him, the Cartel issues slowly faded into the back of my mind. No one questioning why I went out at all hours of the night, or why my appearance changed suddenly. And more importantly, no one got hurt. After seeing the turmoil and heartache that Megan and Shane had gone through because of the Cartel, and seeing how quickly their relationship changed because of Shane’s lies and Meg’s worries, I couldn’t do that to someone I loved. I didn’t want someone worried so much for my safety that they’d risk their own just to save me. I wouldn’t have that hanging over my head.

  With Noah, there were no strings, and no relationship drama. We knew where we stood. Sex, pure and simple. Really good sex. Mind-blowing, toe curling, multiple orgasm sex. Desire ached low in my belly, and I rubbed my legs together to quell the ache, but that only increased the need.

  Oh, to hell with it. I pulled open the nightstand drawer and reached for my blue battery operated friend, the only thing that had been able to relieve any sort of sexual frustration. Flicking the knob, the familiar, pulsating hum of my high-powered toy sent shivers down my spine with anticipation. My eyes closed on their own, and it was like I could feel Noah with me. His rough, callused hands gripping my thighs. His magic tongue, slipping inside me. My insides trembled as I rubbed the vibrating tip onto my sensitive nub. A groan escaped before I realized what was happening, and my pressure increased. The orgasm built quickly, as the toy escalated me to the top…

  And then, nothing.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I growled, frantically flipping the switch on and off. Nothing. Mental head
smack. I completely forgot to charge my flipping vibrator. Argh! I dug through the box of toys hidden in the nightstand drawer. Sadly, yes, I had a box of goodies. What other sexually frustrated single woman doesn’t? All dead. I threw myself back onto the bed in disgust.

  This is all Noah’s fault. Granted, I had been using my toys whilst thinking about him, so I guess it wasn’t technically his fault. But the fact that he got me all worked up by doing something as simple as just looking at me? Well, that was his fault, dammit. I thought, after leaving Florida, I’d get him out of my system. I craved separation in my life, keeping my job and FBI political bullshit isolated from my personal life. But damn, if they weren’t swirling around together. Just one touch, one freaking whiff of that leather, citrus and soap scented man, and I was done.

  If it only took five minutes for me to become a mumbling, horny school girl, then how the hell was I supposed to cope if he was there all the time?

  I’m so screwed.

  Chapter 3

  Noah

  L WALKED OUT of her bedroom, even as my hardened cock screamed at me to go back, to finally claim the woman that I had been looking for. Keep it together, man. I caught Cole’s evil eye as I walked toward him. Hell, I couldn’t fault the man. If my sister looked half as good as Kate did, I’d knock a joker out. But being on the other side of the coin, I knew I had to play it cool. I couldn’t flaunt the fact that I knew his sister in the most carnal of ways. I wanted to be able to continue to get to know her.

  “Noah.” His tone was one of warning, a tone I’d heard before. I reached out my hand, and his own gripped mine in warning. “That’s my sister. Don’t fuck with her. You’re like a brother to me, dude, but I won’t hesitate to drop your ass where you stand.”