Savage Love

by Lisa Renee Jones

“Which is what?” Candace asks, swiveling around to face me.

  I catch her hand, meet her stare. “You know what, baby.”

  Her delicate little throat bobs. “You have to watch me die.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Blake assures her.

  I turn her to face me, my hands firmly on her shoulders. “That’s not going to happen.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Savage

  Candace is shaken. I see it in the paleness of her face, hear it in the crack of her voice. And I get it. The man hunting to kill her, just proved what I already knew—he’s an assassin. An unpredictable one who killed a man she almost married. It doesn’t matter that that shit never made sense. It happened. He was alive and close to her and now he’s dead.

  That shit would rattle even a bad person.

  I need to get her to her new apartment where I can give her a level of security, but for now, I hang onto her hand and focus on finding out the facts from Blake. “What else?”

  “The police want to talk to both of you,” he says, handing me a piece of paper. “That’s the detective on the case, but we need to talk about what I told him.”

  I glance at the name which rings no bells and then eye Blake. “What did you tell him?”

  “The truth with some omissions,” he says. “Obviously I couldn’t tell him that you killed Tag or that Tag was involved at all, not without dragging you into the mud. We don’t drag our own into the mud.” It’s a message of brotherhood, one I’ve been slowly learning with Walker, but I’m getting there, really damn fast.

  He glances at Candace. “I’m going to preface everything else I say going forward by asking you to keep in mind that we’re highly respected with law enforcement. We earn that every day and our name goes a long way. You’re stronger with us which is exactly why Savage brought you here.”

  I squeeze her hand. “Only one of the many reasons.” I give her a wink.

  She attempts a smile. “I know,” she whispers and then glances at Blake. “I’m listening.”

  He gives a little nod and continues, “I told the detective that you’ve been afraid for your life and that of your father. I told him that we stepped in to protect you and had intel that Alejandro was a hitman. We were concerned about your safety at the party.”

  “What intel?” she asks.

  “Just say you don’t know,” I say. “I’ll handle it.”

  “I told them we asked around and it wasn’t hard to discover,” Blake replies. “Adrian and Smith gave statements about helping you escape tonight, Candace.” He glances at me. “I told them the same of you but they want to hear it from you.”

  I arch a brow. “Are they sure Alejandro killed Gabriel or are they going to look at me?”

  “Oh no,” Candace says quickly, grabbing my arm. “Please tell me you aren’t going to be blamed.”

  “No,” Blake replies. “Alejandro walked up to Gabriel in the driveway at the mansion and shot him. It’s on film. I’m trying to figure out how he thinks he gets out of this.”

  “This can’t be real,” Candace murmurs. “No hired killer would be that stupid, would he? Has Alejandro lost his mind?”

  “I’m guessing there was a big enough payday and a ride overseas,” I say, “to equal retirement.”

  “Does that mean it’s over?” she asks. “Was Gabriel the real target?”

  “No, baby. Tag doesn’t bluff. If he said Alejandro is coming for you, then he’s coming for you.” I eye Blake. “What did you tell them that tipped Candace off to the threat to her and her father’s lives?”

  “The text message she found threatening her father which I handed over. And,” he adds, “since I’ve been made aware of the complications Pocher represents, we took the audio of him and Gabriel talking about killing Candace and manipulated Pocher’s voice. We’ve handed that over and told the police.”

  “Who did you tell him Gabriel was talking to?”

  “We didn’t,” Blake states. “We simply left that unknown to us and them.”

  “They’re still going to talk to Pocher,” I say. “And Pocher is still going to see us as trouble, all of us, Blake, and he’s not an enemy we need.”

  “I heard you made contact with Kane Mendez,” he says. “I was ATF back in the day. I knew Kane Mendez’s father, who was a piece-of-shit, but I met Kane when he was much younger. He wanted a different life. His mother wanted him to have a different life. I believe he tries, and I believe he’s a peacekeeper in his world in a way that goes underappreciated. If he can help us, I’ll help him.”

  I arch a brow. “How?”

  “Find out what he needs.”

  “No,” I say. “That is not how we’re rolling with that man. He owes me a favor. That’s all he needs to know. We aren’t giving him more. Just back the hell away from all things Pocher when you talk to anyone and everyone.” I change the subject. Kane and I, will do Kane and I. “How did you tell the detective I, and therefore Walker, got involved in all of this?”

  “You and Candace got back in touch when you joined Walker. She was scared. You contacted her. She confessed her fears. We got involved.”

  I turn to Candace. “Are you up to getting this call over with?”

  “I want this call over with, but I feel awkward. I’m not crying. I’ve realized he’s gone which makes me feel like a shitty person. I feel like the detective will expect me to cry and there will be a funeral. His father is in Europe. His father—”

  My hands come down on her shoulders and I turn her to face me. “Easy, baby. You got this and I got you.”

  “The man was trying to kill you,” Blake adds, “and you’re running for your life. They don’t expect you to feel anything but scared. A memorial set up by his estate, at a later date, for your safety, feels appropriate.”

  “He’s right,” I say. “Don’t overthink this. You didn’t kill the man and neither did I. We’re guilty of nothing. I’ll go first,” I offer, snaking my phone from my pocket. “Okay?”

  “Yes,” she says. “I really do want to get this over with.”

  I punch in the number on the card. “Good. I’ll hand you the phone. Listen to what I say and back me up.”

  “Isn’t it really early to call?” she asks.

  “He wanted to talk to you right when you landed,” Blake says. “And it’s better to just let his mind process you and move on.”

  I dial the number and Detective Hines answers quickly. I spend about five minutes talking to him before he asks, “You’re close to this,” he says. “Why turn on the man who hired you?”

  “Killers don’t protect people. They kill people. He was never there to protect them. And frankly, I could give two fucks about that sick fuck Gabriel. We’re better off without him but that asshole Alejandro is coming for Candace. Tell me you have some clue where he’s at?”

  “We’re looking for him but for a man who killed Gabriel without a care for who saw and what the cameras recorded, he’s managed to disappear.”

  My lips thin. “Because he’s not there anymore. He’s probably in a damn car on his way here.”

  “We’ve alerted the locals there who apparently know Walker well. Blake Walker told us you’re handling her security detail.”

  “Hell yeah I am, but here is what I can tell you, Detective. While you look for who hired him, because we both know that’s your focus, he’s looking for Candace. If he finds her, he’s dead. I will kill him, and you can only blame yourself because you let it happen. If he kills her, I’ll kill you.”

  “Are you threatening a police officer?”

  “I sure the fuck am. Do your job.”

  I hand the phone to Candace, who’s staring at me like I’ve grown horns. Blake is also staring at me like I’ve grown horns. “Fuck, Savage,” he growls.

  “Fuck him,” I growl right back. “They let him get away.”

  “Lord help me,” Candace murmurs before sticking the phone to her ear and calmly, but softly details everything Blake to
ld her to say. She then hands the phone back to me. “He wants to talk to you.”

  I take the phone. “Yeah?”

  “Look, man. I get it. You love her. And I get it. Walker is like one of us. Your team is involved with our teams. So I’m just going to speak the truth to you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “From what I saw on the traffic camera, if you see him, you’d better kill him and ask questions later.”

  “Is that professional advice?”

  “It’s personal. And I’ll deny it.” He hangs up.

  “What did he say?” Blake asks.

  I breathe out and slide my phone back into my pocket. “That it takes a killer to kill a killer. I’m taking Candace home and we’re both going to get a few hours of sleep.”

  Blake stares at me for several long beats before he says, “All right. Memphis is behind the wheel of an SUV outside, waiting on you. He’ll keep an eye out while you sleep. And Kara and I will meet you at your place at noon.”

  Memphis being an ex-FBI agent I’ve worked with a few times. I don’t like him or hate him which probably means I like him. I hate pretty fast and hard. “Make it two o’clock,” I say. “And bring lunch.” I catch Candace’s hand and kiss it. “Hang tight while I get us loaded up.”

  She hugs herself and nods. A few minutes later, we’re in the back of an SUV, on the way to our apartment, and Candace is plastered to my side. I’m not sure if I put her there, or she put herself there, but I damn sure feel better with her beside me.

  The closer she is to me right now, the better I’ll feel.

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Candace

  Gabriel is dead.

  I’m a mix of confusing feelings namely guilt because I feel relief that he can no longer come after me or Rick. He would have come after us. He would have killed us. He would have killed my father. It’s a wicked struggle of logic and emotion, that twists and turns inside me.

  And I have plenty of time for such things, too, as the ride into the city is long, the traffic heavy. It’s also silent but for the radio, Memphis—a big, blond country boy from Texas just like us—has country music playing on the radio, which at the moment is Lee Brice’s Rumor. I used to listen to that song and wish Rick would come home, and the whole town would talk. Now, the whole town is hiding or dying which is why I stay plastered to his side. Death has a way of making you hold onto those you love, and that’s what I do. On the ride into the city, I hold onto Rick. I stay close. I just found him again, and I do not want to lose him again. I can’t lose him again.

  Rick’s hand rests on my leg, his fingers lazily caressing me and it’s hard to explain how right that feels. Somehow that gentle touch, the touch of a talented hand that can both give and take life, with the same ease, is a butterfly with wings of hope. In this man, is my future, and I don’t believe we have come this far for it to be stripped away again.

  I catch his hand now, and I bring it to my mouth, kissing it, and when my eyes meet his, I let him see the hope that he gives me, the love that he stirs so very deep in my soul. His expression softens, he softens. I can feel it and see it. No matter how hard he is, how damaged inside, I believe I’m his butterfly, too.

  In that shared moment, the storm inside me begins to calm, the world becomes far more manageable. By the time Memphis pulls us to the front of a brownstone finished high-rise building, I’m eager to see my new home. There’s even a doorman who takes our bags like he would in a hotel. And I allow myself to experience the excitement, and yes hope, that this new chapter of my life with Rick represents.

  Once we’re outside the vehicle in the cool, fifty-something temperatures of fall, Rick and Memphis have a quick chat about surveillance. The bottom line: Walker is watching. That’s the general gist, and it’s comforting but so is the level of monitoring by the building. It’s not long before we walk into a small but fancy lobby, with a desk to our left, and elevators straight beyond the checkpoint. On this side of the desk, is a fit, bald man I age to be in his forties, who wears a suit and an earpiece.

  Rick pauses to greet the man. “Baby, this is Dandy Randy. He’s a dandy dude in his suit, and he even knows kung fu. We’d recruit him for Walker but the dandy dude owns stock in this here building. He’s not going anywhere. He’ll make sure you’re safe and all the bozos stay outside. Right, Randy?”

  “A little stock. Enough to keep me loyal, and I had enough of the bad guys in the Army. You know that, Savage.” His gaze shifts to me, his eyes narrow curiously on me, an awareness there that I don’t quite understand. “As for keeping you safe here in the building,” he adds. “Always.”

  “Good,” Rick approves. “Because she lives here now. And if she says yes, I’m marrying her.”

  His talk of marriage only sets those butterfly wings of hope to fluttering all the faster while Randy’s eyes light on me and his lips curve. “I’m going to dare to say, that means you’re Candace.”

  I glance up at Rick. He grins. “I told him if I ever brought a woman home, her name would be Candace. If I ever married a girl, she’d damn sure be Candace.”

  “Been telling me that every time he drank for three years,” Randy assures me.

  “Damn vodka,” Rick murmurs.

  Damn my heart, is more like it, I think. It swells with just how much this man kept me in his heart. Emotion overwhelms me. “Rick,” I whisper.

  He catches my hand and kisses it. “Let’s go see what you think of the apartment.” He eyes Randy. “Can you—”

  “Bags on their way up now,” Randy says, giving me a nod. “Welcome to the building.”

  “I’m so very glad to be here,” I murmur. “Thank you, Randy.”

  Rick slides his arm around my shoulders, and we walk to the elevator. Once we’re there, and our floor is punched in, Rick pulls me to him, holding me close. His hard body next to mine is all it takes to have hell become heaven and fear become anticipation.

  When the elevator halts, he catches my hand. “Ready?”

  “So very ready.”

  I’m smiling when he leads me down a hallway to pause at our door. He unlocks it but before he opens it, he says, “Remember. We can sell this place and pick something of our own.”

  “Just open the door, Rick. I can’t wait to see this part of your life.” I reach for the door and he captures me from behind to lean in and murmur, “I can’t wait for you to be a part of my life.”

  “You don’t have to wait. I’m already here.” I twist around to face him. “And I’m not going anywhere.” I smile. “Except inside.”

  “I’ll carry you and we’ll go straight to bed.”

  The elevator dings and a big bulky man exits and charges toward us. Is he another killer like Alejandro? I suck in air and reach for the door, eager to be inside the apartment but my hands won’t work. Rick opens the door and I hurry inside. Rick doesn’t follow. Why isn’t Rick following?

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Candace

  I wait a few seconds, willing Rick to appear in the foyer of the apartment but he doesn’t.

  I’m in a hallway and that’s all I know. I’m here. He’s not.

  This time I will not be stupid. I reach for my purse, and my gun, but suddenly he’s walking inside and setting down our suitcases. He kicks the door shut and locks it before he catches my waist and steps into me.

  “What just happened?”

  “I don’t know. What just happened?”

  “Ned, our neighbor rushed by our doorway, and the doorman brought our bags. What did you think happened?”

  “Ned?”

  “Ned,” he confirms. “Our neighbor who was running late to a meeting after staying the night at some chick’s house. He was rushing to change.”

  “Oh.”

  “What did you think happened, baby?”

  “I think I’m seeing assassins everywhere.”

  His expression tightens. “I’m an assassin, Candace. I don’t know if I say that to offer you comfort or i
f that just fucks with your head all the more.”

  I bristle. “You are not—”

  “I was. I was and I am. I killed Tag without a blink. I killed his men with even less of a blink. They were all assassins, paid big money for their skills, and they were dirt under my shoes. Right now, I need you to use that knowledge to feel safe. I will not let anyone, no matter how skilled, hurt you.”

  “I’m fine. It was a weird moment. This is new to me and I—you’re not a damn assassin.” I try to turn away from him, to focus on the apartment, but he catches my hand and pulls me back to him.

  “Do you know why Kane Mendez owes me a favor?”

  I hold up a hand. “I don’t want to know.”

  “You need to know who I am before you tell me you love me again.”

  “Do not start this again. I’m here, in New York. I am not going to listen to you try to scare me off. I can’t even take that. It freaks me out. It makes me feel unsteady. I love you. I said it. I love you, Rick Savage.”

  “Pocher had his woman raped, and she was supposed to be killed, too. She survived, but she was a liability, so Kane flexed his muscle. He made Pocher think that his brother was kidnapped by a rival of the Mendez cartel. Pocher had to go to Kane for help. Kane agreed to help if Lilah was off-limits. I was the rival cartel. I kept Pocher’s brother prisoner and I cut off his damn finger and sent him back to Pocher that way.”

  I’m bristling all over again. “Pocher had her raped and wanted to kill her. Was the brother the same monster as Pocher?”

  “Yes, but—”

  I cut him off. “No but. You don’t kill or hurt good people because damn it, Rick Savage, you’re a good person.” I poke his chest with those words.

  “My God, woman, you must love the hell out of me.”

  “I do. I love the hell out of you. When will you get that through your thick skull?”

  “When will you wake up next to me and wonder what the fuck you were thinking?”

  “I woke up without you for years and wondered what the fuck I was thinking. You know why? Because I thought we were in love and yet you left. And we were in love, and we are in love, and now we’re back together so just shut up and show me the apartment already.” I try to turn away again, but he catches me to him.