by Peyton Banks
His hard glare hit her hard.
Fear spread through her.
She’d seen this look before.
Had become all too familiar with it when they’d been married.
Lamont stepped inside.
“What do you want, Lamont?” she asked. Her gaze roamed the room, and she felt defeated.
There was nowhere for her to run.
“I see you moved from our house,” he began. He stopped midway into the space.
Confused, she didn’t know what to say right away. “I didn’t need that much space anymore.”
That was a safe response. She didn’t want to anger him by saying she didn’t want any reminders of him in the house staring at her.
“I miss us.”
She gawked at him, unable to formulate any words. This was a side of him she’d never seen before. Had he hit his head when they’d fallen on the sidewalk?
Candi swallowed hard and listened as he continued.
“I used to think it was cute when you’d be cuddled up on the bed asleep with that mangy bear of yours.”
Cute? It would have been after a night of crying her heart out because of his drinking, attitude, and verbal abuse that led her to lock herself away in their bedroom. She had been lonely. Isolated because of him. Larry had been a comfort to her.
“What was his name?” He paused, focusing his attention to her.
“Whose?” she asked, playing dumb. What the hell was her wondering about her stuffed animal for?
Lamont flew across the room with a snarl. Candi cried out, trying to run far from him, but he caught her by her arm and brought her close to him.
Candi turned her face away from Lamont. His warm breath blew across her cheeks.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Candi. I know you don’t go anywhere without that damn bear,” he murmured in her ear.
She cried out from his hand squeezing her arm tighter. “It’s just a bear from my childhood. You know that,” she whimpered, trying to pull her arm free, but his death grip was not loosening.
“And now I need it.”
Her gaze flew to his. His hard gaze bored into her.
“What?” she gasped.
Something hard slammed into the house down below. Shouts echoed from somewhere in the building.
Lamont released a curse and stormed to the doorway, dragging her behind him.
She tried to pull away but froze at the sight of him drawing a gun from the back of his waistband.
“What are you doing?” she whimpered.
“Shut up!” he roared, placing her in front of him. He held the gun on her and pushed her into the hallway.
There was a wide landing at the top of the stairs. One end led to a large window, while the other part of the landing opened up to what appeared to be additional bedrooms and a bathroom.
Men in dark fatigues stormed the stairs with their guns trained on them. They spread out and dropped to their knees, their weapons aimed straight at Candi and Lamont.
Lamont released a curse, apparently realizing they had nowhere to go.
The SWAT officers’ faces were hidden by black masks, but their eyes were focused on her and Lamont.
Fear gripped Candi, paralyzing her. She’d never been in such a situation as this where loaded guns were trained on her. She was usually a woman who’d never really been around firearms, and to now have four of them pointed in her direction left her heart racing.
“LVPD! Release the woman and throw down your weapon!” a hard voice ordered.
Candi held her hands up where the police could see them.
“Hell no!” Lamont growled. “You’ll kill me as soon as she’s out the way.”
“There’s nowhere for you to go,” the leader of the SWAT team stated. “Let’s have this end peaceful with no bloodshed.”
Candi winced from Lamont shoving the gun farther into her side.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Lamont said.
“About ten people who called nine-one-one would disagree with you,” the officer replied.
“People need to learn to mind their own business. This is between my wife and me,” Lamont snapped.
“Let her go.” The cop’s voice hardened. “We won’t ask again. My sniper has his sights on you now and is waiting for my order.”
Lamont’s hand shook while he contemplated his options.
“Lamont, let me go,” she whispered. Her vision blurred from the tears gathering in her eyes. “Just let me go.”
“Fuck,” he snapped.
But he let her go.
Candi’s legs crumpled beneath her, sending her falling to the floor.
The police swarmed around her and Lamont. She lost sight of him as she was dragged away.
She was swung up into the arms of one of the cops and carried down the stairs. She shut her eyes tight and held on to the officer.
Candi opened her eyes and was met with the sight of chaos.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, looking around at the police cars and hundreds of people standing around outside the house.
The cop grunted but kept walking. She turned her head and saw they were headed to an ambulance.
“I don’t need an ambulance,” she breathed. She needed to find a phone so she could call Dallas. “Thank you, sir. But I need to find someone.”
They arrived at the ambulance, and the EMTs immediately took the stretcher out and readied it for her.
“Put her here,” one of them instructed, patting the cart.
The cop gently laid her down, and it was then Candi glanced up at his face and froze.
She slowly reached up and hooked her fingers on the mask, pulling it down. A familiar face was revealed to her.
“Dallas?” she gasped in disbelief. She cupped his jaw while tears spilled down her cheeks.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Everyone around them was forgotten, and all Candi could think about was Dallas.
Chapter Fifteen
“Did he ever say what he wanted with you?” Detective Belkin asked, scribbling notes down on the pad of paper before him.
Dallas watched Candi swallow hard. She glanced at him, and he gave her a nod. They were seated at a table in one of the interrogation rooms. He had remained next to her side for all of the questioning. Dallas was still dressed in his dark fatigues. He’d removed his weapons once they’d entered the station.
There was no way he was going to separate from Candi. She was visibly shaken from the drama. Aside from the scrapes and bruises, she was physically fine. Thanks to the good Samaritans, they had found the house Lamont and his goons had been holed up in.
Lamont had been taken into custody along with every other person in the house.
The building had been full of drug dealers and gang members.
It wasn’t any surprise when SWAT raided it that they had found a pretty hefty stash of drugs, money, and weapons.
“He was asking about a stuffed animal I own.” Candi shook her head before resting her arms on the table.
“A stuffed animal?” Belkin repeated, glancing over at his partner.
“What would he want with that?” Detective Tull asked, sitting back in his chair.
Dallas frowned. What would her ex want with her mangy little bear? When she’d reached for it while they were grabbing her things from her place, he didn’t have the heart to tell her to leave the stupid toy at home.
Now his curiosity was piqued.
Her bag had been brought to the station to be processed as evidence. Since it was ruled a kidnapping, they had tagged and bagged everything, just in case they would need it later.
A knock sounded at the door.
Tull pushed back from the table and strolled over to the door. He opened it, revealing the captain.
Dallas and Belkin stood from their seats.
“Captain,” he murmured.
“McNeil,” the captain replied, closing the door behind him.
“Ms. Jennings, my
name is Captain Jarvis,” he said, stretching his hand toward Candi, who took it.
“Hello, Captain.” She offered him a strained smile before releasing his hand.
“Can I speak to them alone please?” Jarvis straightened to his full height and turned his gaze to Belkin and Tull.
“Sure. We’ll be outside. Holler if you need us,” Belkin said.
The two detectives exited the room, closing the door behind them.
Dallas wasn’t sure what the captain wanted. Unfortunately, Candi didn’t have any notions of what her ex had been up to since being released from prison. They had been there for a little over an hour and were still in the dark about why Lamont had kidnapped her.
It had taken everything Dallas had in him that was decent not to fire his gun as soon as Candi had hit the floor. He’d had the open shot but knew that was not him.
He was not a cold-blooded killer.
He had spent practically half of his life protecting, and killing a man in cold blood would erase everything he had worked so hard for.
Over here in the good old US of A, he would let the justice system make Lamont pay.
With all of the charges they already had on him, he would be returning to the prison for a long time.
“Ms. Jennings, I just received a call from a special task unit that I’m not allowed to disclose of who has been investigating your ex-husband. Apparently, he had some information that was stolen that he was going to be selling on the black market.”
Candi glanced at Dallas in disbelief. Her eyes were round while her mouth flopped open and shut.
“I know nothing of what Lamont had been involved in. Even when we were married, he didn’t talk about his other life.” Candi shrugged.
Dallas bit back a remark about Lamont and his other life. Evidently, one life was laying a hand on her and causing her great pain.
“I need you to really think. What my contact is looking for is a junk drive. It can be really small and easily hidden anywhere.”
The room drew silent.
Dallas turned and stared at Candi.
Her eyes grew wider while she visibly swallowed.
“My Larry,” she whispered.
“What?” the captain said, confusion lining his face.
I’ll be damned.
Lamont was trying to get his hands on her bear.
Son of a bitch.
“It’s a stuffed animal that Candi has,” Dallas tried to explain.
“And you think that’s where Mr. Jennings may have hidden the drive?” The captain turned to Candi.
“It makes total sense now,” Candi began. She sat back and ran a hand through her hair. “When he came in the room of the house, he began asking me about the bear. I didn’t know why at the time, but now that you say this, it makes sense.”
Jarvis nodded. “Do we have any idea where this bear is?”
“Evidence lockup, sir,” Dallas said. He had planned to see if they could retrieve her items later. They weren’t pertinent to the kidnapping charges.
“I’ll be right back.” Jarvis stood from his seat and disappeared from the room,
“It shouldn’t be much longer.” Dallas wrapped his arms around Candi and brought her in close to his side. He squeezed her tight and laid a kiss on her forehead.
“I just want to go back home,” Candi murmured, leaning her head into the crook of his arm.
Dallas didn’t know why, but he didn’t like the sound of her going back to her place.
He wanted her in his.
Always.
“As soon as they let us go, I can take you back to your place—”
“I wasn’t talking about my house.” Candi turned her big, beautiful brown eyes to him along with her shy smile. “I want to go back to your house.”
Dallas swallowed hard.
He had so much to say to Candi, but now wasn’t the time.
“We have much to discuss, Candi. For instance, why you were packed and leaving me?” He tipped her chin up when she tried to look down at the floor. It would tear him apart if she didn’t want to come back with him.
“I was scared of you getting hurt. I don’t know what I would have done if Lamont had harmed you,” she said.
He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her lips. “Darling, you don’t ever have to worry about me. I can protect myself.”
“And what were you doing rescuing me with the SWAT team?” She sat back away from him with a sassy look on her face.
He would allow her to change the subject for a few minutes.
“Well, that was just a test run. I think the captain knew if he didn’t let me participate then he’d have to throw me in a jail cell to keep me contained,” he grumbled. A deep chuckle escaped him. “The captain has been trying to get me to join a team and move up in rank.”
“That’s amazing, Dallas!” Candi wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tight. “I can’t think of a better man to promote.”
Dallas grew serious again. No matter what, it still bothered him that she’d packed a bag and had intended to leave while he was gone.
“So you weren’t leaving because you thought I’d fail in protecting you?” he asked. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips.
“No, Dallas. I left because I am a mess and I come with a lot of baggage. For everything you’ve been through, you need someone who doesn’t come with drama.”
Dallas stared into Candi’s dark pools. He leaned in close to her, needing to taste her sweet lips again.
Candi jumped away when the door opened. The captain and Belkin returned.
“Is this your bag?” Belkin asked, settling the dark bag on the table in front of Candi.
“Yes, it is.” She pulled it across the table and stood from her chair.
Dallas stood along with her, watching her body sway slightly.
“Here he is,” she announced, holding Larry up for all to see.
“Mind if I see him?”
Worry crossed her face.
“I promise, I’ll be gentle.”
She nodded and handed the stuffed bear to him. Dallas took it and immediately flipped the bear over. She ran his hands along it before seeing out-of-place stitches.
“Bingo,” he murmured. Reaching down into his cargo pants, he pulled out a pocket knife. Trying not to damage her bear, he slid the knife underneath the thread.
All eyes in the small room were on him.
He tossed his knife down on the table and tugged open the little compartment.
“What the…?” Candi’s soft words faded.
Dallas pulled out a junk drive and tossed it on the table.
“Is this what you are looking for?” he asked.
The captain scooped it up and nodded to Candi. “Ms. Jennings, you are free to go.”
Epilogue
Candi stepped out onto the patio and smiled. It was a beautiful day to spend outside. It wasn’t too hot, and she wanted to enjoy lounging around on her day off while her husband grilled. Sitting on the chaise, she tossed her towel at the foot of the chair. Dressed in her two-piece bathing suit, she eyed the pool. She’d wait for Dallas to come out to see if he needed any help before she jumped into the water.
She glanced down at the diamonds that lined the two bands on her ring finger on her left hand and sighed.
She still had to get used to being married again.
Six months of wedded bliss.
She and Dallas had tied the knot three days after he’d brought her home from the police station. They both realized how much they loved each other and never wanted to be apart again.
It didn’t take long at all for them to find somewhere to get married.
After all, they did live in Vegas.
It had been the perfect ceremony. Dallas’s parents, Grady and Leah McNeil, along with his brother, Dalton, Tanner, and Kay had stood by and witnessed their exchange of vows.
Candi didn’t regret it, not one bit.
Dallas’s family was amazing and
accepting of her immediately. They were like the family she’d never had.
Her ex-husband’s future wasn’t as bright as hers. The junk drive he’d hidden in her bear had been turned over to a division of the FBI that Candi was still left in the dark about. Apparently, her ex-husband had a list of the most powerful criminals in the country and documentation of payoffs for assassinations, money laundering, and drug deals. He’d had been under surveillance with a few agencies for his involvement with one particular gang that had been participating in the money laundering and drugs along with kidnapping and assaulting Candi.
All of that information blew her mind.
This time, Lamont would be serving a much longer sentence in prison.
But now, he wasn’t Candi’s problem. Her new husband was keeping her very occupied and satisfied.
Dallas showed her every day how a man should love a woman. Just thinking of her husband brought a smile to her face. He had gone on and, under the guidance of his captain, sat for the sergeant’s exam and passed with flying colors.
He was now a member of the Gangs Vice Bureau of the department, directing a small team of his own.
The door to the patio slid open. “Mrs. McNeil?” Dallas’s deep baritone voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Yes, Mr. McNeil?”
She loved the sound of it.
Mrs. Candi McNeil.
“Can you take a break from your lounging and grab this pan for me?” he asked, sticking his head through the doorway.
Candi laughed and pushed off the chaise. She walked over to him and took the tray of meat. She placed it on the counter next to their outdoor grill.
Dallas stepped out onto the patio and placed all his supplies he needed for his grilling beside the meat.
“You need all of this?” She laughed. He had about ten different seasonings, a bowl, and a whisk.
“You bet I do,” he growled, playfully pulling her into his arms. “Tanner, Dalton, and Kay should be over soon. I need to get this going.”
She entwined her fingers together at the base of his neck and stared up into his eyes. Each day she fell more in love with him.
“I love you, Mr. McNeil,” she murmured.
“I love you, too, Mrs. McNeil.” He leaned down and ran a hand along her body and stopped at the large swell of her belly. He palmed their child who decided at that moment to give a swift kick.