Makenna's Trust: Titan Security Series #3

by Cynthia P. O’Neill

  “Are you in pain? What do you need? How can I help you, love?” The words flew from my mouth at a frantic speed.

  Makenna tried to pull away from me and tensed in pain.

  “Don’t.” The word flew out rather harshly, causing her to stop. Her eyes flew open with a fire burning deep inside of them. So I corrected quickly, saying, “Here, let me help you to sit upright.”

  Her body relaxed as I helped move her pillows to where she could lean against the back of the headboard.

  “Thanks.” The word was short but said with an underlying tone of endearment.

  I watched as she reached for the water and pain pills I’d left on the nightstand on her side of the bed. I could tell she was in pain, for her brow was covered in a fine sheen of perspiration. Her lips were scrunched up and her jaw clenched as though she were stifling the need to scream.

  Reaching up, I felt her forehead to see if she had a fever. “You’re not feverish. Do you need me to call a doctor to have you fully checked out?”

  Shaking her head, Kenna replied, “No. I’ll be fine. The first couple of days are the worst as the tissues begin to grow back. I’ll be sore for a while and will have some limited movement, but I’ll still work on your case. And if needed, I can shoot with my right hand, so I’m still good.”

  Turning my body toward hers, I opened my mouth to start to argue, but she put her finger on my lips. “Last night Rick told me I’m on desk duty for the next few days. He’ll call before he sends the doctor over so we’ll know he’s on his way. He’s insistent on making sure I’m healing properly. Rick also assigned an extra guard, who’ll be with Spencer and Kyle, just for extra safety during the day, while Gary volunteered to take the night shift with Tyler and Dane.”

  I relaxed at her words. I didn’t want Makenna to leave, and I’d argued this last night with Rick on the phone prior to the whole shitfest going down. He’d wanted to pull her because of her inability to control her nightmares, thinking she’d be a danger to me in that state. I’d argued to let her at least use her mad skills on the computer to try and help me with my case. He’d admitted that he didn’t have anyone else with her skill set available to work with me locally. So he basically had no choice and offered to send Luke up as a means to assist her. Don’t forget how you threatened to have Titan pulled off the case entirely and use a different company.

  My lady had always had a magnificent work ethic, but damn, she was a machine yesterday and last night. How she managed to pull off as much as she did with little to no sleep still had me scratching my head. I guess that was something she learned either in the military or with Titan Security, since I’d heard some soldiers could go for days on just a few hours sleep. My jaw must have, metaphorically, hit the floor at least four or five times yesterday in awe of her abilities.

  “Good.” I knew I was responding using monosyllables, but I didn’t care. Inwardly, I thanked the universe for bringing our paths together and for hopefully keeping us there.

  “Would you like some breakfast?” I offered just before our phones rang in unison.

  She reached over to her phone, and I grabbed for mine. “Someone’s trying to call your regular line.” She held her phone screen out to me. “Do you recognize this number?”

  Sadly I did and it wasn’t someone either of us wanted to talk to. “Cassia.” The name left my lips with a foul taste of disdain.

  I watched as Makenna sent it to voicemail. But within minutes, the phone was ringing again. “She’s a persistent little bitch, isn’t she?”

  Nodding in full agreement, I added, “She won’t stop calling until I finally call her back. I once tried to send her to voicemail over and over, before silencing the phone. She must have rung my phone fifty times before she ended up at my doorstep demanding to know why I hadn’t picked up.” I looked over at Makenna. “I was in the middle of my exercise routine with my trainer. I wasn’t about to stop what I was doing to talk to her. She grates on my last nerve.”

  Suddenly Kenna smiled bigger than a Cheshire cat. The grin had me wanting to move closer, needing to know what devious plan she’d just created in her mind. I loved when she’d gotten this way in the past. She pointed over at me. “Take your shirt off, and let’s snuggle up before you take the call.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her idea. It would surely piss off Cassia. “I like the way you’re thinking. But here,” I reached over to tousle her hair, before doing my own, “let’s make her imagine the worst.” For me, it would be a dream come true, but for now, I’d take what I could get even if it was only pretend.

  Scooting closer to Makenna, I wrapped my arms around her and held her against the side of my chest as the phone began to ring again. Makenna hit a button on hers that cleared the way for me to answer. “Yes, Cassia? Why are you calling so early this morning?” I tried to be pleasant, but the words came out a little curt.

  The screech of her voice came across the speakerphone. “Do you have me on speaker?”

  “Yes. Is that a problem?” I knew it was, but I was ready to push her buttons. I still couldn’t understand how the new spyware ended up in my apartment during her visit here. I didn’t think she had it in her, but at this point, the signs were not much in her favor.

  “No. I guess not, just as long as that ex-bitch of yours isn’t nearby.” She huffed. I could just imagine her crossing her arms and stomping her foot like she normally did when she didn’t get her way.

  Makenna pulled me close to her lips and whispered, “Ask if she’s willing to FaceTime?”

  Hitting the mute button on the phone, I added, “Have I ever told you how much I love your mind, darling?”

  She shook her head and pointed toward the phone right as Cassia bellowed, “Marcus, are you even listening to a word I’ve said? Are you still there? You’d better not be ignoring me. I’ll tell my father.”

  God, her voice was infuriating. If I could have reached through the line to stuff a sock in her mouth, I would have done so.

  Speaking as honestly as possible, I said, “I’m here, just trying to do a few things at once. You know me: I love to multi-task. Would you care to FaceTime?”

  The phone began to vibrate with the notification to accept the FaceTime call before the words had ever fully left my mouth. What was with this girl? She knew I didn’t care for her, but she kept pushing.

  Makenna motioned for me to hit the accept button, right as she leaned in, kissed the side of my face, and caressed my chest with her right hand, playfully pinching my nipple. Damn her. The one move guaranteed to have my cock standing at attention in no time.

  Cassia’s face came into view and went from a smile to steam nearly flying out the sides of her ears. Redness crept across every inch of her upper torso. “What the hell are you doing in our bed with him, you shameless hussy?” Her finger came up to the screen and pointed at Makenna. “You’d better understand this right now. No one, and I do mean no one, gets her claws into my man. He’s belongs to me and no one else, so pack your bags because you’ll be on the next flight out of town for the way you treated me yesterday.”

  Makenna didn’t react. She kept her breathing calm as her hand ran down my chest, across my abdominals, and down into the top of my sweatpants. I rolled my eyes back into my head and groaned as I felt her fingers brush lightly against the bulge that was now present and wanting to be made known he was a very prominent member in the room.

  “Stop touching him!” Cassia shrieked at the top of her lungs. “I’m warning you. I fight for what’s mine.”

  Cassia’s last words had my eyes flying open and my brain working overtime. “I’m not yours, Cassia. I never was. My heart has belonged only to Makenna—the only woman I have ever loved, ever will love—and no one else.”

  Surprised by my admission, Makenna pulled her hand away as she took in a big gulp of air. I didn’t have time to explain things to her, not until I got this nutjob off the phone and hopefully out of my life.

  “You think you’re so sm
art, Cassia, but you’re not. If you knew my place like you claim you do, you’d recognize that this is not my bedroom. Makenna is not in bed with me. I’m in the guest bed with her. And for that matter, who I sleep with and what I do in my own home is my business and has nothing to do with the work I used to do for you and your father.” The words flew from my mouth in record time. I could see her flinch ever so slightly, but her eyes still raged, glaring daggers at my Makenna.

  “Is there any relevance to this phone call or are you just going to stare at us with hatred until I hang up and block your ass from ever calling me again?” I’d had enough at this point.

  One moment I was looking at a wench spewing vial hatred, and the next I was watching Cassia’s look change, like a switch had been flipped. She regained all her composure and sweetness. “I’m just calling, sweetie pie, to see if you’ve taken another look at the papers Daddy had me drop off yesterday. He and the lawyer are asking about them, and I need to get them back as soon as possible.”

  “The lawyer was fired, effective yesterday. I will not sign my life over for you and your father to control. I’m not a lap dog, and I don’t play nicely with someone who tries to control me. I’m not like that. How many times do I have to tell you this?” I could feel the rage building up inside me as I spoke the words to her, hoping she would finally hear me for the umpteenth time.

  Cassia took in a deep breath before placing a hand on her chest. Her tone was condescending. “That witch of yours has you all messed up and not thinking straight. You just think you want to control things, when actually you’ve done just fine with us controlling your movement up in the company. You’ll learn that you’re more subservient than you realized.”

  I was ready to quarrel, but Makenna jumped in. “For someone who claims to know Marcus so well, you sure are clueless. I guess you forgot our parents are part owners in a BDSM club in Orlando. We grew up being able to explore our sexuality, which we did together. I once found pleasure in submitting to Marcus, letting him control my every happiness in the bedroom. I assure you, he’s a controlling bastard, pulling every ounce of bliss from my body, and I freely gave it to him.”

  Makenna shook her head and smiled like the cat who just swallowed the canary. “Marcus may follow orders and work in the real world, but outside work and definitely in the bedroom, he is the Master of his own destiny and will not be controlled by anyone.”

  To prove Makenna’s point, I grabbed hold of her hair, wrapping it around my wrist, and pulled her head back as I took her mouth in a fierce kiss. It was an act, but to my surprise, her lips were soft, conforming to mine as her mouth opened for me to plunge my tongue deep into, melding our tongues together. A surge of desire ripped through me, but I tried to rein it in, as I realized we had an audience and Makenna was wounded.

  Cassia’s form shook violently, looking like the walls of a volcano right before it explodes. “Stop it! Stop it right this minute!” Her demands fell on deaf ears until she added, “How can you do that when she’s injured?”

  Makenna and I broke loose, each of us breathed a bit heavier, and our skin was flushed with desire. “What did you say?” I asked, wondering how in the hell Cassia knew.

  “There’s a spot of blood on the side of her shirt, and the bottles on the end table kind of give it away. You’re putting on a good show, but I’m guessing, since your window is cracked and boarded up, that she either got shot or injured some other way.” Cassia’s words were like ice-cold water being thrown in my face, causing me to fear things for the first time since my arrest.

  “Did you do this?” I demanded.

  “No. But I’ll admit that the thought had crossed my mind. I stole you from her once, and I’ll do it again, by any means necessary. You’re mine, Marcus. Mark my words. She’ll fuck up your case, you’ll go to jail, and it will be up to my father and his friends to help bail your ass out.” Cassia countered.

  My next words were uttered in such a cold fashion that frost could have easily formed over the exterior of the phone. “How did you know about the window and shooting? And what the hell do you mean you stole me? Are you the reason Makenna ran all those years ago? What did you do?”

  Cassia’s smile looked more demonic than anything. “I’ll do anything to get what I want in life, including you. As for the information, let’s just say I have my ways of finding out things.” I watched as her shoulders shrugged. “Plus, I just walked past your place and saw the window boarded up. So I asked downstairs what had happened. Apparently, you’re the talk of the building today.”

  Makenna tried to pull out of arms reach, so I didn’t even offer Cassia a goodbye, instead just hung up and hoped for the best.

  “Please don’t listen to that vile woman, love.” I tried to offer.

  She held her hand up to me. “I’m not mad at you. Just a bit shocked to hear that you still love me. Plus, she’s right. I do have some blood seeping through. I need the medical kit to change the dressing.”

  I panicked at seeing the small nickel-size spot of blood on her shirt. In a shaky voice, I asked, “Do I need to call for a doctor to come right now?”

  She shook her head. “No. This is normal. There’s usually a little blood, usually due to moving the wrong way.” She laughed a little. “I wasn’t exactly sitting in a comfortable position while we were putting on a show for Cassia. I just need to check and make sure I haven’t popped a stitch.”

  After getting out of bed, I headed downstairs in search of the medical kit we’d used last night. It was still on the dining table where Dane had used it to stitch her up. I noticed the table was cleaned up and everything put back to normal.

  Right as I reached for the medical kit, a knock sounded at the door. I answered, “Yes?”

  Spencer yelled through, “Is it okay if I come in for a minute?”

  I opened the door to see a large dog on a leash sitting nicely while Spencer held on to his lead. There was a large crate behind him along with a couple of boxes. “What’s all this?” I questioned out loud.

  Spencer moved forward, saying, “Come,” and the dog followed. “This fellow was dropped off by one of the Titan Security team. I didn’t let them in because I didn’t’ want to wake you and disturb Makenna. They left a note.”

  I took the piece of paper he held out to me and opened it.

  I was never more thankful to see that Luke was a dog and not a man. When Rick had mentioned Makenna worked best with Luke by her side, let’s just say I had all kinds of wild ideas running through my head. Then the shooter happened and she was shot. After the initial shock wore off, it felt like a weight had been lifted. I might have a chance with Makenna after all.

  “So you’re Luke?” The dog’s ears pointed up, and his eyes focused intently on me. I turned my palm up and held it out toward him. He didn’t move from his sitting position but leaned forward to get a good sniff of me, before giving my hand a lick.

  Spencer handed the leash over to me. “He’s your problem now. How’s Makenna this morning?”

  Luke whined at the sound of Makenna’s name. He must really miss his partner, but he didn’t move an inch. He was definitely well-trained.

  “She’s quite sore and needs to get her bandage changed. I came down here to get the medical kit.” Looking at the boxes that came with Luke, I asked, “Could one of you do me a favor by bringing Luke’s stuff inside and looking to see if there is any food, dog bowls, or anything in there? I’m sure Luke will probably be thirsty after that long flight.”

  Kyle, who was standing halfway between the interior and exterior of the door, jumped in. “I’ll take a quick look for you while you tend to Makenna. Please tell her we heard the story this morning from Dane and Tyler.” Smiling, he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “That girl is one tough-as-nails operative. She’s got our devotion. We’ll help with anything you guys need.”

  I couldn’t help but beam with pride as they spoke of my sweet love. Nodding, I said, “I’ll let her know. Right now I�
�m focused on helping get her situated and fed. Thanks, guys.”

  Spencer returned to his post. I noticed another guy, someone I’d seen with Gary’s crew yesterday, had been placed in the hall with them. The guy was the only one from his crew that didn’t introduce himself yesterday, mainly keeping to himself, and angled where I couldn’t get a good look at him. It was strange, but maybe he was just all business. I guess he was the extra protection Kenna spoke of for the day shift.

  “Who’s that?” I asked Kyle, motioning toward the hallway.

  “That’s Agent Dillon with Titan. He’s on days, while that Gary guy is on at night.”

  I took a few steps closer to the door and noticed the dial on my watch change, identifying the agent as Dillon Graham. I was thankful I’d muted the sound and surprised to see he was, indeed, part of the Titan Security crew, but something felt off about him. I just wish I could put my finger on it.

  The moment Kyle mentioned Dillon’s name, he turned slightly toward me, causing me to stop breathing. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d swear I was looking at a mirror image of myself—well, a version of me in the future—but grey eyes, whereas mine were dark brown. I reached up to feel the right side of my face where he sported a scar across his right cheek, and then ran my hand across my beard. I only had scruff, while his was more filled in. The resemblance was uncanny, and a shiver ran through my body, causing me to shake. Even his height, how he carried himself, they seemed all too familiar. Apparently he knew I was looking his direction, because he reached for the door and closed it quickly, blocking me from any further view.

  Turning around, I grabbed the medical kit and Luke’s leash as I started toward the stairs, only to be jerked back when Luke hadn’t followed. I yanked on the leash a bit. “Let’s go get Makenna, Luke.” In a split second, he was up on all fours, following me as I led him to his partner. His tail wagged with excitement, and his smile was a mile wide with his tongue hanging out.

  Keeping Luke hidden, I partially stepped into the room to see Makenna with her shirt pulled up, checking the bandage. “We need to get that changed.” She startled at my words but nodded her head in agreement.