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  An upward spiral that careened out of control, she arched off the mattress and wrapped her arms around his neck as she climaxed. Tony buried himself deep inside of her, groaning his release. Exhilarated, she ran her hand up into his hair and held him against her while her body trembled.

  “I knew it,” he whispered.

  She smiled against his shoulder. “Yeah. That was—”

  Shot blasts rocked the house. His body hardened and became a wall around her. She screamed as he rolled with her across the bed and onto the floor. Settled underneath him, she shook his shoulders, wanting to get up.

  “Wait,” he said.

  Each silent second seemed to last forever. Her heart thudded. She’d let her guard down.

  Tony pushed off the floor and stood. Two more shots came. She scrambled to her hands and knees, grabbing her clothes off the floor and wiggling into them without standing. He slipped his shorts on, then his shoes, and moved around the bed to the dresser.

  He took out a pistol, loaded the chamber, and passed the gun to her. Then he did the same thing again and armed himself. He looked at her. “Get my phone, hit speed dial one. Tell Lance what’s going on. Then call nine one one.”

  She moved to follow him, but he had already turned toward the door. “Wait. We’ll both go out.”

  “Stay put.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Do not come out of the room.”

  Unable to process what was happening when moments ago he’d zapped her of the ability to make a conscientious decision, she simply nodded and watched him slip out of the room. Maybe having Tony take charge of the situation was a good thing.

  For the last four months, she’d been on duty twenty-four seven. She let herself relax tonight, and her head wasn’t in the right place. She picked up Tony’s phone. Tonight could’ve turned out much worse, because she’d fallen into bed and could only think about what Tony had done to her body. He’d taken her to a place where there were no bad guys or bullets aimed at her…only him.

  Frick, frick, frick. She poked at the keypad on the phone. She could’ve been shot in the middle of an orgasm with her mouth wide-open and her fingers clutched in Tony’s hair. If she’d died tonight, at least she would’ve died happy.

  Chapter Ten

  Tony returned to the bedroom fifteen minutes later after the gunfire had ceased and he’d given details on what kind of gun was fired—a forty-millimeter—and how many times—six. He paused at the door, ran his hand down his face, and shook the tension from his shoulders. A fucking drive-by. In a subdivision where families slept and children played in the street. Thank God, it was late, and everyone was inside at this time of night.

  He opened the door. Rocki came off her perch at the end of the bed. “Did you see anyone?”

  He shook his head, glanced over her from head to toe. She’d dressed and put her shoes on, and held the pistol in her right hand. He slipped his fingers under her arm and guided her around until her back was to the door.

  “Listen, the cops are here. They’re casing the outside, looking for any evidence.” He lowered his voice. “My guys are here too. I think you should stay in the bedroom, away from the police.”

  “Why?” She frowned. “This isn’t my squad. I’m in a different jurisdiction. They won’t even recognize me.”

  Was she kidding? Every police officer in the state had taken classes at the academy. One glimpse of her, and they’d remember her for a lifetime. Hell, he’d branded her in his head the first time he saw her out in the field, teaching a weapons class.

  “Because Gino got wind of what happened and he’s en route.” He gave her a few seconds to let the new information sink in. “I want to know how he knew something was going down at my home, and why he’s taking a personal interest. I need to know if he’s already found out you’re in my protection.”

  Her shoulders went back and she glared. He narrowed his eyes back, knowing he’d predicted her reaction right. She was used to handling cases herself.

  “I want to talk with Gino,” she said.

  He raised his gaze to the ceiling. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

  “Come on, Tony. Think about it. If he’s in the area, if it was Darrell or his men shooting the house, the coincidences are questionable. If Gino’s dirty, I’ll take him down myself.”

  “You’ll wait in here. I’ll bring you to Gino after I talk to him first. And only if I think it’s safe.” He dropped his hands. “Give me your word.”

  “Frick,” she muttered. “I’m getting sick of knowing you’re right.”

  “Rocki. My main concern is protecting you.”

  “Fine.” She raked her teeth over her bottom lip. “I swear I’ll stay in here.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart,” he murmured, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “We’re not finished. Not by a long shot.”

  Thinking about Gino working the underground and using the department for illegal activities killed her. She shivered. “I hate the idea.”

  His head went back and he dropped his hand. “Us?”

  She shook her head and frowned. “What? No. I’m talking about Gino working with Darrell.”

  He relaxed and slipped his fingers underneath her hair at the base of her neck. “I wasn’t talking about business, sweetheart. I’m not finished with what I started earlier. The bullets landing in the siding of my house stopped me from doing what I want to you and making you happy. As soon as this is over, I want you back underneath me, so I can show you how good it is between us.”

  Another quiver rolled through her body, remembering what he’d done to her before the shooting and the way he’d made her beg. She smiled and when he grinned in return, she seemed to gain confidence. “Really?”

  He kissed her hard and fast, laughing against her lips. “Help me out, sweetheart. Don’t look at me being all sweet and warm. I need to go out there, before Kage loses his patience and we have another war on our hands. He’s got a personal investment in this case, whether he likes it or not, and when it comes to his uncle, Kage doesn’t play around now that he has Janie.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She fought a smile and ignored the way her mind battled with going with him or keeping him in the bedroom. She was a detective. Thoughts of having sex again with Tony had to wait. “Hurry. It drives me crazy to be shut in here while you’re out doing my job. It’s wrong.”

  “Hang tight,” he said, kissing her and walking out of the bedroom.

  Alone in the room, she looked down at her clothes. She’d give anything for a shower and a new outfit. Gino would see right through her and know she slept with Tony and stayed at his house in hiding.

  Going to her house was out of the question, and most of her good clothes were still in Darrell’s spare bedroom. She might as well count them as lost to her.

  She walked into the bathroom, shut the door without making any noise, and found Tony’s brush. As she worked out the snarls in her hair, she planned what she’d say to Gino.

  Tears came to her eyes. She continued brushing, blaming the emotions on the pain with every yank on the knots. She’d looked up to Gino. He was her mentor and when she was fresh out of the academy, she’d partnered with him for almost eight months until she’d entered the detective division.

  She was one of the few officers who’d stayed in the same jurisdiction since graduating. With the county sheriff’s office, her department, sharing the academy building, she remained in daily contact with Gino. She’d shared burgers and beer on the weekends with him and his wife on several occasions. She blinked repeatedly, dispelling the tears. Even speculating on his integrity sat wrong and she felt guilty telling Tony her suspicions.

  Every man and woman in uniform deserved her support. Whether it was on duty or off, they bonded with each other under their common oath to serve and protect. The police force became family. Family never turned on one another.

  Unable to resist, she returned to the bedroom and peeked out the window. She took in all the cars lining the front of
the house. After fifteen minutes of watching the activity, the officers went to their cars and drove away. Kage and Lance’s rides remained along with Gino’s black unmarked car.

  The door opened. She fisted her hands and studied Tony for any sign of what was going on outside the house.

  He gave her nothing.

  “Gino’s waiting in the living room for you,” he said, holding out his hand.

  She hurried across the room toward him. Needing his strength, his reserve, she clasped his hand and received a reassured squeeze in return. “What did he say?”

  “You’ll find out. I don’t want to muddy your opinion.” He paused in the doorway. “Trust your instincts, sweetheart. This is what you do. Listen closely, and don’t ignore your gut.”

  She nodded and let go of him.

  If she wanted to run the detective division, she had to prove herself. She squared her shoulders and walked in front of him to go talk with her boss.

  Gino stood beside the couch, his arms folded across his chest, his jaw set in a stony impasse. She approached him and held out her hand. “Detective Marcelli.”

  He shook her hand, then widened his stance and recrossed his arms. “Do you want to explain what in the hell is going on? You were to check in if anything went down with Darrell. Next thing I know, I get a call from him”—he motioned his chin toward Tony—“and all hell’s breaking loose. Last time I checked, Detective, you were working under my orders.”

  Her body vibrated. She faced him without breaking his gaze, and took the smack down. Attitude and insubordination would get her nowhere.

  “My cover with Darrell was blown after he sent me on a job to check out the men from the body shop. When I was done, Darrell waited for me. He took me back to his base, where he’s been hiding in plain sight, and let me know he was privy to my identity.” She looked Gino in the eye. “I escaped out of Darrell’s house after he put me in lockdown, lost his guards, and broke into Weston’s house to keep myself safe because I had nowhere else to go, no money, and I needed somewhere to regroup and cover myself.”

  “With no check-in to headquarters,” Gino said.

  She swallowed. “No, sir. Darrell gave me enough information to make me doubt my safety in contacting you.”

  Gino scowled. “What?”

  “I was led to believe you’re working for Darrell, or against him, as the case may be, and you have your hand in what happens in the underground,” she said.

  Gino stared without saying a word. Then he exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me? I trained you. Every damn thing you know came from me.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said. “I know.”

  That was the reason why she stopped herself from running back. Gino trained her well, and to trust her judgment.

  “Who have you mentioned this to besides Weston?” Gino remained at attention, his arms still crossed over his chest.

  “We had a meeting with the other three private investigators of the body shop. Lance McCray, Garrett Beaumont, and Kage Archer.” She clasped her hands behind her back, out of his direct line of vision, and clenched them together. “That’s all. Tony, I mean, Weston was going to meet with you in the morning and update you on my position. I wanted to set up a meeting, but with Darrell looking for me, it would’ve been unwise to run straight to you. After tonight’s drive-by shooting, my feeling that something wasn’t right backs my decision, I believe.”

  Gino’s muscle in his jaw twitched. “Anything else?”

  “No, sir.”

  He unfolded his arms and approached her. Lowering his voice, he continued, “You know me, Rocki.”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  He nodded, glanced down at the floor. “I expect you back at the station to debrief”—he looked at his watch—“at zero seven hundred.”

  Tony stepped forward. “Rocki?”

  She stiffened, held up her hand to Tony, and directed her attention to Gino. “Sir, I would like to take my two weeks of vacation starting today.”

  “You’ve got to be shitting me, Bangli.” Gino glanced between her and Tony then nodded once. “I’ll have Detective Smith watch you, until we figure out what kind of threat Darrell will be. I don’t want you causing any more problems for the department. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir,” she said.

  “Save the taxpayers’ money. She’s staying with me, and the body shop is footing the bill,” Tony said.

  Gino pinned Rocki with a look she couldn’t read. She held her breath. Right now if she had to choose between someone that she’d known for years, pledged her life to protect, and Tony…she’d pick Tony. He’d been right this whole time. She had to go with the vibe in the room, and something wasn’t right.

  “Is that what you want?” Gino waited for her to nod, and then he stretched his lips tightly over his teeth. “Fine.”

  “Thank you, sir.” The stress of keeping alert eased and she relaxed. “Gino, I’m sorry. I did everything according to the book and relied on my smarts. I have no idea how Darrell learned my identity. I’ve gone over everything that happened. I kept my head and played right into his hand. There’s no way he should’ve known.”

  Gino put his hand on her shoulder. “You’ve gone deeper than anyone and you’re out, safe for now. We’ll get the son of a bitch. For now, stay low, and I’ll start getting you rolled back into schedule on your return. I’ll discuss the options with the board. They might want you to go into the WPP, until we’ve got a handle on things.”

  The Witness Protection Program? She sucked in air. Going in, she knew that was a possibility, but until now the thought of disassociating herself with her life seemed pointless. Darrell knew everything about her. She doubted a new identity and location would stop him.

  She stayed in the living room as Gino nodded at Tony and walked out the front door. She stared at the exit for several minutes, letting the last ten minutes sink in, going back through every sentence spoken.

  There were too many unanswered questions. She still had no idea why Gino would show up tonight at Tony’s or why he’d want her to drive in to the department in the morning when he believed she should disappear. She swallowed bile. The thought of giving up everything she worked her ass off for because of Darrell burned her throat.

  Tony placed his hand on her hip. She leaned against the support. With two weeks off, she had to figure out how to get out of the mess she’d created and keep her life, her job, and those she loved and cared about safe. Her mom couldn’t stay gone forever, and she had to leave Tony’s house eventually.

  “Are you okay?” he murmured.

  “No.” She moistened her lips. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah.”

  She thought over her words carefully. Once said, she couldn’t take them back.

  “Something isn’t right.” She inhaled deeply, hating the way her voice warbled. “I’ve noticed during past interrogations, Gino has a pattern of rubbing his thumb with his finger every time he brings up false accusations, trying to force a confession. He’s aware of the problem. In fact, I was the one who brought it to his attention during training. He overcompensates for the nervous tic by crossing his arms.”

  “Shit,” Tony said.

  She looked up at him. “When he checked his watch, he was rubbing his fingers together. The rest of the time, he crossed his arms. Gino’s lying and it’s killing me. He’s supposed to be one of the good guys. He’s my mentor, and I’ve looked up to him for years. It kills me, because I knew better than to trust a man.”

  “What?” Tony frowned. “You don’t trust men?”

  She cut him a quick glance. “Not really.”

  “Then, sweetheart, we have a problem.” Tony moved in front of her. “I’m going to teach you that there’s one man you can trust. Me.”

  She gazed up into his eyes, so serious and intent, and knew she was in trouble. She’d let her insecurities slip out, and she had a feeling he was the one man who wouldn’t run away from a challenge.

/>   Chapter Eleven

  The only thing Rocki heard in Tony’s bedroom was their heavy breathing. She flung her arms out to the sides of her on the bed. Tony hovered over her.

  She enjoyed the determination on his face and smiled, hoping he’d prove her wrong despite her argument that it was too soon to have sex again. “Tony, stop. I can’t do it again.”

  He growled, nipping her neck. “Your lies seem to have no end.”

  “I’m serious. We’ve already had sex—good sex, freaking fantastic sex—twice. It’s almost time to get up, and we’ve barely slept all night,” she said, dropping her gaze to his kiss-swollen lips.

  “Is that a dare?” He rolled off her and propped his elbow against the mattress, gazing into her eyes.

  She curled against his chest. “Maybe…”

  He inhaled swiftly before rolling back on top of her and pinning her arms above her head. He kissed her softly, slowly, and she captured his groan with her mouth. His tongue explored. The taste of him, intoxicating and addictive, electrified her.

  “You keep pushing me, sweetheart, and I know exactly what you want,” he breathed. “You can’t lie, you can’t tease, and you can’t hide. Say it…you want me.”

  “I want you, Tony.” She held his head, hoping she could give him everything he wanted. What he asked seemed simple, and she had no problem agreeing. She’d never wanted anyone more.

  His quiet acceptance through the last several days attracted her. His arms comforted her. But, it was the tenderness in his touch that had her melting into him. She craved the solid dependability that Tony supplied.

  She’d never found that quality with anyone else. With her father absent from her childhood, her disappointment in Gino, and all the two-dates-then-it-was-over boyfriends in her past, not once had the hole inside of her felt the comfort of knowing she was wanted more than a man’s next breath. Tony put her first despite the chaos she’d thrust upon his life.