12

My little fox dances in the birdhouse tonight and she looks fucking riveting. I almost laughed out loud when I saw her mask, as if hot-wired to my thoughts and drawn to it as it sat among all other options. She believes her identity is safe, and that might be so, but not from me. I can single her out while blindfolded in a crowded room. In fact, every woman here is blurred, drawn out from my vision like a filter, dimming away all flesh that isn't hers.

She looks sad tonight, and I can't help feeling responsible.

The death of her parents weighs heavily on her this evening, and although knowing that their killers have been extinguished brings her peace, she's upset at the fact that she wasn't solely responsible for bringing them pain. If only I could tell her she was. I reminded them of their victims, making them scream out their names while they begged for their miserable fucking lives.

Niki comes alive in this element of toxicity. She desires nothing more than to be consumed by her darkness, to be saved from the nothingness she feels inside. She wants something to bring her to life, and she clings to the addicting sensation of desire and sin because it makes her feel something. The adrenaline pulses through her and me both, and I know exactly what she's going through.

I want to set her free, to open the door of her cage and seep into the crevices of her lonely soul and steal her pain. She doesn't know how strong she is, but I'll remind her. My little fox carries the world on her shoulders, and it's got her all knotted and torn. I can see her leaning into the shadows that soothe her, begging for me to guide her through it so that she may come out on the other side complete, the hole in her heart filled and patched up. Filled with my heart, sewn up by my hands.

She has the power to bring me to my knees, and she doesn't even fucking know it. But she will. Out of all the eyes pinned on her, she senses me. She's looked at no one else but me tonight, and she doesn't even realize who I am just yet.

I lean back and call a server over. She's dressed in nothing but a black thong and nipple clamps that connect in the center by one word—slave. I hand her my empty glass and another materializes. I scan the room; all eyes are on my Niki. Many have added their silver cards into her glass bowl, requesting a private show.

Over my dead body.

I don't give a fuck if they watch her. Let their eyes feast on what they will never have. She's mine. But I'm certain they'll try to get their hands on her.

The people employed by Nym-Pho abide by strict rules. Most servers are up for grabs, and unless they are distinguished by color-coded collars that dictate their status, they're basically there for the taking.

Niki doesn't wear a collar, just some necklace that blends with her uniform for the night. Her beautiful long neck is bare of claim. I'll have to remedy that.

My phone vibrates in my chest pocket, and I ignore it. Cell phones are prohibited in this establishment.

The invisible earpiece in my left ear reads the message for me. It's from Jason.

Shit. What the hell is he getting himself into? I stand and make my way to the back. Niki's shift will be over soon, and I'd rather she have a ride home than be bumming one from any of these fuckers. After watching her get out of the old beat up truck, I connected the plates to one of her aliases. She uses it sparingly. I'm not sure for what exactly just yet, and as far as everyone else is concerned, she hitches rides or walks. She's good at remaining undercover, my clever fox.

I don't even try to build a backstory or create an excuse as I wait out front for Niki and Jasmin. I've taken my jacket and tie off, threw them in the trunk, and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt. I unbuttoned the top, just to appear more casual. I'm leaning on the passenger door, and as soon as they walk out, I open it. My little fox glares at me and her friend fails to mask the stupor on her face.

"We have a ride," Niki snaps.

My lips quirk up at the edge and I furrow my brows. "I don't give a fuck. Get in the car, Niki."

She glares up at me, her thick lashes alluring in the dim light. Her face is flushed and sweaty, and she crosses her hands over her chest. She's changed and wears a simple white t-shirt and loose black shorts and sneakers. Her hair is gathered in a bun atop her head. I approach her and take the backpack from her. "Get in."

Jasmin reaches out and grips Niki's arm. "You too," I tell her.

Niki rolls her eyes, and just when I think she's readying herself for a heated argument, she glowers, but languidly makes her way into the car, a tired Jasmin not far behind. Once they've both climbed in, I close the door and make my way to my seat and we're on the highway in less than two minutes.

"You can't make this a routine, rookie."

I watch her reflection in the rear-view mirror. She's angled herself to lean against the window and her forehead is pressed up against the glass dismissively, her lids heavy and threatening to give out. Jasmin leans on my girl's shoulder, and she yawns and then cuddles into her. Anyone else unaware of their history would think they're blood-related. They look nothing alike, but their bond is strong. I've met fraternal twins that look nothing alike. That can easily be applied to them.

My little fox is exhausted, but she refuses to let her guard down. She adjusts herself so that her friend can get comfortable.

"Why not? I was in the area, and we're headed in the same direction. It's not like you have your own wheels, so you can commute in a safe manner to and fro." I raise my brows at her.

She turns to peer at me and purses her soft, pouty lips. I want to hold them between my fingers and then nibble on the skin. She looks spent, and I almost regret throwing that comment out there to wrack her brain about it. I want her to know that I have discovered absolutely everything she hides from everyone outside her brother and adoptive sister. Including Noah.

"It's not really your concern how I get around, Detective. And our neighbors are already questioning why you're there," she says sleepily.

I scowl at her. I think I prefer it when she calls me rookie, though that's far from what I am.

At twenty-eight years old, I have more experience than your typical veteran who's been on the job for twenty-odd years. I was adopted into a long family line of CIA agents. I joined the Marines as soon as I graduated high school, ranked at the top of my class, and joined the FBI right after serving my term. Now I work for a ghost agency that sends agents out as an undercover Internal Affairs officer with intent to uncover corruption within the force.

But the pet name has grown on me, and the way Niki delivers it makes it seem as though she has uncovered something new in me. Something only she owns. But when she calls me Detective, she's annoyed and wants me far away. It unnerves me. That's something I can't do.

"Well, let's agree to disagree, then," my little fox.

She sighs tiredly and leans her head back. Her friend is already snoring lightly and Niki wraps her arm around her and tips her head further back until it rests comfortably on the seat. Her neck is exposed, and I almost steer off the lane from the sight of it.

I want to curl my hand around it and control the amount of air she takes in. I want her to understand that breathing her next puff of oxygen is in my hands. That"s the control she's seized upon me, and I need her to feel the same exact way. Once I allow her to take her next breath, I want to trail the length of her neck with my mouth from the tip of her chin until my tongue slides between her legs and I taste her. My dick stiffens and I move in my seat to adjust it. I look back and her lips part.

She's asleep.

I try to keep my gaze on the road, but the look on Niki's face while she sleeps is like an open gated archway to heaven. She looks beautiful and at peace. She whispers something and I lean back like a madman, desperate to hear the words that will divulge some secret she won't even dare admit to herself.

"Dylan."

I hold my next breath. She's dreaming of me and calling my name. I smile like a fucking idiot and my dick jerks again. Her subconscious knows she's mine, and it's delivering that message to her in a dream. If only she'd accept and roll with it.

Instead, she fights it and stays with a man she's been with for only a couple of months. Whatever she thinks she owes him, she's wrong. Noah is a liar, and he'll drag her down the same way his father did to his family.

I won't allow it.

Twenty minutes later and I'm driving up the dirt road that leads to the lot. I turn off my headlights and park my car between our trailers. The sun hasn't risen, and the early morning is quiet, lest the crickets and cicadas singing their tunes. Jasmin pops up and looks around, then rubs her eyes.

"Don't wake her," I say.

I open her door and hand her Niki's bag, then reach in the car and scoop up my little fox in my arms. She looks so fragile while asleep, though I know she's anything but. She's snoring softly, and it reminds me of a kitten purring. She smells of tequila and oranges. I want to crush her against my chest and drag her to my bed, where she belongs. But instead, I take in a deep breath—that will come soon enough—and I carry her to her trailer. Jasmin fishes the keys out and holds the door open for me.

"She hasn't slept in three days," Jasmin whispers and points in the direction where she wants me to place her.

I haven't had a good night's rest since the first time I saw her. I can't sleep knowing she isn't in my arms where she belongs. I wonder what's kept her from allowing herself to succumb to her exhaustion.

I have to keep my body low; the inside of the trailer is tiny. It's literally a rectangular box. There are no rooms. I move to the left where two toddler-sized cots lay on the floor and gently bend down to lay Niki on the mattress Jasmin signaled. I'm sure she'd want a shower, but I also know she's a feral, wild fox when woken up. So I set her down as gently as I can and move her hair off her face. I untie her sneakers and slip them off, then I lift her puffy duvet covers over her.

I move to stand and crouch so that I don't hit my head on the ridiculously low ceiling. Jule is tall for his age; I wonder how the fuck he lives here, forced to permanently hunch in his own residence.

Jasmin follows me, and I take a quick scan of their living quarters. Jule sleeps on the opposite end of the trailer. It's dark, but the small window in front of him allows the moonlight to shine over his sleeping frame. His legs are entirely off the cot and he snores loudly.

"You didn't have to do that," Jasmin whispers.

Of course I did."Goodnight." I step out and she nods and then closes the door.

Why are they choosing to live in these conditions when they have a massive house sitting empty at a plantation they own? Then it occurs to me—is it empty?

I pull my cell phone out and send a quick text to Jason.

He responds immediately.

I hear the locks click behind me, and I rush over to let Max out. He's coming with me on this next assignment.

The drive out to the police station holding Noah was a two-hour drive south. I had Jason email the release papers and called ahead to make sure it would be set by the time I made it there.

The drive out to the police station holding Noah was a two-hour drive south. I had Jason email the release papers and called ahead to make sure it would be set by the time I made it there.

Max waits in the front seat with the air-conditioning on, and I almost want to leave Noah here for a couple more days, but the torture wouldn't sink in.

He's not that easy to crack.

"Detective Montreal?"

I roll my eyes at him and hold back a snarl. "The one and only."

Noah's bloodied face stares at me stupidly from behind the metal bars of his cell. One of his eyes is swollen shut and purple, his lip is busted, knuckles raw. His eyes search behind me worriedly. "Did Justice send you?"

I laugh humorlessly and shake my head. "Please, you think Niki would even speak on your behalf if she knew who you work for?"

His nostrils flare, and I think a growl escapes him. He looks beat, and I almost feel sorry for him. The empty hell he's going to encounter once my girl learns the truth is almost enough fuel to laugh in his face, but my patience is exhausted. I have better things to do than bail his ass out, but it's the only assurance I have to make him talk.

"I see, so you just jumped at the opportunity to ruin me."

I snap my fingers at the guard with the keys so he can let the dumbass out, and then I lean against the wall. "You did that yourself."

Noah laughs and then nods. "You gonna tell her?"

I shake my head and point toward the exit so he knows where to go. "You're going to do that."

"She's going to hate me."

I focus on the road instead of Noah's stupid face. Max sits in the back, his eyes focused on my passenger. He lets out a snarl each time he speaks. This time Max just chews the air, as if agreeing with him.

I, however, disagree. "She'll be disappointed, but she can never hate you."

Noah looks out the window. "Yea, but she can never love me, either," he says this quietly, more to himself.

It looks like he's smarter than I give him credit for. "You're going to tell her the truth and fix this, and then you're going to leave her alone."

"I'll tell her the truth, but Justice can decide if she wants me to back off. She'll tell me."

"Right, so that the criminals you work for can come and collect her once they realize your fuck up?"

In an attempt to screw his boss over, Noah set fire to one of their smaller storage spaces. A rental spot where they kept their merchandise right before it was shipped. He was trying to get out, hoping that the discovery of their whereabouts would set him free. He was wrong. They knew exactly what he'd planned and waited to confirm.

"They're not going to find out."

I roll my eyes. "You're a fucking idiot. They're the ones that gave the green light for your arrest. Those cops beat your ass because your boss gave them strict instructions to."

"They won't hurt her. My Justice is–"

A snarl rips through me; Niki is mine. "It's about damn time you stop playing yourself into thinking she ever belonged to you."

Noah laughs, and I almost give Max the word to chew his fucking head off. "Please, let's be real. Justice doesn't belong to anyone."

And then I'm the one that's laughing. "At least not you."

Niki can't belong to anyone because her very soul is spliced, and I'm the other half. From my peripheral, I see him give me a look that says he thinks I'm insane. I stop the car and climb out, and Max snarls at him to do the same. Once out, he gawks at me, and then at my trailer. He's about to retort something stupid, I'm sure, but Jasmin's frantic voice halts my next breath and catapults me to another life, one of pure torture and violence.

I want to shake her. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"They took her." She runs to Noah, and he believes she's going to embrace him, but she claws at his face instead. Jule suddenly appears and rushes to her, then gathers her in a tight hug.

Jasmin points at Noah accusingly. "You son of a bitch. What the fuck were you thinking?"

Noah looks at me, his mouth hangs open, but nothing comes out.

I don't have time for this shit. They can figure out their family drama. Jasmin can tear his eyes out for all I care. I whistle and Max jumps into the car through the open window. I take my phone out and roar away from them. The gravel wafts up and spits back angrily. I glance in the rearview mirror in time to catch Jule land a punch to Noah's face before I turn the corner.

Jason picks up before the first ring can finish. "Get me Niki's location. You have thirty seconds."

"Fuck, who do you think I am? God himself needs a bit of—"

"I'm not fucking around, Jason. I swear to—"

"I got her. She's being held in a warehouse thirty minutes from your location. I've sent you the coordinates."

I hang up and tap on the link, then follow the green line on the map. I roar the engine past its usual mode and the wheel trembles in my hand as I switch gears with the other.

Of course, I placed a tracker on her. I attached a little onyx fox charm on her bracelet when I laid her in her tiny bed, and thank the fucking heavens I did. If they so much as touch a hair on her head, I'll rip them apart with my bare hands.