Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"He was a silent fury who no torment could tame."

— Jack London (White Fang)

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Leena sat on the couch, wrapped in warm dry clothing. Beside her lay Argo, once again a proud representative of the breed. He was sleeping as well. She flexed her fingers along the mug that she held, full of hot tea.

Davis walked in the room and she got to her feet. “How is he?”

“He’ll be fine. My friend is a nurse and she sewed him up.”

“You have a lot of female friends.”

He grinned impishly and raked a hand through his dark hair. “I suppose so.” He sobered. “How are you doing? You were out on the street for a week.”

“Let’s just say I have a lot more respect for what they go through. I’m okay, still cold in ways I didn’t think I could be. But I’ll be fine.”

“Are you hungry? I could fix you something to eat.”

She lifted the tea. “This is fine for now, thank you. Any ideas on how to proceed from here?”

“Once he wakes up, we’ll figure something out. I’m off for a few days from work, have some vacation time I’m using up.”

“Okay, and you’re sure it’s okay if Argo and I are here?”

“Hell yes. You saved my brother. As far as I’m concerned, you’re family.”

The doorbell chimed and he jerked his head at her. Without a word, she headed to the back bedroom, out of sight. John lay there, still unconscious, his shoulder wrapped in white tape. She frowned at the injuries he’d sustained. Much like the first time she’d found him.

“Leena?”

She turned from John’s sleeping person at Davis’ voice. Heading back up there, she paused when she saw a woman with blonde spiky hair dyed with streaks of pink, purple, and blue standing there. “Yes?”

“This is Terri. She’s my computer hacker friend.”

She smiled and offered her hand. “He says friend, only because he won’t take me up on what I’ve offered. Nice to meet you.”

“And you, thanks for the help.”

“I despise corruption so I’m more than happy to lend my considerable assistance.” She hefted the bag in her hand. “Where can I set up?”

“Pick a spot,” Davis said. “We’re waiting on John to wake then we’ll get to it.”

Leena looked at her watch and frowned. “Can I use your phone? I need to make a call.”

“Sure. Make yourself at home. We’ll be here.”

Tea in hand, she walked to the base and picked it up. Pulling the number up from her memory banks she dialed and waited, hip against the back of the couch she was near. Three rings before it was picked up on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Mitch? Leena.”

“Oh, hi, sorry didn’t recognize the number you were calling from.”

“Visiting a friend. Just wanted to know how we’re doing timewise for the Terv? Can I still pick up him next month?”

“Yes, he’ll be out of quarantine by then. And I’m sorry, I know you wanted to keep him at your kennel and should have been able to but you know how the red tape is.”

“It’s okay, they want to use a place they’re used to dealing with, not a huge problem in my book. Yes, I would have rather had the dog sooner, but this actually works out better in the long run. No one has been bothering him?”

“Nope. He will eat but that’s about it. No playing, no interest, no anything. He’s only accepted two people to come into his run, so they are the two who rotate taking care of him. Like I mentioned before and in the mail, he’s okay once he’s out of the run, he will allow someone to take his leash but he’s just… Well, you’ll see when you get him.”

“And his exercise? Has he been getting any?”

She began pacing, placing the mug down on a coaster.

“Only when one of the guys runs him along the property fence line. Otherwise he is sedentary in his kennel.” He coughed. “He’s not gaining because he’s barely eating. But still, losing muscle.”

“See if we can move up the time I can get him. I’d like him on my place as soon as possible.”

“I’ll see if I can push it along. I knew I called the right person. Thanks so much, Leena.”

“My pleasure, Mitch. Talk to you soon.” She ended the call and sighed. Sooner I get that dog home the sooner I can help him.

“Who’s Mitch?”

She turned to find John standing there, gray shirt hiding the scars and other injuries on his torso but not the power. He wore a pair of navy workout pants and black socks. His gaze locked on hers as he approached, tugging down the hem of his shirt.

“Huh?”

He flicked his eyes to the phone in her hand and back to her face. “Mitch. The person you were talking to. Who is he?”

“A solider in Washington. We’re coordinating to transfer a dog to my kennel so I can work with him to help with his recovery.” She skimmed her lips with her tongue. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been shot and beaten.”

“You were.”

He approached closer, eyes beginning to burn with an eerie fire. She’d never been nervous around him, not even when she first picked him up but the way he watched her was changing that. His gaze so intense it singed her and she fought the urge to shift beneath it.

“How long have you known him?”

“Known who?”

“Mitch? The guy you were talking to?” He halted before her and reached out a hand to tug lightly on two of her curls.

“Never met him. We’ve just talked on the phone.” Her nipples had pulled taut and they ached for his touch. The throb between her legs grew in insistence.

“You and I need to have a talk.” His words were low, the tone vibrating along her hypersensitive skin.

“I think your brother and his friend are waiting for you to figure out the next step in the plan.”

“Right.” He stepped closer, his chest brushing her breasts. “We need to talk about what the fuck you were doing out on the street, how long you’d been there, and who’s idea was it.”

She gave into the urge to touch him and trailed her fingers along the arm belonging to the hand in her hair. “No, we don’t. It doesn’t matter. All that does is we’ve found you and you’re home now. So you can work on taking down whomever was working with that fucked up cop and get your life back.”

His gaze narrowed and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

“Wrong answer.”

“No, it’s not.” She moved to touch the scruff along his jaw, biting back her whimper. “I came to help find you. And again, Argo took care of that but now that you are here it’s time for me to get back home.” Head to the side, she removed her touch from his face. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Leena stepped out of his reach and moved by him, stopping to grab her cup along the way. Both Davis and Terri watched their exchange. Terri’s lips were curled up and Davis’ expression was blank.

“I’ll be right back in, just want to take Argo out for a few.” She bundled up once she’d put her cup in the sink and called him to her. Then she took him out to Davis’ backyard and let him run for a while. The cold wind not having slowed down, tore into her skin, making her long for a hot tub. Just something to sink into and have the warmth seep into her bones.

“That may have to be an investment I really consider,” she muttered, shoving her hands deeper into the coat she wore.

“What’s that?” Terri popped up beside her.

“A hot tub.”

“I had one of those. Loved it. Would have loved to get Davis in it.”

“I don’t have one, want one but not with Davis in it. I’d take the other brother in it, however.”

Terri laughed. “I’m sure he’d join you. I see the way he looks at you. As if you’re everything to him. As if he can’t live or even breathe without you. Must be nice to be part of a couple like that.”

“We’re not a couple.” The words had to be forced beyond her lips for everything in her rebelled in saying them.

“Really?” Disbelief colored her tone. “Did anyone tell you two that? I mean the looks between you are hot enough to power the city and melt the snow. That’s pure passion from both of you. I’m not buying you’re not together.”

“Nope, we’re not.”

“So, you came all this way to sit out and pretend to be homeless for a guy you’re not in a relationship with? Do that for all your friends?”

Leena didn’t have a response.

“Thought not.”

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αβ

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“What the hellwere you thinking bringing her in on something like that? Much less allowing her to be on the streets?” Rage surged through John and he worked extremely hard on not punching his brother through the wall.

“Are we talking about the same woman? Because I sure as hell can’t see her taking orders from me. Pretty sure she doesn’t take them from you and you—for whatever reason—she’s taken with.”

“She’s a civilian. She shouldn’t have been allowed to do that.” He longed to choke his brother. “She’s my woman. What if something happened to her out there?”

“First. All I did was visit her and ask if she’d heard from you since you got back. She volunteered the rest. I tried to stop her but well, she’s not exactly a puppet, John. You can see she’s fine, she’s out there with Terri.”

“You could have arrested her.”

He snorted. “On what charges? Wanting to help find my baby brother who’d been taken by a crime family? Sure, that would have held up.”

“I don’t care. Jaywalking?” His voice rose as his heart accelerated.

“She was helping one way or another. She called me each night. Plus, she had her dog with her.”

Okay, so yes, he knew that logically she had been protected but it didn’t help assuage any of his anger. “On the street, Davis. It’s winter and she was on the street.”

“I know, I know. I told you, I wasn’t a fan of the idea, but she wasn’t listening to me.”

“You could have locked her up in your house.”

“I never would have gotten back in. Her dog would have seen to that. Besides, you were missing. I would take help from anyone to get you back. I’d already lost you once and I’m not about to go tell our mother that you were killed because I wouldn’t accept help that was offered. You may be that stupid but I’m not.”

“Damn it, she could have been hurt.” The thought of her lying there beaten, bleeding, worse, churned his stomach.

“She wasn’t. And let’s face it. If she hadn’t been there, you’d have a lot worse that a shoulder injury.”

“Stop being fucking logical, Davis,” he snarled. “You put my woman in harm’s way.”

“Your woman. That’s the second time you’ve called her that in minutes. Why are you yelling at me when she’s standing outside? If she’s yours, you may want to go tell her that because from what I was hearing she’s going to be leaving soon.”

New pain sliced into him. Pain from the thought of losing Leena. “I’m yelling at you because I can. This is on you for bringing her into this.”

Davis gave him a pointed look. “Fine. You want to blame me, do it. I’m telling you right now, I’d do it again the same way if that’s what it took to get you back. You don’t want to yell at her, that’s fine. Surely you could find some better use to put your anger to. Like, oh, I don’t know, bringing this family down and stopping Tiltman.”

“I have to go to the father. I have to deal with him.”

“What? No way.” Davis crossed his arms and scowled.

“I have to. Do you have a burner phone here?”

“Of course. But no, this is stupid. Despite everything you’re still a member of law enforcement.”

“And I have a family and my woman to protect. It’s going to be the only way. He’s not going to just leave me alone otherwise.” John glanced out the window to the backyard. Leena and Terri stood there talking. What about he wasn’t sure but he damn sure was positive he was in love with Leena. She was unlike any woman he’d met before. Unselfish, caring, passionate and a whole slew of other things that made her perfect. For him.

Jealousy had slapped him hard when he’d heard her talking to Mitch. The way his name rolled off her tongue had irritated him to no end. He understood she knew other men and that was okay, what wasn’t was the fact she was at his brother’s house after helping save him talking to another man with comfortable ease. And she hadn’t agreed to be John’s yet. That was his problem, he still didn’t have her.

“Give me fifteen minutes then I’ll be out to make a call and talk with you and Terri.” He went to the door and yanked it open. “Leena.”

She looked at him over her shoulder. The sun shone on her face, highlighting the ruddiness in her cheeks from the cold. “Yes?”

“Come in here. We are talking now.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him before looking back over the yard. “Was that an order or a request?”

“Leena,” he rumbled, his patience skating on thin ice.

Terri looked between them both, patted Leena on the shoulder and headed by him inside. Leena however, didn’t move anywhere. Just stood there, overlooking Argo as he rolled happily in the snow.

He walked to her side, shivering in the biting cold and clamped a hand around her arm. “Inside.”

The eyes that met his weren’t calm and gentle but were full of anger and spirit. “Let’s get something straight here. I don’t answer to you and if all you’re going to do is yell at me for what I did then stuff it. I don’t want to hear it. I did what I did and it’s over now. Let it go.”

“No way.”

He dipped his shoulder—his uninjured one—and lifted her over it. Body screaming in agony, he turned and carried her back in the house. Completely expecting Argo to attack him from behind for touching his owner, no attack came. Inside the heated house, he found both Davis and Terri staring at them.

“We’ll be back after we have our own discussion in private. Give us a few minutes.”

He marched to the back bedroom to Terri’s comment, “I bet it will be longer than a few moments.”

Alone in the room, he dropped her on the bed and blocked her in before she could scramble away and off the mattress.

“We’re not done.”

“We are if you insist on barking orders to me.” Her nose flared and she rolled her lower lip in her teeth briefly.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw you out there?”

“Probably the same as me when I saw that fucker shoot you?” She pushed against his chest, but he refused to back away. Instead he came closer, pressing her further into the mattress. “Move,” she ordered.

“No.” Behind the anger he witnessed the fear she tried so hard to hide from him and it softened the edge of his own fury. “I was scared, Leena. Scared for you. Scared for us. What if I lost you?”

“What are you talking about? I was safe, it’s not like I took down the guy with the gun. I wasn’t about to let you be killed not when they’d already tried it and I had to take care of you and heal you.”

The possessiveness dripping from her words had him smiling a little. “So, this was all about the need to save your handiwork?”

“That’s not all.”

He lowered his head until his lips brushed hers. “Then what else is it?”

“I didn’t want you hurt. I’m not that much of an ass.”

“You’re not an ass at all, Leena. Have a gorgeous one but you’re not one.” He kissed her, lightly on the lips. “Tell me.”

John needed to hear the words. Needed her to say he meant something to her, more than just a strange man she pulled from a freezing river, and that their time together had meaning.

“I care.”

Two words. Simple ones which held a wealth of meaning he wanted to explore for the rest of their lives. Christ, I’m waxing poetic. I’d marry her right here if she’d have me. Impulsive? Perhaps, but he meant it. He would without the slightest bit of hesitation.

“So do I,” he murmured before capturing her mouth.

Her moan poured into him as she wrapped her arms and legs around his midsection. He ground his cock against her core, wanting to be balls deep inside her heat where there wasn’t anything separating them. Skin on skin. Sweaty and sliding as he fucked her. As she rode him.

Hand between their bodies, he wiggled it down the interior of her pants, searching for her pussy. He brushed aside her damp panties and pushed two fingers inside her.

“John,” she groaned, rocking into his touch, bringing him deeper. Leena wound her fingers into his hair and tugged.

“I love the sound of my name from your lips. All gasps and like you’re out of breath.” He worked his fingers, her slit gripping him in the most incredible of ways.

“Please.” She pulled on his hair again.

“Please what? Tell me what you want.”

“You. I want you, John. Deep inside me. Fucking me, holding me, kissing me. I just want you.”

Putting aside the talk until later, he gave her what they both wanted. When he woke, more than an hour had passed. Argo lay on the floor by the bed and lifted his head as he climbed from the warmth of Leena’s body.

“Don’t give me that look, boy. You like me. You saved me.” Argo yawned showing off his impressive canines. John smiled. “Yeah, figured as much.” He crouched before the dog and patted him on the head. “Just so you know, I’m in love with her and I won’t hurt her.”

A single thump of the tail was all before Argo placed his head back to the carpet. John took it as his dismissal and went to get cleaned up. Dressed, he walked up to the living room where Davis and Terri sat each buried in their own thing. However, both looked up at him when he entered.

“Told you it would be more than a few minutes.” Terri’s smile brought one of his own. She glared at his brother. “You should take lessons from him, maybe then you’d not be scared to be with a real woman and not one of the fake ones you seem to prefer.”

Davis gripped the edges of the magazine he held tighter but avoided commenting. John cleared his throat. “Let’s get to work. I would like my life back.”

“And Leena?” Terri asked.

“Exhausted. Let her sleep.”

Terri gave him a thumb’s up and turned back to her computer with a, “Yep, so could use some lessons from your younger brother.”

John glanced at Davis whose face had so much strain on it, he wondered if the man was having a heart attack. “You okay?” he asked his sibling.

“Fine,” he forced out between clenched teeth. “Just fucking fine.”

John took a seat by Terri and watched her fingers fly over the keyboard. The end was in sight, he just had to line a few more things up, then make a call. And twenty minutes later, the phone was up to his ear.

“Who is this?” The heavily accented voice barked into the phone.

“This is John, the man you tried to have killed. Not just once, either. Face it, Wasyl, you’ll not get me. In fact, I’m bringing you down. You and the rest of your family.”

“You fuck. You tried to go after the wrong family.”

His laughter had as much joy in it as a man serving a life sentence in Hell. “No, your mistake was trying to kill me. I’m not a man you want as an enemy.”

“Neither am I, John. I brought you in, you were family. Now you will die.”

“I don’t think so. And if you continue trying to come after me, I will do to you what I did to your dumb ass of a youngest. Who thought he was not only smart enough but also man enough to add more injuries to me as I hung from a chain.”

“You will pay for that with your own life.” Anger streamed from his voice. “And don’t think I don’t know about the woman in Washington. The one who said she didn’t find you. Maybe she didn’t, but we like her for assisting you and so that means she will die.”

Ice coated John’s veins and he made a fist.

“No. I won’t. And if you don’t leave me alone and tell your men to back off, I will make you lose all your children. Not just that pussy boy of yours who’s already dead. You mess with anyone and I hear about it. I’ll take one of your children as retaliation.” He tried to calm down, grateful at least his voice didn’t shake. Fuckers had just crossed the line by threatening Leena. “When I run out of them, I’m going after your mistresses and wife. Then I will turn my attention to the rest of your family.”

“You’re a cop.”

“Not anymore. You killed me. I was ratted out and haven’t checked in, they’re assuming I’m dead. You know this. Tiltman is your inside man so if not him I’m sure another of your people have alerted you.”

“I could let them know.”

“And tell them what? That you spoke with a man who was undercover in your organization who just vanished and hasn’t checked in with his handler? How do you think that will play out? Don’t do that, I want to be there when the cuffs are slapped on.”

“You think I would spend any time in prison? I would be out before lights out. Plus, your prisons are like a trip to a beach. I know what real prison life is like. It’s nothing like it is here in America.”

“So, fight back, maybe a stray bullet will find you. Either way, you’re done and so is your organization.”

“You’re one man. What can you do?”

“Look in the desk drawer to your left.” John pushed away from the window and turned to glance at the woman still sleeping on the bed. “Do you see that? The ring? I put that there, you should recognize it, you gave it to me. If I can get into your place and by your security, I can get to you. Don’t test me on this, Wasyl. I was trying to do this right, but you threaten people and I’m done playing by the rules. I’ll be seeing you soon.” He hung up, releasing a shuddering breath.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was wrong to threaten the man, but he didn’t care. Not anymore. Davis would be safe, his mother was safe, but Leena. Hell, he’d take on the devil and all his minions to keep her protected.

“What did you do?” Leena opened her eyes.

“You heard?”

She sat, brushing a hand over her hair. “Yes. You threatened his family, his children.”

“He threatened you.” John crossed his arms, ignoring the wince in his shoulder.

She got up from the bed and approached him, stopping five feet away. “You’re not allowed to do that. You’re a cop.”

He shrugged, it wasn’t changing his mind. “He threatened you.”

“Ever think he was testing you? Trying to see if he could get a rise out of you?”

“It worked,” he snapped. “I’m not letting him hurt you.”

Davis and Terri stepped in the doorway and waited. “Everything okay in here?” his brother asked.

“No,” Leena replied. “Your brother just took it upon himself to threaten the bastard responsible for this mess. Not just him but his children as well.”

John noticed she didn’t mention anything about the child who was dead. His unease and anger ratcheted up another few notches. “He threatened you,” he reiterated.

“So what,” she hollered back. “You’re a cop. And, that’s not right.” Leena moved back and slipped around him before going between Davis and Terri only to vanish from sight. Terri followed leaving him alone with his brother.

“Got something to say?”

“Not a thing,” Davis assured him. “I’m with you. What do you need me to do?”

“He is going down, they all are. I need her safe until it’s done.”

Davis nodded. “I’ll do it.”

John sighed, grateful his brother was on his side in this instance. He knew that his moral code was strong and typically unflappable but for Davis to side with his brother meant the world to John.

“I’ll be ready in a minute.” He went to the kitchen where Leena stood by the counter. “What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t right. You know this.”

“Back to that damn line again?” He’d rip the thing out and burn it.

“It’s what separates the cops from the scum they are getting off the streets and protecting the rest of us from.”

“Is that what you tell yourself?”

She gaped at him like a fish out of water, blinked, and shook her head. “What are you talking about? You think that cops can do whatever the hell they want?”

“It’s not the same.”

“Sure it is. Doesn’t matter who it is, there’s always a line. And it’s a line that you don’t cross.”

“The hell I won’t.” He threw his hands up in the air and stomped the remaining distance to her. “Don’t you get that?” His voice ripped from his throat, ragged and graveled. “Damn it, Leena. There is no line when it comes to you. None. Never will be.”

Her eyes shone with unshed tears before she shook her head and walked out, Argo following closely.