I'd told her I was coming back for her, but did she really understand what that meant? Did she know that I intend to keep her? Because I'd left her before we could solidify things, there was no telling what was going through her mind. She's smart enough though to know that our one night together wouldn't end there. I'm aware of what she thinks of what she calls my womanizing playboy ways. Maybe she thinks this is just more of the same. Well I'm back now and she'll soon learn different. I smiled to myself as I ran a towel over my hair while walking through to my office. The flashing light on my message machine brought me up short. Shit, I hadn't spoken to the other woman in my life in three days either. Mom could wait. I'll catch her in the morning. It didn't matter when I called anyway. At this point she was still going to give me shit. I switched on the monitor with a stupid smile on my face and my heart beating out of time. It felt like forever since I'd seen her, and
I'm sure the vision would've haunted me for the rest of my life. As it stands, I don't think I'll ever forget this either, but at least I was spared that atrocity. I didn't need my imagination to remind me of just what he would've felt as he...fuck this. I made my way to the bedroom with my weapon drawn. I guess I knew what I was going to do after all. I'll think about cleanup later, right now I wanted to make her pay. I barely spared Cierra's sleeping form, a glance before making my way to the other side of the bed. I'll deal with her cheating ass later. I pressed my gun to his head, wondering what kind of man slept with the covers pulled up over his head like a bitch. My whistle in the still of the night followed by the sudden feel of cold hard steel against the back of his head soon roused him, and Cierra wasn't far behind. "Get the fuck up.""Hank?" She was rubbing her eyes and blinking from the glare of the light I had trained on them. "Quiet, I'll deal
She settled back in her seat with her hand held firmly in mine and dozed off. I felt at ease, relaxed, go figure. I haven't felt peaceful since I learned what went on behind the scenes in the world. I looked between her and the road as I drove, not believing the ups and downs of the last hour. How could life change on a dime like this? In my world life was about order, everything in its place. There was no room for mistakes and second-guesses. What if I'd pulled the trigger? What if I'd led with anger, as was my first intent? I could've harmed her. I squeezed her hand with a quick look at her sleeping face and settled myself. It was over, she hadn't betrayed me, she was still my woman; I don't have to destroy her after all. I hope to fuck I never experience anything like that shit again. Too close, too fucking close. I'd learned one thing though, since it seems I can't handle the idea of her with someone else, I'm going to have to make moves to claim her completely bef
She was perfection. We were perfection together. Her pussy grabbed my cock like it was made to fit me, only me. The thought of losing this, giving it up for any reason was anathema. All the rash emotions I'd felt earlier came rushing back and I appreciated just how close I'd come to losing her before we'd even had the chance to... I stopped moving and waited until she did the same. I had something to say and I needed her full attention so there would be no mistake going forward. "If you ever give what's mine to someone else I'll kill you. If you ever even think of it it'll be the same. I came damn close tonight and, I don't ever want to visit that place again in this fucking lifetime. So I repeat, don't ever betray me Cierra. Nod your head so I know you understand." I eased up on my hold around her neck and waited for her to obey. She nodded her head and I leaned over to take her lips, pushing my cock deep inside her while playing her clit with my thumb. Her pu
For someone who'd always looked at love and people's variations of it as nothing more than fables, it's quite a shock to find out that shit is real. I've seen grown ass men, men I respect, namely my brothers; lose their fucking minds over their women. I love my nieces and nephews, even my sisters in law and of course my parents, but it was nothing compared to what had been unleashed inside me these last few weeks. I knew without a doubt that I would fight heaven and earth to keep her. I won't let anything stand in my way, I couldn't. Not like I had a choice, it didn't feel like I did. Being new to this fucked up game, I feel like I'm playing keep up or some shit. There is only one thing I am absolutely sure of, that she's mine. I've never been more certain of anything in my life. With that said, there's only one course of action; making that shit real and that means telling her boss to get fucked. I have no problem doing just that, but my prickly pear would most likely
I left his office and headed for my boat. I do some of my best thinking there and I had a fuck load on my mind. I didn't call her though I was tempted. She had a lot to deal with too. Life changing decisions that I was more than willing to make for her if she didn't come to the conclusion I want. But she was never far from my thoughts. Besides, I planned to have her in my bed tonight anyway, and if I could talk her into it, taking a few days off to spend with me. I need to call ma, which I'd put off long enough. She's been good so far but unless I wanted her to encamp on my doorstep I'd better touch base with her soon. I'm pretty sure she knew I was back, because my brothers have bitch teeth and their wives are worse. Once I boarded the boat I headed straight for the phone and braced myself for the shaming I was sure was about to come and dialed her number. "Hank Mancini, this is the limit. How long this time? Did you even remember that you have a mother? One who worr
No, I can't believe this of her. The more my heart told me this, the louder the voice in my head shouted that it was the only thing that made any sense. Is this what I had to look forward to if I decided to make a life with her? The thought pissed me the fuck off. I refuse to live the rest of my life with suspicion and uncertainty, especially in my fucking bed. What bothered me the most was if this was true, then she'd undermined everything I'd worked for all these years. I wasn't worried about anyone else learning that she'd played me for a fool. I cared more about the fact that I'd start second guessing myself from now on if it turned out to be true. How can I be trusted with the lives of the people who depended on me to keep them safe if I was dumb enough to be taken in? I could come right out and ask her. That day she was here we weren't an item yet. Maybe she didn't see anything wrong with doing it then but now...No. I took a deep breath and did what I should've d
Something's wrong, I can feel it but he's not saying anything. He's back to being the guy half the agencies of the world are after. In the last day and a half he'd shown me a different side to him, a softer side, if you can call anything about him soft. But tonight he's even more withdrawn than when we first met. There's an air of danger about him. And the way he looks at me; as if he's no longer seeing me, like I'm not even there. The pain in my gut grew with each minute I spent sitting across from him. He wasn't even talking to me so I don't know why he brought me to dinner. I was growing increasingly nervous as well. Funny, I hadn't been this nervous the first time I'd gone into his place with the express purpose of catching his attention. Then I didn't know him as well as I thought. Though I'd had doubts even then that he was what they said, I still believed he was a dangerous animal. I now know that to be true without a doubt. The man had busted down my door gun d
Christmas in New York! I'd spent the last week showing her the city. I had no idea the stalwart special agent was into this fluffy shit until I heard her giggle like a little girl each time her new sisters brought up Rockefeller Center and the abominable tree. Shit I hadn't even thought of doing in years was now on the menu. When she wasn't dragging my ass all over the city I was parked at my parents' house or one of my brothers. Ma is in heaven. She had them all eating out of her hand, the little sneak and I dared not piss her off or I'd have four angry women on my ass with their shit. She hadn't quite forgiven me for going to see Durant behind her back, and now she had something else to be pissed about. This was the third morning she'd puked up her guts and I'd finally told her that I'd fucked up her birth control. Durant to spite me, refused to put her ass behind a desk, so I found the next best way to get her there. Now I had her impaled on my cock with her
Oh good gracious, crazy man on the loose. He all but dragged me out of the restaurant and I didn't have time to say hello to the young man whom I'd finally remembered. He was an up and coming agent, we'd worked indirectly on a program together a few months earlier and that's why I'd had a hard time placing him. Minimal contact. Things had cooled a little during lunch but I felt his tension once we were leaving and we passed the table. He hadn't said two words to me on the way back to the hotel and I could feel a different kind of tension in the air when he dragged me into the elevator and pulled me down the hallway and into the room. He'd never touched me like this, with that sense of desperation. I didn't complain when he tore my nice blouse or at the way he dragged my slacks off and threw them. I did make a little squeak when he threw me to the bed and came down on top of me. He's so fiercely intense always, that sometimes I'm afraid he'd consume me with all h
I didn't even break a sweat when I drove into the enemy camp. The jovial, laid back husband was gone and in his place was a man ready to tear someone's throat out through their ass. I walked into the building like I knew where I was going, like I'd done it a thousand times. It was surreal to see my face on fucking posters all over the place. These fucks are demented. I ignored the stares and whispers as I headed to the big man's office."I'm here to see Durant." I stopped long enough to tell the secretary in the outer office but didn't wait for her reply."Sir wait you can't go in there." I opened the door and walked in on some kind of meeting. The man himself stood up from behind his desk. I could see surprise written all over his face but he wasn't prepared. "Mancini, what the hell do you want?" That's the best you can do after hunting my ass for ten years?I walked up until I was in his face or as close as I could get with the slab of mahogany between us. The
I covered her head and upper body with mine as glass flew and bullets rained down around us. I'm not one for emotion in the middle of battle, but the fucker was dead, he shot at my fucking wife. What the fuck! I waited for another break in the action and then with my body shielding hers, got her back to my car. "Hank I have to stay with my partner.""Stay your ass in this car I'll be right back." I went around the other side from where we'd come and looked for an opening. The shots had come from outside, closer to the water. There was still a good chance no one was inside with the girl if she was still here. The asshole agent was still out there where I'd left him I was guessing; amateur.I found a door and worked to pry it open. Inside the place was cavernous and the only light came from the moon and the stars through the filthy windows. I didn't have time to comb the place so I closed my eyes and opened up my senses. The first floor was too obvious so I ma
I sat in the room he offered and waited. It wasn't long before he came back with the kid in tow. "I'll take it from here thanks." He huffed a little but closed the door behind him when he left. The kid looked like he was about to shit his pants and I hadn't even started yet. I walked around his chair and stood behind him, crowding him. An old interrogation tactic to put him off center. I wanted his nerves shot by the time I asked him the first question. "Are you ready to go to jail for the rest of your life?" He turned his head and opened his mouth to speak but I shushed him. "Before you say anything, think very carefully. In another hour or so, your friend Sven is going to be released to his parents, leaving you and your little cousin holding the bag. His parents are already making plans to get him off the island and who knows where he'd go into hiding." I didn't know that for sure but I know how that type works. The truth is, unless this was a horse and pony s
I accepted the new information he brought and looked over all the Intel they'd gathered thus far. My mind was already processing and discarding. "You've checked the whole island and you've had divers out there already." I said it more like a statement. "Yes, that's protocol in a situation like this. Plus there were a few sightings near the beach." "What about these boys she was seen with?""There's nothing there." Not the question. I looked up from the report I was reading over and stared him down. "You have these boys in holding?" He didn't like the question and I quite frankly didn't give a fuck. "Yes, but we can't hold them for much longer. Without any evidence of foul play, you know..." Yes I know only too well. Another reason I resent the fuck out of law enforcement. They cater more to the criminal than the victim. Thank fuck I don't suffer from that stupidity. "And why have you come to the conclusion that they're not involved?" I almost expected him to
I leapt off the bed and headed for the closet where I kept my travel kit with everything I could possibly need for a job. "How long?" I didn't have to iterate, I knew he'd read between the lines."Four hours. She went on holiday with some kids from college. They went out on the town and she just disappeared from the club they went to. The girls didn't take any chances and sounded the alarm right away so at least we have that on our side." "The plane's ready I presume.""Yes, Tony has the location, you're heading to Bonaire. I don't have to tell you how important this is to me. Cassandra is a flighty little thing but she's dear to my heart. Bring her home Hank." "Send me everything you have." There had been a batch of murders involving cruise ships in the last couple years. Something not many people knew about since it wasn't broadcasted for obvious reasons. The assholes that be, were more interested in the money tourism brought in than preserving lives. I
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" I was dancing ma around the makeshift dance floor under the marquee she'd had set up in the garden behind the family home. The wedding I'd expected to have at the most ten people had turned into about seventy-five. Don't ask. Since Cierra had no real family, Gracie was her only guest and the rest were distant relatives and friends of the family that ma had dug up from somewhere. "No, it came together quite well for all the notice you gave me.""You loved it. I had no doubt that you could do it." I kissed her cheek and spun her around, making her laugh like a little girl. "She's lovely Hank, I'm proud of you.""How come?" That was an odd thing to say."Because for the longest time I despaired of you ever finding the right girl and settling down. The girls and I had many discussions about it and we all agreed, you were a mess when it comes to women." "What girls? Sabra and Star?" Figures. "And what was wrong with the women I
Whatever, I'll just have to talk her into staying put in the city. We pulled into the short driveway of the ranch style house just as the sun was going down. A middle-aged man came to the door and looked out. I would've known him anywhere since I'd spent a lot of time researching all the players in this game. I probably had a better dossier on them than they had on me, something for which I was eternally grateful since it was about to come in handy. He recognized me as soon as I stepped out the car and I could see the indecision written on his face. Fucker wanted to go inside and slam the door in my face, but the intrigue of my very presence kept him where he was. "I'm guessing no introductions are necessary, but you might be wondering what I'm doing here.""You could say that. What is this? Have you come to turn yourself in?" He grinned in a way only a demented spook could but I didn't return it."No." I let that sink in until the stupid look dropped off his face.