[English] HOT SECRETS (Bí Mật nóng bỏng)

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“Royce... oh... ah…” She rose up on her elbows. ”Stop. This is unfair.”

He slid two fingers inside her and lifted his head. “You don’t want me to stop.” He licked her up and down. “Do you?”

“This is torture... oh hmmmm... you’re...”

“What was in your head when you came out of the bathroom?” he asked again, swirling her cl*t with his tongue.

“I... okay.” He pumped into her, stroked her. “Ah... okay… I’ll tell you. Just please don’t stop and I’ll tell you... after.” Her head dropped to the cushion. Royce sucked and licked her, his hand covering her breast, teasing her nipple. His finger pumped in her like he planned to do with his c**k again, and very soon. And when she spasmed around his fingers, he licked her and lavished her with soft caresses of his tongue until she collapsed, panting from release.

He settled her leg down beside him, and eased up her body. “I really need you inside me right now,” she whispered.

“No condom,” he said, unable to resist pressing the thick ridge of his erection in the silk heat of her ***. “And you owe me an explanation.”

“I’m on the pill, “she said. “So please. Now. I need you.”

A strange feeling expanded in his chest with the understanding that she’d been on the pill for her ex, for another man. Something possessive and uncomfortable that he’d never felt before. Something that made him need to feel her, to claim her.

He slid off the couch and took her with him, turning her to face the cushion, and spreading her *** with his fingers to enter her. He drove into her, hard and deep, when he’d never taken the ‘pill’ explanation from another woman. But she wasn’t another woman, and she wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever known. He wrapped his arm around her, squeezed her br**sts and pressed his lips to her ear.

“What happened when you came out of the bathroom?”

“Nothing,” she panted. “I just... wanted you.” She gasped as he sped his pace, pumping and thrusting, and twisting her nipple roughly.

She covered his hand with hers, dropped her head against him. “Oh God. It... you... I’m...” Her tight little *** grabbed a hold of him and squeezed.

He exploded inside her, groaning loudly with the force of it. Shaking until she had all he had to give, every last pump and drop of him.

When finally they were quiet, he didn’t let her go. He held her there. “Now, tell me.”

She buried her face in her hands. “There’s nothing to tell.”

He pulled out of her and grabbed his shirt, turning her to face him and giving it to her to dry off. He pressed his hands on the couch on either side of her, framing her body with his. “Talk to me, Lauren.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I’ve told you before. The truth. Say what you feel.”

“Confused. I feel confused. You went from one night stand to my private bodyguard.”

“You were never a one night stand to me, Lauren. But maybe that’s the problem. This has gone way farther than you wanted it to.” He started to move away. Damn, this woman had a hold on him that he didn’t understand.

She grabbed his arm. “No. No. It’s not that. I... I just don’t understand what we’re doing.”

“I thought we were getting to know each other. Apparently, I’m helping you work another man out of your system by way of ***.”

“Oh God, no, Royce. No. There isn’t anything to work out of my system.”

“He hurt you and messed with your head.”

“He did. You’re right. That doesn’t mean I’m using you. It means,” she inhaled and let in out, “it means you scare me. If this is just *** then I need it to just be ***. Clearly. Cut and dry. I don’t want to mix it in with conversation and pretend fluff to feel better about that.”

There it was. The truth. What she really felt, and he was damn glad she’d told him, that she hadn’t played games. That she had honesty in her. And what was he doing? Hiding things from her, lying to her. Anything he said to her now, she’d question later and he knew it. But he was in too deep to turn back. If he confessed, she’d kick him out, push him away, and he’d struggle to protect her.

Royce kissed her and then pushed her away to stand up and grab his pants. He stepped into them, and she blinked at him, looking dazed and confused. He yanked the blanket off the floor and crossed back to her, wrapping it around her and squatting in front of her.

“I need you covered before I try to prove to you this isn’t just ***. I want you, Lauren. I tried to resist and I was weak and if you sit there na**d I’ll be weak all over again. There’s something going on between us, and I know it’s happening fast, but I’m not sure there’s any other way two people as drawn to each other as we are can do things. This is new territory for me. I’m not the stay-the-weekend kind of guy, Lauren, but you have to kick me out if you want me to leave.”

“Because you’re trying to protect me. You’re law enforcement. It’s your nature.”

Those words punched him in the gut, because he knew they were a preview of what was to come, what she would think when he finally confessed his deal with her father.

“I have a staff,” he said. “I have resources. If I felt some obligation to protect you, I could put surveillance on you and you’d never know it.” He traced the delicate line of her jaw. “I’m here because I want to be. Because I thought you wanted me to be.”

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“I do,” she whispered. “I do want you to be here.”

“Good,” he said. “And if keeping our clothes on will prove to you that there’s more to this than that, then we will step back and start over slower. I won’t lie and say it won’t kill me, but I’ll happily take the couch if that’s what I need to do.”

She dropped the sheet and wrapped her arms around him, her soft curves pressed to his chest. “Only if I’m on it with you.”

His resistance lasted all of a few seconds before his arm wrapped around her body, his mouth closing down on hers, tasting her, drinking her in like a man weeks without water. And as she moaned into his mouth, as possessiveness he’d never felt for another woman ripped through him, he didn’t question the need to make her his. He simply knew she was the one woman he had to have, the one he’d never found until now. The one who was going to hate him before this was over. The one who would rip his heart out. And worst of all he was going to be the bastard who deserved it.

Chapter Eleven

Monday morning, after a weekend of pure bliss with Royce, Lauren stood in the kitchen holding a steaming cup of coffee, dressed in a tan fitted skirt and cream silk blouse, ready to start her work week. As much as she’d loved her escape with Royce, she’d bypassed work for movies, conversation, and a lot of unforgettable moments that required no clothing, and now she was behind.

Royce appeared in the archway, his dark hair tied at his nape, his jeans and t-shirt molded to delicious muscles she now knew intimately. “I’m driving you to work,” he said.

She should have been irritated about the command, but a few of his bedroom orders flashed in her mind – harder, faster, lick me – and her mouth went dry. Lauren set her cup on the kitchen counter. “You don’t have to take me to work.”

“Yes, I do.” He leaned on the archway, his shoulders taking up the entire tiny space.

She studied him, reading what he wasn’t saying, and nerves knotted her stomach. “Stop. Stop acting like a watchdog. You’re making me uptight. You’re making me think about the phone calls and the calendar pages. I can’t do my job if I can’t think straight.”

“You have to think about this, Lauren, and you have to look over your shoulder. And I’ll be looking too.”

“You can’t watch me all day, Royce. And even if you think you can, for how long? We didn’t get another call, or another calendar sheet, this weekend. Maybe it’s over. Maybe this person got their laughs and moved on. Or maybe you being with me scared them off.”

“No. He’s not tired. He’s not scared. He’s trying to get you to let down your guard.”

“You don’t know that. We don’t know anything at all. And you’re going to make me crazy.”

He closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. ”Just humor me for a few days and play things safe until I get some answers. I’ll drop you off at work and pick you up. That way I have an excuse to take you to dinner,” his lips curved, “and have you for dessert.”

“Bribery isn’t going to make this better.”

He laughed. “Bribery, huh?”

She couldn’t laugh. She couldn’t do anything with the invisible vise tightening on her chest. “I’ve been working criminal cases for years. I’ve had threats. I did with those what I told you I do with everything else. Threats, bloody pictures, and random body parts in bags. They are the same to me. I put them in this imaginary place in my mind, a box that I seal and don’t open unless I have to. It’s how I keep going.”

“I know,” he said. “If anyone gets that, it’s me. If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t push you on this. There’s something about the way this has all gone down that I don’t like. I need you to be on alert, and I need you to be cautious, until I figure out why.”

“Damn you, Royce. That just made me more on edge. I know to be careful. I’m always careful.”

“Curse me if you want,” he said. “Yell at me. Just do what I say.”

She let out a sigh. “What is it about me and controlling men? I’m drawn to them.” She stepped out of his reach. “Drive me if you must.” She tried to walk around him and he caught her arm. “Please don’t. Not now. And I know I’m probably being unfair but I just feel like everything is spinning out of control. I need some space to figure out where my head is.”

His eyes, so blue, so piercing, held hers, his expression unreadable, before he let her go. And God, she was so confused and conflicted, because she hated he let her go, when she’d just told him to.

***

Two hours after arriving to work, Lauren sat behind her simple steel public servant’s desk, in her box of an office. She and Royce had barely spoken on the way to her office and that had her just as crazy as everything else. He’d made her put his number and both of his brothers’ numbers in her phone, and told her not to leave the building. No kiss goodbye. Just a quick ‘I’ll call you later and check in.’

The intercom on Lauren’s desk buzzed and she jumped, silently cursing her edginess. She punched the button on her phone. “There is a Jonathan Wilkins here to see you,” came the familiar gravelly voice of her sixty-something year old assistant, Alice Harper. She cleared her throat and lowered her voice, “He’s very determined.”

Of course he was. His sister was about to go on trial for murder. She could only hope this was heading towards a confession. “Send him in.” Lauren leaned back in her chair and waited for her visitor but she didn’t, and wouldn’t, get up. Not with this particular visitor, whom she’d read the file on. She’d learned a long time ago that sitting behind a desk was as good as towering over a man. It proclaimed ownership of the room, it said she wasn’t intimated into standing. It worked with the more dominant types.

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Her door was open and it took all of sixty seconds for a strikingly large man, she knew to be thirty-six years old, to appear in the entryway. And true to his military duty, his hair was short, his jaw strong, his expression hard.

“Hello, Ms. Reynolds.”

There was something about the way he said her name, the way it came out almost like a threat, that set a warning bell ringing in her head. “Please, have a seat, Mr. Wilkins.”

For a moment, he stood there, so still, she almost thought he’d frozen in place, turned to stone, before he gave a surprisingly polite, “Thank you,” and claimed a visitor’s chair.

“I assume this is about your sister,” Lauren prodded, eager to get on with this. He was a time bomb she could almost hear ticking.

“I’ll cut to the chase,” he replied, bypassing a direct answer. “I know what Beverly did was wrong, but don’t you think you are being a bit harsh in your quest for the death penalty? I mean the woman was terrorized by her husband.”

Lauren leaned back in her chair, carefully schooling her features into an emotionless mask. “Have you talked to your sister’s attorney about this?”

He let out a bitter laugh. “Funny. That’s exactly what your father asked me.”

She cringed at the idea that her father had been dragged into this, but managed to clamp down on an obvious reaction. “My father is a State Senator. He can’t do anything to help your sister.”

His lips thinned. “So he says.” He shrugged. “I guess that means it’s all on you.”

“Unless you have new evidence to present, Mr. Wilkins, this case is in the jury’s hands.”

He leaned forward and pressed his hands onto the desk. “I’m Special Forces. I was away on a mission. I’m all she has since our father died last year. She married that bastard when I was in deep combat territory, and instead of taking care of her, he beat the crap out of her. Had I been here, things might have been different. Had I even known what was going on, things would have been different.”

“I can see how much this is upsetting you,” she said. “And I understand. But a man is dead and buried, Mr. Wilkins, and his family is in pain. They want his side of the story told.”

He pushed to his feet, his voice rising with him. “I let her down. She was desperate *****rvive. Don’t you understand her need to end the pure hell she was living? Do you have no heart, Ms. Reynolds?”

Her heart was what made her job both difficult and rewarding. The victim of this crime was dead, but his family painfully lived on. “Look, Mr. Wilkins. I want to help but I need new evidence. Something to clear your sister. Have your sister’s attorney call me. I’ll talk to him.”

He stared down at her, his jaw tight, his breathing a little too fast. “This isn’t over,” he said in a low, threatening voice, before turning and storming out of her office.

Stunned, Lauren read the threat he intended. She watched him leave, fingertips pressed to the top of her desk. It wasn’t until she heard the front lobby door slam that she realized she was holding her breath and her hand was shaking. She exhaled, rattled when she normally wouldn’t be. And she knew why. The calls, the calendar sheets. Royce’s paranoia over them. All those things were messing with her head and that meant whoever sent them was getting their way, and she didn’t want to give them that satisfaction. She had to shake this off.

Her intercom buzzed again and Lauren punched the button. “You okay in there?” Alice asked, concern in her voice.

“Yeah,” Lauren said. “I assume he’s gone?”

“Oh, he’s gone,” she said in a disgusted tone. “And he did so quite loudly.”

“I heard but I wanted to be sure.”

“I called the building security and alerted them when I heard him raise his voice in your office. And you have a call. Mark Reeves.”

Beverly’s attorney, and the timing was just too perfect. “Put him through,” she ground out through her teeth.

Alice transferred the call through, and Lauren answered, and she didn’t hold back, nor did she bother with ‘hello’. “Sending your client’s relatives over here to harass me into giving you a plea deal is not only not cool, it doesn’t seem like your style.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just got your message, and was returning your call.”

“I was returning your call from Friday,” she corrected. “And Jonathan Wilkins just paid me a delightful little visit. One that ended in a threat and a slammed door.”

“Ouch, Lauren. I’m sorry. I had nothing to do with that. I talked to him this morning and told him a deal wasn’t looking good for Beverly. He wasn’t happy.”

“No. No, he wasn’t. How about warning me when you have a loose cannon? We might not be on the same team, but we aren’t enemies.”

“He’s Special Ops. I thought he had more control than this. He’s just another reason to put this behind us. Let’s talk plea bargain and avoid the trial. Save us both a lot of time and headaches.”

“Not unless you’ve changed your last proposal.”

“The jury will be sympathetic to a battered woman,” he argued.

“You mean a cold blooded killer who meticulously planned her husband’s slow death. Poison has precedence in the courts. The death penalty is a strong possibility, and you know it.”

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“Wouldn’t you rather get a sure conviction than risk her walking? I’m good, and you know it. I’m willing to listen to any reasonable deal. Make me an offer.”

“First, let me say this, I’m good and you know it.” He chuckled into the phone as she added, “That said, you already know my offer, and that’s no offer.”

“And you know that’s not reasonable,” he argued. “Second degree with an established time period for possible parole. I can guarantee my client will accept if the parole period is reasonable.”

“You’re joking, right?” she said sharply. “I would never let her see parole. Forget it.”

“She’s young, a mother of two. Have some heart.”

“Life without parole,” Lauren countered.

“You can’t win a first degree charge and a death penalty sentencing.”

She clenched her teeth. “Then what are you worried about? If I overcharge then I’ll be the one with regrets. Think Casey Anthony. I am and I know I have the backup they didn’t *****pport my charges. And let me remind you about State vs. Norman. The wife killed her husband in his sleep stating she thought he would kill her when he woke. The Supreme Court said, “If we allowed this behavior, homicidal self-help”

“Would then become a lawful solution and perhaps the easiest and most effective solution to this problem.” He paused. “I am well aware of the ruling.”

“So you know I’ll win,” she stated with confidence.

“Juries are a fifty-fifty bet.” He sighed. “I can tell we are at a standstill.”

“I respect you, Mark. I know you believe in this woman, but you’re wrong on this one. I wish you weren’t, but you are.”

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he said. “Otherwise we’ll take our chances with the jury.”

“I guess we will.”

A few seconds later, they’d said their niceties and ended the call. Her buzzer went off immediately and that was how the next few hours went for her. When Lauren finally managed a breather, she intended to review a file, but instead found herself replaying the moment she’d dropped that sheet and pressed herself against Royce.

“What are you smiling about?”

Lauren’s gaze lifted to the doorway, to find Julie standing there, her simple black suit hugging her voluptuous curves, her long blonde hair resting on her shoulders. “I want details about this weekend.”

Lauren glanced at her watch to see if she had lost track of time. “I thought you were going to call me and make sure I could do lunch?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, that gave you a chance to say ‘no.’”

“It’s only eleven o’clock.”

“So?” Julie said, claiming the chair Beverly’s brother had been in earlier that morning. “It’s late enough to qualify as lunchtime.”

“I really need to work through lunch. Don’t you have any work to do?”

“No morning appointments. I delve into another divorce with the rich and famous again this afternoon. You know Gina Garrett?”

Lauren blinked. “The actress?”

“The one and only. My newest client among quite a few celebrities. Seems I’ve been named the attorney of choice when discretion is valued.”

Laughing, Lauren said, “Yeah, well, you’ve earned that. You are responsible for divorcing at least half a professional baseball team.”

“And quite discreetly, I might add.” They shared a laugh before Julie asked, “Can you at least go downstairs and have coffee with me?”

“I better not,” Lauren said reluctantly. A good talk with Julie would be well timed. She hadn’t told her about the calls or the calendar pages, because she knew Julie. Julie would call in the National Guard, but she needed to tell her. She needed her friend, but she was way behind on her trial prep. And then there was her promise to Royce to stay in the building. “Could you grab us some coffee and we can talk here? There’s actually a few things I’d rather talk about in private.”

Julie’s brows dipped. “Everything okay?”

“Not really. No. No, it’s not.”

“What did Royce do to you? Tell me now because I swear”

“He didn’t do anything,” Lauren said, foreseeing the National Guard call already. “It’s not Royce.”

Julie studied her a moment. “Okay. I’ll go get the coffee, and bring it to you so you can work until I get back.”

Giving in, Lauren motioned for Julie to go. “That’s good. And yes, I’ll be here when you get back, working, unlike some people I know.”

“Hey, you choose the type of law you do. I get paid well, and work less.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “So you remind me all too often.” She shooed her away. “Go, woman. Get the coffee.”

Julie disappeared, and Lauren began taking notes on her case until Alice buzzed her yet again. “Do I really want to know what this is about?” Lauren asked when she punched the button.

“No,” Alice said. “Which is why I should just anticipate your response and tell your caller you’re busy.”

“Who is it?”

“Roger.”

What the heck was her ex calling her for? “Tell him I left for lunch.” Lauren looked up to find Julie entering her office with two cups of coffee. “And just so you don’t have to lie, Alice,” she added, “I really am leaving.” To heck with staying in the building. She couldn’t act like a prisoner and stay sane.

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“Consider it handled,” Alice said. “And there’s a package for you up front.”

Probably the psychologist reviews for the upcoming trial. She already knew what it said. “I’ll pick it up on my way back from lunch.”

Julie’s brows dipped. “Now we’re going to lunch?”

Lauren pushed to her feet and grabbed her purse with one hand, the coffee with the other. “Yes. Roger just called. Somehow, just hearing his name made me claustrophobic.”

“What did that jerk want?” She shook her head.

“Every dime my father is worth,” she said. “The same thing he always wants.”

***

A few minutes later, Lauren stepped onto the street with Julie by her side, fighting guilt over leaving the building, telling herself this was nuts. She’d had threats before. They wouldn’t go away and she just had to lift her head and carry on. In fact, she had to look unruffled or she’d look like an easy target. Royce didn’t understand that, and she had to make him.

She chatted with Julie, telling her about her morning confrontation, when an uneasy feeling rushed over her. Damn it, she liked Royce, but he really was messing with her head. Feeling a sudden need to free her hands, she paused at a trash can and tossed her untouched coffee, then slid her purse strap across her shoulder and chest.

“That coffee cost me five bucks,” Julie complained. “You didn’t touch it.”

“It had a bitter taste.”

“Oh well, then I’ll complain when we go back to your building. Now, talk, girl. Details on Royce and now. If he’s as good as he looks, oh baby, I know what kind of weekend you had.”

Lauren struggled for a reply, distracted by a sense of being watched. “He’s different than other men I’ve know.”

“Different how?”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out,” Lauren said, stepping to a curb packed with pedestrians, the proverbial sardine can of New Yorkers this busy area created.

“You know I’m not going to accept that answer.”

The light remained red but people darted across the street anyway, dodging cars. “Yes, I know,” Lauren assured her, as several people shoved her and Julie.

Julie grabbed Lauren to keep from falling. “Damn New Yorkers.”

“We’re New Yorkers,” Lauren reminded her when a sharp burning sensation on her arm had her jerking to her left, to the many bodies surrounding her. “Ouch. Oh God.” Her hand flew to the point of discomfort, pain radiating from hand to shoulder. “Damn, damn.” She grabbed Julie’s arm. “Don’t cross. I need out of this crowd.” She moved away from the curb, with Julie on her heels.

“What happened?” Julie asked urgently. “What’s wrong?

“I don’t know.” Lauren lifted her arm to show Julie, and pulled at her sleeve, trying to see the damage, and finding a large burn hole in the material.

“Holy moly,” Julie said. “Some ass**le burned you with a cigarette. I swear it looks like someone shoved it at you and held it there. Your sleeve is too poofy for it to get to your skin easily.”

“Apparently it’s not.”

“We need to get you some ice quickly. Those kinds of burns hurt like a bitch. I know. My mom smokes and I landed at the end of her cigarette more than once as a kid.”

Lauren looked down at her throbbing arm, the pain growing with each passing second. The hole in her sleeve seemed overly large, and she suddenly wasn’t so sure this was an accident or a cigarette at all. “Ice.” Lauren agreed. “Yes. I need ice.”

“Damn cigarette smokers,” Julie muttered. “Why in the hell does a person light up in a crowd like that?” She paused, her brows dipping. “You okay, sweetie? You’re really pale.”

Nodding, Lauren tried a smile but failed. “It’s easing up,” she lied. “It felt like I got stuck with a huge pin or something only the prick never stopped hurting.”

Julie pulled back the silk of her shirt. “Dang Lauren, that burn is deep. I’m not sure it was a cigarette. Let’s grab a cab and go to the ER.”

“No,” Lauren said, knowing she couldn’t miss work before her trial. “I have some Advil in my purse, and I can get some ice at the restaurant. If it still hurts after that I’ll consider it. It’s feeling better already.”

Julie didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Only she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure at all.

***

Dirt Diver was already sitting at a corner table of Lauren’s favorite restaurant, out of her line of sight, when she and her friend walked in. Lauren was nothing, if not predictable.

He watched her slide into her booth, holding her arm where he’d taken his military issue mobile welder and scored her a new tattoo. Burned like hell, he bet. Well, that’s what the little bitch deserved. Tear her down, one piece at a time. That was Dirt Diver’s plan but it was proving so damn easy, even with her new boyfriend, that he was quickly becoming bored. He was going to fix that though. He was going to give himself a challenge and prove to her just how vulnerable she was, how much it sucked to feel like a victim that couldn’t escape her torture. Because he was that good. He could let her nestle down in the Walker Brothers’ castle, let her pull down her guard, and feel safe, and still destroy her.

It was time to turn this into a full-fledged nightmare for her.

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Chapter Twelve

Lauren sat in the corner booth of her favorite lunch spot, and instead of anticipating the first bite of the heavenly chocolate cake the place was famous for, she fantasized about the ice Julie was s****nging for her.

“Here you go,” Julie said, sliding into the seat across from Lauren. “Relief is here.”

Lauren held it to her arm. “Thank you.”

“No problem. And I ordered our usual. I wasn’t sure if you would be up to staying long, so I thought we should rush the food.”

Lauren felt the chill on her arm, a slow numbness easing the pain. “This helps.” Her attention locked on a familiar face. “Isn’t that David Sullivan?”

Julie turned in her seat. “Where?”

“Too late. You can’t see him anymore.” Lauren made a face. “Weird though. I know that was him. He looked right at me and pretended not to see me.”

Julie gave Lauren a hard stare. “Of course he did. You prosecuted the biggest case of his career, and he lost.”

“And so he avoids me?”

“He was passed over as partner after losing the case. I’m pretty sure he thinks you ruined his life.”

Lauren’s eyes went wide. “I did not ruin his life. That’s like blaming you for breaking up the marriages you legally dissolved.”

The waitress appeared and set their food down in front of them, forcing Julie to put her reply on hold. The minute the woman walked away, Julie leaned forward, her voice low. “Of course you didn’t ruin his life. But you know how people can be. They look for someone to blame and since I went out with one of his buddies a few years back, I happen to know he blames you. He’s a big blame thrower, that guy.” She stabbed a piece of chicken on top of her salad.

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew it would upset you, just like it clearly is. I knew you’d tear yourself up over it.”

This day was not going well. Her world felt like it was imploding on her. Her idea of getting out of the office, and not letting fear control her, certainly had backfired.

She shoved her plate aside, knowing she should have listened to Royce. “I’m going to the ladies' room.” She dropped the bag of ice on the table, and grabbed a napkin to soak up the water on her arm. “Get my salad to go, will you?”

Fortunately, the restroom was empty, and she had a few blessed moments alone. She dried her shirt the best she could, her mind a jumbled mess. It was hard enough to put someone on death row, regardless of their crime. She really didn’t need the added weight of other types of guilt. Like being told she'd ruined the life of her opposing counsel.

Several people funneled into the restroom, eyeing Lauren’s arm with interest. So much for her escape. She headed for the door, pushed it open, and ran straight into a hard wall of muscle, and when she might have flinched and pulled back, her nostrils flared with a familiar spicy scent of man.

“Royce,” she breathed out, relaxing into him. “Oh, thank God, it’s you.”

He guided her into a corner, hands settling on her waist. Reaching up he brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. “Julie said you were burned. Let me look at your arm.”

Lauren felt her lips quiver as she nodded. “You had me followed, didn’t you? That’s how you’re here?”

He glanced up at her. “Yes, and I’m pissed as hell that you left the building. However, I’ll save my lecturing – and there will be lecturing – for when we’re alone and you’re not in pain. But damn it, this isn’t a cigarette burn and this wasn’t an accident. What if he’d have used a knife under the cover of the crowd? You might not be here right now.”

He was right. She knew he was right. “I thought you were saving this until later?”

“I am. I’m not even close to saying everything I have to say.”

She let out a breath and let her lashes lower. “I deserve this. I was foolish.” She swallowed hard. “I didn’t want this to be real.” Her gaze lifted and then louder, “I didn’t want this to be real. I think... I was in denial.”

“You’re okay,” he said, his voice softening with understanding. “That’s all that matters. Right now, we need to get you to an ER.”

“No. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not, and we both know it. You’re scared. You’re hurt. We’re going to the ER.”

“I’ll end up in the newspaper.”’

”Then we’ll find a private doctor but you have to have this looked at.”

“I so don’t need this right before the trial, Royce. I’m behind. I’m not myself. I almost feel like I need to step aside, but it’s too late now, it would hurt the case.”

“Maybe that was the idea.”

***

Two hours later, Lauren and Royce were finally back at her apartment, and he was doing a walk through for safety. Lauren had called Julie and explained everything that was going on, and she had eagerly agreed to pick up Lauren’s work for her. She just hoped she arrived in time to get some work done. The day was all but lost and the pain meds were going to knock her out when she finally ****d and took them. As it was, the antibiotics were making her nauseous, which was probably because she hadn’t eaten at all.

Royce appeared in the hallway, and she felt a surge of relief when he gave her the ‘thumbs up’ to enter. She rushed forward and straight to her bedroom so she could change. She wanted out of the burned shirt so she could separate herself from threats and fears to focus on work.

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Royce followed her, leaning on the door frame as she dug in her drawer for her sweats. They’d had a fight when he’d driven her to the doctor’s office, rather than home. They’d barely spoken while they were there, but as her anger had faded, she felt him there, by her side, strong and comforting, and... it felt like a relationship. It felt... right.

She abandoned her drawer and sat down on the bed. “I’m sorry. I was such a witch earlier. “I just... ”

“Don’t move, Lauren,” Royce ordered sharply. “Don’t even breath.” He reached for his gun.

“What?” Lauren whispered urgently. “What’s happening?”

“I’m going to explain but do not, I repeat, do not react. Don’t move until I tell you to. Understand?” He was already closing in on her, one slow step at a time.

“Yes. Okay. Tell me!”

“There's a snake on your bed.”

***

Royce stopped in front of Lauren, but he didn’t look at her. He kept his eye on the snake, knowing it could easily be as deadly as it was unexpected. “Get ready to run. When I say to run, you get out of the apartment in case there are more snakes.”

“Yes... yes, okay.”

“I’ll count to three. One. Two. Three.” He shoved her aside and fired at the snake, but as he suspected, it moved and he missed. He grabbed a handful of the comforter and threw it over the snake and then fired over and over. He reloaded and yanked the comforter back, ready to fire, but thankfully, he didn’t have to. There was a pile of dead snake in the bed.

“Lauren,” he called, turning to find her standing in the doorway. “I told you to get out of here.” He grabbed her and started walking towards the door, getting her the hell out of here, all but dragging her to the hallway. “Are you trying to get yourself killed today?”

She held up her phone. “I was afraid you’d get bitten and seconds could mean life or death. You might be Mr. FBI, Royce Walker, but you can die just like the rest of us.”

He stared at her a moment, her words sinking in, and eating away at his anger. For the second time now, she’d tried to protect him. It defied anything he’d ever experienced with a woman and he liked how that felt.

He kissed her fast and hard on the lips. “Damn, I’m crazy about you, woman. Stay here, and since you often reinterpret my words to your own definition, that means don’t move.” He turned to go back inside, when a thought stopped him dead in his tracks.

He scrubbed his face and considered a moment, before dialing Luke. “Someone left Lauren a snake for a present. I need someone over here to make sure there aren’t any more.”

“Holy f**k,” Luke grumbled. “Is it poisonous?”

“I didn’t ask it before I killed it.” He glanced at Lauren. “But if it was, this is attempted murder.”

“No,” she mouthed. “No.”

“I’ll get someone over there right now,” Luke said.

“And get Julie to bring Lauren’s work, and some clothes, to my place. Lauren is coming home with me.” He hung up.

“Murder? You think someone just tried to kill me?”

“Or scare the hell out of you.” And he was going to make the SOB pay for it, too.

“It worked. It worked really well.”

“I know, baby,” he said, reaching for her and wrapping her in his arms. “We’re going to get this ass**le. You have my word. You just have to let me protect you. No more running off to lunch like you did today.”

“No more running off period. Seriously, Royce. I might be hard headed, but I’m not an idiot. I’m going to trust you completely from now on.”

She trusted him, and his secret pact with her father was going to be the poison that killed their relationship.

Chapter Thirteen

An hour later, Royce had Lauren back at his place, and she was soaking in his bathtub, na**d and trusting and everything he wanted in a woman, but just hadn’t known it. Until now. Until Lauren. And instead of being with her, showing her that, telling her that, he was a room away, pacing his living room while Luke lounged on his brown leather couch.

“This is absolute hell,” Royce murmured. “I’m lying to her and she trusts me. I have to talk to her.”

“Not now,” Luke said. “Not when she’s in danger. You don’t want her pushing you away and making it impossible to protect her. Besides, you left out information about her father,” Luke said, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees. “You didn’t lie. She’ll be upset, but she’ll get over it. It’s not like you slept with her best friend.”

“No. Ironically, you did.” He sat down on the arm of one of two leather chairs framing the couch, keeping an eye on the bedroom door directly across from him.

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that,” Luke said. “But since you brought up Julie, when I called her to have her bring over Lauren’s work, she told me that the attorney who defended Sheridan was at the restaurant today. She thought it was a strange coincidence. Apparently, the Sheridan loss spiraled into a career disaster he blames Lauren for. I’m going to see him tomorrow. I’ll send one of our guys to talk to Sheridan. A man about to be executed tends to get chatty.”

“What about Sheridan’s family?”

“There’s a brother, that’s it. I plan to check him out. There is also a woman.”

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Royce’s brow inched upward. “He killed his wife. What woman are we talking about?”

“Some chick that started writing him while he was in prison.”

“Ah,” Royce said. “Never have understood the jailhouse groupies. What’s your take on her?”

“I don’t think it’s much of a lead. She broke off contact with him some six months ago, and is even pregnant now with some other dude’s kid.”

“I’m not sure that means squat in the world we live in.”

“I’m going to check her out. But the way I see it, if Sheridan is involved, then he would probably have taken out a contract on Lauren. It’s cleaner.”

“Who says this isn’t a contract? Maybe whoever hired this guy wants Lauren played with before she’s killed. Maybe that’s why this attorney Sullivan was there today. He was watching when she got burned, eating up her fear.”

“I like it as a theory,” Luke agreed. “I’m sold on a professional for hire. This person, who I’m calling a man, but could be a woman, hasn’t made mistakes. He’s invisible, even with a camera on. He knows what he’s doing.” His cell phone rang and he answered it, his gaze going to Royce’s. “Yeah. Thanks.” He snapped the phone shut. “The snake wasn’t poisonous.”

“So, this guy’s playing with her.”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “But there’s more. The place was a regular radio shack. He’s been watching her, recording her.”

“Sonofabitch,” Royce cursed. “Don’t tell her that. She’s scared enough. I should have guessed that. I mean, he got in for the snake. He had full access.”

“We finally have a potential motive, a way the senator might fit into this,” Luke said. “Get images of Lauren undressing, or doing any number of things, and then uses them to get something from the senator.”

Royce’s jaw tensed. “Images of me with Lauren. I handed this guy ammunition, if that is even what this is about. He could be a sick bastard who’s obsessed with her, and he’s made getting to her look like child’s play.”

“Which leads me to a manpower issue. Blake’s dealing with the Rhode Island airport contract, so until he returns, I’m limited to what I can do. I need to bring one of our guys in on this. Kyle, Rick, and Daniel are free. Jesse is also free. Tommy and Daniel are both booked. Kyle dealt with the snakes and he’s a tech expert. He’s already involved.”

“Kyle,” he agreed. “I’ve known him for years. We worked together at the agency. He’ll keep his mouth shut.”

“Give me Rick, too. He can chase some of the pieces I’m putting together on the senator.”

“Do it,” Royce said. “We don’t have time to spare.”

The door to the master bedroom, which sat just off the main living room, and directly in front of Royce, squeaked open. Lauren stepped into the room, and damn if his c**k didn’t twitch at the sight of her in his t-shirt and oversized sweats. The darn things were rolled up at the knees and hanging on her, and yet, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her look ***ier.

She walked to the opposite chair and settled her hands on top. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“No,” Luke said, smiling. “Nothing private in this family.” The doorbell rang and Royce didn’t miss the subtle tension that rolled through his brother, before Luke stood up. “It’s probably Julie. I’ll let her in on my way out.”

Lauren rounded the chair and sat down. “She acts just as odd when his name comes up.”

“You noticed that,” he said.

She nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

“Hello, hello,” Julie called, appearing with a box in hand. “I left a suitcase by the door with clothes and other important girl stuff.” She hurried forward and left the rather large box on the coffee table, then gave Lauren a once over “But then who needs clothes when you can wear Royce’s?” She laughed. “You look like a kid wearing grown up clothes.” She sat down on the couch and glanced at Royce. “You are a big ol’ boy aren’t you? Better to kill snakes, I suppose.” She eyed Lauren. “Maybe you should have him pay a visit to that angry dude Alice said visited you today.”

“What angry ‘dude’?” Royce asked, his gaze colliding with Lauren’s. “And why don’t I know about him?”

“I haven’t had time to tell you.”

“Ah, hmmm,” Julie said. “I was just trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I”

“You have to make time, Lauren,” Royce growled. “Someone could well be trying to kill you.”

“Don’t, Royce,” Lauren said tightly. “Not now.”

“Now,” he insisted.

She inhaled and let it out. “He’s the brother of the woman I’m prosecuting for the poisoning. He got pretty nasty. He”

“Name,” Royce said.

Her jaw tensed. “Jonathan Wilkins, and you’re acting like a ****man.”

“A ****man trying to keep you alive. This escalated to way beyond a few phone calls today, Lauren. Did he threaten you?”

“No. Not really. He was just very aggressive. Family members get that way, Royce. I’m used to it.”

“Did you feel threatened?” he asked.

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She hesitated. “I was on edge.”

“Did you feel threatened?”

“Damn it, yes, but I told you. I was on edge. It wasn’t long after we had our little,” she stopped herself mid-sentence. “It was right after you dropped me at work.”

He pushed to his feet. “Make time to tell me these things, Lauren. One mistake, one missed clue, could be critical. I’m going to talk to Luke. Don’t open the door to anyone.” He glanced at Julie. “Knock on Luke’s door before you leave. I don’t want you walking to your car alone.” He headed for the door, not giving her a chance to answer.

“Wow,” he heard Julie say softly, but not soft enough. “He’s a big ***y, grizzly alpha of a man, isn’t he? I know how the ***y is working out for you, but how’s the grizzly alpha thing going?”

Royce didn’t allow himself to hear the answer, he couldn’t risk the distraction, or his reaction. He pushed open the door and locked it before pulling it shut, with one focus. Protecting Lauren, so that when this was over, she could scream and shout and kick him to the curb if she so wished. All that mattered was keeping her safe and alive.

***

After spending a good hour that she should have been working talking with Julie, Lauren dived into her work, ignoring the rumble of her stomach and the throb of her arm. The Advil Julie had brought her had worked all of half an hour, so she popped some aspirin she found in Royce’s bathroom cabinet. She had to try and get some work done before she took the more powerful pain medication the doctor had given her.

She picked up the box of her work from the coffee table and walked to the large oak desk that set just off the living area, and by the kitchen door. She set it down at her feet and started pulling out her files, remarkably comfortable in her ***y grizzly alpha’s home. She smiled at Julie’s creative description, thankful for a good friend who could make a smile possible at a time like this. Lauren wasn’t sure who was more surprised, her or Julie, over just how much Lauren liked her alpha male’s alpha side.

A loud sound filled the silence of the room and Lauren jumped to her feet, her heart thundering in her ears, to scan the room. The sound clamored again and her gaze riveted to the fireplace opposite the couch, air rushing from her lungs. It was the clock above the mantel chiming. Oh yeah, she was rattled all right. She sank back to the leather chair beneath her and wished Royce would return. Alone wasn’t all that appealing right now. She unloaded her files onto the desk, deciding work would be the best distraction, but pausing at the smaller letter sized flat box Alice had told her about.

She sighed and snatched a letter opener to break the seal down the middle. Though she knew what the reports were supposed to say, she never took a verbal as final when headed into trial. She flipped open the double-sided lid and stared at the contents, her heart dropping to her stomach. A calendar page lay on top with today’s date marked off.

“Don’t touch it,” she whispered to herself and stood up, afraid something was going to explode or bite her or... she took off running for the door. Once she was there, she fumbled with the lock. “Damn, damn open!” It jerked towards her and she burst into the hallway, her bare feet padding on the wooden floor, as she started yelling, “Royce! Royce!”

The door down the hallway opened and Luke appeared, rushing towards her, grabbing hold of her, and pulling a gun from somewhere. “Talk to me, Lauren. What’s happening?”

“Lauren!” Royce shouted charging up the stairwell.

Lauren tore herself away from Luke and threw herself at Royce. He folded her into his big, powerful arms. “Package,” she managed to get out. “There’s a package. It was delivered to my office and Julie brought it and I opened it...”

“What’s inside?” he demanded quickly.

“A calendar page and I don’t know what else. I didn’t touch it. What does this person want from me? Why won’t they just leave me alone?”

“Where is it?” Luke asked from behind her.

Lauren turned in time to see Luke holster his gun at his ankle, under his pants. “The desk. It’s open on the desk.”

He lifted his chin at Royce. “I’ll check it out.”

“Be careful,” Lauren said. “Please be careful, Luke.”

“Careful is my middle name.”

“He’ll be okay,” Royce said, pulling her against him. “And so will you.”

Lauren melted into Royce, and for the first time in her life, she felt more secure in a man’s arms than she did on her own.

Chapter Fourteen

Thirty minutes after the discovery of the box, Lauren stood in Royce’s kitchen, staring at the twenty newspaper clippings from her various trials, all spread out on the table.

“Is there anything in all of this that rings a bell?” Royce asked. “There’s a message here. We need to try to understand what it is.”

Lauren sank down into a chair and pressed her hands to the side of her face. “Other than he’s been watching me for a long time and wants me to know, no. Nothing else comes to mind. They’re random trials over the course of years.”

“Are they all after the Sheridan trial?” Luke asked.

“Sheridan was one of my first cases,” she said. “So yes. These are all after Sheridan. As you can see, I’ve put plenty of people behind bars that probably hate me. Heck, if I get through this, there could easily be another.”

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“Which is why we aren’t going to the police,” Royce said. “They won’t be much help and we don’t want to give anyone else the idea of lashing out at you.”

“Maybe this was to confuse us,” Luke said. “To give us a lot of suspects.”

“I’ve never questioned why I do what I do,” Lauren said. “Not until now. Now... I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. How do I live like this?” She laughed without humor. “This is the payment I get for putting criminals behind bars? Stalked and threatened and twisted in knots? What if I had kids or siblings or a husband? I’d be terrified they’d be in danger. Maybe my father is right. Maybe this is fool’s work.”

Royce squatted down beside her. “You're one of the brave and caring people who try to make a difference in this world. There is nothing foolish about that.”

Luke cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

Lauren looked at him. “Thank you for everything you are doing, Luke. I mean that. You don’t have to help me, but you are.”

He gave her a bow. “My pleasure. And for the record, I’m with Royce. You’re brave. Stay that way. Don’t give into the monsters or they’ll take over.”

“Oh, God. Julie. What if he targets Julie?”

“I already thought of that,” Luke said. “I have her being watched.”

Lauren sighed. “Oh, thank you, Luke.”

He gave her a salute and headed out of the kitchen.

“I’m going to make you something to eat,” Royce said. “Then you’re going to take a pain pill and sleep.”

“I’m too tired to be hungry.”

“You need to eat a little something.” He kissed the tip of her nose. The phone on the wall rang and he smiled. “Some of us still use our house phones.”

“I plan to rip mine out of the wall.” The phone kept ringing. “Are you going to answer it?”

“I have a machine.” He pushed to his feet. ”And feeding you is more important. I have sandwiches and not much else though, I’m afraid.” The machine beeped. “Royce, call your mother. Why don’t you ever answer your phone?” He backed up and grabbed the receiver, before saying, “I told you I never answer this phone. You have to call my cell.”

Lauren smiled weakly, feeling a punch in her gut, a bit of envy. What she wouldn’t do to have her mother alive right now. She turned back to the table, pulling one of the clippings forward, and started reading before moving to the next.

Before she knew what was happening, Royce was sitting down next to her and there were plates on the table. “I didn’t even know when you got off the phone.”

“Or when I asked you if ham and Swiss was okay,” he commented.

“I just kept reading and thinking I’d find something in one of the clippings that would set off a light bulb.” She took a bite of the sandwich and then reached for the soda Royce had apparently set in front of her as well.

“And while you’re thinking about that, you aren’t thinking about your current case.”

“So you think it’s about my current case?”

“In my experience, the obvious usually is the right choice. The rest is a distraction.”

“So what do I do?”

“You go to sleep tonight and you wake up fresh and you win this case. I’ll take you to work and I’ll have people watching you while Luke and I dig into ending this once and for all. Luke was right, Lauren. You can’t let this monster, or any for that matter, win. You do your thing, sweetheart, and I’ll do mine. We’ll get our man and you’ll get your conviction.”

Lauren felt her eyes prickle and tears well by her lashes.

“Wow,” Royce said, pulling her into his lap and thumbing away her tears. “What just happened?”

“I don’t know. I’m tired. I’m not even a crier. You and your family are so close, and so good to me.” She pressed her hand to his cheek. “No one but my mother and Julie has ever told me to fight for what I believe in and they’d fight with me. Never.”

“And never has a woman made me want to be there for her like you do, Lauren.” He kissed her, tasted her tears and her fears, and her passion, and admitted what he’d known from that first night with her. He was falling in love.

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her face in his neck as he carried her to his bedroom. His bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and stripped her naked, kissing her, touching her, taking his time to properly make love to her. And when he finally entered her, when their eyes locked, he knew that not only was he going to fight by her side, he was going to fight to make her his woman.

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, Royce pulled to the curb in front of Lauren’s building, making sure she was safely at work before he set off into action. Sitting outside Lauren’s building while she worked wasn’t going to end this for her.

“Remember, I have two men already in position here at the building. You have both of their numbers in auto-dial. Be aware of what’s going on but don’t let it consume you. You’re safe.” He glanced down at the deep cle**age of the emerald blouse she wore under a black suit. “From everyone but me.”

She tugged at the blouse. “Leave it to Julie to bring me the most inappropriate clothes she owns. I’ll be pinning this shut.”