by Tori Fox
“Why would you even ask that?”
“Why else would you let her move in?”
I walk right up to her and get in her face. “I don’t.”
“You kissed her.”
“It was an accident.” I growl.
She pokes me in the chest hard with her callused finger. “And how do I know there haven’t been other accidents when I was in Nashville?”
I throw my head back, annoyed. “There weren’t.”
I can see her grind her teeth and I can tell she doesn’t believe me.
“I’m sick of having this conversation with you,” I mutter, immediately regretting the words.
“Well I’m sick of you,” she snaps.
“Don’t say that.”
“Or what?”
“Or…” I don’t know what to say but the thought of her leaving pisses me off. I don’t think and just smash my mouth to hers.
I think she is going to push me off her but she pulls me in closer devouring me with an all-consuming kiss.
We are animals as we go at each other. She pulls at my shirt, ripping the neck. I push hers over her head, unclasping her bra as my mouth goes to her rose-colored nipples.
Her hands are at my jeans, forcing them down. I kick them aside as I push her on the bed facedown, pulling her yoga pants off in the process. I rip her thong off and throw it to the side, it’s damp and I know she is turned on as much as I am. I push her thighs apart and plunge inside of her in one hard stroke. She screams as I enter her, my name a welcome sound on those lips. I don’t go slow, I don’t take my time, I’m relentless as I pound into her glorious pussy.
Her hands are stretched on the bed in front of her, gripping the sheets with white knuckles as I give her everything I’ve got.
“Harder, Noah. I need to feel all of you.”
I lean over her back and growl in her ear as I thrust into her harder. She pushes back against me, the sound of our bodies smack against each other writing their own song.
“Wildflower,” I whisper into her ear. That’s all it takes for her to come. I feel her pulse against my dick and I follow her, spilling everything I have inside of her.
I pull out of her and flip her over. She has a goofy grin on her face and I can’t help but kiss it off. She pulls me on top of her, her legs wrapping around my thighs. I trail kisses down her neck and across her collarbone as her hands scratch down my nape and back.
“Was that make-up sex?” She giggles.
I chuckle into her throat as my hands make their way down her body. “Ugh, yeah. I told you you’d know.”
“Mmm. We should fight more often.”
I throw my head back and laugh as I pull back and sit on my knees. “I think we’ve fought enough the last few weeks.”
“Noah,” she says softly, her hands trailing down my abs. “I didn’t mean it. Any of it. I don’t want to wait for you. I’m not sick of you. I know you didn’t have sex—”
“Shh.” I place a finger over her lips. “I know.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Mayberry. Forever.”
She pulls me back down into a needy kiss that turns into a slow and gentle lovemaking session.
Once we are finally sated, I open up to Anna and tell her everything I should have told her from the start. And Anna tells me all about Nashville. We talk long into the night getting distracted by our naked bodies too many times to count.
When we wake up the next morning, Anna is folded into my arms, her hazel eyes boring into me. I trace a finger down her face and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be spending forever with this woman. I want to be with her for the rest of my life. She makes me a better man. She’s already helped me let go of the past even when it came back to fight me. I want a family with her. I want to hang pictures of us on the walls in our home. I want our kids running around in the back yard with Brutus as we have all my brothers over for a family barbeque. I want it all because she is the song to my soul.
28
Anna
I sit in the studio with Mason and Darnell. We want to get one last recording session in before Dee leaves for tour with his band. After everything that happened between Noah and I, a song came pouring out of me. And I think it might be the one. The perfect song. I sent Austin a snippet of it a few days ago and he went bananas over it. He didn’t think I could do better than what I wrote in Nashville but I proved him wrong.
It’s been a week since I finally gave in to Noah and moved back in. He wasn’t wrong when he said Claire would be gone soon. Two days after we had that incredible make-up sex, which like he said I would know when it happened, and I plan on picking fights with him a lot more, Claire moved out. Actually, she was escorted back to New York by a detective. Apparently she bought a second identity to cover up the money laundering and fraud she was doing through a company she worked for and used her status of being married to a huge investment banker as a cover. I knew she was fucking crazy. Not to mention her real husband, who knows if the marriage was even legal, said she was bipolar and had been off her meds.
We still haven’t found out who sent me the notes. But I have yet to receive one since Claire left. Noah said it wasn’t her but I can’t be so sure. The serial killer Noah was searching for was caught. He confessed to the murders but said he didn’t even know who I was.
I never thought my life would get this wild but I am glad it’s over. I have the two things I need in this world, my music and Noah, the song to my soul as he likes to call me. I told him he should be a poet but I like him more as a detective. Last night he broke out the handcuffs on me again. Best sex ever. Well maybe not as good as the make-up sex.
“Anna, what do you think of this?” Darnell asks me as he plays a lick on the guitar.
I shake my head. “It’s too rock ‘n’ roll. This needs to be softer; it has to build up, and then when it gets to the chorus it blows you away.”
I play the melody I came up with on the piano and Mason strums along on an acoustic. Darnell changes the sound on his electric and we come up with the vision I had for this song all along. Within hours we have it recorded and I send it off to Austin.
“You did good, coopcake,” Darnell says as he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“I feel it. This song is magic.”
Mason smiles at me. “It’s even better than the one you performed in Nashville.”
“That song was dope, Anna. Mason showed it to me.”
I frown at Mason. “You weren’t supposed to show anyone.”
He shrugs. “Anna, that song is all over the internet.”
“What?” I shriek.
“Yeah someone posted a video to YouTube two weeks ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if your phone gets flooded with calls soon. It’s got like two million views.”
I gape at him as I feel my chest turning red. I grab hold of the necklace around my neck. The one Noah gave me and I calm down. That song was for him. “Did you ever show it to Noah?”
“Nah. I was waiting for the perfect moment. I figured maybe his bachelor party or your wedding.”
My cheeks flame. “We would have to be engaged for either of those to happen.”
Mason smirks and picks up his guitar.
I reach over to him and pull on his shoulder. “Are you not telling me something?”
Darnell laughs as he watches me and Mason. “Anna May, my brother is head over heels for you. I know he is going to marry you.”
I stutter as I try to find words. “But… he doesn’t…I can’t—”
Mason strums along. “You’re already a part of our crazy family. It’s only a matter of time.”
I am still at a loss when my phone rings and I see it’s Noah.
I try to play it cool but Mason’s words have me acting like a mumbling idiot. “Hey Detective… Hi… umm how’s it going?”
“You okay, babe?”
“Me? Oh yeah, perfectly fine and dandy. Just sitting here—”
Mason pul
ls the phone from me and talks to his brother. “I told her you were going to marry her and now she is all flustered.”
I hear Noah talking sternly to his brother and Mason looks at me grinning from ear to ear.
I rip the phone away from him and hear Noah still scolding him. “…surprise.”
“What’s a surprise?” I ask him.
“Oh nothing,” he responds when he hears me on the phone.
I furrow my brow but let it pass. “Why are you calling?”
“Can’t I call my girlfriend whenever I want?”
“Of course. Sorry, yeah I am just—”
“Anna. Forget what Mason said. He’s a dick.”
“Okay,” I mutter into the phone.
I can tell Noah is smiling by his tone. “I wanted to see if you wanted to go to dinner tonight.”
I love it when Noah takes me on dates. With our crazy work schedules, they don’t happen very often but when they do they always feel special and they usually end in mind-blowing sex. “I would love to but—”
“You got called into work.”
I was supposed to be off tonight. “The girl that always covers for me is sick and I owe her one.”
He sighs into the phone. “You should just quit Jimmy’s.”
“I know.”
“I’m sick of all those cops eyeing you all day.”
I laugh at that. “Gosh, cops are the worst. Good thing I only like detectives.”
“Only one detective.”
I look up at Mason and he is gagging. I roll my eyes at him. “Mmm I’ve seen a few that are drool worthy.”
“Anna,” Noah says sternly.
“There is this one that I would love to rip his clothes off though. Lick down those abs I know are hiding under that suit. Kneel in front of him and take that fat cock into—”
Mason groans. “Stop talking like that about my brother in front of me.”
“You just don’t like hearing about blow jobs,” I tease.
“I am never living that down.”
Noah chuckles into the phone. “As much as I want you to finish that story, I don’t. I am sitting at my desk and I don’t want to be sporting a tent in my pants the rest of the day.”
“I could stop by,” I say, biting my lip.
“Don’t tempt me.”
I watch as Mason follows Darnell out of the room, both of them tired of hearing the teasing between Noah and me.
“I’ll stop by Jimmy’s after I’m off. I’ll sit at the bar and watch you all night.”
“Creep.”
“Mayberry, I know you like it.”
“Only because I know how horny it will make you as I swing my hips all night.”
“If I keep talking to you, I’m going to have a big problem on my hands.”
“Mmm. How big?”
“Goodbye, Anna.”
I smile into the phone and say with a breathy voice. “Goodbye, Detective.”
He groans into the phone as I hang up, knowing how much he likes that voice.
I walk out of the room and find Mason and Darnell hanging out in the lounge.
“Please tell me you did not have phone sex with my brother.”
“It would have lasted a lot longer than that.” I wink at him. “I need to head out. I have to work in twenty.”
I wave goodbye to both of them and drive over to Jimmy’s.
I carry a tray of cheeseburgers to a rowdy bunch of cops. Ever since the serial killer was found, they have all been less on edge and tonight proves it.
It’s packed in here. Like every cop who had the day shift decided to come in to celebrate. There are a handful of the detectives Noah works with too. Everyone smiles and cheers.
I hop from table to table, serving drinks and food. Uber is going to make a killing on these officers tonight.
I glance at my watch and see it’s half past seven. I’m surprised Noah isn’t here. I doubt he changed his mind about coming, especially since all his coworkers are here. But knowing him he probably found a tiny break in another case and fell down the rabbit hole.
I walk past a table by the front door and hear the door slam. “I’ll be right with you,” I yell over my shoulder. We don’t have a hostess and most people seat themselves but it’s busier than usual so there aren’t many open tables.
I grab an order from a family and turn around to smack right into the face of someone I never thought I would see again.
“Becca, what are you doing here?”
That’s when I feel something hard press into my side. I look down and see the end of a gun. Is she stupid? This is a bar full of cops.
“Becs, I wouldn’t do this here.” I look around hoping to catch the eye of someone but they are all involved in their conversations.
“You took everything from me.”
I look at her strangely. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve ruined my entire life.”
I finally take a good look at her and she looks worse than when I saw her in Hartswell. Her hair is ratty, like she hasn’t brushed it in days. Huge bags reside under her eyes, her cheeks concave. “Becca, we can talk, I swear, but not here.”
“Why not?”
“Look around you. There are cops everywhere.” Despite the fact this woman looks crazy and ruined me for a good part of my life, she is still my friend and I don’t want her doing anything she will regret. “Follow me.”
She looks around the room with understanding. She must not have lost all her sanity.
I make eye contact with the detective who tried to flirt with me last time. I hope he understands my silent plea as I lead Becca outside to the alley behind the bar.
As soon as we get out the door, she holds the gun up to me. I hold my hands up in front of her. “What the hell is going on?” I ask.
“You took everything from me. Why you? Why do you always get everything? It all works out perfectly for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You took Kyle from me. We were supposed to have a life together. He was going to leave you for me.”
I think back to the letter Kyle left me, the one he wrote when he left Becca’s house that night before he died. He wrote the opposite. He wanted me to take him back. “I know he told you different. He said he was leaving you that night. That it was a mistake.”
“Why do they all love you?” she cries. “Why can’t they love me?”
“Who are you talking about, Becca? I didn’t take anyone from you.” I walk backward slowly hoping she doesn’t notice as I try to make my way down the alley.
She flaps the gun in my face, her wild eyes crying as she speaks. “I have nothing left. My husband is divorcing me, trying to get full custody. I have nothing. All because of you.”
I look behind her hoping one of the detectives walks out the back door. Or one of my coworkers. I’ve been gone too long. “I don’t even know your husband.”
“He is leaving because he found out what I did to you. He doesn’t trust me. If you hadn’t opened your fat mouth—”
I stop walking backward and instead approach her because she has got me fired up. “Don’t blame me for this. For your indiscretions.” I look behind her one more time but still no one. “No, Becca, this is all on you. If I had known about you and Kyle, I would have let you have him. Neither of you were worth my time.”
“You are such a self-righteous bitch,” she screams at me. “And now you think you have it all again. But I won’t let you. I won’t let you get what you want.”
She pushes the safety off the gun and I push forward hoping to grab the gun from her. Her gun goes off and I feel warmth run down my arm at the same time I hear another gunshot and fall back against the brick wall, my head hitting it hard and I collapse to the ground.
29
Noah
I’m happy we solved the last case. Everyone in the department has been celebrating for two days. But work is work and there is always a case to be worked on. Anna’s case
is one but I can’t touch it. I’ve been pushing Jon to dig into it but it’s not a priority.
I flip through statements on a recent murder and search through databases on my computer to find a ballistic match. I rub my eyes as they grow heavy from staring at the screen.
“You’re still here?” Marcus startles me.
I look at the clock and see it’s almost seven thirty. Damn. I told Anna I would go to Jimmy’s. “I didn’t notice the time.”
“Stop working so hard,” Marcus jokes. “I came back because I forgot my phone but a bunch of us are at Jimmy’s.”
“Yeah okay. I told Anna I would go. I’ll meet you over there.”
Marcus walks up to my computer and shuts it off.
“Really?”
“Relax. We all need it after that last case. Let off some steam. You haven’t done it yet.”
I crack my neck as I push back from my desk. “I’m worried about Anna’s case.”
“Jon’s on it.”
I shake my head. “Barely. He sent me over forensic reports on the Duncan case before he left for the day.”
“Well I am sure he is still working on it. Besides, she is safe. You are on her like a bodyguard.”
I shrug. “Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”
Marcus nods and I follow him out the door. “I don’t blame you. I would do anything to protect the ones I love.”
We walk across the street to Jimmy’s and the place is packed. Marcus leads me over to a table with some of the other detectives and a few police officers.
I take a seat and look around for Anna but I don’t see her. She must be on a break.
“Where is our waitress? I haven’t seen her in a bit. She’s always on top of it,” one of the cops says.
My gut has that funny feeling again where I know something is wrong. My eyes scan the restaurant but still no sign of her. I’m about ready to check the kitchen when Jon chimes in.
“I saw her talking to a blond woman. They walked toward the back. I’m sure she will be back soon,” Jon says before taking a sip of his beer.
I can’t help but feel on edge. Maybe it was Seraphina but I find it odd she would come here. She never does.
