Dirty Alliance (Special Weapons & Tactics Book 4)

by Peyton Banks

  “Take what you need, Roxxy,” he growled.

  Roxxy quickened her pace as she rode him.

  She arched her back, thrusting her breasts forward. He craved the taste of her soft flesh, but now wasn’t for him. He’d have plenty of time for getting what he wanted.

  Now it was all about Roxxy.

  Chapter 18

  “What am I going to do once you’re gone?” Roxxy lifted her glass to her lips. She took a sip of the wine. Her gaze met Myles’s across the table.

  They’d had an amazing day together, and already she was dreading him having to go back to Columbia. They’d made love under the bright South Carolina sky. Afterwards, they laid in each other’s arms, just talking away as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

  They later rode the horses back to the barn, grabbed Roxxy’s things, and checked in to the hotel. Now they were enjoying dinner at the local steak house.

  “Well, miss me for one.” Myles chuckled. He leaned back and stared at her.

  Even in the low light, she could make out the heat in his eyes.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Consider that done already.”

  She ran her fingers around the rim of her glass. Before leaving the hotel, they’d had a shower together that had taken a lot longer than it should have, but it had been worth it.

  Myles dressed up in a button-down and slacks kept her in a constant state of arousal. The man sure could clean up well. Not that he didn’t look good in jeans and a t-shirt.

  “When are you leaving for your next assignment?” Myles asked.

  “Monday. I have to go down to Charleston. We’re being called in to audit their SWAT team. For now, this week I’ll be working in the office.” With Myles coming down, she’d put in for the next two days off so she would be able to spend time with him.

  “How long are you going to be there?”

  “Not sure. It depends on what we find.” She shrugged. She set her glass back down on the table, feeling the sensation of needing to relieve herself. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to run to the ladies’ room.”

  Grabbing her purse, she stood from her chair. Myles, ever the gentleman, rose from his.

  “Hurry back to me,” he murmured.

  He tugged her toward him and placed a kiss on her cheek. The scent of his cologne drew her closer to him. She could spend all day with her head tucked in the crook of his neck just so she could breathe it in.

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be gone long.” She tossed him a wink and walked away. She put a little more sway in her hips with the knowledge that he was still watching her. She took the two steps up to where the host stood. “Excuse me. Where is the ladies’ room?”

  “Down this hallway. You’ll find it on the left.” He smiled at her.

  “Thanks.” She followed his directions and found her destination. She pushed open the door and stepped into the lavatory. It was tastefully decorated with rich deep colors. There was a small sitting area before the row of private stalls.

  Roxxy quickly handled her business and washed her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize herself.

  She looked radiant. Happy. A crooked grin was evident.

  All because of Myles.

  He was like a breath of fresh air. She was his main focus, and she liked being the center of attention for once.

  Roxxy took an extra minute to reapply her lipstick and comb through her hair. Her black dress fit her perfect. Myles’s eyes had lit up when she’d put it on. A shiver slid down her spine at the thought of him taking it off later.

  She threw her lipstick and comb back into her purse. She gave herself one last quick look over and found herself to be flawless.

  She spun on her heel and exited the bathroom. Her heels clicked on the marble floor. Her gaze lifted, and her breath froze in place.

  “Roxxy, we need to talk.” Korey stood before her. He was dressed in his infamous jeans and a plaid long-sleeved cotton button-down.

  “Korey, I don’t have anything to say to you.” She folded her arms in front of her.

  How the hell did he know where she was?

  “Look, I know I messed up. Let’s talk about—”

  “First off, messed up is too light of a phrase for what you did to me,” she snapped. “I’m done. We’ve been done.”

  She moved to brush past him, but he yanked her arm. A gasp escaped her. He turned her around to face him. His eyes narrowed on her. His nostrils flared as he took in her outfit.

  “Who are you here with, Roxxy? You think you can just replace me so easily?” he bit out.

  “Aren’t you the pot calling the kettle black. You had no problems replacing me.” She wasn’t going to hold any punches with him. She had thought he’d ruined her. Broken her heart, but now, she was thankful she was able to see his true colors. If he hadn’t, her life would be different now. “Let me go.”

  “Roxxy—”

  “You must have a hearing problem,” a deep voice growled from behind Roxxy.

  She froze in place. She knew that voice, only this time it was cold, and the hairs on her arms rose.

  Myles.

  She glanced over her shoulder, and his fierce gaze was locked on Korey. Myles had about three inches on Korey and about thirty pounds of muscle on him, too.

  This was a side of Myles she’d never seen before.

  The hard glint in his eyes and the firm set of his jaw was a direct warning that he was pissed.

  “Who the hell is this?” Korey snarled. He tightened his grip on Roxxy’s arm.

  “The man who’s going to break your hand if you don’t take it off Roxxy.” Myles’s voice was calm but held a deadly vibe to it.

  Korey’s grip on her lightened. She snatched her arm away. She automatically moved closer to Myles.

  “Listen here, buddy. I don’t know who you think you are, but this doesn’t concern you.” Korey dismissed Myles.

  “Anything to do with Roxxy concerns me.” Myles positioned himself in front of her. He was now between her and Korey.

  Roxxy had to peek around Myles’s muscular form. Korey had a scowl on his face.

  He wasn’t happy.

  Too bad.

  “Is that so? Fucked her a few times? She’s a good lay, isn’t she?” Korey taunted.

  A deep growl rumbled from Myles. Roxxy flew forward and snagged his arm. She tugged back with all her strength. It was like trying to stop a pissed-off grizzly bear. They were drawing a crowd, and she didn’t want Korey to get his ass kicked in such a nice fancy place.

  Outside, that was another thing.

  “Myles, he’s not worth it,” she pleaded. She pulled on him, but he didn’t budge.

  “It’s okay, Roxxy girl. I just wanted to make sure I heard him straight.” Myles shrugged off her hold on him and stepped in front of Korey.

  The two of them squared off.

  Roxxy looked around. She prayed no one had called the police.

  On second thought, she hoped they did. There was no way she was going to be able to break up the two of them if they came to blows.

  “I’m not scared of you,” Korey sneered. His gaze didn’t waver from Myles. “And you heard what I said. Having fun sleeping with my woman?”

  “I’m going to say this once. Stay away from Roxxy. She’s no longer your concern.” Myles’s voice was clipped.

  “Is there a problem over here?”

  Roxxy glanced over her shoulder. The host was standing there with a waiter. Their watchful eyes were on Myles and Korey.

  “No problem, gentlemen. I was just leaving.” Korey brushed past Myles.

  His dark gaze slammed into Roxxy, sending a chill down her spine. She straightened to her full height and returned his look.

  He strode forward toward the two men. “It was just a misunderstanding, but it’s been clarified.” He patted the host on the shoulder and disappeared around the corner.

  “Everything’s okay,” Roxxy noted. She didn’t wait fo
r a response before she turned back to Myles. She stepped toward him.

  His chest was rising and falling quickly. His hands were curled into tight fists.

  Roxxy laid a gentle hand on his chest.

  His eyes dropped down to her.

  “Are you all right?” His voice was gruff. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his warm hand.

  She smiled softly. “I am now.”

  “I didn’t like the way he was touching you,” Myles admitted. He reached for her and brought her flush against him.

  “Me neither. Thank you for coming to my aid.” She tried to laugh at the situation, but it sounded strained to her ears.

  “If he bothers you again when I’m not here, you just say—”

  “I’ll be fine. I can handle Korey.” She slid her hand up his chest. He didn’t look convinced. She rolled her eyes. “I always have a weapon somewhere on me or in my car.”

  That seemed to satisfy him. He jerked his head in a nod.

  “Want to go back and order dessert?” Myles appeared to calm down slightly.

  Roxxy shook her head. “No, let’s take care of the check and go.”

  Myles’s gaze swept the lot as he and Roxxy made their way to his car. He tried to settle the rage inside him but he was having a hard time. His gut was screaming that someone had their eyes on him. Ever since he’d arrived in town the same feeling had stayed with him.

  “Hey, why don’t we get dessert after all?” Roxxy paused.

  “What do you have in mind?” he asked.

  Her smile spread across her face. He wished he could relax as fast as she could, but Roxxy wasn’t a trained soldier.

  He glanced around again, his gaze sweeping the area.

  “What are you looking for?” Roxxy turned around and eyed at the area. Her eyebrows rose high.

  “It’s nothing.” He tugged her close to him.

  She studied him for a brief moment before she leaned into him. “Well, the place I have in mind is a short distance away. We can leave the car here and walk.” She patted his chest.

  Memories of how that ass had gripped her wrist came to mind. Myles snagged her hand and brought it up to where he could assess it. In the low light, he couldn’t see any marks on her.

  Had Korey put one blemish on Roxxy’s flawless skin, Myles wouldn’t have been responsible for his actions.

  “Do you want to talk about what happened back there?” he asked.

  Roxxy shook her head. “He’s harmless. I just want to forget it and enjoy what’s left of our date.”

  By her facial expression, Myles decided to leave it be for now, but he was not one to let anything like that be forgotten.

  They strolled down the street with light conversation. Roxxy told him stories of each storefront. He listened but constantly scanned the area.

  The night sky was clear with a few clouds. Parked cars lined road, and there were a couple pedestrians on the opposite side of the street.

  “You will love Charlie’s ice cream. It’s homemade, and you can have whatever toppings you crave. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?” she asked.

  They paused outside Charlie’s Chocolate Shop. Myles glanced at the rustic building with cow decals on the window.

  “Well, I’m known somewhat as an expert on ice cream.” He pulled her in closer to him.

  She turned in his arms with a smile and giggle. “Is that so?”

  “Oh, yes. Not only am I an expert on weapons and being able to shoot at abnormally long ranges, but I have a complete knowledge of the different flavors of ice cream.”

  Roxxy barked a hearty laugh.

  The sound of an engine revving caught his attention. He casually peeked over Roxxy’s shoulder and caught sight of a dark sedan at the intersection a half a block away.

  His muscles tensed.

  Something wasn’t right.

  “Come on. Let’s go in.” Roxxy grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door.

  Once inside, he relaxed slightly. The shop was cozy and unrefined. The walls were open brick, the floors hardwood, and the tables matched the floors with two-tone wood. They walked over to the counter and were able to view the different flavors of ice cream behind the glass protector.

  “Hi. Can I help you?” a young teenage girl asked.

  Her hair was drawn up in a high ponytail, and the glimmer of silver on her teeth reminded Myles of his youth when he had to wear braces. He offered her a smile.

  “What’s your favorite?” he asked.

  Roxxy stood with her face practically pressed to the glass while she browsed.

  “You look as if you love to live dangerously.” The girl paused with her finger on her chin.

  His gaze dropped down to her name tag. Lindsey.

  “Really?” His eyebrows rose. This young girl would make one hell of a profiler to be able to pick up on his nature so quickly.

  “Yup. You like to try things.” She laughed.

  “That I do.” He chuckled. “Hit me with your recommendation, Lindsey.”

  Chapter 19

  Roxxy knew Myles was hiding something from her. His eyes were always moving, assessing as they’d walked down the street toward the ice cream shop. It was the soldier in him, she’d seen the look before.

  But there was something more.

  Myles tossed their trash away. She stood from her seat and grabbed her purse.

  “Ready?” Myles asked.

  She nodded and walked over to him. Their dessert date had gone just as planned.

  No one could stay angry while eating ice cream.

  “Yes,” she breathed. She took his outstretched hand in hers.

  Myles opened the door and escorted her outside.

  “I was thinking when we return to the hotel, me and you will have some fun in the jacuzzi,” she said.

  “I like the sound of that.” Myles’s deep laugh rumbled in his chest.

  Roxxy entwined their fingers together. She glanced up at his strong profile, and her heart pounded. She took notice of the way Myles put himself on the outskirt of the sidewalk. Even with them strolling back to the car, he was protecting her.

  She didn’t know what this emotion she was experiencing was, but if she didn’t know any better, she would say she was falling for Myles.

  The street was silent, and there weren’t any people out walking around. Roxxy’s heels clicked on the concrete.

  “Do I have something on my face?” Myles asked, glancing down at her.

  “No,” she murmured. She squeezed his hand tight and rested her head on his shoulder. How would she tell him? Was this too soon? Did he feel the same?

  She knew he enjoyed her company, be it in the bed and outside of it, but was this love?

  Myles was everything she would have hoped for in a man. He was strong, intelligent, a protector, and a person with morals. Where had this been her entire life? Hell, he even made her laugh.

  Myles’s muscles tensed underneath her touch.

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered.

  Myles held up his hand while he looked around. Her heart pounded. He bent down and slid a small weapon from the holster on his ankle.

  Roxxy’s eyes grew wide. She glanced around, and her gaze landed on a dark sedan parked on the corner.

  “Myles.” She released a curse, wishing she had a weapon on her. She’d chosen a purse that would match her dress, and it wouldn’t allow for a gun in it.

  “Move,” he ordered. He rested a hand on her back and guided her along the sidewalk swiftly.

  The sound of an engine revving met her ears.

  She gripped her purse tight in her hands as the sound of tires screeching on pavement increased.

  They didn’t have far to go to get to the lot where Myles had left the car, but it seemed as if time moved in slow motion.

  The car sped down the street, and loud pops filled the air.

  “Get down!” Myles shouted.

  Roxxy dove down to the ground next to a parked car. The s
pray of bullets rattled it. Myles remained erect, returning fire beside her. A scream escaped her while she watched him stagger back a step.

  “Myles!” She crawled to him and tugged on his pants to try to get him to kneel.

  Silence fell down around them.

  Myles released a curse. His chest was rising and falling fast.

  Roxxy peeked over the hood and saw the red taillights of the vehicle as it raced off.

  She stood and turned to Myles. “Are you crazy?” she shouted.

  He grimaced and held a hand to his shoulder. Her gaze dropped down to his hand. His fingers were stained red.

  “Oh my God. You’ve been shot!” she cried out. Her hand flew to him to help staunch the flow of blood.

  “I’ll be fine. It went straight through,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

  “You need a hospital,” she snapped.

  People began milling out of the storefronts, looking around in disbelief. The sound of sirens echoed through the air. They grew louder as time passed.

  “We need to get out of here.” Myles brushed past her.

  She stared after him with her mouth hanging open. Seeing that he wasn’t slowing down, she took off after him.

  “Why the hell can’t I take you to the hospital?” She walked next to him.

  “I don’t like hospitals,” he muttered.

  They veered into the lot where he’d parked his vehicle.

  “You’re going to have to drive,” he said.

  She swung around on him. “Who was that?”

  “How the hell do I know? I didn’t get the chance to ask them when they were spraying us with their bullets.”

  They stood still, staring at each other. Roxxy didn’t know what to think.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Could that have been lover boy?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  “Korey?” She gasped. She shook her head fiercely. “He’s a rancher, not a gangster, and certainly not a killer.”

  “Does the rancher know how to use a gun?” he asked, stepping toward her.

  Roxxy stood her ground and placed her hands on her hips. “Of course he does. Everyone in this town knows how to shoot a gun!” she practically yelled.

  Myles paused. He closed his eyes briefly and reached inside his pants pocket. “Here. You drive.”