Claiming Her (Nighthawk Security Book 1)

by Tory Baker

  “They’re at home. I got the first one last Monday, and the second one came on Friday, and then I had another one come earlier this week.” I wince when I see his jaw tick.

  “Come on. We’ll go back to your house, grab the letters, and I’ll check your locks and go from there,” he all but demands.

  “If that will give you and Travis peace of mind, let’s go.” I stand up, dig in my bag yet again to find my sunglasses and keys when I notice something in my bag, something that wasn’t there earlier when I left the courthouse.

  “Mother trucker,” I grumble when I pull out the white envelope that’s addressed in my name.

  “Goddamn it, how did that get in your purse?” Slade growls out.

  “I’m not sure. My purse is basically with me all day at work. The only thing I can think of is when I was practically run over by someone while leaving today.”

  Slade pulls the letter out of my hand using two fingers, trying to barely touch it before he exits the office. “I’ll be right back. Sit tight for me.”

  “I guess this means more than I thought it did.” I sit back down and wait to see what Slade has to say, knowing full well I won’t like it one bit.

  Three

  Slade

  I take the letter straight to Drake, asking him to take care of it as soon as possible. He’ll take it to our off-site lab, and if we’re fucking lucky, we’ll get some prints. Though, it’s highly doubtful. I know what I need to do next, and Taylor is not going to like it, not for one single minute.

  “Let’s go,” I growl when I walk back into my office. She’s sitting in her chair her hair is in some kind of fancy contraption at the nape of her neck, showing off the column of her throat. Fuck. What would it look like with my hand holding it while I take her mouth?

  “What do you mean?” Taylor stands up, her skirt hiked up on her legs from sitting down. Her legs are strong, and I know I want them wrapped around my waist or hell, my head as I eat her like she’s my last meal. My gaze travels up her body, hips that are curved, a slim waist, and breasts that will fit perfectly in the palms of my hands. Her shirt is giving just a hint of the cleavage I want my mouth on. Her face though, it literally about knocks me on my ass. She makes my heart thump like the loudest beat to a drummer on his kit. She’s a classic beauty, from her bee stung lips to her light green eyes that go darker when her emotions overtake her. Much like they are now. I move closer to her, my hand goes to the back of her neck, while placing my other on her lower hip.

  “Shit just got real, fast. I’m going to follow you to your place, let you pack a bag, and then take you to my place. You’ll stay there until we get this figured out,” I state, giving her no room for an argument. But I see trouble brewing in her eyes, and I have a feeling it’s going to be spewed right at me.

  “No, not okay. I have a home, Slade. It’s safe and in a great little community where we all watch out for one another. I know the letters are serious, are you positive I need to stay with you?” Her eyes are pleading with me, there’s no way I’ll allow her to stay at her place.

  “You either stay with me, or I’ll move in with you,” I counter.

  “That won’t work. I have a one-bedroom condo. This really sucks.” I see the inner turmoil that’s going through her mind.

  “We could be roomies if we stay at your place.” I wiggle my eyebrows, trying to soften the blow I’ve handed her.

  “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I guess I’ll stay with you. It’s only temporary, right?”

  “Is the thought of staying with me that bad?” I ask, and that’s when I see the blush that blossoms on her cheeks.

  “No, it’s an inconvenience for you though.”

  “Hell, it may do me some good. A few batches of your homemade cookies, your pretty face to wake up to… What else could I want, Trouble?” I let her nickname slide off the tip of my tongue without a second thought.

  “Wait, no way am I trouble. That is all you, Slade Chavez. I’ve heard the stories from Travis to prove it too.”

  “I’m pretty sure Travis was the ringleader in our fun and games.” I squeeze her hip. “You ready to go?”

  “I guess. Are you following me, or am I leaving my car here?”

  “As much as I wouldn’t mind leaving it here, you’ll need to get to work if I can’t take you, or if I don’t have someone available to take you to and from work.”

  The pursing of her lips lets me know she didn’t like what I had to say. “Are you kidding me? I’ll have someone with me? How’s that going to work? You do realize I work inside a courthouse, where security is ridiculous every single day.”

  “I know, and that’s why I won’t have a guy or myself escort you in and stay with you while you work. It’s probably the only saving grace at this point.” I move around her, guiding her toward my office door. By the time we leave her place and get to mine, we’ll both be hungry and tired.

  “Gee, this is going to be a bundle of fun to deal with,” she smarts off.

  “I know. With any luck, we’ll get this handled quickly. No one wants to see you get hurt though, most of all me,” I breathe out, feeling her body tense up, but ignoring it while we’re walking.

  “Night, you two,” Bridger smarts off.

  “Later,” I grumble. Taylor’s hand smacks into my stomach as if to say I should use my manners. She may be right, but if she heard the shit out of Bridger’s mouth on a daily basis, I’m sure she would be shocked to an early grave.

  “Bye, Bridger. Where’s Drake?” she asks.

  “He took off earlier. Knowing him, he’s standing over the forensic technician’s back, watching over every little thing. It doesn’t hurt that she’s a looker, either.” Bridger winks. I shake my head. Those two… The poor unsuspecting women that get stuck with them, I’m feeling sorry for them already, and they’re just a figment of my imagination right now.

  “Keep me posted. I’ll have my cell on me.” I nod at him, then we walk out the door. Taylor pauses at her car door. It’s in good shape. Something Travis wouldn’t budge on was allowing her to have a garbage vehicle, not with the weather we get here. Still, I’d rather see her in something bigger than the car she has for the time being.

  “This is me.” For the first time today, she acts shy around me, and I don’t like it.

  “Taylor,” I say to get her attention. When she still doesn’t look me in the eye, I tip her chin up and dip down so I’m on her level. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be shy or nervous. We’ll navigate this together.”

  “Okay, thank you, Slade. I know Travis wrangled you into this mess, but if it ever gets to be too much, let me know, okay? I can figure something else out instead.” Her green eyes tell me everything she’s feeling.

  “I promise, but that won’t happen.” I kiss her forehead, open the door for her, watching her until her car starts. I don’t let on that I had the guys scan her car to make sure there wasn’t anything suspicious.

  I climb into my own truck and follow her back to where my morning started. Maybe this time I can explain to her how she needs a stronger lock, to turn her shit off, and to be more aware of her surroundings when she comes and goes. I’ll also be getting the other letters that I saw on her kitchen counter this morning.

  Four

  Taylor

  The whole way to my place, my eyes were either on the road or looking in the review mirror to see Slade, not that I could actually see him. His truck windows are so dark that even when I was straining to see him, I couldn’t.

  By the time we make it into my complex, dusk is setting, and the streetlights are starting to come on. I pull into my designated spot and Slade parks beside me, not even caring that it’s assigned to my neighbor. My eyes are glued to the way he climbs out of his monstrosity of a vehicle.

  “That man is too hot for words. The kicker is he probably knows it,” I mumble to myself as I climb out of my car, grabbing my bag. By the time I go to shut my door, Slade is at my side. His hand slides to my
lower back.

  “Come on, Trouble. Let’s see what all you need to pack and how much of a pack mule I’ll be.”

  “Be still my heart. Did you make a joke?” I stop in my tracks. The hand not holding my bag is over my heart, in utter shock.

  “Trouble, that’s you. The best kind of trouble there is, though.” I’m caught in his gaze.

  “I highly doubt that.” We continue to my place, and Slade takes my keys out of my hand when we arrive at my door.

  “Stay right by the door. Let me clear it before you go inside.” Slade unlocks my door with ease. It has me wondering just how many doors he unlocks for clients.

  “Sure.” I visibly swallow, trying not to get my hackles up about the possibilities of him helping other women. I’m not sure where this ridiculous idea came from. It’s not like we’re dating; this is his job.

  Slade takes his gun out of his side holster, and I watch the way his forearms flex as he holds it out before allowing the door to open. He takes one last look at me and then heads inside. I’m left standing in the breezeway, my thoughts a jumbled mess. Bridger wasn’t wrong. I knew they all set up shop here in Virginia. I could have stopped by anytime, but part of me thought it would be weird for not only them, but for me, too. I was always Travis’s little sister, the one who sent care packages. I had no problem cutting up when we were on Skype calls, until Slade appeared. One time, I even saw him shirtless, his muscles on full display. The way his muscles flexed as he walked, I took in the scar that was a jagged edge on the right side of his oblique. As soon as Slade saw me look at it with worry on my face, he moved to hide it.

  “It’s clear, I’d like to get in and out as fast as we can, though.” he demands.

  “That’s fine. I’ll pack enough for a week, and if need be, I can stop by after work and pick up more.”

  “As long as you have either me or one of the guys with you, that’ll be fine.” He watches my every move as I walk toward the kitchen. My eyes narrow on the pile of mail, not even wanting to touch the stack.

  “Do you want me to go through this, or would you rather handle it?” I point to the small stack.

  “I’ll handle it.” He pulls latex gloves and a bag out of his pocket, taking care of it.

  “Well then, I’ll be back in a flash.” I walk away, mentally categorizing what I will and won’t need for at least the next week. Obviously, clothes for this week, on the more casual side, work clothes, gym clothes, a few books, toiletries, and my laptop. “That should do,” I mumble out loud as I grab my suitcase out of my walk-in closet. The one thing that sold me on this condo was this closet. It was the biggest I could find within my budget, so I lost out on a modern amenity like a dishwasher, but it was worth it in the end. Especially considering I only ever cook for myself.

  I place all of my clothes in my suitcase, leaving it open as I go into my bathroom to grab the necessities, trying to be as quick as possible. My hands are full when I come back out, and there standing in the doorway, looking larger than life, is Slade. And where are his eyes locked? My bag with my bra, panties, and nightgowns laying on top. The unhealthy obsession I have with undergarments is really kicking me in the ass today.

  “Slade.” I snap my fingers to get him out of his dazed look.

  “You ready?” His tone is more abrasive than ever before.

  “I have a few more things to gather. Give me five more minutes?” He nods before turning around to leave. I take my time gathering everything I need out of my bedroom before heading to the kitchen. There’s one thing that will be a necessity to get me through this weird limbo that I’ll be calling life.

  “I’m ready.” I’m rolling my suitcase behind me, my laptop bag is on my shoulder, and my purse is on the crook of my arm when I walk out of the kitchen.

  “All right, I turned everything off.” He quirks his eyebrow.

  “Oh, you mean my wax warmer? Pshh, that stays on twenty-four-seven.” I wave his thought away.

  “It’s still a fire hazard,” Slade grunts, those luscious locks of hair he’s fisting at the nape of his neck. I want that those hands to be mine combing through them.

  “I highly doubt that, but okay.” He grabs my suitcase out of my hand, and instead of wheeling it around like normal people, picks it up. I follow his lead as we walk out to the breezeway and he locks my apartment, even double checking to make sure it’s locked.

  “Come on. You’ll have to follow me to my place. Once we’re there, I’ll program my number in your phone, along with my address, and the other guys’ info as well.”

  “Okay.” I follow him to my car, then to his house, wondering what the hell will happen next.

  Five

  Slade

  “I didn’t expect you to have a home though. If I’m being honest, I figured you lived at the office,” Taylor says as we walk up the front steps of my bungalow style house. It has a huge front porch and the backyard leads to a river, giving me a scenic view of the trees and water.

  The way Taylor has no filter, it’s causing me to smile more than I have the past three years, and I’ve only been around her for a few hours.

  “No, I need a place of my own and away from Nighthawk. Drake is the one who sleeps there more than any of us.”

  “Well, it’s gorgeous.” I allow her to walk ahead of me. Taylor’s hips sway in the tight as sin skirt she’s wearing. Her heart shaped ass, and the way her calves arch in her legs as she takes a step in her high heels cause my jaw to tick.

  If Travis knew the fucking thoughts running through my head, he’d kick my ass. No, he’d do more than that. He’d bury me up to my neck in a desert and let the vultures peck away at my body.

  “Thank you. I’ll show you around. Drop your stuff wherever.” I motion with my hands. My house is meant to be a home, nothing pretentious or stiff. If I wanted that, I would have done what my family expected of me instead of joining the Navy as soon as I graduated high school. The family empire isn’t what I wanted. When I told my parents that I’d spoken to a recruiter and signed the papers, I basically signed the papers to be disowned. Leaving that day, it didn’t hurt like it should have. Instead, it left me feeling free for the first time in my life.

  Taylor places her bags on the couch, and then I show her the kitchen, the back porch, where the laundry room is, and my bedroom. That made her voice hitch, finally concluding the tour with the bedroom she’ll be staying in, that’s right next to mine. The two rooms share a wall, it’s not lost on me that both beds back up to one another with only a few pieces of wood along with some drywall separating the two. Sleep will be next to impossible.

  “Slade, thank you again for helping me. I know Travis asked, but I knew if it got worse, I would have sucked up my pride and come to you.”

  “Finally, you admit this shit is more than a prank.” A piece of her hair has come loose, my fingers unknowingly move it out of her face without thinking. My fingertips trace the slope of her neck. When she sways toward me, I know I have to back off.

  “I’ll go grab your bags. Take your time, and then we’ll figure out dinner.” I kiss her forehead before leaving the bedroom. If I don’t step away, I’ll strip her bare, throw her on the bed, and make her mine, consequences be damned.

  I head downstairs, walk into the kitchen and grab the menus before clutching her luggage so when Taylor comes down, she can help figure out what to order. Bridger wasn’t kidding when he said she likes to shop for lingerie. Seeing the lace and satin spilling out of her bag, it took everything I had to control my hard-on from showing, not to mention my desire to see her wearing those for me and only me.

  Fuck, this is going to take an act of God to keep me away from Taylor, and I’m not sure I’m that strong enough. I made a promise to Travis, one I know I’ll keep. I’d do anything to keep her safe, but who is to say I can keep her safe from me?

  “Hey?” I’m gripping the kitchen counter, trying to talk some sense into myself when she places her hand on mine. “I’ll listen, I swear. Wh
atever you need me to do, I’ll do it, Slade. I don’t want to be any more of a burden on you than I already am.”

  “You’re not a burden. Come here.” I hold my arms open for her. This is more for me than her, but I bring her into my arms. She loops her arms around my neck and my hand glides to her hips while I lean down into her body. The way her breasts feel pressed against my chest, how she hums her approval, and when she borrows herself into the crook of my neck, I know I’m a fucking goner. Consequences be damned, Taylor was always meant to be mine, and I’m going to fucking claim her.

  “How about we order some dinner from Crave tonight?” I say as we pull apart.

  “That sounds so good. I haven’t had their Philly cheesesteak sub in so long,” she groans, giving me all kinds of ideas of how she’ll respond to my lips on hers, my tongue licking her pussy, and my cock buried deep inside her.

  I clear my throat and silently cuss my raging cock that’s about to bust the zipper from just a hug.

  “I’ll get it ordered and then take your bags up this time.”

  “How about I order our dinner while you do that, or I can bring my bags upstairs?”

  “You order. I’ll do the heavy lifting.” I throw my wallet on the counter. “Card is in my wallet, and Taylor?”

  “Yes?” Her eyes dart from my wallet to my face.

  “Use my card, Taylor.”

  “I’ll get right on that, Mr. Bossy Pants. But what would you like me to order for you? Because, you know, that would be a helpful hint.” That mouth of hers is nothing but trouble. The ideas on how I can keep it busy are endless.

  “I’ll take the ‘Q Sammich’ and heavy on the sass,” the way her face flushes, I wink at her and tap the kitchen counter before heading out to grab her bags for her.