by Malone, M.
“I’m starting to think I’d prefer being invisible.” Noah pretended he didn’t see the look of pity Jonas threw his way. He definitely wasn’t going there today.
Matthias stuck his head around the door. “Is it bloody safe to come in?”
Jonas snorted. “Scared of a few shlongs in thongs?”
Matthias’s only response was the middle finger he waved in Jonas’s direction. However, Noah noticed that he didn’t say anything until Jonas left. It was rare for them to keep secrets from each other; after all, their safety often hinged on the entire group being fully apprised of every possible future scenario. Which meant something was up.
“What’s wrong?”
Matthias shrugged. Then he glanced over his shoulder at the open door. “It’s Lucia,” he said in a low voice.
Fear lanced through Noah. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing. She’s fine. Fuck, I probably shouldn’t even be telling you this.”
Noah took a deep breath and struggled to keep his temper under control. Raging at one of his best friends wouldn’t help the situation. “If something’s going on with Lucia then you need to tell me. I know you…care about her, too.”
It was as close as they’d ever come to acknowledging their shared fate of loving a woman that neither of them had a chance with.
Matthias flushed. “I do. Care, I mean. And that’s why I originally agreed to help her.”
“Help her with what?”
Matthias pulled out his phone. A few thumb taps later he held it out so Noah could see the image on the screen. His blood went cold when he recognized the house.
“Where did you get that?”
His voice didn’t even sound like his own, and he cleared his throat trying to get his composure back. But it was impossible to be unaffected when the past came back to haunt you. His time with ORUS wasn’t something that he could ever forget, but he’d tried too damn hard to keep it in the past where it belonged.
Now it was rising like a specter to remind him that he’d never be free.
“Lucia asked me to help her do some research. She sent me a deed to a house and asked for info on finding the owners. All she had to go on was the name of the corporation on the deed.”
“Lucia asked you about that house?”
Noah closed his eyes. This was so much worse than he’d thought. It wasn’t just the past coming back to haunt him, it was the past reaching forward with icy fingers trying to snatch the only person he’d been able to save that day.
Matthias was watching him closely. “It’s weird, too, because the name on the deed didn’t actually match the corporation name. It’s a fake. But I had the address so I could do some digging of my own. Then suddenly she said never mind. That she didn’t need to know anymore.”
“That’s not like her.”
“No, it’s not. It’s also not like her to ask me not to tell you about it. Which probably means she’s doing something she shouldn’t be.”
Noah grunted. “She’s mad at me right now.”
“I figured that. But it’s Lucia. She’s always mad at you.”
He shook his head. “Not like this.”
Noah sighed. There really wasn’t anything he could say to explain. He wasn’t entirely sure what was different about this time. All he knew was Lucia was gone even while she was still there, and he’d never felt more empty.
When Noah didn’t say anything, Matthias knocked on the edge of the table. “Mad or not, she’s family.”
Noah raised his head, the truth in Matthias’s words ringing through his head. That day, that horrible day, had almost stolen everything from him, but he’d managed to keep the vow he’d sworn while bathed in blood. To pledge his life to Lucia and Nonna DeMarco. To protect Rafe’s family.
To protect his family.
“Tell the others I’m taking the day off. I have to take care of something.”
#
He was smiling.
Lucia closed her eyes, soaking up the late summer rays and reveling in a rare afternoon spent with her ultra-serious big brother. Rafe was always lecturing her on how she needed to get better grades and work hard so she could take care of Nonna. He was always so serious but not today. For once, he was smiling and everything was wonderful.
A shot rang out.
Lucia flinched and then the scene shifted. Suddenly, she was in their car and Rafe was trying to leave her. Where was he going?
“Stay here. No matter what, okay?”
He always looked so fierce and serious. Lucia nodded, sure he was just being his usual overprotective self.
“Okay, fine. But really, where am I going to go?”
“I’m serious, Lulu.”
He leaned over her and popped open the glove compartment. Lucia gasped at the sight of the gun and then went still when he picked up her hand and pressed the gun into her palm.
“Take this. If something happens…you drive out of here as fast as you can.”
“Rafe, I can’t drive yet.”
“I’ve taught you enough. Just drive, Lu. As fast as you can.”
A shot rang out.
“Rafe!”
She reached out for him but he was already falling. There was so much blood; it was on her hands, in her hair. Then she raised the gun in her hand and fired. And Rafe’s body dissolved in her arms.
“I love you. Come back,” she sobbed, trying desperately to hold on to his body but it flowed through her fingers like water.
A shot rang out.
Lucia bolted upright on the couch and then squeaked at the sound of a fist hitting the front door. It was hard to separate what was real from the dream, but as the knocking continued, she figured someone really wanted to talk to her.
“Okay, I’m coming.” She pushed her hair out of her face irritably. She was still wearing her yoga clothes and hadn’t showered. The damn dreams…It was getting harder and harder to sleep at night knowing what she’d see when she closed her eyes. So she’d been staying up later, reading, cleaning and just subsisting off of caffeine and adrenaline. It was finally catching up to her.
She leaned forward to check the peephole before opening the door. Noah stepped through as soon as the door opened, brushing past her and then closing and bolting the door behind him.
“Come on in. Make yourself at home,” she grumbled.
“You don’t get to be mad at me today. Not when I’m going to be washing glitter out of my ass crack for the next month after that little birthday production you ordered up for me.”
The thought of Mr. Tough Guy finding glitter in unmentionable places made her feel a little better.
“Just a little payback. I hope you guys enjoyed the show, though.”
Noah chuckled. “I don’t know about that, but I was impressed at your creativity. It was just the right combination of cheerful and maddening.”
“You taught me well.”
Noah settled on the edge of the couch and leveled that stare at her. The one that always made her feel like she’d just been called to the principal’s office.
“I did, which is why I want to know what the hell you’re up to. Matthias told me about what you asked him to research.”
Lucia’s heart sank. “Bunch of tattletales you’ve got working for you.”
He shrugged. “I think he wouldn’t have told me except he says you called it off. Knowing how stubborn you are, he figured you wouldn’t do that without good reason.”
She kept her eyes on the floor.
“Lucia. If something happened, you need to tell me. Right now.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Okay, but you have to promise not to freak.”
“I think I can keep my head.”
She walked back to her room and pulled the letter out of her night table drawer. It was still in the original envelope. When she got back to the living room, Noah was pacing in front of the window. Nothing was out of place, but she could tell he was on edge. Wordlessly, she handed him t
he envelope. He opened it and pulled out the sheet of paper. Instantly, it felt like the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees.
Lucia had a feeling she was going to pay dearly for not showing this to him right away.
“When did this arrive?” he asked softly, his voice perfectly calm.
“Last week.”
His only response was a soft grunt. “Last week. Of course it’s been a week. Of course you’ve been walking around for a week with minimal protection and no regard for your own safety. Of course!”
He shouted the last two words and Lucia jumped. Then she backed up as he advanced on her, backing her against the wall, leaning over her until all that surrounded her was him. Instantly, her heartbeat accelerated and her stomach dropped. Noah would never hurt her, she had no doubt about that, but she’d never seen him quite like this. Wild. Untamed. Undone.
Captivating.
“You don’t know how vital you are, do you? Not just to your friends and your family but to me. If something ever happened to you, Lucia…”
He dipped his head, his lips brushing against her hair. In that moment, everything inside her went liquid and she let out a soft sigh, suddenly aware that she’d been holding her breath the whole time. His scent was all around her and she wanted to rub up against him.
“Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“You’re damn right it’s not. I won’t let it. From now on, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Ah, the man was infuriating. Lucia shoved him, annoyed that she could be so easily distracted by him when he was busy trying to take over her life. Again.
“I don’t need a shadow. This is my problem and I’ve got it handled. You aren’t my father, and I’m not a little girl who needs a babysitter.”
He let out a low growl, the sound so insanely sexy that it brought a blush to her cheeks.
“Believe me, I know you aren’t a little girl.”
He tipped his head and their faces were so close...so close, that she could feel the warm whisper of his breath on her skin. Then suddenly he pulled her up on her toes and his mouth covered hers. His tongue slid into her mouth and over hers, making lust pierce through her.
She melted against him, her limbs turning to jelly. He kissed her until she couldn’t think or move or even breathe. Her hands slid into his hair of their own volition, twining through the thick strands to hold him against her. He was her only anchor in a storm of sensation, and she hung on for dear life. By the time she had to break away to take a needed gasp of air, he allowed her to slide slowly down until she was standing on her own two feet again.
“I have to go, but I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Why are you coming back?” Lucia barely recognized her own voice. That lazy, husky sound couldn’t be coming from her, could it?
Noah tipped up her chin until she met his eyes. “Because as of right now, you have a roommate. I’m moving in. I hope you don’t snore, princess.”
He left her standing against the wall in her living room trying to figure out how she’d lost complete control of the situation.
#
We hope you enjoyed this extended excerpt of SHAMELESS
Keep reading here -> www.malonesquared.com/shameless
excerpt of force
www.malonesquared.com/force
I am the shadow that haunts the night. I am a hunter, a protector...a force for good...I am Jonas Castillo.
For years I’ve existed on the edge of the dark, protecting innocents who can’t protect themselves. Until… her. Jessica JJ Jones. The bane of my existence. A bright light in the dark. The crack in my armor. A loud, argumentative beautiful crack in my armor.
But first, there’s a more immediate concern. JJ is running scared. And to protect her I might have to break the vow I made years ago.
Book 1 of The Force Duet.
prologue
Noah watched Rafe through the window. His future brother-in-law stood silent sentry over the rest of the clan. Even on the occasion of his beloved sister's wedding, he held himself separate. Not out of reach in case he was needed, but still, not part of the group. An outsider.
Maybe this is a mistake.
No. It wasn’t a mistake. Rafe DeMarco was his brother. Had always been his brother, his teacher. Even if he was different now.
Noah rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was true. Rafe had seen things, done things. He’d been out in the cold too long. Without friends, without family. Rafe had never come out and expressed anything, but knowing the kind of undercover work he'd done, Noah could imagine how he felt.
He didn't want his brother to be separate from them anymore. It was time to do the right thing. The only real question was how the others would take it. They worked for him, but in essence, Blake Security ran like a family. And likely, each of them would have something to say about his decision.
Also, seeing as Rafe had tried to kill them all, some of them might still be holding grudges.
Luckily, it was just that one time. Okay, it might have been a couple of times. Rafe was sorry though, right?
Maybe not as sorry as he should be.
Noah pushed into the waiting room. Jonas greeted him with a grin. "There he is. We were starting to wonder if you'd executed plan Condor."
Noah frowned. "What the fuck is plan Condor?
Dylan eyed him knowingly. "It's a plan where you take flight like a bird."
Noah rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how long I waited to have Lucia? I'm not going anywhere." He frowned. "Though, now I feel like I should have one of you make sure she doesn’t run."
Oskar rolled his eyes. “Well if JJ is planning the escape, they’re already gone.”
Noah frowned. Lucia's best friend JJ was a known troublemaker and had a mouth like a sailor, but even she couldn't convince Lucia to turn runaway bride. Could she?
No dumbass. They're just rattling your cage.
Rafe frowned. "If she doesn’t want to get married, we’re certainly not going to force her."
"Have you met your sister? When was the last time she did anything that she didn't precisely want to do?"
Rafe chuckled. "Yeah, you have a point about that."
“Can I borrow you for a minute, Rafe?” Noah kept his voice low, but the atmosphere in the room changed in a heartbeat.
Rafe gave him a terse nod before saying, “Yeah of course.”
Once Noah had him out of the vestibule and into the courtyard of the church, Rafe was all business. "What's up man?"
“You know what I want to ask you, right?"
Rafe nodded. “I could see you’ve been working up to it. But I’ll tell you the truth, it's a little late for strippers. My sister would kill me."
Noah chuckled. "As if you would let me get strippers."
"Yeah, of course. I mean I would just hire the same crew of jocks that she hired for you last time. That shit would be funny."
"Man, she told you about that?"
Rafe chuckled. "Yep. Now I know what to get you for every birthday for the rest of your life."
"And here I thought we were brothers."
Rafe grinned, and for a second he looked much more like the man who’d trained Noah. The man who’d taught him everything he knew. "That is precisely why I'm getting you strippers every birthday. What are big brothers for?"
Noah laughed. "You know, that's a good point.”
“So what's up Noah? It’s not like you to have cold feet.”
Noah slanted him a look. "You do know me." He rubbed his jaw, unsure what to do with the sudden influx of nerves. "Look, I know you’ve got your own deal with the FBI and your undercover assignments with Interpol. But I think maybe you’ve been doing that too long. Maybe it's time to come back into the fold. Family, friends, and all that."
Rafe had always been hard to read. He was an inscrutable bastard. But Noah pressed on. "Look, it’s probably clear to you I need help. I’ve got more work than I have men for, and I’m spread thin. We
’ve taken a lot of hits this past year. Ryan and Dylan are great, but I need someone who can take them to the next level. Matthias is good, but he’s too on edge to be a teacher. I could use someone who actually knows how to train agents. But you know, not for wet work."
Rafe shook his head. "You try to kill a guy one time, and he never lets that shit go."
Noah chuckled. "Well, it was more than one time. Let's face it, you very nearly killed me."
"Well, you actually did kill me." At Noah's wince, Rafe chuckled. "Too soon?"
Noah nodded. "Yeah man, too soon. I'm not used to having you back yet." Noah sighed. This felt good. Like those years between them vanished. Up until now, he hadn’t known what to say. "Seriously though. We always think about it. I —" he cleared his throat. "Not just for Lucia, but for me. I... missed you."
Noah met Rafe’s gaze. He would have sworn he saw a glimmer of hope. Maybe longing.
Rafe rocked back on his heels. "You know, I think I’ve had enough of the FBI. Obviously, I would never go back to ORUS. I never wanted to be in anyway. But that blood on my hands, Noah… it’s not a small thing."
Noah nodded. "I know. But if I can do it, you can. It’s pretty easy actually. The jobs you go on, you’re almost guaranteed to come home from.”
Rafe shrugged. “Sounds boring. Can’t you throw in a starlet or something?”
Noah chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do, man. You might have to wrestle Dylan for starlet duty though.”
"To hear Dylan talk about it, it's like he’d rather face a firing squad.”
"I don't know what he has against pop princesses. I swear that was one of my favorite assignments."
Rafe nodded. "I’ve lost too much time with Lucia and Nonna. Other people, too."
Noah rolled his eyes. "Just say it man, you missed me. Go on, you know you want to."
