A Mended Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 4)

by Jaime Reese

  "Aidan…"

  Aidan leaned over Jessie, something inside him snapping, suddenly overtaken with a possessiveness he only felt in Jessie's presence. The dam had broken and a flood of need, want, and desire came crashing through, coating every crack and crevice of his body with an urgency to claim.

  "Say that again," he said in a near growl as he pistoned his hips, nailing Jessie's gland with each deep, pounding thrust. His rhythm quickened. He angled his hips and hooked Jessie's leg over his shoulder, driving himself deeper into Jessie's welcoming body, cursing the rubber barrier between them.

  Jessie threw his head back and gasped for air, his body writhing in Aidan's firm grip. "Aidan," he whispered between whimpered breaths, grabbing the bedsheet in a white-knuckle grip as his body bowed, spilling his release with a strained moan.

  The desire, the need…the reverence whispered in those two syllables ignited an inferno at the base of Aidan's spine and spread to every inch of his body, summoning his orgasm to come crashing in with a blazing roar. His vision blurred as his hips continued to snap forward through his climax. Another jolt of electricity bolted across his body, causing a growl to rip from his throat as he continued to thrust, hoping and begging the white, blinding bliss would never end. His muscles twitched from the aftermath as he pulled Jessie's sweat-slicked body toward him into an embrace, needing to hold him close.

  He unlinked their bodies and discarded the condom. He huddled close to Jessie again, pushing a deep breath through the pressure in his chest. He placed a kiss on Jessie's shoulder, ignoring the lingering tremble in his lips and the ripple of emotions vibrating within. Jessie wrapped himself around him as if sensing the need to hold him together, taming the storm of emotions trying to shadow their union. Aidan screwed his eyes shut and leaned into the embrace, exhaling deeply and releasing the tension in his body.

  "I love you," Jessie whispered as he stroked the nape of Aidan's neck and held him close with the protectiveness of a man ten times his size. "With every breath and heartbeat."

  Aidan sighed and relaxed in his arms, in awe at how Jessie always seemed to right his chaotic world with a simple touch, glance, smile, or word. He placed a tender kiss at the side of Jessie's head and tightened his hold around the one man who had branded his soul, thankful for the gift he held closely that granted him the serenity he thought he'd never find.

  * * * *

  Jessie rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and frowned at the empty space next to him in bed. He sat up and listened, hearing Aidan rustling in the kitchen. That's never a good thing, he thought with a chuckle. Aidan tried, but the kitchen was not his domain. He rose from bed and stretched his arms over his head, smiling at the wonderful ache in his body. He grabbed his sleep pants and padded his way to the bathroom. He stopped mid-step and turned his face upward, narrowing his eyes and sniffing the delicious smell wafting in the air. Breakfast? No way.

  After hurriedly finishing his morning routine, he walked into the kitchen and leaned against the entryway with his arms crossed, carefully observing each of Aidan's sharp motions.

  "Are you…upset?"

  Aidan shook his head, reaching into the cabinet above for the plates.

  Jessie scratched his head and stifled a yawn. Even he couldn't decipher all of Aidan's moods at times. "Did last night magically turn you into a chef?"

  "I picked it up from the diner on LeJeune." He reached into the refrigerator and grabbed the juice, pouring it into the two glasses he had set on the counter.

  "Um, that place gets super busy. How long have you been up?"

  "A little over an hour." He took the two glasses over to the dining room table and returned to the kitchen, grabbing the napkins and silverware.

  "Why didn't you wake me?"

  Aidan shook his head.

  Jessie reached out and placed a stilling hand on Aidan's forearm when he walked past him. "Why didn't you wake me?"

  "You looked really peaceful so I just watched you for a bit then got up to get breakfast. I figured you'd be hungry."

  "You watched me?"

  Aidan looked down at his boot tips and didn't say a word, his jaw muscle twitching with tension.

  "After last night…no flashbacks or bad memories?'

  Aidan shook his head, remaining silent.

  Jessie reached up and ran his thumb along Aidan's stubble. "You didn't even shave. Should I be worried you were trying to run away?"

  Aidan finally made eye contact. "I didn't shave because I know you like the stubble. And no, I wasn't running away. I was fucking horny and didn't want to jump you so I figured I'd get you breakfast instead."

  Jessie rolled his bottom lip into his mouth. "You could have jumped me."

  "I won't do that," Aidan said, shaking his head. "I'll always ask."

  "And I'll always say yes."

  A hint of a smile tugged at Aidan's lips. "Thank you." He reached down and placed a kiss on Jessie's lips. "Good morning."

  "Good morning," Jessie said, returning the kiss. He took the silverware and napkins from Aidan's hand and set them on the counter, hoping to draw Aidan's full attention. "Now why don't you tell me why you're upset?"

  The scowl returned. "Can we stop using those things?" Aidan mumbled, standing in front of Jessie with his arms at his side.

  "Things?"

  The scowl deepened. "Condoms. I mean, I always used them before, but I don't…want to use them with you," he finished in a rush of words.

  "Is that why you're all growly and grumpy?"

  Aidan grunted. "I don't…want anything between us."

  Possessive, aroused Aidan is definitely a sight to see…and hot.

  "We can get tested," Aidan added.

  Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Tested?" He'd been tested for everything during his hospital stay and knew that even though Aidan hadn't been with anyone for some time, he was methodical about getting tested with his annual physical since his last deployment.

  Aidan nodded, snaking his arm around Jessie's waist. "You're it for me. That's what serious couples are supposed to do. Right?"

  "Right." A swell of emotions warmed Jessie. He should let Aidan ramble more often. "We'll get tested then."

  "Good. I already looked up a place that's open Saturdays if you want to go today. And we'll put a fucking rush on it. I don't care how much it costs."

  "I wouldn't expect anything less." Jessie brushed his thumb between Aidan's brows, wanting to wipe the crease that always made an appearance when Aidan pushed through something emotional. "You know…before we sit and have breakfast. We have a major supply of condoms we'll be giving up soon." He inched back when Aidan blankly stared at him, obviously missing his suggestion. "This is me, saying yes."

  Aidan slammed his mouth against Jessie's and cupped one hand under his ass and the other at the back of his head, lifting him up off the ground and pulling him flush against his body.

  A flutter of excitement spiked Jessie's heartbeat as he wrapped himself around Aidan, holding on for dear life as Aidan ravished his mouth and carried him back into the bedroom.

  Aidan strolled into the precinct, through the task force cage toward the meeting room. He stepped inside and looked around with a frown. "Where is everybody?"

  Travis looked up from the file and shrugged. "Reyes has a depo, but he should be in within the hour and Wall got called in from SRT today for a protection detail. So he'll be back tomorrow if all goes well."

  "Where's Sunny?"

  "Not sure." Travis glowered and looked off to the side. "When I came in she was sitting out back. Haven't seen her since."

  Aidan walked out in search of his partner. He made his way through the side door and, within a few short steps, spotted Sunny sitting on a bench. He sat next to her and leaned forward with his forearms on his knees, mirroring her pose.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  Sunny silently stared ahead at the people in the park across the street, rubbing her hands together.

  "What you tell me stays be
tween us."

  "I know," Sunny finally said. "I'm just not sure I want to say it out loud."

  "Want to write it down?"

  "Asshole."

  Aidan chuckled. He leaned over and bumped her shoulder. "I'm not sure I like the quiet version of you. She worries me."

  Sunny looked down at her hands, clasping and unclasping them.

  "We can sit here all day, but it's hot as hell out here."

  "I hate this weather."

  "Inside's nice and cool. I think I heard the A/C whisper your name when it blew out that cold air. Sunny… Sunny…" he mocked in a soft tone.

  "I can't do this."

  "I know. Sitting out here is going to make you sweat in places you didn't think was possible."

  "I can't do…the task force."

  The humor evaporated. An admission of failure did not come easy for Sunny and usually weighed heavily. "Why?"

  Sunny narrowed her eyes as if trying to focus on the people in the distance. "Some of these cases are…tough. We're off the Miller case now that the FBI has a viable witness and they finally caught the Butterfly Killer, but there'll be others like those, and I just can't. I ended up at a bar with a damn drink in my hand the other night." She looked away and sighed. "And every night we have to deal with shit like that."

  Aidan took a deep breath. The Mooney family tree seemed to get its watering from alcohol. After witnessing generations of self-destruction, Sunny had confided that she had made a solemn vow ages ago to avoid the self-destructive liquid.

  Sunny scowled. "It's these damn cases. I just can't do it. I don't know how the hell Reyes chose to work for the Special Victims Bureau. More power to him. It's no wonder he is the way he is."

  He neared Sunny, pitching his voice lower. "Is it just these cases that are a problem or is it the whole task force thing in general?"

  She looked over to him with a pained expression. "I love the task force. We give each other a hard time, but we're making a real difference." She turned away, focusing on a group of people at the park setting up a picnic area under a tree. "Whoever came up with the idea and thought we'd work well together was damn brilliant. Travis is the mediator. Wall never complains, hell, he never says anything. And Reyes spurs you on and gets you going at full force more than I ever could."

  He bumped her shoulder. "You spur me on just fine without the desire to want to beat the crap out of anyone."

  Sunny scoffed. "Reyes does it on purpose. He knows how good you are, and he knows that if he pushes you and gets you to produce, it looks good on him."

  Aidan quieted. Sneaky fucker. He was so busy trying to keep a level head he never would have thought Manny's annoying comments were intentional.

  "I'm along for the ride and I'm learning more than I thought I could, and working with you guys—"

  "Give yourself some credit. You're on the team because you're good. If it were a learning experience, they'd solicit newbies from the academy." Aidan rubbed his hands together. This was important to Sunny and giving up was not an option. "So you're fine with the group as long as you don't have to handle the abuse cases?"

  "I love the satisfaction of taking down a perp who does that kind of damage to someone. But I can't deal with the victims and hearing them talk about what happened. I can handle the forensics, and I don't care how detailed the gore gets in the reports or crime scene pics. I can break it down and examine the facts without a problem. Pace myself and powwow with you and the team on the different scenarios. But hearing the person say it all, and the emotion…shit. I just can't." She turned to him. "How did you handle listening to that woman in the interview that day? The victim from that scene with the same knife as the Butterfly Killer's? In the hospital, when she was retelling every detail of what happened, you were like a damn statue. You didn't move at all or say a single word. Nothing. You were just…vacant."

  He took a deep breath. "I hate these cases too."

  "But you get through each day. How did you reset?"

  "I had help." That was more than he would willingly admit to anyone. He couldn't have made it through the night or weekend without Jessie by his side silently offering support on those tough nights when he would have quietly let his stomach churn over a case.

  She glanced back at the couple having the morning picnic. "I'll handle a dead body any day."

  Aidan tightened his lips, holding back a laugh when a passerby gave Sunny an odd look, overhearing what she had said.

  "Fucker. Don't laugh at me."

  "C'mon. If I had said that, you'd be bustin' my balls right now." Visions of Jessie's laughing face filled his mind. Great, now he was thinking about Jessie and his ball fetish.

  Sunny frowned at him and narrowed her eyes. "You've got this funny smile on your face. I know that wasn't me. What are you thinking about?"

  "Let's focus on the problem here."

  Sunny returned her attention to the people in the park again, her frown deepening. "Who the hell has a picnic at eight o'clock in the damn morning?"

  Aidan held back a laugh but couldn't help wondering if this was how prickly he'd get when frustrated.

  She rubbed her hands again and exhaled heavily. "Any suggestions? I'm open to just about anything to stay on board."

  He wouldn't let her walk away from the task force. Period. He loved working with the team as well, but Sunny played a big part of that formula and screw it all to hell if they tried to fill her spot. "I've got an idea." Aidan pulled out his phone and dialed a number he had avoided for the last few months. "We've got some time before Reyes gets back from his depo. We need to run an errand."

  Sunny lowered her brow but rose from the bench without an argument.

  If he was going to hit Manny up to pull them off these cases, he better sure as hell have something to bargain with in that negotiation. It was the only fair thing to do.

  * * * *

  Aidan sat and waited, refusing to be the first to speak. His ass numbed in the chair and his arms, resting on the table, started to feel heavy. The sound of sliding metal bars echoed in the distance—maybe a fence from the yard or a distant cell door opening. Or maybe the cell door closed. He didn't care. And the guard standing on the other side of the bars, watching them silently sit, didn't faze him at all.

  He had one focus.

  Period.

  He maintained his schooled features, thankful Sunny hadn't fought him with his request she stay in the car when they pulled up to the prison parking lot. He had to keep his poker face and couldn't afford offering any point of distraction.

  He sat across the table from the master of power plays and former head of one of the largest drug and organized crime rings Aidan had ever seen during his career. Rick, aka Starman. The nickname was earned after finding a series of nickel bags stamped with a star emblem linking a series of drug cases. The smooth bastard had proven his ability to evade getting caught for over a decade and would still be free had it not been for Cam and his ability to remember where some run-down excuse of a shack resided in a hidden away location in the deep southern reach of South Florida. That one tiny memory had triggered a chain reaction of arrests.

  "To what do I finally owe the honor of your presence?" Rick asked, his chilly leveled tone breaking the silence between them.

  "You asked to see me."

  "That was quite some time ago. There's something else that's motivated your visit today."

  Aidan carefully chose his words. Every small word and gesture spoke volumes and could easily be deciphered by the conniving son of a bitch. He wondered how the bastard managed to look polished and pristine in prison garb. It seemed elite membership to the magic mystery closet extended to inmates in maximum security prisons as well. "I need something from you."

  Rick clucked his tongue. "My dear Detective Calloway," he said, enunciating each syllable. "You stole my life, killed my beloved, and expect me to just 'give' you something." His laugh quietly echoed in the room. The grin slid off his face and he dropped the pitch of hi
s tone. "I thought you knew me better than that."

  Aidan shrugged, hoping to convey an air of whateverness. "I didn't steal your life. You can blame that idiot judge for being careless and stupid. And your 'beloved'"—he mocked with an eye roll—"was a crazy sociopath who lunged at me. It was self-defense."

  Rick huffed out a laugh and the edge of his lips curled up into a crude smile. He leaned forward and the guard immediately neared to open the door, stopping only when Aidan raised his hand to halt him. Rick looked over his shoulder then back at Aidan. "What do you want?"

  Aidan could play this a few different ways, but a direct approach never worked with Rick. Ever. He always needed to believe that he was the one offering something. "I need your word."

  "What makes you think my word means anything?"

  Aidan leaned forward, matching Rick's pose. "As smooth and cool as you like to think you are, you're old school."

  Rick's eyes quickly scanned Aidan's face, assessing him, and an odd look of fascination colored his expression. "Tell me."

  "I need you to have your men back off Cameron Pierce."

  Rick lowered his brow, suddenly speaking out of character, as if forgetting his role in the game. "The kid's in hiding. My men haven't touched him, so if—"

  "If he were out of hiding."

  "Ah, he's homesick." Rick's features smoothed in understanding and his calculating tone returned, quickly resuming his role in their pissing contest. He leaned over slightly and lowered his voice. "And you're worried…something…will happen as soon as the kid comes back."

  "I know you have a price on his head. I want you to rescind it."

  "You can't just cancel an 'alleged' request of that nature." Rick leaned back in the chair and clasped his cuffed hands on the table. He glanced over his shoulder again at the guard then returned his focus to Aidan. "I'm just an inmate doing my time."