by HA Fortman
“Why do you take such an interest in her? She is no longer yours to protect, no longer your responsibility.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, buster. She’s a citizen in my State and as a cop they’re all mine to protect. It’s my job and one I take great pride in. Never mind that she came to us with valuable information. Information that now has cost her in flesh and blood and pain, a payment that I plan to see restituted by capturing this beast that would strike a hapless woman!” Each word was ground out between David’s teeth in such a way that Tracker could tell he was beyond irate.
Tracker viewed Elisa like he did Chase, a sibling, he would give his life to protect. And now he could see plainly that the detective felt the same way, a family connection didn’t always have to be through blood. And in this case it was because of a brave young woman who sought only to bring justice to those that were wronged.
“If you’re going to wait, then I suggest we get comfortable.” That being said, Tracker moved to the couch and stretched himself out. His effortless grace as he stalked toward the couch, loose limbed and yet coiled to spring at any moment, brought a slight arch of the brow to David’s face. One that Tracker chose to ignore as he sat on the couch. He rested both arms along the back of the black fabric, his long legs, stretching before him and crossing at the ankles, then looked expectantly at the detective.
Tracker watched David as he cast his gaze about the Spartan living room, noticing that there was only one other white recliner and the small table between the two that housed a black lamp, as well as the other table with the communications device; he heard a sound that quickly brought him to his feet once again.
Leaning against the wall where the living room met the hall, the very same one that housed all of Elisa’s notes and photos that mimicked the one that the team still used at the police department, Tracker saw the slight smirk fighting to break free on Chase's face.
“Good morn Detective. It’s nice to see you… without the cage this time.” Tracker was hard pressed not to snicker as Chase said this. Instead, he turned towards the detective, but he didn’t attempt to hide the grin spreading across his features. He could hear the humor in Chase’s voice, edged with annoyance, and knew it would be a story he could use to antagonize his friend whenever he got the chance to. After they captured the man responsible, that is.
“Elisa still rests Chase?” He asked instead, moving to the side and allowing Chase a place to sit on the couch. He left a spot open along the far side away from the unknown detective, before returning to his own seat.
“Yes. She is in need of a good night’s rest, but I am not sure she will get it once she sees that the Detective is here to speak to her. She has had to relive that attack too many times as it is, but I know she will tell it once more, and only once more. I will not have her forced to remember it anymore. She needs to not think about it in order to heal and move on with her life.” Chase said before he turned a fiery glare to the detective, making Tracker glad that he was not on the receiving end of that look.
“Your officer took her report. I know you will want to speak to her about it, but I will be present and she will not be upset by it. At the first sign that she is getting agitated, then you will leave, even if I have to force you to leave, David.”
“You’re awfully protective of her after you rammed into her at the station the other day.”
“That was unintentional. I did not mean to cause her physical harm. I merely meant to get her attention.”
“Yeah, well you damned near broke her ribs.”
Tracker watched the two volley verbal assaults back and forth, his head twisted from one to the other. With each word that was said his body tightened more and more, prepared to step between the two to keep them from to coming to actual blows. The tension was so thick in the air; he could have cut it with a plastmic cutter.
“Enough! Both of you stop it! This is not helping matters and it could very well awake Elisa!” Tracker had finally had enough of listening to the two men bickering back and forth, their voices rising in anger with each word uttered, like two old women.
It was clear to Tracker when Chase took a deep breath that he was attempting to calm himself, their eyes met and they both nodded to each other in a show of solidarity. They would not let the other man’s aggression deter their vows to protect the dainty woman, even from themselves.
Chapter 15
Once again, Elisa woke in a strange bed, or rather, not the bed she went to sleep in. Slowly she stretched her body and tried not to whimper as the bruises pulled painfully. Looking about she realized she was in her bed in her rented house. The last thing she remembered was talking to Chase as they drove from the hospital. She must have fallen asleep on the poor man.
The raised voices from the living room caught her attention as she slipped from the bed and wrapped her naked… wait, she didn’t remember removing her clothing. Blushing furiously she realized that Chase must have not only carried her in from the stretch limo, but taken the time to see to her comfort as he put her to bed. He didn’t have to strip me naked though.
Shaking her head as she belted the robe closed, she made her way to the door and peeked out it. While she couldn’t tell exactly what was being said, she could definitely tell that there were at least two… make that three men as the strange driver with Chase last night shouted at the others to quit yelling. Elisa shook her head as she made her way out of the bedroom and into the living room, but before she broached the room entirely she paused.
Leaning against the wall so that she could see into the room without being noticed, she had to grin at the way Chase and David were practically going at it with their verbal fists and heated glares. She’d never had someone fight for her like that before and it only endeared her to him even more. Never mind that his voice was sending liquid heat straight to her inner core. Rubbing her bare thighs together wasn’t lessening the attraction or the effects in the slightest, instead it made it all the harder to ignore.
David, with his ever present rumpled dark suit, the jacket as always unbuttoned over a white shirt that hung over his body; sat in her recliner but he didn’t look the least bit comfortable.
Her gaze flicked to Tracker in the form fitting black T-shirt and dark jeans as he sat on the couch nearest to David, his bare feet poking out of the tattered bottoms of the jeans seemed the most relaxed but she wasn’t going to fall for. It was almost as though he was trying to be a barrier between the two men.
Finally, her gaze landed on the male perfection sitting on the other side of the Tracker. His lithe body wrapped in dark slacks and a nearly black, burgundy dress shirt, the top few buttons left undone to show a mouthwatering glimpse of tan skin. A smile fought its way to her lips as she read the tension radiating between all three men when she noticed that Chase’s bare toes peeks from beneath his slacks.
It appeared that both men had an aversion to socks and shoes, something she would file away for later.
“What are you doing here David? I already gave my report on the attack to the officer, and honestly, I don’t want to have to relive it yet again by telling it. I’d much rather just forget it and focus on catching and stopping the jerk that did it to me.” Elisa said after she took a steady breath and strolled into the room like she wasn’t covered with just a flimsy terry cloth robe.
To say she was self-conscious of her near naked state would be an understatement; one that anyone could see by the way her small hand gripped the two edges of the robe together just above her chest. She knew her knuckles were white, but she couldn’t bring herself to let go against the stark contrast of the black robe.
Especially when her gaze moved to Chase and stayed there like her very life depended on his attention, try as she might she couldn’t turn her attention to the two other men in the room. She didn’t even realize she was moving until she stood in front of him, lost as she was in the depths of his icy blue eyes. Nor did she realize her breath hitched when his hands slowly traced
a path up her thighs to her waist, the fingers tightening as he gently pulled her down into his lap.
The soft chuckle from beside Chase drew Elisa’s gaze at last away from the man she was sitting on, turning her head, she saw the wink Tracker sent to her before his attention moved off to David. Heat infused her cheeks and she knew she was blushing when she finally turned her attention to the shocked look the detective was giving her.
“David. I didn’t know you were here.” She shrugged; what else could she do? Caught as she was within the secure arms of a man she had just met. She reasoned to herself that there was nowhere else to sit and the men hadn’t moved so she could take a seat. And she was still tired and so sore it was a wonder she could force herself to walk.
“Obviously, you only had eyes for him. I thought you said he was the one that we should investigate as a possible suspect?” David said as he raised a single brow, he obviously didn’t know what to make of her actions, but then again Elisa was still at a loss with how easily she accepted what was going on.
“I know, but if you look at the pictures… they’re two different men. There was Chase and yeah, he was at a few of the scenes, but the ones that looked angry were…”
“His brother, I know. I’m just shocked that after the beating you took, you’d be willing to let any man touch you.” David interrupted Elisa as he shot a confused look at Chase and his friend perched beside him on the couch. Shaking his head, he turned back to Elisa. “Look, I know you don’t want to do this and that you already filled out a report but I want to hear it from your lips. What exactly happened the other night and why are you clinging to that man… that stranger, like a barnacle?”
Elisa sighed and tried to extricate herself from Chase, but his arms merely slid around her waist and held tight. With a groan, she finally gave up and instead of fighting with what little energy she didn’t have, she leaned back against his chest and said, “David, I know how this must look… weird. Hell, it is for me too! I don’t know what it is about him, but Chase saved my life when he showed up and I feel safe with him. I can’t explain it to you.”
Instead of looking offended, Elisa noticed that David looked as though he was contemplating it before he nodded and said, “You’re right, it is rather concerning but for now I’ll let it be. If you feel safe then ok, but I want you to know I don’t feel right about this. Right now though I want to hear you tell me exactly what happened, don’t leave anything out.”
As he reached out to touch her cloth covered knee, his eyes softened with concern. “I promise this will be the last time you have to do this. I wouldn’t ask, but something tells me this is extremely important and I want to hear you tell it. The officer at the hospital only took a written report, he should have taken a verbal statement, but I know he’s a rookie and didn’t really know better.”
Elisa watched his hand as he gently squeezed just above her knee, she didn’t want to do this but she knew she had to. If nothing else she had to get him to understand why she trusted Chase as much as she currently did. Taking a deep breath, she finally nodded and with her hands worrying against the cloth still clenched as they were she began retelling her tale of horror.
For several minutes none of the men moved, they barely even dared to breathe. The further along Elisa came in her story, the deeper she started going into her memories of the savage beating, the more she noticed the tension building between the three.
Until Tracker shocked Elisa into nearly bolting from Chase’s lap when he abruptly thrust himself to his feet and started pacing. It was clear to everyone by the tightening of his eyes and veritable steam rolling out of his ears that he was extremely pissed about the entire situation.
What really startled her? What made her nearly bolt from the room? It wasn’t just the man pacing in obvious anger. It was the deep throbbing growl that echoed against her back from where Chase’s chest rested against her.
Chapter 16
Chase watched as his best friend lunged to his feet and started pacing back and forth as he listened to Elisa. If she weren’t perched in his lap where he could hold her tight he would probably be joining his friend. He knew what her story was doing to Tracker, it was doing the same to him and with a glance over at David it was affecting him as well. He was barely able to contain the beast within. The creature wanted to break through the walls, the ceiling, even his very skin just so it could surge out into the early dawn hours to hunt and kill the one that put that tremor of sheer terror into his Anare’s voice.
Without realizing he was doing it his arms drew Elisa tighter into his embrace, nearly suffocating her smaller frame as he pulled her back against his chest and started to curl over her shoulder in order to protect her from her very memories. It wasn’t until the sharp smack of her tiny hand hitting his forearm broke through the gruff growling that he realized she was telling him to let her go because she couldn’t breathe. Finally he forced himself to release her, but not completely. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being out of his arms.
He felt as she watched Tracker pacing while she finished her story. Nuzzling his lips against the back of her neck, he attempted to calm her, needing to comfort both of them. Chase smiled when he felt the rush of goose flesh rising under his lips and knew she was unable to ignore him as she would like to pretend she could.
Keeping an eye on Tracker, he listened with half an ear as Elisa resumed her story. Chase breathed a soft sigh of relief when she skipped the part of Yannick healing most of her injuries and the trip to the ship, instead ending it with her short stay in their medical building.
“You didn’t tell me any of that, Chase. You just said she was attacked and we were going to be picking her up at the hospital. Although that was obvious once we got there and the two of you came out. You let me believe she was hurt in some other manner!” Tracker was obviously seething as he glared at his Commander. His hands clenched into two fists that mirrored the locked body, the body that finally came to a stop before Chase and was fairly vibrating with rage.
Gently Chase lifted Elisa after giving her yet another scathing press of lips to the back of her neck before setting her down on the couch beside him. Standing slowly he faced down his friend and first officer by grabbing his upper arm and forcing Tracker to look at, and see, the sincerity in his gaze. “Not here. Not now Palee. We need to focus on Elisa’s safety and then you and I can hash it out in the training arena. I did not tell you because we never got the chance. As soon as we came back here I did what I had to and then told you where to meet us. You know I would never leave you intentionally in the dark.”
When Chase received a nod from Tracker, he released his friend before he turned back to the woman that was stirring all kinds of havoc inside him. Chase knew that having used his friend’s true name instead of his nickname would show the other man just how much this affected him, just as he knew his eyes were glowing brightly. Try as he might he couldn’t keep his pupils from elongating as they showed the savage feelings that grew in intensity each time he thought of her. When he saw the look of longing warring with the look of shock in Elisa’s eyes, he swooped down and attacked her lips as though his life depended on the soothing touch of her flesh. He wrapped a hand at the base of her neck and slowly drew her up until she stood with her chest pressed flush against his panting body. Her arms wrapped around Chase’s waist as he used his other arm to pull her even tighter while his lips devoured her very essence.
With great reluctance, he pulled back and dropped his forehead against hers lightly, fighting internally for all he was worth to keep from dragging her back into the bedroom and staking his claim fully, finally. When Chase was able to once again speak, it was a deeper voice than usual. “I need to get you something to eat. You have not eaten in too long and I cannot stay here and listen to you talk about the attack again with the detective without breaking someone for the pain and fear that basteel gave you.”
Slowly he peeled his body off of Elisa, dragging his hands down her neck
and shoulders until finally he held both of her tiny hands in his larger ones. Giving them an encouraging squeeze he turned towards Tracker and nodded him out into the cooking area. When the other man refused to move, Chase wrapped his hand around the tense bicep and all but dragged Tracker out of the room behind him and into the other.
“Get yourself together Tracker! Neither of us can afford to lose it right now. Elisa needs us at the top of our game and losing your cool is not going to help matters.” Chase understood the anger coursing its way through Trackers body, as it was the same anger making his very blood boil, but he knew they had to tread carefully. They couldn’t afford to bring attention down on themselves, and if they weren’t careful that is exactly what would happen.
Growling deeply, Tracker turned his anger onto Chase as he ripped his arm out of the other’s grip. “I know that, Commander. It doesn’t make it any easier to hear exactly what that basteel did to her!”
“Do you think I do not know that? I am the one that found her! I am the one that held her trembling and bleeding body and prayed to the Gods and Goddesses that she was not broken in spirit and soul!” Chase’s agitation was clear as he ran shaking hands through his dark blond hair. He tightened his hands in the long locks and tugged, the only way he would allow himself to vent some of the anger. “We need to plan, to figure out a way to trap Mestrock as quickly as possible so I can take her away from this where she will be safe.”
Chase watched as Tracker nodded and took a deep breath, both men fought to control themselves before turning to the cupboards lining the far wall. Searching through them, and the chiller in the corner, they were able to finally return to the woman and Detective in the other room. Chase smirked to himself as he realized how his parental units would laugh to see him in a subservient mode to his woman, especially after his years of vowing that he would never be caught doing such.
