“Well, she is beautiful,” Vince pointed out.
Nick exhaled and relaxed against the cushion. “Vince, I—”
“Nick, it’s sad, but my sister is gone. She’s been gone for nearly six months.” Vince’s tone was laced with sadness.
Nick ran his fingers roughly through his hair and shook his head. “But she’s really not, Vince. She’s not gone,” he refuted sorrowfully.
Vince placed a hand on his shoulder and gazed at him sympathetically. “I know you love—”
Nick tensed. “I don’t wanna talk about it. I can’t.”
“It’s okay, brother. You’re right. Let’s not spoil this $250 bottle of cheap-ass whiskey.”
Nick emptied the contents of his glass just as a different waitress approached with a bucket housing Crown and obnoxious sparklers. She was smiling as she placed the bucket on the table.
“Will you gentlemen be needing any chasers?”
“Just water,” Nick responded.
“You got it. How about some popcorn or nuts?”
“Nah. No, thank you, but do you see that woman?” When Nick pointed, the waitress squinted in the direction of the table with the balloons. “The redhead and the woman in the black dress? You see ‘em?”
“Yeah… oh, yeah, I see ‘em.”
“Please get them both whatever they’re drinking.”
“Will do,” the waitress agreed with a polite smile.
“Thank you.”
She nodded and walked away. He watched as she approached the women. He studied Rebecca’s face as she leaned in to hear the waitress. She smiled and scanned the club. When the waitress pointed in his direction, he offered an informal salute. She tossed her bouncy curls over her shoulder and waved. Her flirtatious smile nearly weakened him. She didn’t seem to smile much, and Nick wanted to be the man who would change that.
“If you’re not ready to move on, what are you doing?” Vince asked.
Nick turned to face his brother-in-law and blew out a nervous breath. “I’m just flirting. It’s innocent.”
Vince laughed and threw his hands up. “Hey, bro, I’m not judging.”
Nick finished his whiskey and poured himself another round. For the next fifteen minutes, he half-assed conversed with Vince. In reality, it was the lady in the black dress that commanded his attention. She seemed to be having a good time, and he was surprised by how much that pleased him. His eyes were glued to her thick, swaying hips as she danced in place next to her friend. If he were a bolder man, he would go over to the table and pull her away for a private moment. Since he wasn’t, and his wife’s brother was sitting next to him, he nursed his drink and pretended to listen to his brother-in-law. But the farce ended when Rebecca broke away from the table and headed toward the bathroom.
“I’ll be back,” Nick announced.
He jumped from the sofa and hurried past Gary. He carefully weaved his way through the crowd of animated bodies with the intention of heading her off at the pass. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as careful as he’d thought. He was nearly four feet away from Rebecca when he felt a shove.
“Excuse you!” a half-dressed blonde screeched, grabbing her head.
Nick frowned. Had he bumped into the woman? He glared at her angry expression, wondering what her issue was. Her narrowed eyes lowered to his chest. After following her heated gaze, he noticed a strip of long, blonde weave hanging from his chest. Nick’s mouth flew open. He couldn’t decide if he was horrified or amused when she snatched the stray bundle of hair from one of his buttons and stomped away.
The sound of laughter over the music caused him to look over his shoulder.
“Smooth, Detective Cato,” came from the sweet mouth of the woman he’d been eyeing all night.
Nick turned and shrugged.
“Your shirt made of Velcro?” she teased through a giggle.
For some reason, the crinkle of her eyes and the sound of her laughter were endearing.
“Miss King, how are you?” he greeted with a grin.
“I’m good, Sergeant. Fancy meeting you here. Doesn’t really seem like your kind of place.”
“It’s not,” Nick admitted. “I came for someone.” You.
“Oh,” she said, looking around for his companion.
Nick pointed toward the VIP section at Vince. “My brother,” he lied.
“Oh, okay. Well, you guys have a good night,” she said, backing away. “It was good to see you under better circumstances.”
“Yes,” he agreed, thinking of a way to keep her from leaving. “Miss King?”
“Rebecca, please,” she insisted.
“How about Becky?” he asked with a grin.
She smirked at him with knitted brows. “Not ever, Detective Cato.”
Nick laughed and nodded. “Rebecca it is, but only if you call me Nick.”
“Okay, Nick. I can do that. But right now, I need to visit the ladies’ room.”
She turned to walk away, but Nick grabbed her arm. She turned around, blinking in confusion.
“Can I wait for you here? Have a drink with me?”
She relaxed and gifted him with a beautiful white smile. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”
When she turned and made her way to the facilities, the club lights illuminated the reddish tones of her bouncy hair. As he stood waiting for her like a backstage groupie, he thought of her beautiful smile and how it hadn’t gone unnoticed that behind that smile was a hint of sadness in her almond-colored eyes.
“Oh, wow. You’re a giant piece of man-candy.”
Nick looked down into the fiery green eyes of a scarily thin brunette. “Hello,” he said perplexed.
He could smell the tequila coming from her pores as she tucked her arm in his and rested her head on his shoulder. “Ma’am?”
“I wanna bite and I’m gonna chew very slow.”
Since her slurred threat didn’t sound at all appealing, he pried his arm from the woman while making sure she was steady on her feet. “Nope. No, thank you. Have a good night,” he said before walking away.
He moved closer to the restrooms so he could wait for Rebecca. She was already in the hall, brandishing a cheeky grin. Apparently, she’d witnessed the encounter.
Nick chuckled. “What are you grinning at?” he asked as he approached.
“Gotta beat ‘em off with a stick, huh?” she teased with a chuckle.
“Well, I clearly don’t need a stick for you.”
Rebecca took a quick glance behind him before pushing her body to his. Her small hand landed on his chest, catching him off guard. She looked deep into his eyes and placed her other hand behind his head. She stood on her toes and pulled his face to hers. Every single nerve in his body seemed to awaken when she placed her soft, plump lips to his. He snaked an arm around her waist, melding her body to his. He inhaled her enticing aroma as his lips fused with hers and savored the sweet taste of whiskey and honey as her tongue teased his. The feeling of her soft body pressed against him sent a rush of warmth to his growing cock.
Nick moaned against her lips and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her tight and crushing her soft tits to his big body. Somehow, it suddenly seemed as if they were alone in the crowded night club. The intensity of his desire drowned the loud music, and partygoers seemed to disappear. For Nick, it was the two of them all alone in a world of their making. She pressed her fingers to his scalp, licked his tongue, and sucked his bottom lip into her warm mouth. When she released a groan filled with what he deduced to be need, he wanted so desperately to be the one to give her whatever it was she needed. In that very moment, he was more than ready and willing to ditch Vince and explain later.
It had been so long—what felt like a lifetime ago—since he’d been kissed. And now, a beautiful woman was kissing him with hunger and a passion that nearly toppled him over.
Her hand slipped from his chest, and she took the tiniest step backward. It was then he realized he couldn’t keep her in his arms forever.
She
smiled up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. “You’re welcome,” she purred with a sultry look in her eye.
Confused, Nick looked down at her with a wrinkled brow. He didn’t mind at all thanking her. However, it would be nice to know why he owed her gratitude. But without telling him, she stepped out of his reach and pushed through the crowd.
As he watched her sink into the sea of people, someone bumped into him with aggression that absolutely had to be intentional. He turned around, ready to do battle, only to find himself face to face with the green-eyed brunette who wanted to chew on him. Now, he knew what he should have thanked Rebecca for. She had saved him from the skinny, drunk woman.
“Y-you should’ve t-told me…” She hiccupped. “That y-you were with someone before you hit on me,” she scolded in a slur before stumbling away.
Nick chuckled, shaking his head. He headed back to VIP before some other hungry drunk tried to eat him.
7
King
“Come on, girl,” Rebecca grumbled as she struggled to help her drunk friend out the back seat of an Uber. Convincing Jessica to leave her car at the club had been no easy feat, but they’d both been drinking. Since Jessica was completely wasted, and Rebecca had a good buzz, either one of them jumping behind the wheel of a car would’ve been the worst idea.
She managed to get Jessica on her feet and propped her up against the car while she reached inside to retrieve their purses. When Jessica’s knees buckled, she fell to the curb in a fit of giggles.
“Oh, shit,” Rebecca mumbled, flustered.
She slid the straps of both their purses over her shoulder and kneeled to gather her friend from the curb. “Get yo’ ass up,” she gritted near Jessica’s ear.
Jessica stood and laughed. She rolled her eyes and walked toward the entrance to Rebecca’s West-Loop loft.
“Come on, girl, I’m not that drunk. God, you are so easy.” She snorted over her shoulder. “Come open this door so I can pee.”
Rebecca blew out a harsh breath, thanked the Uber driver, and closed the car door. She looked down at Jessica’s expensive handbag and contemplated hurling it at her back. She thought better of it, though.
Instead, she rolled her eyes and followed her up the walkway. “You get on my nerves,” she complained as she fished her keys out of her purse. “And, if you’re not drunk, you could’ve driven. You’re paying me back for that Uber.”
After opening the door, Jessica pushed past her to enter. “Gotta pee,” she repeated with urgency. “I said I wasn’t that drunk. I’m still too drunk to drive.” Her voice echoed throughout the dark hall.
Rebecca closed the door and felt along the wall for the light switch. When she flipped it on, she was met with horror. Pressed against the wall was William, also known as Boogie, her dad’s drug-dealing foster kid. He had rage in his eyes that chilled Rebecca to the bone. Pure terror bubbled in her chest. When she screamed, he pushed off the wall and punched her face hard enough for her body to bounce off the wall and hit the floor. Her vision blurred as moisture pooled in her eyes, but through the tears she could see the murderous scowl on his sweat covered face. She struggled to get up, but she was stunned by a crippling kick to her ribs. She howled out in pain as he grabbed a fist full of her hair and forced her onto her back.
“What?” She wanted to know what she’d done to provoke his hatred, but she was cut off by the sound of blood-curdling screaming from the rear of her loft.
Jessica!
Boogie leaned in so close that Rebecca could smell the alcohol on his breath. “You set me up, bitch!” he hissed with narrow, angry eyes.
Rebecca frowned, frantically shaking her head. “What?” She gasped. “I-I didn’t!”
He wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed, denying her any oxygen. As she struggled to breathe, warm tears trickled down the sides of her face and into her ears.
“I saw you kissing that motherfucker that raided my house!” he gritted.
She clawed against his fingers. By the look in his eyes, he had every intention of killing her. Unfortunately, her short nails were ineffective. She pushed unsuccessfully at his larger body in order to free herself. He didn’t budge. But as she struggled beneath him, fighting to stay conscious, she was gifted with a brief sense of hope. Tucked into the waistband was what felt like a gun. With no time to waste, she stuck her hand in his trousers and prayed that there were bullets when she pulled the trigger.
There were. A loud shot rang out in the hall.
His body jerked violently on top of her. A flash of confusion washed over his face just before it twisted in agony. A high-pitched squeal escaped his throat as a warm gush of his blood flowed over her. He released her throat immediately and rolled onto his back.
Rebecca covered her throat with her hand as she swallowed every bit of air she could. Still holding the gun, she scurried backward to put distance between them.
“What the fuck?”
Rebecca jumped when a heavy-set man, dressed in all black, who looked all of seventeen ran into the hall. His attention landed immediately on his squirming, bloody accomplice.
“Aww, shit! Boogie!”
When he hurried over to provide aid, Rebecca pointed the gun at his back. As soon as he gathered realization of what had happened, he quickly turned in her direction. Before he could pounce, she pulled the trigger. By the violent jolt of his body, she must have hit her target. The powerful recoil from firing the gun forced her to jerk. She startled and pulled the trigger again. He fell to the floor in a thud next to his friend.
“Oh, fuck!” Boogie gasped.
His eyes stretched wide when he stared into the lifeless eyes of his dead friend. Rebecca moved to stand. Her next thought was to shoot Boogie again. Now, it was her who had no intention of letting him leave alive. But as she made it to her knees, a sharp pain caused her to collapse to the floor. It was as if an elephant was standing on her chest. She knew all too well what was happening because it had happened before.
She was having a heart attack.
8
Cato
Nick exhaled a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding when Rebecca’s eyes fluttered open.
“Hey,” he whispered.
She frowned as she scanned the hospital room with a muddled expression. She seemed as if she was struggling to recall or regain the time she’d lost.
“Rebecca, honey,” her dad spoke softly.
Her brow wrinkled with confusion when her eyes landed on her father’s worried face. “What… Da-umm? What happened?”
“You were attacked,” Nick informed. “Your heart…”
Her eyes grew wide with instant understanding. “Oh God! Jessica!” She panicked through a gasp.
Alarms on the many monitors attached to her began to ring out as she tried to sit up. Nick pushed against her shoulders firmly but gently, holding her in place.
“Your friend is fine, just a few bumps and bruises. But, you… you had a heart attack.”
Strangely, it seemed he was the only one who seemed surprised that a woman as young as her would suffer a heart attack.
“Where is she? Where is Jessica?”
“She went to get your dad a cup of coffee. She’ll be right back.”
Nick covered her small hand with his and leaned in. Even with bruises and a black eye, her beauty still took his breath away. No man or any woman who could hurt her the way Boogie had deserved to walk the earth.
“What happened?” he asked patiently.
He’d only known what the 1st district station supervisor had told him over an early-morning phone call. Since he and his team were last to arrest Boogie, it was customary for him to be notified of any illegal activity involving him and his crew.
The story was Boogie had been shot while in the commission of a home invasion, but the narrative didn’t sit right with Nick. For one, he should have been informed that he’d made bail.
“Boogie,” she croaked. After clearing her throat, she
said, “It was Boogie. He thought I set him up… set up the raid.”
Nick frowned, shaking his head. “What? Why would he think that?”
“He saw me kissing you at Butterfly.”
Nick dropped his head and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. “Nooo,” he groaned.
“Is he dead?” she asked timidly.
Nick raised his head and looked at her. She appeared to be fighting back tears that were pooling in her soft, brown eyes.
“No,” he said softly.
In her eyes, he saw relief. In his, there must have been disappointment. He raised a brow. “You shot off his junk, though,” he offered with a bit of glee.
She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a frustrated groan. Judging from her reaction, Nick thought it best not to bring up Boogie’s dead buddy.
“I’ll give you some time with your dad.”
He moved to walk away, but she grabbed his hand. “Sergeant?”
“Nick. Please call me Nick.”
“Nick, he… he’s going to jail, right?”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and looked her in the eyes. “Rest easy, Rebecca. That son of a bitch is done.”
“Okay,” she whispered with a nod. “Thank you.”
Nick nodded and took a reluctant step away from her bedside. He left the room, tempted to visit Boogie’s room. It was just one level below. It would’ve been so easy to enter his room, wrap his fingers around his neck, and deprive him of the oxygen he’d tried to deny Rebecca.
In lieu of murder, Nick opted to spend some quiet time with his wife. After a crowded ride on the elevator and two quick turns, he walked into her room. The familiar beep from the machines and the whoosh of the respirator was a sad reminder of his reality.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” he greeted with a kiss to her head.
Nick ran his thumb along her hairline, amazed at how much her dark hair had grown while in her vegetative state. When he leaned in to kiss her forehead, guilt for where his lips had been the night before washed over him.
Nick covered her large belly with his hand. Although a band of medical professionals had told him there was no life left in his wife, they were all wrong. Something inside Vera was fighting to keep their baby alive. Even though a machine was doing the breathing for her, her heart was beating strong.
Cato’s Heart Page 4
