by Marie Force
“Whatever. I don’t have time to deal with that scumbag right now. Cruz and I will meet you at Constitution Ave.”
“Call Hill,” Malone said before the phone went dead.
Sam growled.
“Uh-oh. What’s that about?”
“Freaking Hill. Gotta play nicey-nice with his ego.”
“He is in charge of the investigation.”
“But he’s not the one out pounding the pavement, is he?”
“Want me to call him?”
“No, I’ll do it.” Sam put through the call, and Hill answered immediately, as if he’d been waiting for her to call. Weirdo. “There’s going to be a raid on a T-shirt shop on Constitution Avenue where we suspect Androzzi has been hiding out.” She provided the exact address.
“What makes you suspect he’s hiding there?”
“I don’t have time to lay it all out for you. I’m doing you the courtesy of letting you know.” She ended the call before he could say anything.
Freddie snickered under his breath.
“What’s so funny?”
“You said, ‘I’m doing you.’”
“What? I did not?”
“Um, yeah, you did. ‘I’m doing you the courtesy…’”
“Shut up. Just shut up.”
He snickered again as they exited the hospital and emerged into an icy tundra that had Sam zipping her coat all the way up and tying her scarf around her neck. “Meet you there.”
Sam got into the car and whispered a prayer of thanks to the God of heated seats—and to her husband, who she called to thank.
“Hey, babe.”
“My bum is loving you right now.”
“I have no idea how to reply to that.”
“Heated seats, my love. Heated seats.”
“Ahhh, I do what I can to take care of your sexy bum.”
The way he said that made her desperately wish she were in a bed naked with him. Soon enough. “I’m going to be a little bit longer,” she said, updating him on the hunch about the T-shirt shop.
“You’re not going in there alone, are you?”
“Nope, we’re bringing the cavalry. Second time today that we’ve busted out the SWAT team. They’re going to be positively spent tomorrow.”
“I’m glad they’re going in ahead of you. Be careful.”
“I will. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
“Knowing that makes this very shitty day so much more bearable. See you soon.”
Sam pulled up to the address on Constitution Avenue and didn’t see anyone else from the MPD yet. She stayed in her car, hunched down, eyes on the dark storefront. God, she hoped she was right about this. It would be so great to nail this bastard tonight and be done with it before the inauguration.
Having an armed murderer on the loose with a million or so extra people in town was law enforcement’s worst nightmare.
Freddie pulled up behind her and the others arrived a few minutes later.
She switched her radio to the encrypted channel used for sensitive situations such as this, lest Androzzi be tipped off to their arrival by a police radio that could be purchased anywhere.
“This is Captain Nickleson. My people are in place. We’ll be going in via the front and back simultaneously.”
“Be prepared for gunfire,” Conklin said. “He’s already killed one cop. He’s got nothing left to lose. Proceed with caution.”
Sam got out of her car and met Freddie outside of his.
Hill came storming up the sidewalk, brushed by Sam and went to confer with Conklin.
“Was it something I said?” she asked Freddie.
“He’s still thinking about you offering to do him.”
“I liked you better before you knew what that meant, back when you were a good Christian boy.”
“Here we go, people,” Nickleson said over the radio, giving the order for his officers to move in.
“Please let him be there,” Sam whispered.
On the radio she heard the doors to the store burst open, followed shortly after by multiple reports of all clear.
“Damn it,” she said with a sigh. “I was so sure he’d be there.”
“Someone’s been living here,” Nickleson said. “There’re clothes and blankets and a food stash, but he’s not here now.”
“Let’s get CSU in there,” Conklin said.
“I guess we’re good to go home,” Sam said to Conklin, frustrated that they’d been unable to find him before the inauguration. “Call me if anything pops overnight.”
“I believe you’re off-duty until Wednesday, Lieutenant,” Conklin said with a teasing smile that had Sam glaring at the deputy chief.
“Have your fun, sir.”
“Thank you, I will. I’ll wave to you on the reviewing stand.”
“Watch for my middle finger.”
Conklin took off laughing, and Sam noticed Gonzo standing alone on the sidewalk, staring at the store, which was now lit up. Sam told Freddie to go on home.
“Good luck with everything tomorrow.”
“Thanks. Keep me posted on all of this. I’ll have my phone, so text me.”
“Will do.”
Sam walked over to Gonzo.
“Never occurred to me for one second that there was really a T-shirt shop,” Gonzo said. “I should’ve thought of that. It’s brilliant. Hiding in plain sight in the legit business while running his sordid trafficking sideline.”
“It never occurred to any of us that the shop was legit, Gonzo.”
He continued to stare, unblinking.
“Come with me.” She took him by the arm. Her dad would already be in bed at this hour, but she had no doubt he’d be happy to talk to Gonzo no matter the time.
“Where am I going?”
“Just get in the car.” Sam held the passenger door for him and slammed it shut when he was settled. As Sam drove to Capitol Hill, she hoped she was doing the right thing by forcing him to have this conversation. At the checkpoint on Ninth Street, Sam was stopped by the Secret Service when they saw she had a passenger. “Show them your badge.”
Gonzo retrieved his badge from his pocket and showed it to the agent on duty.
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Have a nice evening.”
“You too.” Sam parked the car in front of her house.
“Why are you bringing me home with you?”
“Come with me, and I’ll tell you.” She could tell she surprised him when she directed him to her father’s home rather than her own.
“Sam, it’s too late for this tonight. We can do it another time.”
With her hand on his back, she propelled him up the ramp to her dad’s front door where she knocked softly.
Her stepmother, Celia, dressed in a thick robe, came to the door. “Oh, Sam, it’s you.” She ushered them into the warm house. “And Tommy.” She hugged him. “How are you, honey? We’ve been thinking about you.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Sam kissed her cheek. “Sorry to bother you so late, but we really need to see Dad. Is that okay?”
“Sure, he’s still awake. We just watched a movie in his room. Go on in.”
“Thanks, Celia.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Gonzo said. “Sorry to barge in.”
“You’re welcome here anytime of day or night.”
“Told ya,” Sam said, smiling at him over her shoulder. His unusually stern countenance made her ache for him. It would be a long time before Tommy Gonzales found anything to smile about. “Knock, knock, Skippy. I come with friends.”
“Hey there,” Skip said. “You’re up late.”
Sam bent over the rail on his bed to
Sam stepped aside to let Gonzo in.
“Sorry to bust in on you so late, Skip,” he said. “She made me.”
“I know how she can be.”
“So listen, I’m going to put it right out there. You boys have something awful in common. You’ve both had partners killed right in front of you.”
Gonzo began to shake his head. “Sam—”
“Gonzo, he’s been where you are. Steven Coyne was his very best friend. Let him help you.”
“I don’t want to—”
“Go on home, Sam,” Skip said. “We can take it from here.”
That’s exactly what she hoped he’d say. She gave her dad another kiss. “See you in the morning.”
“With bells on.”
She was thrilled to see him so excited to attend the inauguration. Nick had gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure Skip and his wheelchair would be accommodated at every event. Sam surprised herself as much as Gonzo when she kissed his forehead too. “Let him help. He’s been there. Call Patrol for a ride home when you’re ready to go.” She patted his shoulder and left the room, hoping against hope that her dad’s experience and wisdom might ease Gonzo’s burden.
“It’s a good thing you did bringing him to your dad,” Celia said softly. “Who knows better what he’s going through?”
“That’s my thought exactly.”
“Poor Tommy. And poor, poor Arnold. I can’t stop thinking about his parents and how proud they were of him.”
“I know. It’s heartbreaking.”
Celia hugged Sam. “I don’t know how you do it day after day, how you keep getting back up no matter what comes your way, but I so admire you for never giving up.”
“Sometimes I want to. Sometimes it all gets to be too much.”
“You’ll never give up, Sam. You’re Skip Holland’s daughter.”
“You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that right now.”
“Go on home to your handsome husband. He always makes you feel better.”
“So do you.” She kissed Celia again. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. And I’ll make some coffee for Tommy.”
“You’re the best. See you tomorrow.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sam stepped out into the frigid cold and walked the short distance to the ramp that led to her own front door, which opened for her. It was creepy the way the Secret Service watched everything, but that was the small cost of keeping Nick and Scotty safe.
Nick was on the sofa in the living room, where the downstairs TV was now located since the Secret Service had absconded with their den.
“Hi, honey, I’m home.” She tossed her coat over the love seat and went over to him.
Smiling, he raised his blanket to let her in.
She scooted in next to him and sighed with pleasure as his arms came around her and his heat warmed her.
“How’d it go?”
“Another dead end. I simply can’t think or talk about Androzzi for another second today or my head will explode.”
“Then we won’t talk about him.”
The agent who’d been working the front door locked up, turned out the front lights and left the room with silent stealth.
“Alone at last,” he whispered, making her shiver from the touch of his lips against her ear.
“Mmm, this day was endless.”
“It just got a thousand percent better for me.”
“You wanna make out?” She wanted to lose herself in him and let him take her away from the heartache and the frustration and the pain of this day.
“You have to ask?”
Smiling at his predictable reply, Sam turned to face him, slid her leg between his and rested her hand on his chest. “Are they spying on us?”
Nick raised the remote and turned off the TV, casting the room into darkness. “If they are, they won’t see anything.”
“Scotty…”
“Has been asleep for hours. Stop making excuses and kiss me.”
She loved that he’d turned off the TV. She loved that he always wanted her so badly and that he didn’t care who was watching. She loved kissing him and the ravenous way he responded to her. She loved absolutely everything about him, especially the way he made her forget the torturous day she’d just put in.
His warm hand found its way under her sweater. In a matter of seconds, her bra was unhooked and he had a handful of breast.
“Someone has done this before,” she whispered.
“Done what?”
“Made out in a dark living room with a better than average chance of getting caught.”
“You can’t prove that.”
Sam laughed and bit his bottom lip, making him gasp.
He responded by pinching her nipple tightly between his fingers.
She moaned.
He shushed her and then had to be shushed himself when she cupped his erection through his pajama pants. “Samantha.”
“Quiet. My parents might hear us. I don’t want them to kick you out.”
“You make me so hot. I can’t help it.”
“Try.” She slipped her hand inside his pants and wrapped it around his thick cock, stroking him from root to tip.
“Fuck,” he whispered when she slid her thumb over the moisture at the tip. “You’re such a tease.”
“I never tease. I always deliver. All the boys say so.”
He pinched her nipple harder than before. “You’d better not let any other boy touch what’s mine.” Then he pushed her sweater up to her neck and brought his mouth down on her nipple, sucking and biting until she was nearly delirious with desire.
“Nick.” Enough already with the fooling around, she thought. It’s time to get down to business. “Let’s go to bed.”
“Your parents would kill me if they caught me in your bed. Right here, baby.”
She couldn’t believe they were actually going to do this, right out in the open where they could be seen or caught. But the room was pitch dark, and the role-playing was hot, so she didn’t protest. Rather, she ground her body against his, letting him know she was game for anything he wanted.
And what he wanted was to slowly and thoroughly drive her mad with his lips on every part of skin he could get to without removing her sweater.
This so reminded her of sweaty make-out sessions in high school, only it was so much better because he loved her and there were no parents to catch them—only Secret Service agents who were hopefully otherwise occupied at the moment.
His hand traveled over her belly to the button on her jeans, which he pulled open before he unzipped her. He went right for third base without hesitation, driving his finger into her.
“Oh, God, Sam, you’re so wet. So hot.” He drove her wild with the slow slide of his finger and the occasional bump against her clit.
She was so captivated by what he was doing, she barely noticed when her jeans and panties were tugged down her legs to below her knees. He came down on top of her, his lips devouring hers as he continued to tease her nipple with his free hand. “Let me in,” he whispered in her ear as he withdrew his finger and pressed his much larger cock against her.
“It’s so big. Will it hurt?”
“Fucking hell,” he muttered, making her giggle softly, as a huge shudder rippled through his big muscular body that turned her on even more if that was possible. “It only hurts a little the first time, but I’ll be so gentle.”
Good lord, Sam thought. Who knew that pretending could be the hottest thing in the history of the universe? “Yes, Nick,” she whispered in response, biting down on his earlobe. “Yes. Right now. I can’t wait anymore.”
True to his word he went slowly, so slowly that she nearly screamed in frustration. She wanted all of him, but he only gave her short, shallow thrusts, as if she were in fact a virgin doing this for the first time.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she whispered. “What if I get pregnant?”
“I’ll be so happy if you do.”
Though she smiled at what he said, she couldn’t break character. “My dad will kill you.”
“I’ll take my chances.” He withdrew almost completely, and then gave her all of him in one deep thrust that had her biting her lip to keep from screaming.
Sam’s back arched into him, wishing she could get her pants off entirely so she could wrap her legs around him. Then she remembered a trick from way back when and kicked her way free of one leg of her pants and wrapped her leg around his hips.
“Yes,” he whispered hotly. “Tell me you want me.”
“I want you so bad. I’ve wanted you for so long. You have no idea.”
“Tell me what you want me to do to you.”
“Don’t make me say it.”
He pulled out of her. “Say it or I won’t do it.”
“Fuck me, Nick,” she whispered, scandalized by their behavior. God help them if anyone was paying attention to the dark living room or what might be happening under the blanket that covered them.
“That’s it. That’s what I wanted to hear. I’ve been dying to fuck you since the first time I ever saw you.” He slammed into her, and she detonated. She couldn’t recall a time when she’d come harder than she did then.
“Jesus,” he whispered, his fingers digging into her ass as he rode her orgasm straight into his own. “Holy shit,” he said on a strangled sounding gasp as he erupted inside her. “What the hell just happened here?”
“I believe,” Sam said between deep breaths, “you just showed me how you passed your misspent youth.”
“I showed you? How about that leg move I never saw coming?”
Sam started laughing and couldn’t stop until his mouth covered hers and he kissed her into silence.
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