Lawless Hero: A Bad Boy Military Romance (Savage Soldiers Book 4)

by Nicole Elliot

  “Sounds good.”

  “I’ll be the one with all the muscles.”

  Kim giggled. “Yeah, I’ve seen your photos online.”

  “Oh, you have, have you?”

  “Yeah. They were pretty nice.”

  “Just nice, huh? You’ll change your tone when you see them in person.”

  “I bet I will.”

  “Talk to you soon, Kim.”

  “Yeah…” She ended the call then twisted to face me. “Well?”

  “Well what?”

  “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Why would I give you the number if I minded?”

  “I don’t know. You can be too nice sometimes.”

  “That’s my problem, is it?”

  “I need to go get ready,” she said, standing up. “It’s okay if I leave?”

  “It’s okay, I promise,” I said, nodding toward the bottle. “More wine for me.” I smiled.

  “Thank you for this. I need to find a good man.”

  I swallowed, not sure Melvin was really someone to consider a good man. A uncomfortable feeling squirmed inside of me as I remembered my not-so-pleasant experience with him in Afghanistan. I’d told Kim about it, but she had insisted that I’d been ‘too-nice’ to him earlier, and he likely just misread the situation.

  With Kim though, he would meet his match.

  Feeling better, I smiled again. “I hope he works out for you,” I said.

  She waved and walked toward the door.

  “Call and let me know how it goes,” I called after her.

  “You know I will!”

  After she left, closing the front door behind her, I sat back and took another drink of wine. My eyes moved to the laptop screen, which had been left on a shirtless photo of Melvin.

  I began to think about both Warren and Melvin.

  Did I even really like either of them?

  No, I told myself. I’m perfectly fine being alone for now, concentrating on my career.

  Yet, as the night wore on, I found myself becoming more than a bit bitter about Kim going on a date with Melvin.

  Why had I set up my best friend with him?

  The thought left me feeling more upset with Warren and the games he was playing. As if I should tell him everything when he wasn’t telling me everything.

  The night stretched on forever with no call from him, and I eventually went to bed, feeling more alone than ever before.

  CHAPTER 22

  Rose

  Waking the next morning alone, I missed Warren.

  Why did he have such an effect on me?

  Had I made a mistake giving Kim Melvin’s number, or was I just upset about getting rid of an easy rebound from Warren? I couldn’t have both and at this rate, I would just end up having no one.

  As I dragged myself out of bed and through my morning routine, I contemplated whether I should call Warren or not, ultimately deciding against it in favor of visiting my father instead.

  He had moved to New York shortly after I did, wanting to be close to me. I usually visited him at least one Saturday a month, but hadn’t done it this month of June yet. He lived in Staten Island, which would take me a while to get to by train. The time I spent with him was worth it though. Growing up, my father had also played the role of mother after she died. Whenever I felt stuck in life, he was who I needed to see.

  Lately, I’d been bogged down quite a bit. Did I really need either man? Sure, Warren could make me feel good in bed, but he kept secrets from me. And Melvin—if I was being honest with myself, I knew he wasn’t my Prince Charming by any stretch.

  In the kitchen, eating toast and jam for breakfast, I wondered how he and Kim had gotten along. I knew I would be hearing from her before the weekend was over though.

  In the meantime, I mentally prepared for visiting with my father; there was no telling what mood he would be in. Over the years, he had sacrificed so much to give me a chance to attend a decent university.

  My school loans were still not paid off, but I’d been sidetracked after losing my job as a freelance journalist. Granted, the editing gig paid reasonably well—about double the national poverty rate—but it wasn’t much. It simply paid the bills and kept me in my general field of writing.

  Yet there I sat, eating toast and jam every morning instead of going out to brunch with someone I loved.

  Fuck my life.

  * * *

  I found myself sitting across from my father at his round kitchen table. The leaf for the middle hadn’t been used in years. He stared at me with disapproving eyes, never satisfied with me.

  “Go on,” he said.

  “That’s it. I can’t decide between two men even though it’s an obvious choice.” I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know why I’m even telling you.”

  “Well, I have my mother hat on, but let me take that off a moment.”

  “Please don’t, Dad. How’s work going?”

  “Fine. I’ll be traveling again soon.”

  “I still don’t see how being a traveling salesman is your dream job.”

  “You’ve got a lot to learn about life then, young lady.”

  “I’ve been places in the world, Dad. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  I smiled.

  “Now, let’s talk about these men,” he said. “They are men, right? Not boys?”

  “Yes, Dad. I told you about Warren and Melvin. Remember when I got back from Afghanistan?”

  “Yeah. That’s when your career went to shit and you started working for those smut publishers.”

  “They publish romance novels, Dad. It’s not like that.”

  He shook his head. “If your mother was around…”

  Both of us fell silent a few moments. I took another drink of his fresh squeezed lemonade. The bittersweet taste reminded me of childhood, back when my dreams seemed possible and nothing was capable of standing in my way.

  “I don’t know why I even concern myself with Melvin. I think Warren is the one for me,” I said.

  “But it sounds like Melvin is the one who would keep you safe.”

  Safe from other people, maybe. But not safe from himself, I thought with a grimace.

  “But love is about more than that, isn’t it?” I said, looking up at my father.

  “If your mother were here, she would tell you that’s not true.”

  A wave of sadness washed over me as pain washed over my father’s face. I put my hand on his arm, but he pulled away.

  “You can’t keep using her death to beat yourself up, Dad. It’s not healthy.”

  “She died because of me. I’m going to carry that the rest of my life.”

  “It’s not like you were trained to be able to save her,” I reasoned.

  * * *

  Later that evening, my phone rang. I grabbed it, thinking it might be Warren, but I saw Melvin’s name on my screen.

  What the hell? Is Kim okay?

  “Hello?” I answered, worried.

  “Hey, Rose. What’s going on?”

  “Um, not much. Why are you calling me? Is Kim okay?”

  “She was fine when she left this morning, although it probably hurt her a bit to walk, if you know what I mean.” He guffawed while I groaned internally.

  “Good for you, I guess. Now again, why are you calling?”

  “I just wanted to thank you for hooking me up with her. Damn, she’s fine.”

  “No problem. Just be nice to her. Don’t fuck her over.”

  “Too late for that. I fucked her over, under, and around…” His laugh screeched through the phone and I scrunched up my face, thankful he couldn’t see me.

  “Well, I’m going to go now,” I said.

  “Wait.”

  “What?”

  “Will you do a story on me?”

  “What kind of story?” I asked suspiciously. “I don’t do journalism anymore.”

  “But you know people, right? You could submit it some
where?”

  “Maybe…”

  “I’m opening a new security company and I need a big launch, you know? Big like me.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  He chuckled. “Come on, now. Your friend must have told you.”

  “I haven’t talked to her yet.”

  “Well, she might not tell you, but it’s fucking huge.”

  “What’s huge?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I don’t have time for this, Melvin,” I said, annoyed.

  “I’m just talking about the story, you dirty woman.”

  “Whatever. Seriously, I need to go.”

  “Fine, but consider it, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Bye.” I ended the call, not wanting to deal with him any longer. My instincts about Warren being the better man had been spot-on, although I had to accept that it didn’t necessarily mean we were meant for each other. After all, he still hadn’t called me.

  Had he found someone else already?

  Self-doubt and worry tried to show their ugly faces in my thoughts, so I went outside for a walk to soak up the last rays of the day’s sunlight.

  Life would either work itself out or it wouldn’t. In the meantime, I would just have to keep working hard and stop sweating the small details of my love life, or lack thereof. Nevertheless, as I walked around the neighborhood, Warren kept popping into my head.

  Why couldn’t I get him out of my mind?

  CHAPTER 23

  Warren

  I looked across the bare office to Melvin, still not sure what to think about his proposal.

  “Huh? What did I tell you? It’s fucking perfect, right?” he said, grinning ear-to-ear.

  “It’s nice,” I said, surprised. “And the location is good, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I’m not looking for a business partner right now.”

  “Bullshit, man. That money we made isn’t going to last forever.”

  “Have you heard from anyone in Afghanistan recently, by any chance?”

  “No. Why?”

  “No reason,” I lied, wondering why Jahmir had only called me. Was it all a setup? Whatever the reason, something told me I shouldn’t trust Melvin.

  “I’m telling you man, the time to strike is now. I got a few high-end clients lined up already,” he said smugly.

  “Like who?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “See, what kind of partnership can we have when you don’t tell me shit?”

  He took a deep breath, staring into my eyes for a moment. “You know what, man? You’re right. I have to tell you something.”

  Uh oh. Here we go, I thought, feeling less than thrilled.

  “You remember that chick from Afghanistan I liked?” he asked.

  “Which one?”

  “Ha. Fair enough. The journalist chick.”

  I swallowed and carefully arranged my expression. “Rose?”

  “Yeah, that’s her. I hooked up with her recently.”

  “Oh yeah? How recently?”

  “A few nights ago. Banged the fuck out of her, but she’s not for me. I don’t like the lip on her.” He laughed. “Anyway,” he continued, “I moved on to this friend of hers who fucks even better. I’m on a roll, I tell you! The next chick is going to be the best.”

  I shook my head. Had she actually slept with him? Ryan hadn’t told me anything, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Rose didn’t seem like the type of woman who would sleep with Melvin, but it’s not like I knew her well.

  “She’s an uptight bitch,” Melvin said. “I don’t know what you saw in her over there in the Stan. On a positive note, this friend of hers is fucking intense in the sack. She sucked my dick about ten minutes after we met.”

  “Good for you,” I said, unimpressed.

  After he came clean about going on a date with Rose, I was able to see myself doing business with him.

  Rose, on the other hand, I still had my doubts about. After keeping her hookup with Melvin a secret, I couldn’t help wondering what else she could be keeping from me.

  “Let’s do this,” I said. “We’re going to own high-end security in New York.”

  “Hell yeah,” Melvin said, punching his fist into his palm. “And the world.”

  I never understood how he allowed his emotions to rule him. Weak bastard. Maybe him and Rose actually did deserve each other.

  “But yeah, that Rose chick is fucking nuts, man. I think we’re both better off without her,” he siad.

  I nodded. “For sure.”

  “I’m not going to mess with her anymore, bro—if it makes you feel better.” He stepped forward and offered me his hand. “We’re business partners now. We have to be there for each other.”

  “I appreciate that,” I said, shaking his hand.

  Time would tell if I should actually trust him, but for the time being, a new business venture would help me move on from Rose and her madness.

  CHAPTER 24

  Warren

  After my meeting with Melvin at the building where we would forge new lives for ourselves, I walked toward Rose’s apartment with a bounce in my step.

  Time had allowed me to realize that I had been too hard on her and had overreacted. She needed someone like me in her life and she was just the type of woman I needed in mine. Together, we would be able to take over the world.

  Yet, on the way to her building, I suddenly got the strangest feeling that I wasn’t alone.

  Am I being followed? I thought, fighting the urge to turn around. I forced myself to stay calm. If someone was following me, I didn’t want them to know I was aware of them. However, I needed to change paths, just to be on the safe side. I didn’t want to lead whoever it was to Rose’s apartment; whoever was possibly following me didn’t need to know she was affiliated with me.

  Some people had been angry with how the Afghan mineral operation had gone toward the end when it all fell apart as things tend to do. Were they the ones calling me, and were they following me now?

  I picked up my pace, ready to take some evasive measures as I approached Times Square. When I reached the next intersection, I stopped and spun around.

  Peeking past the corner of the building, I saw a man wearing a turban walking down the street.

  Mother fucker.

  My heart beat faster as I switched into self-defense mode. All my thousands of hours of practice were about to be put to the test. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, running into the suspicious man.

  “Watch it,” he yelled in broken English.

  “You watch it,” I said as I walked away. A few steps later, I stopped and turned around. “What are you doing following me? You’re obviously in a costume.”

  “What are you meaning?”

  “Your fake accent isn’t very convincing either.”

  The man frowned and then yanked his fake facial hair down. “It’s the fucking beard, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. “Something like that. What’s up?”

  “People want to talk to you.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Too bad,” I said and then bolted down the block.

  “Hey, wait!” he called out.

  My military training took over as I dodged traffic and crossed the street, disappearing into an alley. Five minutes later, I had climbed the fire escape to the top of the building.

  I took a moment to catch my breath, occasionally peering over the edge of the building to the street below. Fifteen minutes later, I was convinced that I’d lost them.

  Fuck the bad guys, I thought with a smile as I climbed back down to the alley. Proud of myself, I resumed my path to Rose’s apartment building.

  My mood, however, plummeted instantly when I got close enough and spotted Melvin outside talking to her. She was laughing.

  I kept walking, my blood boiling.

  How dare she accuse me of
hiding something when she was obviously the one sneaking around?

  And Melvin…

  Fuck them both, I thought savagely.

  CHAPTER 25

  Rose

  As I reached my building, I felt someone approaching me. The moment I turned around, a frown fell over my face.

  Melvin walked toward me, smiling cockily.

  “Are you stalking me?”

  “Nah, not really,” he said, his bulky body shaking as he laughed. “I was in the neighborhood and I thought we could talk about that story on me.”

  “I’m busy right now.”

  “Come on. It will only take a little while. The story’s gonna be a hit.”

  “We’ll see. But you have to promise me no stories with lurid details of you and Kim, okay?”

  He smiled. “She got a bit too drunk last night and sang something she called Karachi.”

  I laughed and put my hand on his arm for a quick second without realizing it. “Yeah, that’s her word for karaoke when she’s too drunk.” My laughter died down and my thoughts sobered. I knew all too well how friendly Kim could get when she got drunk, just like I knew all too well how demanding Melvin could be when he was riled up. “Kim is a good friend of mine though. So just tell me—you didn’t take advantage of her, did you?”

  “Me? Hell no. I didn’t need to. Not that I would have to begin with,” he said. “Emotions were running high over in Afghanistan. There was a lot going on back there. I think you got the wrong impression of me that day when…you know.”

  I nodded, remembering that day all too well. It was the source of all my conflicted feelings towards him to begin with. He hadn’t tried anything like that on me since though, so maybe military-life stress really had been to blame.

  “Anyway,” he said, “give me half-an-hour to blow your mind with my story.”

  I surveyed him for a second. “Okay, fine,” I said. “But I’ve got company coming over later, so we have to hurry.”

  “I’ll be quick.”

  The look on his face made me uneasy, but I unlocked the door. We walked across the lobby to the elevators in middle of the building and I punched the button.