A Man to Trust

by Cheryl Yeko

  He clenched his fist, recalling the evidence of abuse on her body. Overwhelmed with the need to comfort her and his own mixed emotions of rage and desire, he’d been reckless and made love to her without a condom. Shit. Just that one time . . . but still.

  They probably should talk about it so he could assure her he was clean and healthy. He wasn’t concerned about Angela. She didn’t strike him as the type that slept around. But what if she got pregnant?

  What if she did? Would that really be so bad?

  A rush of adrenaline shot through him, his heart pounded a frantic beat. Damn. He was in some serious trouble here.

  He scowled and traced the letters on her hip. In total, they covered about a half-inch in diameter. They were rough, but you could still read the initials, SB.

  His jaw clamped tight. The only man claiming her would be him. Maybe they could be disguised with a tattoo? Or surgically removed?

  She stirred and lazily opened her eyes, smiling shyly up at him. A soft blush brightened her cheeks. “Morning.”

  He tugged her more intimately against him. The downy curls between her legs tickled his thigh, making him hard again. Her shyness was endearing, especially after the way they’d sated each other with their bodies during the night. He now knew her intimately. Knew exactly what she liked . . . where to touch her to make her tremble with need, or to make her cry out with pleasure. The memory heated his blood and he leaned down to kiss her.

  He ended up kissing the back of her hand when she covered her mouth. “Morning breath,” she mumbled.

  Jake grinned, removed her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist, before rolling her under him. “I bet you taste just as sweet in the morning.” And he intended to find out.

  His cell phone rang. Damn. Jake glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was still early.

  Angela pushed at his chest. He groaned and rolled over to fish the phone from his shirt where he’d tossed it on the floor. She giggled and grabbed the sheet from the foot of the bed. A blush crept across her pale skin like moonlight across the water as she stood and wrapped it around her body.

  “Jake here,” he snapped into the phone, never taking his eyes off her. She looked sexy as hell, and he fought the urge to take her back to bed and make love to her again. Her hair was mussed from him running his fingers through it, her full lips plump from his kisses. A love bite marked her neck. She showed every sign of being a woman who’d been thoroughly pleasured.

  She smiled seductively. “I’m going to freshen up,” she mouthed.

  “Jake, can we meet for breakfast?” J.D.’s voice floated across the line.

  Jake was barely listening as he watched Angela turn and stroll into the bathroom, mesmerized by the seductive sway of her hips.

  J.D.’s voice finally penetrated his mind. “Yeah, what?”

  “Listen, Jake. We have some new information on the Beebe case. I’m on my way over to your place now.”

  “I’m not at my place.”

  A brief moment of silence followed his declaration.

  “Where are you?”

  Jake hesitated, although he was certain his brother had figured it out from his disapproving tone.

  “Damn, Jake.”

  Something in J.D.’s tone raised the hair on the back of his neck. “What is it?”

  “Just stay there,” J.D. said. “I’ll be there in an hour.” The line went dead.

  Jake stared at the cell phone as unease crawled through him. Something was up. His mind replayed the incident at the zoo, adrenaline pumping through him in a hard rush.

  He jumped from the bed and paced the floor. Tortured by images of what might have happened if the sonofabitch had somehow snatched Nick. He stopped, clenched his fists, and took a calming breath. The boys were safe.

  They were staying with his late wife’s parents in Minnesota, thinking they were there for a fun summer getaway. Nick’s grandparents had always treated Alex and Wesley with equal affection and were happy to have them.

  His father-in-law, a retired cop and ex-Marine, would be able to protect them if the bastards somehow discovered their location. Which wasn’t likely. However, they were being kept under police surveillance, just in case.

  The sound of a blow dryer came from the bathroom. He stood to retrieve his clothes from the floor, needing to get dressed before J.D. arrived.

  He should have gone home after the long drive back from Minnesota after dropping off the boys. But he’d still been filled with fear and rage at the thought of his son being snatched, and his desire for Angela. Wound too tight to sleep, he’d driven to the safe house instead.

  Jake raked his fingers through his hair. Not only had he slept with a woman under his protection, he knew it wasn’t going to be the last time. He wanted her still.

  Jake opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. All the air left his lungs as the sight of Angela bent over, her long hair hanging down in front of her as she blew it dry. The tiny towel that covered her didn’t come close to shielding her sweet cheeks, or dark curls between her thighs that peeked out at him. Those luscious curves called to him. They had an hour, after all.

  Fumbling desperately with the pants in his hands, Jake retrieved his last condom from the wallet. He watched her and stroked his erection, once, twice, as she wiggled that tempting fanny in front of him. With a hand that shook slightly, he sheathed himself.

  Jake stepped up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist, placing the other on her back to hold her in place. “Don’t move,” he said hoarsely.

  She gasped and turned the blow dryer off. Dropping it to the floor, she reached up to grip the counter.

  He reached around to caress her pleasure point and slid his erection between her thighs, rubbing along her core until they were both drenched with her excitement.

  “Now, Jake.” She pushed seductively against him.

  Hell yeah. Jake was about to explode. Gripping her hips, he slid inside her warm heat as the towel dropped to the floor.

  No, he hadn’t had enough of her yet. Not by a long shot.

  Angela had just finished putting the last plate into the dishwasher when a knock sounded at the door. J.D. had arrived and she was curious about what he wanted. Had they discovered who was trying to kill her? She added detergent and set the dial, grabbing the dishtowel on the counter to dry her hands.

  When they had finished making love, Jake held her tenderly and told her of the incident at the zoo. That explained his dark mood when he’d stalked into her bedroom.

  Her stomach did an excited flip-flop when she recalled the way he’d seduced her, taking his pleasure with her body, and giving pleasure back to her with equal intensity. He was an amazing lover. If not for the scars left on her body, the memories of Scott would have been gone forever.

  Angela’s pulse raced when she remembered how Jake had made love to her without a condom. Just once, but once was enough. She’d stopped using birth control after Scott’s death. Angela mentally counted the days from her last period. It was more than possible.

  She imagined a little brown-haired boy with Jake’s unkempt hair and hazel eyes and a smile curved her lips. Maybe twins? What would be the chances of that? Pure happiness bubbled inside her. Something she hadn’t felt since before her mother’s death.

  An unbidden truth slammed into her, right there in the kitchen while she was drying her hands. She was falling in love with Jake Bauman.

  Holy crap.

  She grew lightheaded and reached for the counter as the room spun. Angela swallowed hard, wanting desperately to talk with Stacey.

  Bracing herself to the new reality of her world, she tossed the towel on the counter before joining the men in the living room. The instant she stepped through the doorway she knew something was wrong.

  Jake turned and met her gaze. She flinched as though struck. Gone was the tender lover from only a short time ago. Instead, the arrogant detective who’d informed her of her husband’s murder over a year ago glared back a
t her. The one who’d looked at her as though she were a criminal. She stiffened and protectively wrapped her arms around herself.

  “What?” Her voice trembled.

  A muscle twitched along the side of Jake’s jaw as he watched her with hard, angry eyes. Angela’s heart raced as dread filled her.

  J.D. waved her to a chair. “Take a seat.” His voice was hard.

  She slowly made her way to the leather love seat, never taking her eyes from Jake. A coldness settled into her bones as she sat down.

  J.D. cleared his throat. “Angela—”

  “—They found the offshore account, Angela,” Jake said harshly. The way he said her name left no doubt of his fury. Just twenty minutes ago, she’d been Angel.

  She fought back tears that threatened. “What bank account?”

  “The one you used to launder your husband’s drug money.” Jake threw the words at her accusingly.

  She shook her head and stared at him in disbelief. “What? What are you talking about?”

  His eyes filled with contempt. “Oh, you’re good.” He sneered. “You know just how to play a man.”

  J.D. placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Jake, you don’t want to do this.”

  Angela felt her world crash down around her. “Jake . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Tears slid down her face and she swallowed a sob. He still didn’t trust her. How could she love a man who had so little faith in her? Her spine stiffened and she lifted her chin.

  She slowly stood, filled with despair and anger. Anger at him, and anger at herself for thinking he was a man she could trust. Could possibly love. Pain ripped through her heart and shredded it. Would she never learn?

  Ignoring the man standing in front of her, she turned toward J.D. “Are you here to arrest me?” She held her hands out, palms up, wrists together.

  J.D. frowned. “I’m not going to handcuff you, Angela. But I’m afraid I do need to take you in for questioning.”

  She shrugged. “Whatever.” She didn’t care, as long as she was away from Jake. Tears burned at the back of her eyelids and she rapidly blinked them away. Dammit, he wouldn’t see her cry. A tremor ran through her. What if she was pregnant?

  Angela placed a hand over her stomach, keeping her gaze away from Jake, unable to stifle a soft sob at his betrayal.

  She took a step forward, but a hand on her shoulder brought her to a halt. She tensed. Her bottom lip quivered, refusing to look at him.

  “Angel,” Jake said, his voice gentler now, although anger still hid in its depths.

  It was too late. He’d hurt her and she didn’t want his soft words. “The name is Angela,” she said quietly, pulling from his grasp.

  J.D. shot Jake a questioning look, before taking her arm and leading her out the door, with Jake following behind.

  Michael Hirschman swiveled his chair around to admire the picturesque view through his office high-rise window overlooking Chicago’s lakefront. He glanced back down at the police sketch his informant sent him and met the cold eyes of John Mallory. He returned his attention back to the phone call. “Do you have the woman?”

  “Yeah, we got her,” Snake’s second in command answered with a dark laugh. “And she’s a feisty one.”

  “I want her unharmed,” Michael snapped. “We need her as a bargaining chip. Keep her out of sight, but don’t fuck with her. Got it?”

  “Yeah. I got it.”

  Michael frowned at the sarcasm in the guy’s voice. It wasn’t easy working with a bunch of hoodlums, but Snake somehow managed to keep tight control over them. He could see that control slipping with this new threat.

  “Snake needs to lay low,” Michael said. “Going after the cop’s son wasn’t a smart move. Cops protect their own. He’s now moved to the top of their Most Wanted list.”

  “He gets that,” the guy replied curtly.

  “Have you contacted Angela?”

  “Not yet, but soon. We’ll let you know when we have her.”

  “Do that!” Michael slammed the phone onto the receiver.

  This plan had better work. The cops were getting too damn close. They’d tracked an offshore account back to Milwaukee, held in Angela’s name. Michael no longer wanted her dead. At least, not yet. First, he needed to find out what other information was out there that could potentially lead the cops back to his doorstep.

  Damn it. He was still furious to learn Angela had been knowledgeable about the drug operations. Beebe never let on that his wife was aware of his illegal activities, let alone participated in them.

  He needed to know exactly what she knew. It was imperative that any evidence be destroyed that could lead the cops back to him.

  Then he’d kill her.

  Jake glared at Rick through the two-way mirror while he listened to him interrogate Angela, his mind still reeling from her deception. She’d played him for a fool. Not only had she known about Scott’s criminal activities, she’d aided and abetted him. Anger at her betrayal twisted his gut.

  The sound of J.D.’s voice broke through his contemplations. “What’s going on between you two?”

  Jake turned toward his brother with a scowl and his thoughts drifted back to the way Angela had placed a hand over her stomach, almost protectively. For a second, he’d felt like a total bastard . . . until he remembered how she’d deceived him.

  But what if she was pregnant?

  He turned back to the mirror. She seemed lost. Her voice trembled, her beautiful green eyes filled with distress, as though she was the one who’d been betrayed.

  Dammit. Jake raked his fingers through his hair and swore. “Shit, J.D., I think I’m in love with her.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  Jake turned and gave J.D. an incredulous look. “She’s a goddamn criminal and probably going to prison.”

  “We don’t know that for sure, Jake. If you love her, maybe you need to give her the benefit of the doubt,” J.D. said grimly.

  “What about the video? How can I just ignore the video?”

  “Have you seen it for yourself?”

  “No.” Rick had told him of the bank video that showed Angela opening up the offshore account to make a large wire transfer.

  “Well, maybe you should withhold judgment, until you do.”

  Jake clicked off the audio from the interrogation room, then turned to face J.D. “Is there any doubt it was Angela?”

  “I don’t know, bro,” J.D. snapped. “But before you go ruining any chance you may have with her, maybe you should check it out for yourself.”

  Jake stared at his brother as doubt ate at him. Could he be wrong about her? His emotions where she was concerned were giving him whiplash.

  “You’re right.” Jake turned his attention back to the interrogation, flipping the speaker back on.

  Rick placed half a dozen photographs on the table in front of Angela.

  “Are you saying this isn’t you opening an offshore bank account?”

  Angela looked at the pictures, bit her bottom lip, then brought her gaze back to Rick. “That’s not me,” she said flatly.

  “The account’s in your name, Angela, with your signature on the application.” Rick scowled at her, his tone harsh. “Things will go a lot easier for you if you tell us everything now. Who was your husband’s supplier?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. Her voice broke.

  Rick slapped his palm on the table. “These were no small transactions, Angela. You must have moved large quantities of drugs through Milwaukee to rake in this kind of cash. We need to know who the supplier is.”

  Angela began to cry softly. “I told you I don’t know anything about it.”

  Jake swore and shut the speaker off again, unable to listen to her heartbroken tears. He fought back the urge to go in and comfort her, and kick Rick’s ass. His jaw clamped tight. He needed to see the damn video.

  “Did you call Stacey?” Since Angela probably didn’t want him anywhere near her
right now, he wanted Stacey to at least be there for her.

  “I tried, she didn’t answer. I’m heading over there now. But I wanted to see how you were doing first.”

  “I’m pissed.” He shot a glance a J.D. “What’s your gut telling you? Do you think she’s innocent?”

  “Don’t know, but I’m not convinced she’s guilty either.”

  “You think Beebe set her up?” Grimly, he turned back to the interrogation.

  “It’s possible. Maybe he figured to throw suspicion off himself. Let her take the fall in his place if he was ever investigated.”

  Jake wondered the same thing. He nodded, never taking his eyes off Angela. She was pale, with tears staining her cheeks and purple shadows under her eyes. He flexed his hands at his sides as a storm of emotions ripped through him.

  “Go get Stacey, little brother. I’m gonna take a look at that video.”

  “I think we’re done here, Ms. Beebe,” Rick said. “But don’t leave town.”

  “I won’t.” Her voice sounded raspy, sore from holding back tears. She watched a fly crawl across the table, refusing to meet the detective’s accusing gaze. She was both sick and tired, and angry, at being the object of suspicion once again. Hadn’t she suffered enough during her marriage? When would it end?

  Pain tore through Angela and her heart broke remembering the way Jake had looked at her. As though he hated her. A sob tore from her and she covered her face with her hands.

  Dammit! Get a grip already!

  “Ms. Beebe, are you okay?” the detective asked. His voice was no longer full of accusation, now softer, almost soothing.

  Angela pushed aside her self-pity and straightened, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She could do this, and didn’t need Jake’s tender arms and comfort. Didn’t need a man at all, something she shouldn’t have forgotten.

  Angela nodded and then stood. The sound of the chair scraping across the floor echoed in the small space. “I can go?”