Piece of Me (Behind These Eyes Book 2)

by A. J. Daniels

  10. Proposition

  Jason

  The next morning when I walk into the office, I’m cursing myself and Fireball Whisky. Mike insisted on buying everyone a couple rounds and since we’re all suckers for free liquor we obliged him in his sick game. Everything is a little too loud and a little too bright this morning.

  “You look like shit,” Parker comments when I make a beeline for the coffee maker.

  “Thanks, asshole,” I reply right before bringing the coffee mug to my lips and tasting the sweet heaven that is caffeine. “Please tell me we don’t have to leave the office today and my hungover ass can just sit in that chair all day.”

  Parker laughs, “No can do, Miller. The drug unit might need our help today.”

  “Fucking seriously?” I bark and instantly wince.

  Damn hangover.

  I was okay with maybe going out if homicide needed our help but if the drug unit has come a-calling that means I will need to do shit.

  Like raid a fucking building. Hungover.

  “Yeah. Apparently, they’re planning on taking down a dealer they’ve been after for months.”

  “The information you requested the other day just came in,” Mark says, handing me a folder stacked full.

  “What’s that?” Parker asks as I’m scanning down the front page.

  “I had Mark get his friend to look into David Walker for me.”

  “Why couldn’t you have done that?” Parker questions.

  “Er, because the information I want goes beyond our database.”

  “So, what does it say?” Mike inquires, grabbing his own coffee cup.

  “You guys ever hear of the Knights MC in Ontario?”

  All three of them shake their heads when Parker reaches for the file and I hand it over.

  “Suspected in drug, weapons, and human trafficking,” he reads.

  “You’re telling me this Walker guy is associated with the MC?” Mike asks, filling his cup.

  “Not him. But his wife, Jane Walker, is the step-daughter of the president of the club.”

  “Shit. So what Kat overheard could be legit,” Mark contemplates.

  “What now?” Mike inquires, taking another sip of his coffee.

  “Cole,” I yell out to the hall, wincing again at how loud my voice sounds, but feeling a little better when I notice Parker and Mike doing the same.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Get me everything you can on everyone David Walker’s been in contact with over the last couple years, including phone records.”

  “You really think that’s necessary, Jay?” Parker asks skeptically.

  “If he’s somehow involved in their human trafficking ring, I need to make sure that Kat isn’t on their radar.”

  “Well, then let’s pay a visit to David Walker,” Parker suggests.

  ***

  “How may I help you, gentlemen? Gail said you were from the RCMP?” He rises to shake hands with Parker, Mike, and me before reclaiming his seat behind his desk.

  Of course, he doesn’t recognize us. The last time we came face to face in his office his eyes were almost swollen shut. And the first time we met in Kat’s apartment he was more worried about getting blood on his expensive clothes than on the person who broke his nose.

  “Yes, sir. We just have some questions about your wife, Jane,” Parker says taking a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of Walker’s desk. “We have some questions for her regarding a case, but we can’t seem to get ahold of her.”

  While Parker talks with Walker, Mike roams around the large office. To anyone outside of the special ops teams, it might look like he’s just taking in everything, maybe looking for something that doesn’t fit. And while that’s part of it, the other part is he’s subtly positioning himself on the other side of the office behind David in case the fucker gets any bright ideas.

  “Questions about a case?”

  “A trafficking case,” I clarify, and watch as the blood drains from his face.

  ***

  As I look up from my desk, I see my old CO stepping off the elevator.

  “Miller!” His voice booms from out in the hallway.

  Despite having been out of the military for almost six years his voice still makes me snap to attention. It’s one of those voices that commands attention wherever he goes; it makes you want to listen to what he’s got to say.

  He’s still in extremely good shape for someone approaching his sixties. Back when I was still on his spec ops team, the guy could run circles around us, and our team was the best of the best. I’m almost positive that he still could.

  “Smith.”

  He laughs extending his hand to me, “You’re not part of my team anymore, Jason. You don’t have to call me CO or Smith.”

  “Sorry, sir. It’s a habit,” I respond, taking my hand back.

  “You can drop the sir too. It’s just Tyler.”

  “What can I do for you, Tyler?”

  “Can we step into your office for a minute?” He asks signaling back towards the door I just came out of, and leading the way.

  When we enter my office, I take a seat back behind my desk as Tyler closes the door behind us before taking up the seat on the other side.

  “I have a proposition for you, Jason.”

  “Sir?”

  “I’d like you to rejoin the old team. The new guys coming in don’t have what it takes to survive out there right now and I need someone to whip them into shape.”

  “Neither did we but you changed that,” I smirk remembering the countless hours spent training.

  Smith leans forward resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m retiring in a few years. I know it’s early but I’ve been at this a long time and Mae and I are ready to settle somewhere tropical and enjoy the rest of our lives with our grandkids. I’d like to be able to refer you for the job when I leave.”

  “Sir?” I hear what he’s saying but I’m having a hard time processing it.

  “If you re-enlist and agree to rejoin the old team I’ll be recommending you for CO when I retire,” he confirms.

  I stare at him with utter disbelief on my face. On the one hand, it would be an honor to take over once he leaves, but on the other hand, those are some big fucking shoes to fill and I’m not sure I would be up for the challenge.

  “I’ll give you some time to think it over. But you should know that the lieutenant already approves of my decision and Max and Drake have agreed to re-enlist right along with you.”

  “Sounds like it really would be the old team together again.”

  “With the three of you back, it would be the entire team back together,” he amends.

  I knew that Max and Drake got out shortly after I did but I had no idea that the rest of the team had stayed. Which just reminds me of how miserably I failed at keeping in contact with the men I used to call my brothers.

  “Think about it,” Smith says, getting up and moving towards the door. “Oh, and I was under strict orders from Mae not to leave until you agreed to come for dinner one night this week.”

  I lean back in my chair placing a hand over my flat stomach, “I don’t know if my closet could handle one of Mae’s dinners. Seriously, that woman is a pro in the kitchen.”

  Smith laughs patting his own stomach. “Boy, why do you think I work out as much as I do. I swear that woman is trying to make me fat in my old age.”

  While we wait for the elevator, he reaches out and pats me on the back. “I mean it, Miller. Think about re-enlisting and let me know.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Smith laughs as he steps on when the doors open. “Again with the sir.”

  “Old habits die hard,” I grin.

  He chuckles shaking his head. “Next Sunday, 6 p.m. for dinner,” he adds before the doors close and the elevator descends taking him back down to the lobby.

  “Jason,” Cole calls as he walks towards me. “I was able to get in touch with an old friend. He’s deep undercover but wants to meet y
ou,” he adds, handing me a fax print out.

  “Run it by Parker first, then make it happen.”

  ***

  “I did it!” Kat squeals when she spots me in the parking lot.

  Today was the last day of her restricted gun licensing class.

  “Congrats,” I laugh and catch her when she throws her arms around my neck.

  “So I can take my gun home now?” she inquires, pulling away and bouncing on the balls of her feet. She looks like a kid who was left in a candy store and told that they could have anything they want.

  “Sure,” I chuckle, opening the passenger side door for her. A wide smile appears on her face as she hops up and into the cab of the truck.

  When I’m settled behind the wheel, I grin as I turn toward her. “Your gun is at my house but we have to make a stop first.”

  “Okay…where are we stopping?”

  I try to keep a straight face as I maneuver us into traffic. “My former CO and his wife invited me over for dinner tonight. I don’t have time to drop you off before heading over there so…”

  “Wait. Your CO? As in your Commanding Officer from the military?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Jay…” her eyes go wide and she crosses her arms in disbelief. “I’m not going to dinner with your CO,” she says, shaking her head.

  “Well, it’s too late because we’re here.” I grin as I place the truck in park.

  Her head snaps to the right to look out the window before she slowly turns back to me, narrowing her eyes. “You owe me.”

  Mae answers the door when I ring the doorbell. You’d never guess that she’ll be celebrating her fifty-eighth birthday in just a few months; she doesn’t look a day over forty.

  “Well, hi, stranger,” she greets me with a wide smile on her face.

  “Mae,” I lean down, placing a peck on her cheek like I’ve always done since shortly after meeting her.

  “Jason Miller, it’s about time you showed your face around here again,” she teases.

  “I was told I didn’t have much of a choice,” I grin.

  Mae grins, patting my shoulder. Then her gaze lands on Kat and her grin gets wider. “Excuse my manners. Mae Smith,” she offers as she holds her hand out to Kat.

  “Kat,” she says, placing her hand in Mae’s. Her eyes go wide when Mae uses that as an opportunity to pull her into a hug. I can’t hold back the chuckle that escapes my throat at Kat’s reaction.

  “Jason, why don’t you go find Tyler while the girls go chat in the kitchen. I think you’ll find him in his office.”

  I’m not sure which is more amusing, Kat’s expression when Mae insisted on hugging her, or her expression when Mae pretty much pulls her in the direction of the kitchen without much choice. Her amber eyes go wide in shock and plead with me to help her as she is dragged away.

  I should not be enjoying it this much.

  When I poke my head around the door to the CO’s office, he’s standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window looking lost in thought, a scotch in one hand, the other in the front pocket of his dress pants.

  “Sir.”

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” he jokes, turning slightly from the window.

  I always loved the view from his office. He and Mae live far enough away that the city doesn’t reach here. On a clear night you have an uninterrupted view of the night sky. “Have you given any more thought to my proposition?”

  “Not yet, sir. My team just came across a case that I’d like to see through to the end.”

  He nods. “I’ll need an answer either way by this time next month.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Come on,” he says as he places his scotch glass down on his desk, then slaps me on my back. “Let’s go eat.”

  11. Walk Away

  Jason

  My phone rings for the third time since I’ve been sparring in the ring with Parker. I have a feeling I already know who it is. I promised my old CO that I would have a decision on whether I will be rejoining my old team or not by the end of today. But I just can’t bring myself to make the call.

  Or to answer his.

  I do miss it. The action. Fighting to defend our country. The brotherhood. But I’m not entirely sure I want to leave the Emergency Response Team yet. Or Katherine.

  When my phone rings for the fourth time, Parker stops and throws his hands up.

  “For the love of god, just answer your damn phone, man.”

  “I haven’t made a decision yet. If I answer it, he’s going to want an answer right away.”

  “Just tell him to give you another twenty-four hours. He’s waited this long. Another day won’t kill him.” Parker throws his gloves on the bench before grabbing his water bottle.

  When I reach for my phone, it’s not the CO’s number I see on the call display.

  “Is this Jason Miller?” an older tiny female voice asks.

  “It is.”

  “I’m Kat’s neighbor. She gave me this number when she first moved in and told me that if I ever noticed anything suspicious to give you a call.”

  “All right, is there something I can help you with, Mrs....?”

  “Watts. I got home a couple minutes ago and there were sounds coming from her apartment.”

  Kat had told me about her. She said she was a sweet elderly woman but barely left her apartment or got any visitors. Kat said it seemed as if she was the only one who bothered to pay any attention to the woman, and Kat was fairly certain that if she never brought her groceries she wouldn’t be eating either.

  “What kind of sounds?”

  “Screams,” she whispers.

  My back straightens with her explanation.

  “I’ll be there soon. Don’t open the door for anyone,” I say into the receiver before hanging up.

  “What was that about?” Parker asks from the bench.

  “Kat’s neighbor says she heard screams coming from Kat’s apartment.” I throw over my shoulder while stuffing my boxing gloves back into my gym bag.

  “I’ll call the teams in.”

  “No, we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. I’d rather not call in all three teams if we don’t need the manpower. Just call in Mike, Cole, and Mark. Tell them to meet us outside of the apartment building.”

  He nods already dialing.

  ***

  Parker, acting as my second, gives me the signal and I waste no time in kicking down the door to Kat’s apartment.

  When we arrived, there was no mistaking the sounds her neighbor was hearing. They were Kat’s ear piercing screams and I would have bet anything that I knew who was the cause of those screams.

  The scene that greets me when we storm into the apartment is one I’ll never forget. David is laying on top of a naked Kat on the floor in her living room, with a knife to her throat and is in the process of getting his pants undone.

  “You sonofabitch!”

  His head snaps up at the snarl in my voice, as if the door being kicked down wasn’t loud enough for him to hear.

  “Ah, Jason. Just in time to watch the show.”

  I go to take a step forward but Kat screams and David shakes his head.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you. One more step and I’ll slit her throat.”

  David hasn’t caught Cole and Mike slowly making their way closer to him yet, waiting for me to give them the signal to take him out.

  I hold my hands up. “What was your plan here, David? To rape and kill her, and what? Pray that I didn’t find out and hunt your sorry-excuse-for-a-man ass down? That I wouldn’t kill you as soon as you make that slice? That I won’t kill you right now?”

  David chuckles. “For once, you don’t have the upper hand here, Jason. I think I’ll enjoy the fact that I’ll force you to watch while I take what’s supposed to be mine, while I slide my cock inside her sweet, warm pussy, while I fuck her better than you ever could. And then when I slide my blade along this delicate flesh of hers.”

&nbs
p; What happens next goes by in a blur. I don’t remember if I did give Cole and Mike the signal but when I blink again David is passed out on the floor and Katherine is in my arms. Shaking, but in my arms.

  “Put him in my truck and I’ll meet you at the warehouse.”

  Kat’s grip on the back of my shirt tightens when I try to move away from her. Parker, Mike, Cole, and Mark nod their understanding and quietly slip from the apartment with David in hand.

  “Don’t leave me alone again,” she sobs into my chest.

  I’m trying my best to comfort her but I need to know. “Kat, was David…was he able to…”

  Her face lifts as new tears pool in her eyes but she shakes her head. “No, you got here just in time.”

  “Thank Christ.” I kiss the top of her head and tighten my arms around her, savoring the way she fits against me. She’s safe and that’s all I care about but when I’m done here, that fucker’s going to pay.

  While Kat is having a bath and changing into more comfortable clothes, I make a quick phone call, hopeful when they assure me they’ll be here as soon as they can. It seems that Parker may have already beat me to calling them. My next phone call is to have her door repaired.

  She’s almost fully asleep in my arms when her front door quietly opens again. She jumps when she hears footsteps.

  “It’s okay. It’s just Dani and Alice,” I soothe her, placing a soft kiss on her head.

  “You said you weren’t going to leave me again,” her voice is small, panicked.

  “I know, and I’ll come right back. But there’s something I need to take care of real quick. If anything happens just stick Alice on them. She’ll scare anyone away.”

  “Hey!” Alice pretends to pout and then laughs which earns a small grin from Kat.

  “You’ll come straight back?”

  I nod. “I promise.”

  “Okay.”

  “We’ll take care of her,” Dani chimes in while I untangle myself from Kat.

  The funny thing is, out of these girls, Alice is the one who I know would be able to handle anyone who comes through this door. I’m not saying that Dani and Kat wouldn’t, but Alice is tough, she’s fearless, and she could make a grown man piss his pants.