Hers to Protect

by Nicole Disney

  “I would have done anything with you,” Adrienne said.

  “So would I.”

  Adrienne leaned against Kaia, pulling her arm around her shoulder. “Is it bad I’m relieved? I’m sad, but I might be even more relieved.”

  “You’ve been afraid for your life for years. This is probably the first night you can relax in a long time.”

  “If we get caught I’ll say it was all me.”

  “Shh. I would never let you do that, but we won’t get caught.”

  “Okay.” Adrienne stood and walked to the window. The light of the city creeping through between the buildings somehow calmed her. Knowing the world was still going, all those people out there were still moving.

  Kaia’s hands wrapped around her hips. Her body formed to Adrienne’s back. Kaia’s breath tickled at her ear, her lips parted and pressed Adrienne’s neck.

  Adrienne reached behind her and grabbed Kaia’s thighs, encouraging her to press harder. Kaia’s teeth ran across her shoulder, then bit. A rush shot down her spine and a moan escaped. She tightened her fists around Kaia’s jeans and pulled Kaia against her. Kaia pressed Adrienne against the glass window and traced kisses along her neck, pressing herself against Adrienne in a subtle, gentle rhythm.

  Finally, Kaia turned Adrienne around to face her and kissed her deeply, slowly, but with desperate hunger. Adrienne pulled Kaia closer, wanting to disappear into her, to be swallowed by her love. She threaded her fingers through Kaia’s hair with one hand and grabbed her ass with the other.

  Kaia pulled Adrienne’s shirt up, breaking their kiss long enough to remove it, then crashed back into her. She wasted no time reaching for Adrienne’s bra clasp and undoing it. She cupped Adrienne’s breasts and let her kisses travel down her neck, eventually taking a nipple in her mouth and making Adrienne’s knees buckle with need.

  Adrienne clawed at Kaia’s shirt, eager for skin. Kaia reached for Adrienne’s pants, deftly undoing the button and pulling them down. Kaia stood and picked her up in one motion. Adrienne wrapped her legs around her and chased her kisses. Kaia’s tongue teased her, dancing in and out of her mouth while she pressed between her legs.

  “Kaia,” she whispered in her ear. Kaia made space for her hand and ran her fingers over Adrienne’s underwear, feeling her wetness. She ran her fingers gently over her clit, making Adrienne moan again and push herself against Kaia, pleading for contact. Kaia held her with one arm while crushing her against the cold glass. Kaia’s kisses were searing hot against Adrienne’s aching skin, her sweet smelling hair soft against her face. She caressed Adrienne’s inner thighs, driving her crazy.

  “Fuck me, Kaia. Please.”

  Kaia slid Adrienne’s underwear aside and touched her, gentle at first, then plunging inside. Adrienne arched off the glass with the explosion of pleasure, gripping Kaia’s shoulder with one hand and her hair with the other. Kaia pulled slightly back, then went deeper still, holding Adrienne tight as she bucked in ecstasy.

  Adrienne pushed her hips into Kaia, meeting her thrusts with aggressive desire. Kaia went slow and deep, in no hurry yet bringing her to the edge of orgasm with her steady rhythm. When she sped up just a fraction, Adrienne couldn’t wait any longer. She threw her head back and let the waves of her climax take her.

  “Oh God, Kaia.” She gripped her, holding her as close as she could, like she’d die without her. Kaia kissed Adrienne’s chest, gently lowering her to her feet. Adrienne’s legs could barely support her, but she couldn’t wait another second. She pushed Kaia down on the couch, undid her pants, and pulled them off, taking her underwear with them.

  She knelt in front of the couch between Kaia’s legs and pressed herself against her. She moaned at the simplest touch. Adrienne kissed her stomach, trailing up her long waist with her hands until she found Kaia’s nipples and squeezed. Kaia arched off the couch and weaved her fingers through Adrienne’s hair. Adrienne licked and nibbled her hips, down to her thighs. She breathed over Kaia’s clit, relishing the way her hips shifted.

  “Oh, Adrienne.”

  Adrienne gently licked, letting her hot breath drive Kaia crazy. Kaia’s fingers tightened in Adrienne’s hair in a hungry plea. Adrienne pressed her mouth against her, tasted her, and slipped her fingers inside. Kaia’s moan tingled down Adrienne’s spine and made her head spin.

  She grabbed Kaia’s hip with her free hand, absorbing the rhythm Kaia wanted and matching it with her tongue and fingers, alternating between fast and hard and slow and deep. Kaia’s fingers tightened in Adrienne’s hair again as she came. Adrienne felt her tightening around her fingers, pulsing in her mouth. She waited for the shocks to fade, then gently pulled away.

  Adrienne crawled onto the couch and snuggled into Kaia’s embrace. She breathed in her smell and kissed her neck.

  “I love you, Kaia.”

  “I love you too.” Kaia squeezed her closer. “Always have.”

  * * *

  Kaia woke with Adrienne sleeping on her shoulder. They were both still naked. The night came back to her backwards, Adrienne, Gianna, Reid. She felt the highs and lows pinballing through her body. Adrienne slowly emerged from sleep and smiled up at her.

  “Morning.”

  Kaia kissed her. “Morning.”

  A knock came at the door. Their eyes locked.

  “Who’s that?”

  “They must have found her.”

  Adrienne looked petrified.

  “It’s okay,” Kaia said. “Get in the shower. I’ll deal with it.”

  Adrienne quickly disappeared into the bathroom while Kaia got dressed. She hurried to the door and checked the peephole. Davis. Oh yeah, they knew. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “What’re you doing here?” she asked.

  “Sorry if I scared you,” he said. “I need to talk to you.”

  Kaia waved him in. He looked around the room. “Adrienne?”

  “Shower.”

  He nodded. “Maybe that’s best. I don’t know how she’ll take this. I’ll let you break it.”

  Kaia was confident her acting was coming across genuine, but it made her feel awful. “What is it?”

  “Hernandez is dead,” he said it in a near whisper, making every effort to spare Adrienne the cold cop reading of the information. “She ran into someone who wasn’t happy with her. Blunt force to the head.”

  “Jesus,” Kaia said.

  “Why don’t you come down to the scene? Have a look.”

  “Me? Do you need me? I have to fill Adrienne in and she’ll probably need me.”

  “Take your time, but I’d like you to come down at some point. This is your investigation as much as it is any of ours. You risked your life for it.”

  Kaia nodded. “Okay. After.”

  “Right, we’re out at Sixth and River,” he said. Kaia nodded. “And, Sorano,” he held out his hand for her to shake. She accepted it. “Good and bad day,” he said. “I don’t want to be insensitive to the uniqueness of this, but I’m glad to have you safe again.”

  “Me too.”

  Adrienne came out of the bathroom as soon as the door closed. She searched Kaia’s face for answers.

  “They want me to go investigate the scene.”

  “What?” Adrienne looked horrified.

  “It’s okay. It’s good, actually. Gives my DNA a reason to be there if it does turn up. Yours too, through me since we’re living together.”

  “It’s that sensitive?”

  “Can be. One of your hairs gets on my shirt, I investigate the scene, it falls off, you’re tied to the murder.” Adrienne looked pale. “It’s okay,” Kaia said. “Like I said, it’s good. Now we can explain that if it happens.”

  “What if the attendant recognizes you?”

  “Doubt she’ll still be there.”

  “But what if she is?”

  “Maybe I should just tell them we got gas there.”

  “Won’t that raise flags?”

  “It’s not ideal, but if I don’t say
so and they find out later it’ll raise more. I paid with my credit card and the clerk saw you. I don’t want to put us in jeopardy of having to change our story. That’s never good.”

  “Shit, this is already a mess.”

  “It’s basically impossible not to leave evidence behind. That’s why I didn’t want to do this. But you’re right, they’re not going to tear the city apart investigating this one. I’ll tell them we went to the gas station on our way back. They’ll assume she was following us, which she was. By doing that she was led out of her territory where a rival gang member saw her out of bounds and moved on her.”

  Adrienne nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. Just please be careful.”

  “I will.”

  Kaia took her time getting to the gas station. She focused on centering herself, on being calm, but her heart jumped when she pulled up. There were several cars and a lab team just arriving. Kaia found Cruz immediately.

  “I didn’t realize it happened at this station. Adrienne and I stopped here for gas on our way home from the hospital last night.”

  Cruz raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s interesting. You didn’t see her?”

  “No.”

  “Must have been trying to tail you to the hotel,” Cruz said. “Something stopped her.”

  “WAK territory doesn’t start until well south of here.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “That’s why we put you two where we did. You think it’s just a turf thing, then? Blue in the wrong part of town?”

  “I don’t know. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

  He shook his head. “I hate that she was so close to you after all the precautions we took. It’s a shame to think we ended up with another gang to thank for keeping you safe.”

  She shrugged. “As long as we’re safe I don’t think it matters much.”

  “True enough. Come on, have a look.” He handed her a pair of gloves and walked into the bathroom. Kaia took a breath and followed him back into the room where she and Adrienne had almost been killed.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Anna answered the door. Celeste and Christina stood outside, stiff, with puffy red faces.

  “Who is it?” she asked. She knew someone was dead. It was part of street life. She hated this moment in between knowing something awful happened but not knowing what or who. Celeste’s tears started to fall down her face.

  “Anna.” She looked at her through broken eyes. “Anna, Gianna’s dead.”

  Anna felt a wave of heat and nausea circulate through her. “Are you sure?”

  They both nodded.

  “That can’t be right.” Nothing, no one, could kill Gianna. She’d survived a childhood of starvation and beatings. She’d survived drug corners from the age of nine. She’d survived getting jumped, fistfights, knife fights, cop fights. She’d even survived being shot. No one could hurt Gianna.

  “No,” she said. “That can’t be right. She’s just in jail, or faking it. She’s not—”

  “She’s dead, Anna.”

  “Don’t fucking say that!” She punched the door, turned inside, and raked everything off her counter with a swing of her arm. Celeste and Christina watched, eyes and cheeks turning red with fresh tears. She’d never seen them like this, even when people died. She knew it had to be true.

  “What happened?”

  “They found her in a gas station bathroom. Someone hit her in the head with something. It broke her skull.”

  Anna heard her own ragged breathing, but she couldn’t feel it. Celeste reached out and touched her arm, but she pulled away.

  “Who did it?”

  “Cops said they don’t know yet.”

  “Of course they don’t. Crooked pigs, they’re not even trying. They don’t care. It was probably them.” Anna flexed her muscles until they burned.

  “It was down and dirty,” Christina said. “They said it was a scrap to the end, maybe a fight that went too far. No gunshots. Not really cop style.”

  “Who then?” Anna asked. “Who do you know that Gianna would lose a fight to?”

  Celeste cocked her head and looked at her knowingly, catching up to her suspicion, “Marco?”

  “Maybe someone he hired,” Anna said. “Maybe one of the Hijos. Or Kitchen. They wanted her out.”

  “Out, yeah, but killed?” Celeste asked.

  “Whoa, hold up,” Christina said. “Weird shit happens in fights sometimes. Marco would never do this. We should look at the Hijos. It happened on their streets.”

  “What the hell was she doing up there?” Anna asked. “She knew they were up to something. Why would she go there?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “She didn’t tell anyone about anything on that side of town?”

  They both shook their heads. “She would have told you if she was going to tell anyone.”

  “Where is she?” Anna asked.

  “Still at the gas station, I think,” Celeste said.

  “They got her just rotting on some nasty gas station floor? These fucking cops.” Anna grabbed her gun. “I’m going up there.”

  “What? No!” Celeste and Christina blocked the door.

  “They’re letting her get all nasty out there because they don’t care, not even investigating anything I bet, just scratching their asses.”

  “Your warrants,” Celeste said.

  “I don’t care.”

  “You can’t get the fucker who did this if you’re arrested,” Christina said. “This is your kill, so let’s figure it out and handle it.”

  “Fine, let’s handle it.” Anna nodded. “We start with Marco. He did it or he knows who did. He green-lighted this send Gianna to jail project. It has to have something to do with that.”

  “Fuck, all right,” Christina said.

  “Let’s go.”

  “What? Now?”

  “Yes, now. You want to wait until Christmas? Get the car.”

  Celeste and Christina looked around the room like they’d find a way out of this, but they couldn’t. They gave in and followed Anna to her car.

  Anna rode shotgun. She checked her gun a thousand times and pictured herself walking in and blowing Marco away immediately, even though she knew she couldn’t do it that way. Celeste drove to the back of his house and parked.

  “Your man will let us in?” Anna asked.

  She nodded, pale.

  “Are we sure about this?” Christina asked.

  “He knows something, Christina. This didn’t just fall out of the sky. Gianna wanted to waste him anyway, remember? We already agreed to this.” They nodded and followed her. Celeste texted Ron and he opened the back door quietly, doubt clear on his face.

  Anna patted his chest in gratitude and crept up the stairs, gun drawn. She’d never done something like this without Gianna. It made her heart hurt to feel her vulnerability without her best friend. There was a giant hole on her left where Gianna should be. Anna turned the corner with her gun raised.

  Marco was leaned over his coffee table snorting a line when they walked in. A Hispanic man sat next to him. He spotted them and yelled, reaching for his gun. Anna shot him in the face without hesitation. Marco and the girls all jumped. The Hispanic man slumped down the couch, his mouth hung open, a trail of blood dripped down his face from the bullet hole in his cheek. Anna let her arm fall back to her side.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Marco screamed. “Do you have any idea who that is?”

  “One of your buddies from Los Hijos de la Santa Muerte? He the one you hired to kill Gianna?”

  Marco’s face lit with shock and fear. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “You told me Gianna was a problem, that Kitchen wanted one of us. Now she’s dead.”

  “Anna, I had nothing to do with that.” Marco stood up, claiming some of the power his presence usually held, but it was diminished by the way his eyes kept flashing to Anna’s pistol. “Gianna is one of my best people,” he said. “I meant it when I said we woul
d figure something out. I was trying to keep her safe, not kill her.”

  “You made a deal with Kitchen,” Anna said. “You set her up to go to prison. You’re lying, Marco, and I want to know why right now.”

  “Where did you hear that?”

  “They wanted her gone and you said yes. You betrayed your own because you’re scared of some other gang? Of some cop? You chose a pig over us?”

  “I didn’t do this! We were trying to come up with something. The heat was too much around here. I didn’t know what to do, but I would never do this!”

  “You wanted her in jail?”

  Marco shifted. “It came up.”

  Anna took aim. His hands shot into the air. “No! That’s what Kitchen wanted, but I was going to talk to her about it.”

  “Oh, bullshit. You had your chance to tell her, you didn’t.”

  “Killing her wouldn’t help anyone, not even Kitchen! Wait!”

  “Shut up, Marco, you’re full of shit. I don’t know what your plan was and I don’t care. You betrayed her. Gianna knew what you did. She was going to kill you anyway, so this is for her.”

  She fired the rest of her magazine into his chest. He looked down in shock, unable to speak. He struggled for breath, blood trickled from his mouth. He slumped next to the other body, dead.

  Anna turned. Celeste and Christina were trying to cover their shock but were failing. Ron slowly came up the stairs and peeked around the corner.

  “Well, damn, guess I’m out of a job.”

  “You should be, shouldn’t you?” Anna said. “What kind of security lets people sneak right in?”

  “Anna,” Celeste said.

  “What? You helped me out and everything, but you’ll never guard my people.”

  “He did it because we’re together,” Celeste said.

  “That’s great for now, but look at Gianna. All this started over Adrienne. Those two were together for five years and now Gi’s dead. Love is weak.”

  “Can we talk about a plan, please?” Christina said. “You just killed our founder and God knows who from Los Hijos.”

  “The plan is I’m in charge,” Anna said. “You two are with me and the rest of our crew is with us. The others will come on board. It’s just like Gianna said, no one was tight with Marco. And these Hijos cats can come at us if they want, but as far as I’m concerned, they got one of ours, we got one of theirs. Bet this idiot was their hit man and Marco was the brains.”