Anything For Love (The Hunter Brothers Book 1)

by Lola StVil

  “Anyway, I ran into Decker, who was trying to get away from this oversexed woman who kept asking him to let her feel his gun. I stood there and watched him wrestle with the best way to get out of the situation, and man, did he fail. After a while, I had pity on him and interjected.”

  “How? Did you pretend to be his girlfriend?”

  “Even better, I marched up to them and scolded Decker for leaving me alone with our ‘new baby’ and disappearing for three days.”

  “Nice!”

  “Yeah, I even added a bit about being a loving girlfriend who was okay with his current situation—his inability to perform,” she says as we share laugh.

  “He was pissed but he didn’t contradict me because, well, the woman was really awful. So I dragged my ‘boyfriend’ outside. I then laughed at him like any mature adult would, and he gave me a ride. He told me about winning custody of his little girl and I invited him to come and celebrate like any classy lady would.”

  “With cheese sticks and beer?” I ask.

  “Exactly. Anyway, we ended up talking for a long time, then before I knew it…we were tongue wrestling.”

  “How was it?” I ask carefully.

  “Good; really good,” she says in a somber tone.

  “Jana, why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?”

  “Decker and I had ‘the talk,’” she admits.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Do you remember Halloween, when you and Wyatt were at the back of the bar, and he got you to stop and talk to him?”

  “Yeah, I remember. It was like a perfect night,” I reply. She looks at me and raises her eyebrows.

  “You and Decker…?”

  “Winter, the conversation was so good, and not because we were trying to get to the sex part. In fact, I didn’t even need the sex part. It was enough just to sit and talk. Did you know that he speaks five different languages? Did you know that he gave up a promising football career to become a cop? And that the first time he had sex, he sent her a thank you card?” she says, completely smitten.

  “You’re kidding, he didn’t actually do that.”

  “Yeah, he did. And his first day as a cop, he was on patrol in a neighborhood where this old senile lady kept mistaking him for her son, who never visits. Her name is Myrtle. He didn’t have the heart to tell her he wasn’t related to her, so he ended up going inside her house, where the two of them have been playing bridge ever since.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet!”

  “Yes and no. The two of them are so good, they are now well known as the sharks of the bridge scene. And have racked up some serious cash.”

  “Bridge?” I ask in disbelief.

  “Yes, and he gives her his half of the winnings because she’s saving up to move to Sarasota, Florida. According to old lady Myrtle, that’s where all the hot retired men go.”

  “Noted,” I tease.

  “He told me about the first time he held his daughter…and what it’s been like for him these past few weeks, knowing he might lose her,” she says, filled with sympathy.

  “And the sex…?”

  “Fantastic. And, he stayed,” she says mostly to herself. “When I’m done sleeping with a guy it’s usually a race to the door. He gets up so quickly, it’s like he’s fleeing a crime scene. I get it. I do the same. But Decker didn’t do that. He didn’t leave. Instead he just held me. It was…nice,” she says softly. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “I shouldn’t have slept with him. Now even if it could have been something good, it’s worthless.”

  “Not necessarily,” I counter.

  “Winter, now I’m a one-night stand to him. And he’s just some guy I slept with. One-night stands don’t ever become more than that. I was so stupid. He was a nice guy, we talked and got along, and then I opened my legs. Now, I’ll never know if he could have been a soup guy,” she says sadly as she sips her coffee and looks out the window.

  “Well, Wyatt’s told me a lot about Decker and I think he is a good guy. And I don’t think you should count him out yet. I’m sure he’ll call you.”

  “Yeah, he will, for another bed session. I want more than that. Or at least I think I do. When the chance came, I went and messed it up.”

  “Jana, it’s not easy fighting your urges. I should know.”

  “Yes, let’s talk about that. No more Decker talk. I need a blow by blow of last night. What he did and how long he did it,” she says, perking up way too quickly. I’d like to find out more about what took place between her and Decker but I can tell she’s trying to downplay it, fearing it is over before it even starts.

  I get how she feels and so I let the subject drop. I tell her about my night with Wyatt in detail. She’s excited that we finally did it and she orders me a sundae with a cherry on top. When we are finally done, we walk out, full and satisfied.

  “Are you really going to be used as bait?” she says as we step onto the sidewalk. According to her tone, she’s wanted to say this for a while.

  “It’s going to be fine, all I have to do is eat Thai food, watch TV, and go to bed. Think about it, I’ve been training for this my whole life,” I joke.

  “I don’t know how you got Wyatt to agree,” she grumbles.

  “I know, I kept expecting him to change his mind—and don’t think he hasn’t tried.”

  “I get where he’s coming from. I don’t like the thought of you in danger, Winnie.”

  “I’m not a fan myself. But again, it’s just food, TV, and sleep. It’ll be fine,” I reply as I pull her in for a big hug.

  “Be careful, okay? And call me as soon as it’s over,” she orders and she hugs me firmly. When we pull apart, I can see a hint of sadness in her eyes. It’s not just the operation we set up for later tonight that’s bothering her; it’s Decker. She’s wishing she could go back and not sleep with him. That way they could still have a shot...

  Winter is ready for this. I have to keep telling myself that or I will pull the plug on this whole thing. I know she has a good reason for wanting to go through with this but that doesn’t ease my anxiety in the least. Decker checked the equipment a number of times and I have gone over everything. We are good to go but that’s just it, sometimes no matter how prepared you are, things go wrong.

  I sit at my desk at the station, counting down until the start of the operation. It’s a small one and it shouldn’t be a big deal. Well, that is if my girl wasn’t at the center of it. The number of ways this could go wrong begin to invade my mind. I get up and walk over to the coffee maker just so I can have something to do. I pour myself a cup I don’t really plan on drinking. Decker walks into the station and signals me back over to him.

  He tells me that he has joint custody of his daughter and I’m so fucking happy for him. This is the first time I’ve seen him relaxed in weeks. He’s been freaked out and on edge ever since the custody issue started. He tells me that he and his wife are now one signature away from divorce. I know his wife; she’s pretty but exhausting. I’m glad he gets to walk away if that’s what he really wants.

  “It’s crazy, just like that, I get my life back and I get to have my little girl too.” He beams.

  “Well, that’s great, man. And if Mia needs anything else assembled in her room, tell her to call me,” I reply.

  “Hey, she has me, remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember. That’s why I said to have her call me.” I smirk. The lightness in my tone fades. The thoughts I’ve been trying to drive from my mind all day take hold.

  Decker can see it on my face. “Hey, it’s gonna be fine. We are good to go,” he says.

  “We better be,” I mumble.

  “I saw Winter this morning and she seems pretty calm. She’s got a good head on her shoulders—when she’s not jumping out into dumpsters,” he adds.

  “Where did you see her?”

  “I saw her at…Jana’s place,” he says as he tries to busy himself with paperwork.

  “What were you doing at
Jana’s?” I ask. He looks up at me and right away, I know what went down.

  “Oh,” is all I counter with.

  “What?” he says, already defensive.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You think she’s too good for me?” he demands.

  “Well, yeah, but so are most women,” I joke. But I look back at him and it’s easy to see he’s not joking at all.

  “Decker, Jana pretends to be all flash and flesh. But in reality she’s a sweetheart. And she’s a damn good friend to Winter. She’s smart, she’s fun, and she has a good heart. I think she’d be a good woman to get to know.”

  “I don’t think she wants us to go beyond a one-time thing. I just got out of a marriage. She’ll run as fast as she can. It’s crazy, right? I should stay away?” he asks.

  “You and your ex have been on the outs for a while now. The divorce just makes it official. I’m not saying marry Jana, I’m saying see what happens.”

  “She’s different…” he says, mostly to himself.

  “Okay, I don’t want to hear about the crazy chandelier sex you two had,” I warn him.

  “No, it’s not that. Well, there were some interesting items but not chandeliers—”

  “Decker!” I scold him.

  He laughs, “No, I’m kidding. When I said different I meant she’s different. She’s a serious gamer. She actually thinks she can beat me in Call of Duty. I mean, that’s never gonna happen but it’s so cute to let her try.

  “Also she walked into the bar looking like she didn’t give a fuck. She wasn’t trying too hard or anything. She had an ‘I know I’m worth it’ attitude but somehow managed not to be a snob about it.

  “And she can’t reach anything in the upper cabinets because she’s too damn short. But she refuses to get a stepladder because she says it makes her feel like she’s admitting she’s short. She’s a freaking ball of crazy,” he says with a smile I have never seen before.

  “First, I bet she can beat you at that game, and second, what’s the smile about?”

  “She’s really clever. She could have just made me a deadbeat dad, but no, she gave me erectile dysfunction. That’s such a low blow,” he says with admiration. I confess to being lost and he explains the ruse Jana made up to get him out of talking to some overbearing woman at the bar.

  “That is low. I like it. Sorry I wasn’t there to see your face,” I reply as I pat him on the back.

  “I thought she just a pretty face but she’s really something else…”

  ***

  It’s a few hours later and Winter is all packed and ready to head back to her apartment. She is about to walk out of my house and get a cab over to her place. Everyone is in position. They are just waiting on me to let her go so she can be our official “bait.”

  “Okay, now one more thing,” I begin. She cuts me off by giving me a passionate kiss. It’s quick but nevertheless very effective in getting me to forget what I was gonna say. I growl when she pulls away.

  “We can’t go over this plan again, Wyatt. I’m packed. I’m ready. Let’s do this,” she says as she places her hand on the doorknob. I place my hand over hers. She feels me looming behind her. I want to protect her. I want to keep her in my house, in my arms for as long as I can. I love her so goddamn much. But I can’t seem to say it out loud right now. If I express what I’m really feeling, I swear to God, she won’t be going anywhere. So instead, I remain silent and let my head drop down to the nape of her neck. I wrap my other hand around her waist and pull her into my chest. She run her hands through my hair as my body drapes over her.

  “I know, honey,” she says softly. “I love you too.”

  ***

  Winter lives on the first floor, but there is a stairway before getting to her apartment. We were able to place cameras in both the stairway and the hallway. We also have cameras at the front of Winter’s building and inside her apartment. One flight up from her place, officers set up monitors so we know what’s going on.

  We were able to enter Winter’s apartment days earlier and found the perfect place to stash her so that when they entered her apartment, she would not be found. It’s a back panel inside her bedroom closet. We forced it open and have just enough space to hide her. I’m standing just behind the wall that separates the bathroom from the bedroom. I have my gun out and am waiting for the signal from Decker.

  Winter plays her part very well. She sticks to the plan, turns on the TV, and acts as normal as she can. She eventually gets ready for bed. She slips under the covers and turns off the light. As soon as she does that, Decker announces in my earpiece that six guys have now exited a dark blue car parked in front of the building. I give Winter the signal and she slips out of bed and into the back panel of the closet.

  Decker fills me in on what’s happening on the monitors. Based on their files, we know that the driver, AKA Murder, is the leader. He orders two of his guys to take on the lobby door. Once it’s open, he orders two other members to follow him down the hallway. Capturing the two guys who break into the building is left to the officers parked a few cars back. Decker gives them the signal and they get the drop on them fairly quickly.

  That leaves the leader and his two remaining members. They pick the lock on Winter’s door and he orders them to stand watch as he makes his way inside the apartment. The leader uses his flashlight to guide him down the hall and into the dark bedroom. “Time to get up, bitch,” he hisses as he finds the light switch on the wall and flips it on. He uses the pillow on the bed as a makeshift silencer and squeezes three bullets into the heap he believes is Winter. When he doesn’t see blood, he sees pulls the covers off and is enraged to learn he’s been tricked. He turns to warn the others but finds himself staring right into the barrel of my gun.

  “Hands up,” I command. And for a moment I can see him weighing out his options. He’s wondering if there’s any chance he can get me before I get him. “Try me,” I warn him in a steely tone. He glares and snarls at me. “Hands. Now.” He wisely puts his hands up. I take his gun and slam his face against the wall. I pat him down and handcuff him.

  “Decker?” I shout.

  “We’re good to go,” he shouts back. I grab the leader and drag him into the living room, where the rest of his crew have been disarmed and handcuffed. They are all now facedown on the floor. I go back into the bedroom and reach deep inside the closet for Winter.

  “It’s over, babe, you can come out,” I tell her. She comes out from behind the closet, looking relieved. Suddenly, a high-pitched ritual cry hits the air; one of the gang members is sending out a message of some kind.

  No, not a message; a command.

  “EVERYBODY DOWN!” I shout; it’s too late. A figure emerges from behind the bushes outside the bedroom window, Mac-10 in hand. I tackle Winter to the ground, hoping she’ll miss the hail of bullets headed her way. We fall to the floor a millisecond before bullets spray the wall above us. He ducks back into the bushes to reload, and I return fire. I can hear Decker and his team as they race towards us to provide cover. The shooter comes back up, reloaded and ready, but before he can take aim again, I squeeze three rounds into his chest; he hits the ground.

  “Go around back and make sure the fucker doesn’t have any more friends with him,” Decker barks to the team as I race over to Winter.

  “You okay? You good? Are you hurt?” I plead as I look into Winter’s eyes. She nods that she’s okay and relief washes over me. I hear more cop cars as they approach the building. The members of the Street Kings are carried off in handcuffs.

  “Let’s go, babe, let’s get you out of here,” I tell her as I reach out my hand to help her up. She doesn’t take my hand. There’s something on the floor beside her.

  Blood.

  I rush down to the floor beside her, my knees soaking in a puddle of her blood. “Babe, open your eyes, open your eyes, babe. Babe!”

  Shitshitshit!

  I scoop her limp body up in my arms and run for help…
/>   ***

  Decker is talking to me but he sounds so far away. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion. They rush her out of the ambulance, and the staff runs to her aid; they zip her away on a gurney and down the hall. I follow but they stop me once we get to the double doors. The harsh lighting of the hospital waiting room burns through the back of my eyes; the sound of staff and patients blur in the background. Someone comes towards me wearing all white, he calls my name but I’m lost in some fucking hole and his voice doesn’t make it down to me.

  “Wyatt!” Decker yells, shaking me back to reality.

  “Doc, what’s going on? How is she?” I beg.

  “We’re getting ready to operate. She was hit in the abdomen; we don’t know how extensive the damage is until we get in there. I will send someone out to update you as soon as we have news,” the doctor says.

  “Wait! Wait. Is she gonna…” I beg.

  “She’s had extensive blood loss, suggesting the bullet may have nicked a major artery. We’ll know more in the next few hours,” he says as he disappears down the hall. Jana appears in the doorway of the emergency entrance with tears in her eyes.

  Decker updates her as she weeps and hugs him. They turn their focus back to me but I am only there physically. In my mind, I’m home, in bed with Winter. It’s raining. It’s our first time we’re laughing. She’s laughing. And everything is okay. She wants to leave the bed but I pull her back into my embrace. She stays with me in the bed. Safe.

  “Hi, bright eyes,” I said to her as we held each other.

  “Hi,” she said lovingly.

  “The only thing I’m here to do is love you. Do you believe me?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  “Then let me love you…” I replied.

  “Wyatt! C’mon, buddy, you need to stay here with us,” Decker says.

  “Yeah, yeah, okay,” I reply, forcing myself to stay present. I march towards the surgery room and Jana tries to stop me. “You need to wait here with us,” she says.