by Rebel Hart
“You stupid little asshole. I’m going to get you both. You mark my words and watch me! By the time I’m out of prison, the two of you will be dead, I tell you. Fucking dead!”
Max snickered. “Good luck with all that solitary confinement you’re racking up for yourself.”
Benji shrieked. “Fuck you! Ashton was going to kill John as well. He wanted you both dead. He knew you’d stand in his way when his business grew and other criminals started flocking here. He ordered the hits on you, Max. He orchestrated the attack outside the club when he hired you for security detail. Your client was supposed to get hit and his sons were supposed to come after y--”
Max shook his head. “Can you shut him up?”
The S.W.A.T. officer shrugged. “Why? We read him his rights and he’s feeding us more information. Far as we’re concerned, he’ll give us enough to go after your father as well.”
Benji started panicking. “Wait, what? No, no. I didn’t mean all of that. I mean, all I meant was--”
I clicked my tongue. “So which is it? Are you the mastermind? Or is Ashton?”
Benji tried spitting at me again. “I’d rather die than tell you any fucking thing, you piece of shit.”
Max tsked. “Such foul language from a college student. I mean, really, Dani. What is he thinking?”
I giggled. “I don’t know. But I like this hole he’s digging. Maybe he’ll get it all the way down to six feet before your father decides to off him in prison.”
The S.W.A.T. officer scolded us. “All right, you two. That’s enough. Don’t give us a reason to arrest you guys as well.”
I held up my hands. “I’m as innocent as they come.”
Max muttered under his breath, “Over my dead body.”
I nudged him playfully as another S.W.A.T. officer rushed into the room. She pulled off her helmet and stared at Benji, her nose softly wrinkled. The look in her eyes said, Really? This is him? But the stance of her body said, Come at me and you’re dead.’ Then she turned and locked her eyes with mine.
“Well done,” the police captain said. “I have to admit, I’m not sure my people could’ve pulled that off better than you two.”
I nodded. “Anything to help the department. I’m assuming this means Max is off the hook?”
Max butted in. “And Rupert?”
The captain nodded. “Once we get this man booked and in a holding cell, your friend will be released. It’s more precautionary than anything else. We want to make sure there’s absolutely no threat before we release him. And once we do, we’ll provide a police escort back to his place.”
I grinned. “You don’t have to bother with that. We’ve got thirty-four men ready to escort him back to his place.”
Max pulled me tightly against his body. “Thank you for the offer, though, Captain.”
She nodded. “The offer’s there should you change your mind. Now, time to take out the trash.”
I saw Benji’s eyes grow wide and I had to stifle a laugh. Man, he looked absolutely ridiculous. Leading this kind of lifestyle, yet not ready for the consequences of his actions. His glare quickly turned into a look of panic, and I couldn't help the words that fell from my mouth.
“What’s the matter, sweet cheeks? You look like a deer in headlights.”
Max chuckled. “Yeah, Bambi.”
I nudged him. “Hey, I kind of still like that name. Let’s not try to taint it too much.”
He winked at me. “Whatever you want, gorgeous.”
Benji struggled against the officers as they hauled him out of the motel room. I watched him peer over his shoulder with one last glare before they turned the corner and fell out of sight. I peeked out the door and finally saw what made such a booming crash. And as giggles fell from my lips, Max joined me with his own chuckles.
The massive S.W.A.T. vehicle had slammed straight into the black SUV that hauled those men here in the first place.
“I suppose that’s one way to get the job done,” I murmured.
Max rubbed my back. “You were amazing. You know that, right?”
I looked up at him. “I’m amazing because you believe I am. Without you, though--”
He fisted my hair. “Don’t you even say it. You know damn good and well this was your plan. I helped with the bare bones, and you filled in the details. Without you, this wouldn't have happened.”
“Thanks, handsome.”
“Great stalling tactic, by the way. I approve.”
“I figured you’d like it.”
“How did you know we needed more time, though?”
I nodded into the bathroom. “I kept hearing someone on the other side drumming their fingers against the wall. And when the drumming stopped, I figured we were okay at that point.”
“How did I not hear the drumming?”
I reached up, stroking the shell of his ear. “Guess you’ve heard one too many loud booms in your lifetime.”
He snickered. “You’re damn right about that.”
With Max guiding me along, we walked over to the window and pulled back the blinds. With my head leaning against his chest, I watched as the captain stuffed Benji into the back of a cop cruiser. The three suited men were driven off into the night with sirens blaring and lights flashing every which direction. I watched the S.W.A.T. team speaking with other police officers before everyone parted ways. As the cars all cleared out, the captain turned back to face us.
Before starting her way back into the motel room.
29
Max
Everything happened in such a blur I was almost taken aback. Almost. While I’d been part of shady, underground situations, I’d never been part of a police bust before. A part of me worried that something Benji might reveal would take us down again. Put me back in cuffs or put Rupert back behind bars. The only thing that kept me grounded was the feeling of Dani pressed against my body. Her head softly leaning against my chest. I stared out the window, my eyes following the cruiser that escorted Benji away from this fucking place.
Then the captain came back into the room.
“I don’t know how to thank you two enough,” she said.
Dani giggled. “Well, for starters, you can guarantee that neither myself, Max, nor any of the Red Thorns will be arrested after we helped you with something like this. A lot of us put our neck on the line to make this work. The last thing I want to see is it backfiring in our faces like that.”
Captain nodded. “You’ve got my word on that. I’ve already drawn up deals for all of you to sign. Because I sure as hell am not going to be pissing off the men who have had direct contact with Ashton Ryddle.”
I licked my lips. “I’m assuming you’ll want some of us to testify?”
Captain sighed. “If it comes down to it, I’m hoping so. I’ve been building a case against Ashton Ryddle for years. And do you know how hard it is to pin down a man like him?”
Dani laughed bitterly. “Yeah. I think we have an idea.”
I snickered. “I’ve got more than an idea, honestly.”
The captain shook her head. “I mean, nobody takes me seriously with it. Any time the name ‘Ryddle’ comes up in anything--any report, any testimony, any story--cops just run for the hills like little fire ants. But this time? This time I have enough to make it stick. And it’s because of you two.”
I nodded. “Trust me, we were more than glad to help.”
Dani wrapped her arm around me. “Just as long as it’s worth our while in terms of our safety.”
Captain chuckled. “It will be, I promise. I’m not going to drag my feet on that paperwork, either. Thank you for working with me to close this once and for all. I couldn’t have done it without you. And I’ll see to it that everyone is compensated accordingly.”
I looked down at Dani. “I’ll be okay with Rupert out of jail and making sure my woman’s safe.”
Dani looked up at me. “And I’ll be okay with making sure my men are safe. All of them.”
I quirked a
n eyebrow. “Something I should know, gorgeous?”
She giggled. “You didn’t think you were the only one who cared about the Red Thorns, did you?”
I lowered my voice. “We’re technically not supposed to say anything like that around cops.”
The captain laughed. “I’ll let it slide this one time. Just make sure to keep your noses clean, yeah? This is a fresh start for all of you. Make it worth something, all right?”
I nodded. “You’ve got my word on that. Especially if my father’s going to be off the streets.”
The captain placed her hand on my shoulder. “You give me a few days, and you’ve got exactly that.”
I held my free hand out for her to shake. And when she did, Dani did the same. Finally, it felt like I had some sort of closure in this situation. But something still tickled at the back of my mind.
Something I couldn't explain.
I clicked my tongue. “Captain, by any chance, is my father--?”
She smiled. “Already in police custody. While he recovers in the hospital, of course. When my men confirmed for me that they had what they needed on their recordings, I ordered your father’s room to be guarded at all times. He’s cuffed to the bed, he isn’t allowed anywhere without two police escorts, and he’ll be headed straight to the station once he's discharged from the hospital.”
I sighed. “Thank you. That’s a relief.”
Dani rubbed my back with her hand. “When will the court dates start, do you think?”
Captain shrugged. “Things like this can take some time. With a name as infamous as Ashton Ryddle, though, I assume things will get pushed up. Timelines will be obstructed to deal with this particular case. And it will get messy, you have my word on that.”
I snickered. “Trust me, anything involving my father is messy, no matter how you go about it.”
The captain rolled her eyes. “Don’t I know it.”
I heard worry creep into Dani’s voice. “How messy, do you think?”
The captain sighed. “I’m bracing for this to be the messiest case I’ve handled up until this point. I suspect Ashton will attempt to throw us everything he’s got. Fight until he’s got no reason to fight. And men like him always have a further reach than anyone expects.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you trying to say?”
She shrugged. “All I’m saying is, if you two don’t have a vacation planned, it might be a good time to take one. At least until this all blows over.”
Dani murmured, “Sounds like a bit more than a vacation.”
I held her against me. “Got any suggestions on where we should end up?”
The captain grinned. “You two got passports? I hear Bora Bora is great this time of year.”
Dani giggled breathlessly. “We’ll think about it.”
I nodded. “Yes. We’ll think about it.”
The captain licked her lips. “Suit yourself. You two got a way home?”
I nodded to the truck. “We rented a truck to get us out here. And since that S.W.A.T. vehicle of yours didn’t crunch it to bits, we’ve got ourselves a way back into town.”
She barked with laughter. “Yeah. Connelly gets a bit high-and-mighty with that steering wheel. But I figured, why not? Anyone else is in that vehicle, we gotta pin ‘em somehow.”
Dani snickered. “Well, thank you for missing the truck.”
Captain saluted us with two fingers. “Anytime.”
I held my hand out one last time. “Thanks for everything, Cap.”
She shook my hand. “And thank you two. For everything. But, seriously, think about getting out of town. At least until the trials start to strike up. That goes for all of you guys that have tangoed with Ashton. Might do you all some good to get some fresh air anyway.”
“I’ll definitely take it into consideration, thanks.”
I gazed down at Dani and she smiled up at me. For all the trembling her body kept doing, she sure as hell had her fight face on. I was more than proud of her. For once, I felt as if I was the one not taking the reins. Not shining in the presence of darkness. All of this had been her. From helping me concoct the plan to placing the right kind of calls. Hell, even the truck rental was her suggestion. Not mine.
“We did good, gorgeous.”
She winked. “We did good, handsome.”
Cap interjected. “Oh, and one last thing.”
Dani and I both looked at her as she dug around in her pocket. Before pulling out a square white card, of course.
“If either of you need anything--whether it’s related to this case or not--you give me a call. Got it?”
I took her card. “You have my word.”
Dani nodded. “Thank you. We appreciate it a lot.”
Cap slid her helmet onto her head. “And we appreciate you two.”
“Oh, oh, oh. Just one more thing,” I said.
Cap turned her back to us. “Don’t worry. Your friend Rupert will be released as soon as I get back to the precinct. So if there’s nothing else...”
I shook my head. “Nope. Definitely not anything else.”
Cap peered over her shoulder, looking at us through the visor of her helmet. Had I been able to see her face, I knew she’d be smirking underneath that thing. It looked positively badass. She put her hand in the air and waved at us as she walked out of the busted motel room, her shoulders squared off strong and her stride filled with confidence. I led Dani over to the door as we stood there, watching her climb into the passenger’s seat of the massive S.W.A.T. battering ram they called a vehicle.
Then they backed up and drove away.
Leaving us alone with all the carnage.
Dani sighed heavily. “Holy shit.”
I let out the breath I had been holding. “You got that right.”
“So do we head back to your place? Do we get another room? What do you want to do?”
I grinned. “You mean you don’t want to stay in this room for the night? I mean, it’s already booked and paid for.”
“Absolutely fucking not.”
I threw my head back with laughter. “Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t assuming something I shouldn't have.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just like living on the edge, you weirdo.”
“Hey, you’re the one still here, helping me out with all this shit.”
She scoffed. “What do you mean, helping? This entire damn thing was my idea.”
I rolled my eyes. “And I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Not if you want to get laid, you won’t.”
“Ugh. You drive a hard bargain.”
“Takes a hard one to give a hard one.”
The bark of my laughter filled the room as Dani’s giggles soared on the foundation I provided for her. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. What an insane human being she turned out to be. And she was damn near perfect.
No, she is perfect.
I kissed the top of her head before I released her. I walked over to my small suitcase in the corner and picked it up. Dani dug through the mire and the chaos of the motel room until she found her bag of belongings. Then together we headed out to the truck.
Dani tossed her bag into the back seat. “Is it bad of me to think that I’m still shocked this all went off without a hitch?”
I tossed mine on top of hers. “Nope. Because I was just thinking the exact same thing.”
“How many times do you think we do that during the day?”
“Do what?”
“Have the same thoughts.”
I climbed into the driver’s seat. “I don’t know. I’d imagine more times than we figure. Why?”
She climbed in next to me. “Care to figure out what’s on my mind now?”
I looked over at her and watched a carnal darkness roll over her eyes. My cock pulsed to life as I closed my truck door, slamming it with purpose. I leaned over and captured Dani’s lips, letting my tongue slide against hers as she cupped my chee
k. So long as I lived, I’d never get enough of this woman. She’d never cease to amaze me, and she’d always have my heart.
So long as I lived.
“Mmmm, I think I know exactly what you’re thinking, gorgeous.”
She nuzzled my nose. “Good. Because I’m starving.”
“For this meat, huh?”
She blinked. “No, crazy. For a cheeseburger. Duh.”
I paused. “Seriously?”
She smiled brightly. “Then maybe some dessert. Like a milkshake.”
“Poured over your body, I hope.”
She bopped my nose with her finger. “Be a good boy, and you can cover my body in anything you want.”
“Mmmm, yes ma’am.”
I captured her lips, reveling in how wonderful she tasted. But she was right. If I was hungry, she had to be hungry. The tiny little thing. I slid my fingers through her hair, gripping her tendrils softly. And after pulling her face away from mine, I lost myself in her gorgeous brown eyes.
“Thank you.”
She furrowed her brow. “For what, Max?”
“For saving me. For planning this all out. For working a fucking miracle and somehow saving my guys in the process.”
“Our guys.”
I smirked. “Right. Our guys. Thank you, Dani. For bringing your intelligence into this scenario. Because without it, I don’t know where the hell we’d be.”
She smiled. “Well, now we’re even. You save my life, and I save yours.”
30
Dani
The four-hour drive back to Max’s place tasted like victory and smelled like paradise. The cheeseburgers we picked up along the way filled the cabin of the car as we chowed down and wiped our faces with cheap paper napkins. The minutes ticked by as we sped down the highway with the windows rolled down and the classic rock station blaring. It was the freest I’d felt in a very long time. And seeing Max relaxed for the first time since I’d met him was something I never thought I’d witness.
