Fight For Me (5 page)

M
om? Mom wasn't with them,
Cassidy thought with a shrug. She let Cam be the welcoming
committee, staying hidden until she heard Kat put the pieces
together, ending with a breathless, “Wait... Just wait,” before she
made her way from behind the house, flanking Kat on the opposite
side of her sister. “Nope, no time for waiting. You don't want to
be late for your own wedding, do you?”

“
I hate being late,” Kat
replied quickly. Her black hair whipped around her when she turned
to face to Cassidy, eyes wide with shock. “What?”

“
Oh, there's a party
tonight, but first there's a wedding!” Cam exclaimed.

C
assidy held back a laugh
when Kat's bright blue eyes widened even further. “Oh my
God.”

~
*~

D
ylan limped into the room
Charles Everett indicated to find Mason and Caleb laughing. “I'm
here,” he announced unnecessarily.

“
Don't look so happy,
Black. Seeing as I owe my life to you and all, I wanted you to
stand up there with me.”

He understood that, and he was happy to do
it, but he'd rather face down another crazy woman than spend the
next six hours in a monkey suit. “A tux, Everett? I could've
handled a suit, or, hell, a uniform...” he trailed off. What good
was complaining? He was already wearing the damn thing, anyway.

“
You'll never have to wear it again,” Mason
promised.

“
This is supposed to make me feel better?” Dylan muttered,
causing Caleb to sputter with laughter.

The doctor's eyes narrowed as he turned to
Dylan. “How's physical therapy coming?”

“
Bullets tear muscle,” Dylan answered. “Muscles heal.” He felt
the weight of the other man's gaze and wondered what he was
thinking. Considering the last time they'd seen each other, he
wasn't excited to answer whatever question came out of Cassidy's
younger brother's mouth.

“How's Cass treating
you?”

Like a damn china doll. “I'm wearing out my
welcome.”

“I'm sure things are
getting easier. Before long you'll be driving and chasing bad
guys.”

“
I don't think I'll be chasing any perps for a while,” Dylan
responded. He wouldn't be doing much of anything until he had
control of his body. He'd been shot once before, that bullet
blowing through the muscle in his left calf two years ago. The pain
then had been excruciating, but the two bullets this time made that
one feel like child's play. While his major organs had been spared,
he not only had muscle damage, but nerve damage affecting his
entire right side. He grimaced. Too bad he was right handed—or had
been. He would do everything the same if he could go back, but now
he had to rethink his life plan. Not that he'd had much a life plan
after Iraq. He shook his head as if to shake the dark thoughts
free. “Let's go stand up for your brother,” he said to end the
conversation.

C
aleb tugged on the lapels
of his tuxedo. “After you, Superman.”

D
ylan forced himself to
smile. He was many things, but he wasn't a superhero. A chill ran
down his spine. He hoped Cassidy—and everyone else—was safe today.
If someone was trying to silence his prosecutor, now would be a
good time to attack, with all her family in the same place. He
clenched his working fist. He would deal with whatever was thrown
at them, no matter the cost.

~
*~

C
assidy held Kat's bouquet
along with her own as the bride and groom exchanged rings, happy
she'd worn waterproof eye makeup. It was impossible to keep the
tears from falling, no matter how many times she blinked. She
sighed. She'd never seen a couple more deeply in love than Kat and
Mason, her own parents not withstanding. She'd always known her
brother was a good man, but to hear him promise his undying love to
Kat had been moving. Kat's vows, although obviously less rehearsed,
were just as touching. Kat professed that Mason was all
things—tough yet thoughtful, patient yet kick-ass, and Cassidy
couldn't help but look at Dylan, his eyes snaring her in their
golden heat. Her heart kicked, her cheeks flushed, and she forced
herself to tear her gaze from his before she embarrassed herself.
Good Lord, the man was potent.

I
f Dylan kept looking at
her like that, she was afraid she'd walk across the ceremony and
offer herself to him in front of God and everyone. She closed her
eyes. She was here to honor her brother, not have eye sex with a
groomsman. Oh, but his gaze was full of promises she wished he
could keep. She watched him subtly shift on his feet and was
rewarded with a glimpse of the tent in his tuxedo pants. Served him
right; she was standing there in a damp thong and there was nothing
she could do about it either.

~
*~

“
I can't believe I doubted
her,” Cassidy confessed later.

“
You had every right to be
leery.”

“
Maybe, but am I that
jaded and cynical I can't believe someone would love my brother
because he's honestly a wonderful man? Do I have to assume the
worst in everyone?”

D
ylan smiled down at her.
“You didn't assume the worst of me.”

“Yes, I did
,” she argued.
“You about ran me over in the bank hallway, and I laid into
you.”

“
What did you think,
honestly?” Dylan asked, curious about her answer. He remembered
thinking she would be pretty if not for the bitchy attitude, and
he'd been right in spades. She was an incredible looking woman, her
face expressive, her eyes dark, her lush curves real. His hand
itched to touch her, and he tucked it in his pocket.

“
Honestly? I didn't have
time to be knocked over and then ignored by tall, dark
men.”

“
Just tall and dark?” he
asked with a smirk. “I don't get the third one?”

“
I'm sure you thought I
was a bitch.”

H
e tilted his head
slightly. “A pretty one, at least.”

“
And you were a handsome
jerk,” she agreed with a laugh. When she looked up, her eyes had
darkened with heat. “Kiss me, Dylan,” she whispered.

S
he didn't have to ask
twice. He danced them to a corner away from the rest of the family,
pressed her back to the wall and captured her lips. He'd wanted to
do this for hours, days, weeks, and finally had her lips on his
again, his tongue in her mouth. He savored her taste, her flowery
scent, her arms clutching him to her. God, how he wanted this
woman, but not here, not now. He had to stop or take her right her
against a wall in her parent's house, at her brother's wedding. It
was with great effort he pulled his mouth from hers, smiling at how
thoroughly loved she looked. He'd shifted her fancy hair do, her
lips were swollen with his kisses, her dark eyes were glassy with
lust, and all he wanted to do was dive back in to her, make her
his. He swallowed. He had to remember where they were. “Cassie,
darlin', we have to stop.”

N
o matter how sexy she
looked, he couldn't believe they had just acted like teenagers at
her older brother's wedding. If he hadn't come to his senses when
he did, she'd be pinned to the wall full of him, and he wouldn't
have cared about the audience, the venue, nothing. Just her body
beneath his, his mouth, hand, and cock working her to a frenzy. He
shook his head. That was a much too tempting scenario.

“
We should...” she
started, breaking the heated silence.

“
You bet your ass we
should.” He laid a finger across her wet mouth. “But not here, not
now.”

“
Last time I nearly killed
you.”

H
e chuckled. “Honey, that
was two weeks ago, and I'm much better now.” He dropped a soft kiss
on her lips. “Much better.”

H
e watched her mind fight
her body, the heat in her gaze dimming slightly before coming back
full-force. What he'd give to know what kind of battle just went on
in that head of hers, but since he was pretty sure he'd like the
outcome given her expression, he bit his tongue.

“
When we get out of here,
you're proving just how much better you are.”

He let his smile break free at her demand.
“
Gladly.”

~
*~

D
ylan adjusted himself as
best he could in the seat of his truck. It was still strange to be
shuttled around by a woman, but until the doctor signed off on his
paperwork, he wasn't allowed behind the wheel. He remembered
similar orders after his sister had her first seizure. No driving
for three months, no matter how she felt. He scrubbed his hand down
is face. He hadn't thought about Emily for a long time, losing her
years ago. He turned to look at his companion, beautiful in her
green dress, the fussy hair she'd taken down as soon as she'd sat
in the driver's seat now floating around her in dark reddish waves.
She was his focus tonight, not thinking about things he couldn't
change and hadn't done.

I
dly he wondered when he
would be cleared to drive, effectively ending his need for
Cassidy's cab service. At first he'd thought it lucky he hadn't
been constricted for a set amount of time, thinking he would get
out of her hair and stop imposing as soon as possible. Now, there
was no way he was leaving her until the threat to her was
neutralized, even though he had no leads regarding the car bomb,
and Chris has been tight-lipped about the case, stating Dylan was
too close to it. Just because his friend might be right didn't make
him any less annoyed with the assessment. He just had to get back
to fighting strength now to insure his Cassie was safe.

H
e mentally kicked
himself. She would not appreciate that statement, but he wasn't
leaving until he knew there was no threat. He would just have to
recover slowly, and make sure he had to stay with her. Not a hard
sell, honestly. Although he could use his arm, there was a burning
sensation from the nerve damage, one he was afraid would never
leave him. Would he ever be back to one-hundred percent? He didn't
know, but he had to believe he would. He couldn't let anything
happen to her.

~*~

C
assidy drove carefully,
her speeding heart the only thing giving away the nervous thoughts
running through her head. Dylan was so quiet in the passenger seat,
she wondered if he'd changed his mind. God, she hoped not. He had
revved her up so much they'd nearly made voyeurs of all the wedding
guests, and she planned on having him when they got home. She hoped
he was truly as healthy as he said, because she couldn't bear
talking to Caleb again if this round of lovemaking caused the same
reaction as the last. Dammit. No, not lovemaking. Fucking. She took
another look at her temporary roommate turned lover. Oh, yeah, she
was looking forward to good, hard fucking.

W
hen they pulled into the
driveway she couldn't help but let out a gasp. Her front door was
wide open. “Dylan?” she whispered.

“
Call the police, Cassie,”
he ordered before throwing open the truck door and dropping quietly
to the pavement. “Stay here.”

“
You stay, too. We don't
know who's in there, and you're still hurt.”

“
If someone's in the
house, they're not getting out.”

H
er phone connected to 911
then. “Yes, this is Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, Cassidy
Everett. I'd like to report a break-in at my residence.” She nodded
and gave short answers before disconnecting the call. “Someone is
coming out now. We're to stay where we are.”

“
Fine,” Dylan agreed,
albeit reluctantly. She knew he didn't want to leave her alone
anyway. Less than three minutes later, she heard a vehicle. It
looked like the cavalry had arrived.

~
*~

D
etective Brandon Davis
stepped out of his unmarked car. Cassidy Everett was in trouble
again, her bounty hunter boyfriend with her. What did she see in
the injured man? Sure, he had thrown himself in front of bullets
meant for her brother by Brandon's own insane ex-stepsister, but
Dylan Black was too tall, too broad, too rough for a lady like
Cassidy. No matter. He didn't want to get mixed up with a
prosecutor anyway—she was too observant for his tastes. He liked
his women easy, beautiful, and clueless, and Cassidy Everett only
fit one of those criteria.

H
e made his way to the
Bronco the couple was standing beside to have them explain they had
just returned from Mason's wedding and found her front door
standing open.

“
Your brother didn't waste
any time.”

C
assidy nodded, her lips
pursed. “After facing his mortality at the hands of Priscilla,
wasting time was not on his agenda.” She paused, shooting a pointed
look at her door. “Could you please, oh, I don't know, investigate
or something?”

B
itch. “Yes, and I will. I
was trying to be polite.” He caught Black's cough meant to cover a
laugh. “I'm going in now, stay here.”

“
Whatever you say,
Detective,” Dylan responded stiffly.

H
e did a sweep of the
townhouse, finding couch cushions shredded, papers everywhere and
an astounding lack of computers. It looked like someone was looking
for information, as the television and stereo system were
undisturbed, while the rest of the place had been torn apart. Given
Cassidy's and Black's professions, he was sure the suspect list
would be a long one. Just what he needed, a crime he had no part of
to actually investigate. Maybe he could pawn it off on one of the
uniforms. He smiled at this thought. Tiffany Morgan was clamoring
for his attention and would love for him to toss a case her way.
Maybe he'd get a blow job out of the deal too.