Rock Chick 04 Renegade (46 page)

That time wasn’t fun.

Furthermore Tex was huge, burly and relaxed. He caused mayhem like it was second nature. He made me feel safe.

It was a new experience, being out making life a pain for drug dealers with Tex.

I liked it.

“Sure,” I said.

“Fuckin’ A, woman!” Tex boomed.

I smiled.

We went to his house and he stood on the sidewalk and didn’t make a move toward his door until I was in my car and headed down the street.

* * * * *

I was negotiating the al ey toward Nick and my garage when a car reversed out of a back drive right into the al ey, right in front of me. To avoid it I slammed on the brakes and came to a bone-jarring halt.

I stared out the windshield. The car was dark, no lights.

Fuck, fuck,
fuck!

I threw the Camaro in reverse and looked over my shoulder but al I could see was a motorcycle parked perpendicular to my car.

I’d wasted precious time shifting to reverse. I should have locked my doors. I didn’t even get a chance to move when my door was thrown open.

Before I could grab my gun or stun gun on the seat beside me, someone reached in, undid my belt and yanked me out of the car.

He slammed the door and then slammed me against the car and got up close, his hard body to my soft one, his heat slamming into me like a physical thing.

When I got a look at him in the hazy al ey streetlight, I went stil .

He looked like a somewhat younger, tougher, rougher but just as red-hot-handsome version of Eddie Chavez.

This had to be Hector Chavez, Eddie’s brother.

Oh my
God
.

Before I could say a word or do a thing, he started speaking. “Get off the street Law. Shard, Jermaine and Clarence are lookin’ for retribution, no matter what Clarence are lookin’ for retribution, no matter what protection Crowe is offering. They aren’t gonna take you down. They’re gonna take you somewhere and play with you awhile, games you won’t think are fun.” I’d stil ed at the sight of him but his words sent a chil through my blood.

“When they’re done, you’l beg them to kil you,” he went on.

Um.

Yikes
.

“Do I make myself clear?” he asked.

Without delay I nodded. He made himself clear al right.

He stared at me. I could tel his eyes were dark, liquid black like his brother’s and I found myself wishing for more light just so I could read them.

He got closer, this wouldn’t seem possible but just like Vance had, Hector did – right deep, face-to-face in my space.

“You tel anyone you saw me, you’l blow my cover and I won’t be happy mainly because I won’t be breathin’.” I swal owed.

“Nod if you understand,” he demanded.

I nodded again, I understood.

He was a cop… or something. Likely deep cover if even Eddie and Lee didn’t know what he was up to.

“Does that mean you don’t want me to say anything to…?” I started.

He looked to his left, nodded once, then back at me.

“The boys’l know to keep their mouths shut.” Then as fast as he’d come, he was gone, disappearing into the night. The car in front of Hazel took off, the motorcycle behind her did the same. I never even saw the drivers.

Wow.

With ful body shakes I drove Hazel to the garage, super-cautious, eyes checking mirrors, wil ing my ears to have powers beyond normal. I parked, secured the garage and then ran into the house even though I wanted to stop and kiss Vance’s Harley which was sitting outside my backdoor.

I flew into the kitchen and dumped my weapons and bag on the table. Then I locked the door and armed the alarm.

Boo sauntered in and looked at me. “Meow,” he said.

Obviously Vance had given him treats or pets because Boo was a fuck of a lot more calm than me.

I stared at my cat for a beat.

Then I screeched, “
Crowe!
”

I was standing and hyperventilating in my kitchen when Vance walked in. He took one look at me and came to a dead halt.

“I, you… we… oh my
God
,” I said.

“Jesus, Jules. Are you al right?”

I shook my head then I nodded it then I shook it again.

He started toward me. I took a step back and he stopped again, this time his brows came together. “You’re not gonna try and break up with me again, are you?” This time I just shook my head.

His eyes narrowed under knitted brows. “Is Tex okay?” I nodded.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head.

He came forward again and I didn’t retreat. “Are you hurt?”

“I just met Hector Chavez,” I announced.

Vance stopped again, in my space. I saw his eyes flash.

“What the fuck?” he murmured.

“Just now, he and a couple of his buddies fenced me and Hazel in, in the al ey. He yanked me out of the car, warned me off the street. Told me Shard, Jermaine and Clarence were going to hurt me no matter what protection you’re offering.”

This didn’t make Vance look happy. “He say anything else?”

“Nothing I care repeating. Not on that subject anyway. He did say if I told anyone about our chat, I’d blow his cover which means he wouldn’t be breathing anymore… or something like that.”

Vance stared at me then he muttered, “Christ.” I wasn’t sure exactly what I was feeling but I thought it might be fear.

A lot
of fear.

I wasn’t going to admit to that out loud so I just took a deep breath to try and control it. That didn’t work so I leaned forward, head down, and col ided with Crowe, forehead to his shoulder.

He took my weight without a word, his arms coming around me.

around me.

“You gotta get off the street,” he said softly.

“If I do, they win,” I said just as softly even though I agreed with him.

Vance didn’t respond.

I didn’t want to play the games Shard, Clarence and Jermaine had planned for me. I knew I’d be disappointing Tex but if something happened to me, who’d take care of Roam and Sniff? Who’d have dinner with Nick and drive him crazy occasional y? Who’d give it to Vance regularly?

I didn’t want to think of anyone (or multiple anyones) giving it to Vance regularly.

This meant I had to get off the street.

God dammit
.

I looked up at Vance. “Shit,” I said.

His arms got tighter and he kissed my forehead but he stil didn’t say anything.

There was something nice about that. He didn’t rub it in or make a big deal about it. He just let my decision… be.

Even though I was freaking out, I felt another pleasant whoosh in my bel y.

“This sucks,” I told him. “Tex and I had fun tonight. He’s a great sidekick. We used up al our smoke bombs. He’s gonna be pissed we aren’t going out tomorrow night.”

“He’l get over it,” Vance replied.

“I have seventeen rol s of plastic wrap. What am I going to do with seventeen rol s of plastic wrap? I never have leftovers. I don’t cook.”

Vance grinned at me. “Maybe Nick can use them,” he suggested.

“What am I going to do at night?” I went on. “I’m used to night-time action. I’m going to get bored. I can’t go from making an art of havoc to lying around reading a book. I’l go nuts.”

His eyes got soft and sexy. “We’l find some way to keep you busy.”

My bel y fluttered.

Hmm.

“What if you’re working or out of town?”

“For the time being, I’l work something out with Lee.”

“I don’t want you getting into trouble at work.” His grin turned into a smile. “Maybe you don’t get it, Princess. Lee wants you fucked up by Shard, Clarence and Jermaine only slightly less than I do. You got nothin’ to worry about.”

That caused a bel y whoosh too, not as big as the other one but it was stil nice.

“Crowe.”

“You got nothin’ to worry about,” he repeated.

“I don’t think –”

“Shut up, Jules.”

It was my turn for my brows to knit over narrowed eyes.

“Seriously, for the last time, don’t tel me to shut up.” Crowe ignored my attitude, stepped away from me and looked around the room.

“Why are we standin’ in the kitchen?” he asked.

I blinked at him, not keeping up. I thought we had begun to bicker. I kind of liked bickering with him. His question threw me.

“What?” I asked.

“Lots of better places for us to be,” was his answer.

Then before I could reply, he leaned down, put a shoulder in my bel y, a hand at my wrist and an arm around my thighs and lifted, wrapping me around his neck. He turned and started walking toward the hal .

I shouted, “Crowe!” as if I minded him carrying me to bed.

Um.

Hardly.

I didn’t mind at al .

Chapter Twenty-Four
Chopped Liver

I woke up to heavy kitty footfal s on my body.

I felt Vance’s warmth against my back, his body spooning mine, his forearm resting just below my waist.

I decided this was my Number One Most Favorite Sleeping Position with Vance and I was looking forward to ranking alternates.

Boo walked back and forth across Vance and me. I could tel he was doing this because his kitty feet would leave me and then come back to me a lot further down or up my body.

I opened my eyes. It was stil dark, nigh on winter so the days were short but I knew it was too early for Boo Breakfast.

When Boo was four-footed on my body, I did a jerk, he lost his position and slid clumsily down my bel y with an angry, “Meow!”

I wrapped an arm around him and tucked him into my body. He started purring loudly.

“Would you break up with me if I kil ed your cat?” Vance’s sleepy-rough voice sounded against the back of my neck.

“Probably.”

Vance’s arm moved, his hand sliding up my bel y, midriff, then came to rest cupping my breast.

I was wrong, there was only a subtle change but
this
was my Number One Most Favorite Sleeping Position with Vance.

* * * * *

I woke up again and it was later. I didn’t know how much later but I instinctively knew there wasn’t much time before the alarm went.

I rol ed to my bel y, dislodging Boo and Vance’s arm.

Vance moved automatical y, fal ing to his back. I turned into him, ready to say something but when I lifted up on my elbows I realized he was stil asleep.

I wished I could turn on a light. I’d never seen him asleep.

He was always up before or with me.

I studied him. There was something about him asleep from what I could see in the near-dark, he seemed almost… boyish.

God, I wanted to kiss him as in
really
wanted to kiss him.

This gave me pause for reflection. Not as to why I’d want to kiss him because that was obvious but as to why I didn’t.

He
was
my boyfriend (or whatever). We
were
exclusive. He
was
sleeping in my bed. We’d had incredible sex not seven hours earlier.

Why not? Why couldn’t I kiss him?

So I kissed him.

Not a ful -on, ful tongue, let’s-have-sex-
right-now
kiss but I touched my lips to his.

When I pul ed back, his eyes were open.

“Good morning,” I said and smiled.

He stared at me and he didn’t look boyish anymore.

Um.

Maybe I shouldn’t have kissed him.

As he kept staring at me, my smile began to fade.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake –” I started.

Then he moved, arms going around me, body rol ing in to me, thigh pressing between my legs, mouth on mine.

His kiss
was
a ful -on, ful tongue, we’re-
going
-to-have-sex-right-now kiss and I responded. I had no choice however if I was given one I’d have said yes.

He was al over me and it became clear very quickly he wasn’t in the mood for me to be al over him. I figured this out because he eventual y pinned my hands to the bed, his at my wrists and he did magnificent things to my mouth, neck and breasts with his mouth and tongue and, shockingly but very effectively, with his teeth.

When I was making noises I couldn’t control and struggling at his hands in order to touch him, he went lower, letting my wrists go so he could spread my legs then his mouth was
there.

Yay!
My brain screamed.

My hands slid into his hair, his hands tilted my hips and very shortly after I was panting, rocketing to Grade Ten with my entire body on fire and enjoying the ride.

“Vance,” I whispered, coming close.

He kept going and my rocket ride kept ascending.

“Vance,” I breathed before I hit the stratosphere, dazzled by the stars and Vance came up over me. I was stil flying high when he rol ed us, him on his back, me on top. He pul ed up my knees so I was astride him, came up with me and reached to the shelf, nabbing a condom.

“I’l do it,” I whispered, stil breathing heavily.

“Quiet.”

Obviously he didn’t feel like playing around. One second he was tearing the packet open with his white teeth, the next second he was inside me.

My head fel back.

He rol ed again, him on top of me but not for very long.

He kept my legs bent, lifted up his torso, coming to his knees, he pul ed up my hips and drove into me. The whole time he moved inside me, he was watching me and I was watching him.

Even though he was far away, the intimacy of our connection, the beauty of him, the way he was watching me with that fierce “mine” look on his face overwhelmed me and although I’d descended to a Grade Six or Seven after my orgasm, it started coming over me again.