“You are so beautiful.” His mouth traveled across my neck and down to my breasts. The feel of his lips wrapped around my hardened peaks sent intense vibrations down below. I let out a soft moan as he placed the palm of his hand against me and dipped his finger inside. It didn’t take long for him to bring me to an orgasm as I belted out a pleasurable moan.

  “Oh my God,” I spoke with bated breath.

  “I’m not finished yet.” A sexy smirk fell upon his lips as he stroked my torso with his tongue until he reached my throbbing area. His mouth explored me like no other as his hands spread my legs even further. The intensity was overwhelming, and euphoria was mine for the taking. When he was finished, he made his way back up to my lips and kissed me passionately. I wasn’t sure how, but his towel was still wrapped around him. The only thing on my mind now was seeing what he had to offer, and what I was in for. Reaching down, I unwrapped the towel and tossed it on the floor.

  “I need to grab a condom,” he said as he climbed off me.

  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” I silently thanked the lord for blessing him with a perfectly large package.

  He sat on the edge of the bed and took a condom from the drawer of his nightstand.

  “Wait, before you put that on.”

  I climbed off the bed, got down on my knees in front of him, and took his large hard cock in my mouth. I could feel his body tremble as a loud groan erupted in his chest.

  “Fuck, Grace. Oh my God,” he moaned as his fingers tangled in my hair. “You have to stop because I’m going to come in two seconds. I need to get this damn thing on.” He ripped open the package and slipped it over his cock. “Get up here.” He grabbed me and pulled me on top of him.

  Straddling his muscular body, I slowly lowered myself onto him as we both gasped with pleasure. After riding him for a while, he threw me on my back and thrust in and out of me like a wild beast. My nails dug into the flesh of his back as several moans escaped my lips, and another orgasm took over me. His eyes stared into mine as we both came together in sync, letting each other know the pure pleasure we’d felt.

  His body collapsed on mine as we lay there trying to regain our breath. Rolling off me, he removed the condom and threw it in the small trashcan next to his side of the bed. While he lay flat on his back with his hand over his heart, I rolled on my side and ran my finger over his chest.

  “How’s the shoulder?”

  “It’s great. Really great.” He smiled. “I suppose you want a key now.” He smirked.

  “Nah. Keep your key. I don’t need one to get in.” I grinned.

  He chuckled. “I don’t doubt that.”

  “I need to find Tommy Cochran.”

  “Not a good idea. We need to lay low until we find out some more information from Vinnie.”

  “You really trust that little snake?” I asked.

  “He’s been my CI since the beginning.”

  “Why? What do you have on him?”

  “Drug possession and illegal firearms charge. He was looking at a hefty prison sentence. We struck a deal, and he knows he has no choice or else he’s going away. He won’t compromise that because of his four-year-old son. Let me ask you something. Where did you learn to do what you did for me yesterday?”

  “My uncle. My body went through a lot during my training period.”

  “What exactly does your uncle do? I know he was in the military.”

  “He was counterintelligence for the FBI. He resigned the day after my parents were killed. He told them that it was too much for him to continue working there after what happened and he was going home to Japan. But I know he did it to take care of me.”

  “And what does he do now?”

  “He owns and runs a security firm in Washington.”

  “Interesting.”

  “You never answered my question from yesterday.” I stroked his chest.

  “Which question was that?”

  “Was Drew’s killer ever found?”

  “No. Not yet. I’m working on it still.”

  “Maybe I can help.”

  “I appreciate that, but I think we need to focus on Ives right now.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Simon

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the picture I saw on Grace’s bed. The two of them and her ring. It was none of my business, but I wanted to know. Sex with her was incredible and I wanted to know more about her. Normally, I didn’t care. But with her, I did. I reached over and softly stroked her cheek with the back of my hand as I stared at her.

  “You’re so beautiful. You can’t lay there and tell me someone hasn’t stolen your heart back in New York.”

  “Nope. Nobody. I’m a non-committal girl.” She smirked.

  “Is that so?” My brow arched.

  “Yeah. Does that surprise you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She lied to me. Perhaps she’s divorced. Maybe he broke her heart and trust is an issue as far as relationships are concerned. Who the hell knew? But I was going to find out one way or another.

  “Oh shit. What time is it?” I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. “Fuck!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I missed my physical therapy appointment.”

  “Can you call and see if they can let you come anyway?”

  “No. They have strict scheduling. Someone distracted me.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.

  “I’m sorry.” She chewed her bottom lip.

  “Nah. Don’t ever apologize for that.” I rolled on top of her and brushed my lips against hers.

  After I finished getting dressed, I grabbed my phone, went downstairs, and sent a message to my brothers in our group chat.

  “I need to talk. Sebastian, where are you today?”

  “Emilia’s. What’s wrong?”

  “Sam and Stefan. Can you meet me at Emilia’s for lunch?”

  “I can be there in about thirty minutes,” Sam said.

  “I’m wrapping up at a job right now, but I can be there in about thirty minutes as well. You okay?” Stefan asked.

  “I’m fine. I’ll see you there.”

  “I’ll make sure lunch is ready when you get here,” Sebastian said.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” Grace smiled when she walked in.

  “I’m actually leaving to go and meet my brothers for lunch.”

  “It seems like you hang out with your brothers a lot.”

  “Just about every day.”

  “That’s really nice. Never take your family for granted, Simon. Just don’t.” She looked down.

  “Hey.” I placed my finger under her chin and lifted it, so her eyes met mine. “I don’t, and I never will. I’m sorry about your parents, Grace.”

  “Thanks, but I’m good. Really, I am. It’s just sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if they were still alive. If—you know what? Go meet your brothers. I’m heading out.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Just to run a few errands.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you when I get back.” I leaned in and brushed my lips against hers.

  * * *

  “Hey, Simon.” Ashley smiled when I stepped through the door of Emilia’s.

  “Hey, Ash. Are my other brothers here yet?”

  “Not yet. I’ll go tell Sebastian you’re here.”

  “No need. I’ll go find him myself. Kitchen?”

  “Yeah.”

  I walked back to the kitchen and saw my brother and Emilia locked in a kiss.

  “If the two of you want to screw in the office, I’ll cover the kitchen for you.” I smiled.

  “Shut up.” Sebastian laughed.

  “Hi, Emilia.”

  “Hey, Simon. I’m on my way out. Your brother made me lunch.”

  “Isn’t that sweet of him.” I placed my hand over my heart. “Wouldn’t it have been even sweeter if he personally delivered it to you?”

  “Now that you mention it.” Emilia’s brows furrowed at my brother.

  “I can’t leave, douchebag.” He threw a towel at me. “It’s peak lunchtime, and I’m short-staffed.”

  “I’m going to the table. I’ll see you out there. Bye, Emilia.”

  “Bye, Simon. By the way, I really like Grace.”

  “Yeah. She’s a great woman.” I smiled.

  Just as I was walking out of the kitchen, Sam was walking in.

  “There you are,” he said. “Stefan is on his way. Let’s go sit down.”

  We sat at our family table and Courtney, our waitress, walked over with four single malt scotches.

  “Sebastian said to send these over to you boys.”

  “Thanks, Courtney.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled.

  I picked up my glass and as I took a drink, Stefan sat down next to me.

  “Damn. Traffic is a bitch today.” He picked up his glass of scotch.

  Sebastian walked over and set our plates down in front of us. He never bothered asking what we wanted. He just always knew.

  “So, what’s going on?” Sam asked.

  “Earlier, I made Grace a cup of coffee while she was in the shower and when I took it up to her room, there was picture lying on her bed.”

  “Of?” Stefan asked.

  “Her and some guy.”

  “Who was he?” Sebastian asked.

  “I’m going to assume her husband since she was wearing a wedding ring.”

  “What?” Sam’s brows furrowed.

  “She’s married, bro?” Stefan asked.

  “Well, she isn’t wearing a ring and she told me today that she’s a non-committal type of girl.”

  “Why would she tell you that?” Sam asked.

  I took in a deep breath.

  “We had sex.” I brought my glass up to my lips.

  “Shit, bro. You move fast.” Stefan smirked. “Just yesterday she told you a kiss wasn’t a good idea. She didn’t hurt you, did she?” He let out a laugh.

  “Shut the hell up. I tried to fish for information by asking her if anyone has stolen her heart back in New York. That’s when she said no and that she’s a non-committal girl.”

  “And that’s all she said?” Sebastian asked. “Nothing about the guy you saw in the picture?”

  “Nope. But I didn’t tell her I saw the picture.”

  “She’s keeping that info from you for a reason,” Sam said.

  “Maybe something happened, and she doesn’t want to talk about it,” Stefan spoke.

  “Bro, you’re the one with the good instincts. What is your gut telling you?” Sebastian asked.

  “That’s the thing. I’m not sure.” My brows furrowed.

  CHAPTER 18

  Simon

  After doing some digging around, I found out the name of Grace’s partner back in New York. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed her number.

  “Detective Carrie Brady.”

  “This is Detective Simon Kind with the LAPD. I was hoping you could answer some questions about your partner, Grace Adams.”

  “Grace? Detective Kind, Grace is no longer my partner or with the NYPD. What is this about? Is she in trouble?”

  “No. She’s not. What do you mean she’s no longer with the NYPD?”

  “Six months ago, right after her husband was murdered, she walked into the station, handed in her gun and badge and said she quit. No one’s heard from her since.”

  “How was he murdered?” I asked.

  “She came home one night and found him shot to death in their bed.”

  “Jesus. Do they know who did it?”

  “No. The place was clean. There were no fingerprints or anything.”

  “Thank you, Detective Brady. Is there a way you can send me the report?”

  “You know I can’t do that.”

  “I understand. Thank you.”

  “Is she there in Los Angeles?” she asked.

  My instincts told me not to tell her.

  “She was but she seems to have disappeared.”

  “It seems she’s good at that. If you hear from her, tell her to call me.”

  “I will.”

  I ended the call and let out a sigh. If I were Grace, I would have taken a copy of that report and kept it. Getting up from behind my desk, I went into her room and dug through the bag she had sitting on the chair. Suddenly, I heard the front door open downstairs, so I quickly put everything back in her bag and went into the bathroom and shut the door. I could hear her coming up the stairs, so I flushed the toilet and stepped out of the bathroom.

  “Hey.” She smiled.

  “You’re back. Did you get what you needed?”

  “Yeah. I did.” She held up two bags.

  “Good.” I gave her a small smile and headed downstairs.

  An anger stirred inside me as I placed my hands on the granite countertop of the island. She was still lying to me, and I wasn’t putting up with it. I needed to confront her, and I didn’t know how she was going to react.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked when she walked into the kitchen.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you no longer work for the NYPD?” I slowly glanced up at her.

  “What?” There was a nervousness in her voice. “Why do you think that?”

  “I called your partner, Detective Carrie Brady.”

  “You what? How dare you!” she shouted.

  “No!” I angrily pointed my finger at her. “How dare you fucking lie to me, Grace! You didn’t tell me that or about your husband’s murder!” I shouted back.

  She took in a sharp breath as tears filled her eyes.

  “You had no right.” She shook her head.

  “I found the picture of the two of you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “You went through my things?” Her teary eyes narrowed.

  “No. I went to set the cup of coffee I made you this morning on the dresser for when you got out of the shower, and I saw it lying on the bed. I gave you a chance to tell me earlier, but you told me you’re a non-committal girl. Which obviously is another lie. So, you left me no choice, Grace. I needed to find out on my own. Now, you can either tell me or get the hell out of my house.”

  “Fine. I’ll go.” She turned and ran up the stairs.

  Shit.

  I ran up after her and when I entered her room, she was zipping up her bag.

  “Just stop it, Grace!” I shouted.

  “Stop what, Simon?” She turned around and looked at me. “You told me to get the hell out of your house, so I am.”

  “I gave you a choice. You said you trusted me.”

  She lowered her head and then threw her bag on the bed.

  “You want the truth?” she shouted in anger. “They killed him because of me, and I will never forgive myself for that.”

  I stood there in shock for a moment and then I walked over to where she stood, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into me.

  “You can’t blame yourself.”

  “Yes, I can.” She broke our embrace and stared into my eyes. “He didn’t deserve that. He was a good man.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “Do you know who did it?” I asked her as I gently wiped away her tears.

  She slowly nodded her head.

  “I have a pretty good idea. But I do know Ives was behind it.”

  “Do you have proof?”

  “Actually, I do.”

  She took a seat on the edge of the bed.

  “I went to New York because my uncle and I had found out that Ives had set up a bunch of shell companies there. He was using them to clean money, and I was tracking him. After I had a run in with Tommy Cochran and beat his ass, I arrested him, and he was let go on a ‘technicality’ which was bullshit. That’s when I’d suspected someone in the department was a mole.”

  “Who?”

  “I didn’t have a chance to figure that out before I left.”

  “Your ex-partner said they found no fingerprints or anything in your home. How can you be sure it was Ives?”

  When I came home and found my husband lying in a pool of blood in our bed, there was a post it note attached to his forehead.”

  “What the hell? What did it say?”

  “Welcome back from the grave, Renee. Your parents would be so proud.”

  “Jesus, Grace.” I shook my head. “I’m so sorry.” I gave her hand a squeeze.

  “I took the note for obvious reasons. Then after Connor’s funeral, I quit. I knew I wouldn’t be able to investigate and handle Ives the way I wanted to, and I knew I was being watched. So, I went back to my uncle’s place in Washington, grieved, and then tracked Ives here. That’s how I found Vinnie. But I didn’t know he was your CI. I started with him which led me to Cody. Now that Ives figured out I’m here, he’s going to stop at nothing to kill me.”

  “I’m not going to let that happen.”

  “Cody made a mistake shooting you. Ives tries his best to stay off the radar of the police. The last thing he needs is that kind of attention drawn to him. They killed my parents, my grandfather, and my husband. Now, I’m going to kill every one of them until I get to Ives and kill him myself. That’s why I quit the NYPD. I’m no longer playing by their rules.”

  “You just can’t go around the city killing people.”

  “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing if they killed your family.”

  I looked away from her and let out a sigh. She had a point.

  My phone rang, and when I pulled it from my pocket, I saw Vinnie was calling.

  “What’s up, Vinnie?” I put him on speaker.

  “That shipment is coming in tonight at eleven o’clock. There’s something else.”

  “What?”

  “When the shipment arrives, another shipment is going out.”

  “What kind of shipment?”

  “Women who were sold to various buyers. I overhead Tommy talking. They’re being kept in a house owned by some guy named Malcolm Ross. That’s all I know. I gotta go. Someone is coming.”

  Click.

  “Malcolm Ross is the man who owns Cyber Tech Securities,” Grace said. “We were watching him back in New York for various crimes, but he covers his tracks so well, we couldn’t get him.” She grabbed her phone.

 

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