His Princess (A Man Who Knows What He Wants)

“Better tell him to put that gun down, Manuel,” I snarl. “Or things are going to get real bad for you.”

I feel the indecision moving through him, a trembling that travels through the barrel of the gun, up my arm, telling me how angry he is to be beaten in this way, so cleanly, so effortlessly.

“Put your weapons down,” he growls. “All of you. Now.”

The men do as they’re told, tossing their guns into the underbrush.

Alex rushes forward, grabbing two pistols and aiming them at the men. “On your knees, motherfuckers,” he snaps. “I’m calling this in.”

I want to tell him no, he can’t, because the Cartel has links to the police.

But then I realize we have the Cartel.

Manuel is their link in this city.

Without ever planning to, we just cut the head off the snake.

Off one snake, anyway.

There’s still Aaron and the mob to worry about.

The men do as Alex commands after a moment, slowly lowering to their knees, looking none too happy about it.

I exchange a look with my partner.

He nods a silent thanks, and I nod back.

But even if it makes me a little selfish, the relief that washes through me doesn’t come from the fact he’s safe. It comes from the knowledge I’ll be able to see my woman again very soon.

I’ll be able to keep her safe.

Because she’s the most important thing to me.

And she always fucking will be.

Forever.

Chapter Seventeen

Ruby

I sit on the edge of the bed, my hands clasped in my lap, my mind flitting over the past few hours.

It’s been a crazy ride… just like this whole freaking day has been.

I’ve run away from my psycho uncle, met the man of my dreams, almost lost the man of my dreams. And now I’m here, in an FBI safe house on the outskirts of the city, sitting on a simple single bed in a plainly furnished room.

The FBI has confiscated my laptop so they can study it for any evidence of mob-related activities, but they thankfully let me keep my memory stick that has all my writing on it.

Everything changed when Rider got his hands on Manuel Diaz, giving him over to the Feds in exchange for keeping me safe.

I stand up and pace over to the window, looking out upon the enclosed garden, with a single tree growing in the middle, its branches reaching high into the sunsetting sky. The dome of the earth bleeds yellow-orange, but it’s still difficult for me to believe only a single day has passed.

I was climbing from the bunker when Rider emerged, forcing Manuel to walk in front of him, with Alex following close behind, pistols aimed at five Cartel members.

And then sirens laced the air.

The noise felt like it was coming from inside of me, rising joyously as my eyes moved over my man, taking in the sight of him as heat blazed through my body.

I felt like singing when I saw he was alive. When I saw he’d succeeded.

Like he promised he would.

He hasn’t left my side since the police arrived, staying where he can keep watch over me as I was processed through the police station. He was the one who arranged for me to stay here, rather than in regular police custody, I know because he trusts the Feds more than the cops.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, ever,” he growled, his hand on my arm as the FBI escort brought us to the safe house.

But that doesn’t mean he can forget his duties.

He’s spent the last few hours in the next room – the study – having video calls with the police and the FBI.

I’ve been sitting in here waiting for him to call me through. Every so often he’ll call me in there and I’ll have to talk with the Federal agents, feeding them little snippets of information that seemed boring to me – the names of my father’s guards, for example – but which are important to them.

Finally, I hear the door open behind me.

My man’s footsteps are heavy as he walks into the room, his breathing coming deep and possessively, like any second he could let out a primal roar.

I turn to find him standing at the edge of the bed.

He’s changed into a plain T-shirt and pants, the T-shirt hugging tightly onto his bulging pectoral muscles. Despite everything, I feel the urge to grab onto his solid chest rising up inside of me, trying to take possession of me as my gaze moves over his rock hard physique.

“Are you done for the evening?” I ask.

“I should be.” He stalks closer to me, bringing his musky scent with him. “Unless some shit really hits the fan.”

“What are they doing now?” I ask.

“Interrogating Manuel.”

“I thought you’d want to do that,” I murmur.

He nods. “I do. Of course, I do. But it’s a Federal case. It became a Federal case the second I reached out to them. I know a lot of the boys on the force aren’t going to be too pleased, but fuck it. It’s what was necessary to keep you safe. And that’s all that matters to me.”