Alex opened my door for me and leaned in close. “You look like you had a long day.” He smiled his crooked smile.
“I did.” I stood up on my tip toes to give him a quick peck. He chuckled and pulled me in close for a deeper kiss. My head swirled at how lucky I was. He lifted me inside and strapped me in.
“Let’s stop for some coffee,” Max said as he pulled away.
“Why?” I asked curiously. Nate nudged my shoulder with his.
“You’ve had a long day, and you’re going to need some energy for tonight.”
I gleamed, because he was right. But if that was the case, I would need energy for more than just one night. I settled into the seat and scratched Parker’s back as hung out the window. Nate held my hand and my smile didn’t go away as I thought of how lucky I was to have them in my life.
I knew that no matter what happened, we would get through it together.
Hot Pursuit
A Bad Boy Mob Romance
Nicole Elliot
and
Sophie Madison
ONE
Jack
I was sitting at my desk with my feet up, legs crossed, leaning back on my reclining office chair. My expensive crocodile skin boots shone as I studied them, reflecting the harsh light illuminating the Police Department's main office area.
I’d been told the crocodile skin was sustainably farmed by the guy I’d bought the shoes from, but I couldn’t really care less. They were hot as hell, and that’s what mattered.
I was still studying my new boots when a beat cop knocked sarcastically on my desk, grinning at me.
I looked up, slightly glad to be awoken from my bored reverie.
“Storm. How’s things with you, bro?” he said, frowning at my boots as he spoke.
“Those real?” he added.
I glared at him. “‘Course they’re real, Lucas. What do you take me for, some sort of tight ass?”
He laughed. I’d known Lucas since before the Police Academy, when we’d both been drinking buddies. We didn’t go to school together, but knew each other through mutual friends in our small, close knit hometown. He was used to my dry humor.
I crossed my hands behind my head and sighed absently.
“What you got for me, Lucas boy? Better be good. Can’t you see I’m busy, man?”
I kept a straight face as he laughed again.
“Listen, I know you’ve been taken off the case you were on with your partner. Ain’t no shame in twiddling your thumbs between cases, bro. How is Kale? He holding up alright?” He frowned with genuine concern.
Kale was my partner, and we had worked together on the case that made us both detective. He’d taken a bullet during a shootout on our first big detective case, looking into a local illegal prostitution ring. We’d gotten close to taking the operation down when we were spotted by two armed thugs while snooping around an old warehouse.
We both got bullets sprayed at us, he got two in the chest, one in the shoulder and one in the thigh. His vest saved his life, but he was still recovering from the other two bullets. None of the bullets went near me. Lucky, I guess.
One of those rounds had been near fatal, but I’d shot the two gangsters pinning us down by popping out from solid cover, inviting them to show their heads. They obliged. I killed them both coolly with headshots. They’d fired first, after all.
Until the ambulance arrived I’d kept him alive with rudimentary first aid, combined with shouting threats of what I’d do to him if he fucking died on me. He was out for a few months at least, but we all knew the psychological scars might take a while longer to heal than the bullet wounds. It was an unspoken rule that most who’d been shot or seen their colleague shot knew all too well.