Love's Taming (The Love's Series) (17 page)

Eying him suspiciously, she greeted, “Detective Dixon.”

The man in front of her was ruggedly handsome and she wondered what his story was as her eyes glanced up to the scar running across his forehead. Slightly taller than Shane, his dark hair was neatly trimmed and his brown eyes seemed to take all of her in quickly.

“I see we have gone from Matt to Detective Dixon,” he said.

Pressing her lips together, she weighed her answer. “I think the time for friendliness has passed, don’t you? I’m assuming this is an official visit since that’s the only visit that would be necessary between us.”

Sighing, Matt stared at the woman in front of him. Hurt, more than anger, seemed to be coming from her.

“Doctor, I tried to call the other day. It seems you may not have gotten my message.”

Her brow crinkled as she pondered his words. “A message? Here at the clinic?”

“No. Your cell phone.”

“There was a message the other day, but the signal kept coming in and out so the message was mostly garbled.” Looking up into his face, she asked, “Was that from you?”

“Yeah. I was driving and didn’t know the signal was weak. Fuck.”

“What was the message you were trying to leave? I’m assuming it was about Shane, but I can assure you that if you were going to tell me he was alive and well, I already know that. Believe me, I saw with my own eyes that he is alive and very well it seems. So if there is nothing else, you will excuse me.” She turned to open the clinic door.

“Why are you going to your apartment through the clinic? You have an outside entrance.”

Turning back around, she looked at him questioningly. “Because…I don’t know. It’s just safer.” Thinking momentarily, she continued, “You should know as well as anyone that I was threatened and attacked. I try to avoid the alley and just use the clinic entrance now.”

“Are you safe there? In the clinic? That is where you were attacked.”

Facing him fully, anger showing on her face, she asked, “What are you getting at? Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Humor me. Just answer,” was his reply, as his gaze never wavered from hers.

Licking her lips, she looked to the side. “Yes, I feel safe in the clinic. Before he left, Shane had a security system put in. The clinic is wired and my apartment is wired. He said it was top-line security, patched into the police station as well as his friend’s security business.” Walking straight up to him, she poked her finger into his chest. “Yes, I feel safe inside. Not the alley. That I avoid. Does that answer your question, Detective Dixon?”

Looking down at the beautiful woman poking her finger at him, he smiled. “Shane did that for you?”

Putting her hands on her hips, she glared up. “What are you getting at? Yes, Shane did that before he left to go back to what is obviously his real life. Or pretend life. Or whatever the hell other life he has that doesn’t involve me!”

Matt let the silence stretch out between them for a moment. Then he answered, “My message the other day was to let you know that not everything is what it seems. Trust in him and trust in what you actually know. Not what you think is happening.”

Annie stepped back keeping her eyes on his. Confusion showed on her face as she tried to decipher his words. “I don’t…I don’t know what you mean.”

Leaning down close to her face he simply said, “Think about it.” With that piece of cryptic advice, he turned and climbed back into his car. With a nod of his head, he pulled out and headed down the street leaving her standing on the sidewalk bewildered.

Walking through the door and up to her apartment, she stared at the security system panel on the wall again.
Why would he do that if he did not care?
She walked to the kitchen to make a sandwich and noticed the empty bottle of wine from last night in the trash can.
That was left on my nightstand when I went to bed.
Whirling around, her eyes scanned the room looking for more evidence that he had been there while she slept.

Not everything is what it seems. Trust in him and trust in what you know, not what you think is happening.

The sting of tears threatened once again as she thought back to the scene in the bar from last night.
Shane, I don’t know what you want me to think. I don’t know what is real anymore.
Dashing her hands against her eyes to keep any more tears from falling, she showered and then headed back out. To the market. To meet Mr. Tochi’s nephew.

*     *     *

Several hours later,
sitting at a neighborhood Italian restaurant with Ricardo, Annie found herself wishing that the man across from her was someone else. Ricardo was delightful, but there was no spark. He was well-mannered but seemed shy. He was handsome, but there was nothing that made her want to take him home and rip his clothes off. Ricardo was predictable, not wild and untamed.
Jesus, stop comparing him to Shane.
But the more she sat with Ricardo, the harder it was to not think of Shane when things were good.

“You seem preoccupied. Am I boring you?” Ricardo asked politely.

Blushing, she hastened to assure him. “No, I’m so sorry. There’s just a lot on my mind today. I have enjoyed lunch, but I really should be getting back. I have some work that needs to be done today.”

He placed his hand on hers and said smiling, “I have had a delightful time, Annie. Perhaps we can have lunch again sometime soon.”

Smiling back, she could not think of a reason to not acquiesce, even though her heart was not there. “Sure, that would be fine.”

Walking back down the street to the clinic, she kept glancing behind her. The uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching her made her uneasy.

Ricardo, noticing her behavior, asked if she were all right, as he placed his arm around her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I am just a little nervous.” They had reached the clinic, but she hesitated at the door. Looking up into his handsome face, she asked, “Ricardo, would you mind stepping in with me for a moment. I’d feel better if someone was with me to make sure no one is in the clinic. I know it is silly, but there have been some robberies,” she lied. The uneasy feeling of being followed had continued and she felt desperate to make sure the clinic was empty.

“Of course,” he said with concern. He walked through each room with her, making sure the door to the alley was locked and secure.

“Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon,” she said truthfully while knowing she would not be seeing him again.

Ricardo leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “The pleasure was all mine. I’ll call you the next time I’m in town.”

Watching him walk back down the sidewalk, she shut the clinic door leaning her head against it for moment. “God you are such a fool,” she said to the empty clinic.

“Have a good time?” a deep growl came from behind her.

Screaming as she whirled around, she stood stunned looking at a very pissed off Shane standing in the middle of her reception area. Heart pounding, she took him all in. The close-cropped hair, strong jaw that was tight with emotion, the muscles straining his t-shirt, right down to his old, faded jeans tight across his thighs. And anger. Pouring off of him. Directed at her.
What the fuck?

“Shane, Jesus you scared the crap out of me!” she exclaimed. “What the hell are you doing here?” She threw up her hand as she attempted to walk by him saying, “Wait. I don’t want to know. I don’t care. But you can just leave the way you came, however that was!”

He grabbed her arm as she attempted to pass him and swung her around so that she was plastered to his front. Both arms encircled her essentially trapping her into place.

“Oh no you don’t, you jerk. You let go of me right now or I swear, I’ll scream the house down!”

“Not until you listen to what I’ve gotta say,” he growled again.

“I don’t want to listen to you, Shane. I’m done playing stupid and being played. You think this is a game, well here’s a tip buster. I don’t like this game. It hurts!”

Grabbing her by the arms, he pushed her away from his body just enough to lean down into her face. “A game? You think I’m playin’ a fuckin’ game? You think I’ve spent two years of my life in hell, all for a game?” His voice started low but rose to a roar, giving her a little shake, “A fuckin’ game?”

Eyes wide, she stared up into his face. A face that had kissed her sweetly and gentled when he came inside of her. Now she had poked the bear and had no idea what to say. Bringing her hands up, she placed them on his chest. “You’re scaring me,” she whispered, tears starting to spill down her cheeks.

A look of anguish crossed his face before he pulled her back into his chest, pressing her head gently against his heart. “Jesus. What a fuckin’ mess,” he said quietly. Rubbing her back, nothing was said for a moment as her tears quieted. “I’m sorry, baby. Let’s just go upstairs and talk. Please give me that. Please.”

The sound of his anguished voice pleading broke through to her. Nodding her head against his chest, he bent and picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her upstairs.

M
aneuvering into her
apartment, Shane relished the feel of her in his arms, but once inside she wiggled to be let down. “Not happenin’ baby.”

Her head snapped back, eyes narrowing on his face. “Shane, you need to put me down.”

His ice blue eyes held her green ones in a stare-down that she was not going to win.

“Told you, baby. Not happenin’.”

He held her firmly as he walked over to the sofa, sitting down with her straddling his lap. “We’re gonna talk. There’s too much shit happenin’ and I’m not wastin’ anymore of my life.”

Not everything is what it seems. Trust in him and trust in what you know, not what you think is happening.

Annie was angry, but she had to admit she was curious about Matt’s words. Pulling her lips in, she lifted her eyes back to his. “Why?” was the only whisper from her mouth.

With that one word, Shane felt her wrap around his heart again. No screaming, no yelling. No throwing things, sobbing uncontrollably. No shouting insults, no tossing accusations. Just one simple word and his anger left him. The beast inside that had been raging felt tamed.

One large hand came to the back of her head, pulling her forward as his lips found her forehead. Holding her tightly, he whispered back, “Please give me a chance.”

He heard a sigh leave her body as her breath hitched with unshed tears. He waited for a moment before feeling her nod her head against his chest.
Sunshine. Pure, fuckin’ sunshine.

“Annie baby. I’ve got a lot to tell you and not a lot of time right now.”

She pulled her head off of his chest, her eyes full of questions.

He continued, “I know you’ve got questions, but baby, let me tell you what I can and then we’ll deal. Can you do that?”

Breathing deeply again she just nodded, curiosity winning over anger.

“Everything I ever told you was true. About my job. About goin’ under. About my family. Everything.” He held her eyes. “Includin’ everything I ever said about you and about us.

“I went in last Monday for the debriefing. What I wasn’t expectin’ was to be raked over the coals about you.”

“Me?” she asked, startled.

“Baby, when I came to you with Sarge, I knew it was a risk. A huge fuckin’ risk. I was tellin’ the truth when I said you were the first ray of sunshine I’d had in two years. But I never wanted to involve you in this. Never wanted to put you at risk. But one look and I had to take a shot. I had to pull you in. But then the shit hit the fan. The one fuckin’ thing that made my life worth livin’ was about to blow everything to hell.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I still don’t understand.”

“My superiors weren’t thrilled that I had almost blown cover by gettin’ involved with you. Then you get hurt, which tellin’ you right now baby, someone is still gonna pay for that. You’re on the radar and I put you there. So when we pulled off the takedown, we got most of the ones we were after, but there are still some slick-shits at the top we didn’t get. The PD and DEA want them and held me by the balls to go back under for two more weeks. I’m not in tight with the gang, but I knew that if I showed back up as Stoney and stayed away from you it could pull some of the attention off of you. So I got pissed, but I told them I’d give ‘em two weeks and that was it. Two weeks to finish their case and then the DEA can takedown whoever they can. I don’t give a fuck.”

He slid his hand to her cheek, his thumb tracing the dried trail of a tear. “Baby, it was no fuckin’ game. I’ve never played you. I’m wild and untamed, but I’m yours.”

“I saw you. With her. She was in the restroom talking about you,” Annie said, the pain in her voice evident, her eyes looking down at his chest.

Using his fingers to lift her chin, “When we talk, I wanna see your eyes, baby. That tells me how you’re doin’ and right now they tell me you are hurtin’ and goddammit, that fuckin’ kills me.”

He took a breath, then said, “I told you a while back that there were things about my past I was gonna share. Things that I knew would hurt, but I didn’t want there to be shadows between us. No doubts. I just figured that we could talk about it, lay it to rest, and then never have to deal with it again.” He shook his head cursing, “Fuck! You should never have to have seen that shit last night. You should never have to deal with that part of my past.”