Page 19 of Unexpected Hero

Chapter 5

No takesie-backsie

TOMER

“Klein, since it’s a slow day, I’m going to head out.” Pressing away from my desk, I stretch my hands over my head. “I’ve got some personal shit to take care of. I’ll work from home later tonight. You good to hold down the fort?”

As he looks toward me, his mouth hangs agape, his eyes bulge, and he mumbles nonsense.

I get it. I get it. I’m not known for taking time off.

Whatever.

This is important. He doesn’t need to know the reason.

“Uh, yeah. I guess. You’ll have your cell in case I need you, right?”

In response, I pick up my phone and shake it a few inches in front of me.

A mischievous grin plasters itself to his face, and his eyes dance with mirth. Before saying anything else, he increases the music volume to annoyingly-loud levels and pushes from his seat.

And then he does the ridiculous Carlton dance from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air while Tom Jones’s “It’s Not Unusual” plays throughout the lair. He sings along too.

He’s so annoying.

Most people are, though. But some of my Redleg brothers take the cake. And yet, I love them like family all the same.

I suppress a grin at his theatrics, shake my head, and leave without verbally addressing his insanity.

A few minutes later, I’m mobile and heading toward a blinking red dot on my screen.

Lettie is on the move.

The more I watch this woman, the more obsessed I become.

At first, it was her singing that riveted me. And she’s always using that damn intoxicating velvety voice of hers. In the car. The shower. Around the hotel room. I swear I could listen to her sing the Florida Statutes or the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and I’d probably get as hard as if I’d bound her in a diamond chest harness, accentuating her breasts or tied her to my bedposts spread eagle, exposing her center to me.

That’s how fucking ethereal her voice is.

It wasn’t just her beautiful singing that sucked me under her spell. It was also the melodic quality of her laugh, which usually comes out when she’s talking to her friend Stella.

When I learned she was jogging in the evenings, I decided I needed to follow her to ensure her safety. But to do so, I needed to leave work early — something unheard of for me. And I did it without batting an eye.

That’s when I knew she’d become a full-blown fixation.

Violet, or Lettie as she prefers, comes from a small town where I’m sure it’s safe to exercise right before dark. Although the greater Tampa Bay area isn’t the most dangerous city, there are threats lurking around every corner. Crime, gangs, drugs, trafficking, and more. But she seems entirely oblivious to the risks around her.

So damn innocent.

And beautiful.

Each evening, as soon as Klein leaves for the day, I’m out the door no more than ten minutes later. It’s something I’ve never done.

Until now.

It takes a lot to keep Redleg’s infrastructure pumping, and I’m the only one who can do it. Long hours are part of this gig.

New clients need vetting. The guards in the field need intel to protect our clients. Systems need to be monitored and maintained. Our small IT support team needs oversight. And don’t even get me started on what has to be done when we have a really big case in the works.

---