Page 35 of Recklessly You
Fuck.
He points the gun and shoots at one of our undercover men. His body jolts back from the recoil, droplets of blood spraying the crashing waves. Suddenly, men burst from the building with guns blazing. Our squad launches out of the shadows in response, shots erupting in utter chaos. I look for Pablo’s son, Marko, and spot him scurrying away from the scene in his car.
Coward.
I lean against a cold metal crate, my gun cocked and ready. When I spot two men beside a pillar of metal, I take aim and bellow through the chaos, “Drop your guns. Hands up.” They toss their guns on the filthy cement floor, raising their hands. As one of the guys lifts his arms, the hem of his sleeve drops, revealing a serpent tattoo.
My anger boils into a raging inferno with my gun in hand, the metal cold against my palm. “Get down on your knees,” I command.
Before I can take another step, a mountainous figure slams into me, knocking me off my feet. My gun and cuffs clatter to the ground. Two men tower above me, snarls on their faces and violence in their eyes. I feel every jab and blow as they thrash me, despite the thick body armor I have on. One punch lands squarely on my jaw, causing stars to flash before my eyes. In a burst of adrenaline, I grab the leg of one of the men and pull him down with me, throwing punches to counter each hit he lands until I knock the bastard out. The other two men flee like a bunch of pussies. I reach for my handcuffs, clamping them on his wrist.
Later, I stand in front of the two-way mirror window of the interrogation room, listening in as Detective Ryan questions Julio, one of the serpents.
“Where are Pablo and Marko? Who informed them about our operation?”
The Serpent leans in his chair, legs spread, with a don’t-give-a-fuck look. A smug smile spreads across his malicious face. “Pablo sent a message. Don’t fuck with his shipment. Next time you send a spy, the aim will be straight to his head.” He makes apuffsound, mimicking blowing his brains out.
I want to beat the shit out of him until the truth spills from his venomous mouth.
* * *
I feela sharp pain as I climb out of bed this morning—it feels like an invisible vice is squeezing my shoulder. My muscles are tense and knotty, like large balls of lead attached to my sides. The bruises from the three men who ambushed me the night before made my abdomen sting, but it would have been worse if those assholes had grabbed my gun when they ambushed me. Dumbasses.
I grunt as dull, sharp pain needles its way through me when I slide off the sofa. I look at the clock hanging on the wall. Four o’clock. I’ve laid on the couch for five hours, going over the interrogation in my head. I grind my molars, infuriated. We have a rat on our force. A fucking snitch, dirty cop.
What plays in my head is how the fucker claimed to be Marko’s cousin and how he looked straight at the mirror window, saying, “I heard Detective Rodriguez’s son is on the force, a pig just like his father. What a shame he didn’t die that night.” A sinister laugh erupts from his mouth. “Back off our shipments, pigs, or you’ll have fallen officers.”
All I want is closure for my father and mother. I know she worries I’ll be next. In my line of duty, we never know what can happen.
* * *
I go downthe aisles at Lucky’s grocery store carrying a basket. I sort through all types of creams for sore muscles. I’ve been walking all afternoon like my grandma when she rolls out of bed. My strained shoulders and sore abdomen make it hard to straighten up. I grab some Vicks and toss it in the basket. My abuela swears by this shit. I reach for different types of pain and muscle relief creams. Music plays over the store speakers, and someone nearby is singing along with it. A familiar voice. My head jolts up, causing my lower back to ache in pain. But my lips turn up in a smile at that voice. That sexy New York accent has my blood scorching hot, streaming down to my cock.
Strutting toward her, I watch as she sways her gorgeous hips, her round ass jiggling to the music, and the fabric of her leggings shaping her ass to perfection. The need to have her has only intensified since the last time I had her. I just have to make sure I don’t fall under her spell.
She bends to grab a box of popcorn. Her ass is in mid-air, and my dick stirs, pressing against my sweatpants. All I can envision is my cock pounding into her firm ass, her moans echoing through the walls as I fill her in when her tight pussy clenches on my dick.
Fuck me.
I shake the thought out of my head and slap her ass. After all, it’s my ass to slap at the moment. She jolts up when my hand meets her ass. When she sees me, her eyes widen, but then she relaxes. Her beautiful sapphire eyes roam my body with heat.
“Liam,” she says, her voice straining to suck in a breath. Sophie gently brushes her fingers along my jaw where a bruise has formed, and tingling courses through my body, a feeling of electricity passing over my skin. I shaved, so now I can feel the softness of her touch.
“What happened?” she asks, her eyes filled with concern.
It’s a new feeling—no woman has ever worried about me before. They usually only care about using my body for their own pleasure. She gently runs her fingers down my arms, pausing to touch the small scrapes on my skin.
“Shit went down at work during a drug bust at the docks. When I had two guys down, a fucker ambushed me, knocking me to the ground.”
She hisses as she traces each visible mark. She shakes her head. “Liam, didn’t you have a partner with you?” She’s angry.
“Well, yeah, I had my team with me, along with the entire task force. I ran off when I saw the man we have been after—he’s the head of the gang. But he left like a coward. I went after one of his men to get information, then another couple of guys ambushed me, and we tumbled to the ground.”
She tippy-toes to kiss my chin on the bruise.
I inhale sharply at the feeling of her soft lips on the bruise, and even that small breath sends pain cramping through my abdomen.
Her eyes widen at the realization of what she just did. “Sorry, I’m used to kissing Dante’s boo-boos,” she utters, flustered.
