Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
She smelled grilled cheese as she shrugged out of her thick coat. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.
“How are they?” he asked from the kitchen where he stood over the stove.
“Good. They’ve been here before so they know the routine.” She hung up her coat and took off her boots. Padding to her room, she changed out of the damp pants and into some dry sweats. Then she took several deep breaths and went back out to where John was. She was falling for him despite all her best pep talks about not doing that exact thing.
* * *
αβ
* * *
He tossed and turned in the bed. Frustrated he pounded the mattress with one fist. “Damn it!” Why couldn’t he remember it all?
Rolling to his side, he tried again to piece it all together. Going deep to infiltrate a gun running organization with the Ukrainians. The Fyodorov crime family. They dabbled in just about everything illegal under the sun. Being with them had blurred the lines between good and evil, right and wrong. He’d done things he never would’ve had the badge been pinned to his chest.
He sat up with a huff. What kind of monster am I? Jumping to his feet, he left the room searching for the woman who’d managed to calm the storm of unease within him. Leena sat on her couch, feet curled up under her and papers all around her as she worked on something. As usual, her dogs were scattered about, always near but not being intrusive.
Her natural curls had been drawn away from her face and he stared at her. She was beautiful. He wanted to latch onto her and never let go. Not only had she saved his life, but she was still saving it. Anytime the nightmares got too much, he thought of her and he calmed down. Sure, there were times he was afraid it was nothing more than a dream and he was scared of what faced him once he woke, but she rolled with it. Not asking for more than he could give and offering all of herself.
She lifted her head and smiled at him while she turned the music down with a point of the remote. “Sorry, did I have that on too loud and wake you?”
“No, I’ve been up for a bit. He hasn’t called back?”
“I would have woken you, if he’d done that.”
“What are you doing?”
“Revamping my training classes. I do them for civilians as well, groups and make up handouts for them to take with them. Since I have time with this weather, I thought I’d make good use of it.”
Just then her phone rang, and his heart leapt in his throat. She reached over and picked it up. “Cascade K-9 Training, this is Leena, how may I help you?”
He inched closer as she made a few noncommittal grunts and murmurs.
“One moment please.” She handed the phone to him. “Here you go,” she said.
John hesitated.
“He said it was a secure line.”
Taking the phone, he allowed his fingers to brush over hers while completing the exchange. “Thank you.”
“I’ll give you some privacy.” Gathering her papers, she vanished off down the hallway.
He stared at her ass until he couldn’t see her any longer. Then he put the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Jesus H. Christ, John, I can’t tell you how good it is to hear your voice.”
“You too, Davis.”
“What the fuck is going on? They won’t tell me anything but that you haven’t checked in for damn near four weeks. Where are you and who the hell is this Leena Parsons? Are you in Washington? You were supposed to be…what the fuck is going on?”
“My cover was blown, they found out who I was and took me off site. Tortured me for twelve days when I got away.” He clenched a fist and occupied the seat Leena had vacated. Seconds later, Pax jumped up beside him and lay down, head in his lap. John rested a hand on his head.
“The fuck? Who fucked up?”
“I don’t know. To tell you the truth, I’m not even sure of all the details yet. They’re coming back slowly. Right now, the only facts I know is my cover was blown. The torture. My escape and being found by Leena, naked in a river somewhere near Missoula, Montana.”
“Fuck,” Davis uttered. “You sure this Leena isn’t part of the crime family?”
He snorted. “Not unless they’ve started working with black people. Last time I checked they were racist fucks.”
“True they are, but money talks and we’ve known them to sell to blacks. Just be careful. I’ve had a hard enough time explaining your two year absence to Mom, I’ve no wish to bring her to your funeral.”
“Not looking to die. I want to know who sold me out. Do you think you can find out if they tried to put someone else in my place?”