I STARED AT THE BRUISED and bloody body dropped at my feet. Eric didn’t look like he’d even broken a sweat carrying the man in.
“I thought here was a good place as blood is easy to clean off the floor.”
I was a detective so I wasn’t afraid or grossed out by blood but Eric’s casual talk, like he knew what he was talking about, made me uneasy. I looked down at the broken body of the man and didn’t recognize him. He wasn’t even someone I’d arrested. I had perfect memory. I only had to see someone or something once and I never forgot.
“Who is this?” I assumed it was X, but I needed to be sure before this went further.
“This is X. Or I should say, David Ricardo.”
Ricardo. That last name was familiar, but not David. “I don’t know a David Ricardo. I did arrest a Leonardo Ricardo ten years ago when I was new to the force. It was one of my first big busts. He was charged with selling of narcotics to children and dealing drugs. I caught him on suspicion of murder and, if I remember correctly, it was later confirmed he killed a young couple and family in a home invasion. He died in prison from gang related violence. He was a piece of work. So I felt like karma dealt its hand.”
Eric nodded as I spoke. “That about sums up what I’ve learned. This here,” he kicked David, “is Leonardo’s brother. He’s been holding a grudge against you. He feels it’s your fault his brother is dead, and he was innocent, blah, blah. Anyway, the piece of shit has slowly been building his empire so he can get his revenge on you.” Eric leaned down and slapped the guy’s face. “Wake up, fuckface.” He slapped him again. “The little fucker stuffed up though when he took my baby girl. No one messes with my kids.” He shook David and I watched as he opened his one non-black eye.
“You sure did have some fun with him.” David was a mess. He was black and blue and the wicked knives in his feet and hands were disturbing.
Eric shrugged, like what he’d done to David was not a big deal. I’d been trying to find X for months, and so had a team of us now, but we’d had no success. Then Eric goes out and three weeks later has the job done. I hate to say it but I felt like my man card had disappeared. “The fucker wasn’t a talker, so I had to make him.”
I crouched down and stared at David. “So you’re X?”
“Fuck you, Silverman. This is all your fault,” David snarled.
Raising my brow, I made a show of looking him up and down. “How do you see that? I haven’t done anything to you. Yet.” I glanced at Eric and didn’t miss the smirk on his face. “I believe my future father-in-law is the reason you are in the state you are now.”
Eric came around from behind David and the look of terror that flashed in his eyes as he scooted back made it very clear how he felt about Eric, before he even voiced it. “You’re a cop. You have to help keep him the fuck away from me. He’s crazy.”
Standing, I frowned down at him. “I’m not here on official business.” I cracked my knuckles. “I’m here for myself. You see you took my woman. Yo—”
“You need to pay for what you did to me and my family!” David yelled.
“I did my job. It was your brother who brought it all on himself. I hear your brother had a quick death. His throat was slit. You, though, will not be so lucky. First, I intend to give you every injury my woman had thanks to you. I promise by the time I’m finished you sure as shit will wish you never met me, or anyone I know.”
Yanking the knife out of his hands I held back my flinch at the scream of pain. I wanted him to hurt and knew that pulling the knife would kill like a motherfucker and do more damage coming out then it did going in. Eric’s idea of Richard’s soundproof nightclub was perfect for this because David was crying and screaming loudly. I knew I would be hearing worse in the next couple of hours. In the very back of my mind I knew that David should be handed over to the authorities, but for what he had done to my woman, he was going to disappear.
My legs were free and I had just a splint on my right fingers. I only had a couple more weeks on my left wrist with the cast, but overall, I was happy.
Leaving the house had been scary. Until I was sitting in the car, and the house behind me, I didn’t realize how terrified I was to leave the safety of the house. I was glad Ryder didn’t come with me because by the time we arrived at the doctor’s office, I was drenched in sweat and gripping the seats until everything that was almost healed started hurting again. I was being a wuss and was glad Ryder hadn’t seen me like that.
When I finally got out of the car with coaxing from Chad and Leo, I only got worse. I was shaking like a leaf and looking for any threat. It wasn’t until I was in the doctor’s office that I came to my senses, but it started back up again when I left.
I was determined though, as much as I wanted to go home after the doctor’s office to my safety, I wanted to find out what had gone on with my dad. Ryder said I could meet up with him and I was going to do it, no matter how bad I shook or sweated. When we pulled up at Richard’s night club in the city, I was surprised that Ryder was still there. We took the back exit and I was met by my father.
“Hi, kiddo. You’re looking much better.” He leaned down and brushed his lips over my cheek. “Ryder and I both think you need to see this, for peace of mind. I’m to warn you if you don’t want to see something pretty gross, then stay here, but I brought X to Ryder. You are safe now.”
As soon as he said X my whole body stiffened and I gazed up at my dad. He didn’t look any different than he had three weeks ago. Actually, now I looked, he seemed quite relaxed, like he was in his element. I think I knew in the back of my mind what my dad was doing the last couple of weeks. I mean, he did help rescue me.
X. Did I want to see him? Could I see him? Did I care? I stood there for a moment and just let myself wonder if I could leave, and I knew deep down I couldn’t. I needed to see him and I needed to know he was caught. I needed closure.
Straightening myself, I walked into the club. I don’t know what I expected to see, but it wasn’t the sight that greeted me. Richard, Tyson, and a bunch of bodyguards were spread out in a loose circle watching Ryder, who was in the clothes I left him in, but they were covered in blood. The body sprawled on the floor looked dead. It was basically one big black and blue bruise. Ryder was leaning over talking to the body. I couldn’t hear so I moved closer.
“Answer any question if she asks you any. Remember we are here watching and listening.”
I rested my hand on Ryder’s back. It had the least amount of blood. I stared down at the body and knew even with his puffed up, bruised, and battered face that this was X. It was the eyes. I would never forget those glacier blues. A weight that had hovered on me since I was kidnapped lifted and I felt like I could breathe again. The guy didn’t look as big as I remembered and right now he didn’t look powerful at all. For weeks in my nightmares, I had pictured this man and he’d always been a lot bigger, more intimidating. The man I dreamed about, that had haunted me, looked nothing like the pitiful creature before me.
“I did warn you,” I muttered. I stared at the bloody and beaten being before me and didn’t feel any guilt. Relief and a sense of calm washed over me. I knew I stared at a dead man. There was no way he could be handed to the authorities in the shape he was in now, especially since my father had gotten him. I should’ve probably felt worried that as I looked around no one seemed concerned, or looked like they cared either. They didn’t look at all bothered by what they knew would be done when I was gone.
There was something I wanted to know though. “Do you regret taking me?”
“Ha,” the laugh was hollow and sounded painful. “Yes. I could tell just by looking at you that you were trouble. I didn’t believe my men. I had to see you for myself. When I found out it took two men to take you down and you almost had them, I knew you couldn’t live once I gazed into your eyes. That’s why I told them to kill you. You have the same look in them as that fucking crazy father of yours.”
I nodded and I genuinely felt better. “You were right to be scared of me.” I smirked down at X and right in that moment I knew it would all be okay. I was safe and I didn’t have to worry about leaving the house anymore. I wanted him to know how crazy like my father I was. “Because I killed that man you sent to kill me and I would have done more if I hadn’t been rescued like I told you I would be. I’m glad they got you though, because now I don’t have to come after you myself, and I can sleep like a baby knowing your filth will be erased from this earth.”
With that, I turned my back on X, reached up and pulled Ryder down and kissed him. My kiss was a thank you. Thank you for being patient with me the last couple of weeks. Thank you for supporting my dad and doing this, which I was sure went against his instincts as a cop. Thank you for just being Ryder. Easing away I smiled up at him. “I’ll see you at home. I’ll book dinner at a restaurant for tonight?”
Ryder beamed down at me and I didn’t even notice the splatters of blood. All I saw was the love that shone in his eyes and the look of pride. “You amaze me. You’re perfect. Book whatever you want, vixen.’
Giving him a hug, I squeezed tight before I went over to my dad and wrapped my arms around him. “Thanks.”
I didn’t need to say more. My dad knew how much this meant me. I could tell by the way he squeezed me back and whispered, “Anything for you, kiddo. Love you.” My dad wasn’t one for mushy stuff as he called it, but this melted my heart.
“Love you too.” I let him go and walk to the doors and out into the sunshine and didn’t shake or break a sweat.
It was official. We were having a Christmas wedding. On the twenty-second of December, I was marrying my soulmate at some vineyard a couple hours from Brisbane. We were going to spend Christmas in New York and then travel around America for a couple of weeks. Divinity was so excited and had everything planned. I was glad I had enough money not to worry about everything she intended for us to do.
Since X wasn’t a problem anymore, Divinity was never home. Teddy went almost everywhere with her, though. He was supposed to be with us now, but I had put my foot down. The damn dog wasn’t coming with us to taste test our wedding cake. Animals weren’t allowed in most shops and malls, but Divinity got away with it, or more like Teddy did. Everyone just fell in love as soon as they saw him. No one complained and nothing was ever said.
We sat in the cake shop with six slices of cake for us to try and then choose. There had been more, I’d been informed, and this was what Divinity, along with my mother and aunts, had decided were the best for us to decide from.
“I’m surprised I’m even getting a say in what cake we have.” I hadn’t chosen anything for our wedding yet. The only thing I’d had any say in was that we would get married soon, before the New Year, and that I wanted Divinity to have her dream wedding. “And aren’t we choosing cake a little late? We get married in a month.”
“Yes, it’s late.” Her cheeks flushed and she bit her lower lip. “I name dropped,” she mumbled. “And they’d do just about anything to have your business.” She sighed. “Plus, Aunt Gillian was with us the first time.”
I burst out laughing. Oh, I knew with Aunt Gillian no one would deny Divinity, but she hated how big my name was and didn’t like name dropping, so for Divinity to drop Silverman to get what she wanted was hilarious. “Aren’t wedding cakes supposed to be fruit cake or something like that?”
“Blah, yuck. Yes, and that part of the cake is supposed to be frozen and eaten on our one-year anniversary, but I hate food with fruit in it. I love fruit on its own, but not in bread or cake, that’s just yuck. That’s why we have chocolate cake, caramel, strawberry, vanilla, mud and cheesecake in front of us to try. I don’t really like fondant either. Icing, yes. I’ve spoken to the florist and she’s doing me something for the cake. I want gold ribbons on each base of the six layers. But I want real flowers on the top. Simple cake but stylish.
I liked her idea and I looked forward to seeing the result. “Are we having the same cake on all six layers?”
“I was thinking different. What do you think?”
“If it’s six layers, why don’t we just have one of each of these?” I shoved some of the mud cake, and then cheesecake, into my mouth. “Mmm, these are so good, vixen.”
I was surprised when Divinity leaned in and licked the corner of my mouth before licking my lips. “Mmm, definitely the mud cake on the base, and then the cheesecake.”
Holy fuck. Who the hell wanted to eat cake when I could be eating my woman? Picking her up I placed her over my shoulder. I looked at Chad. “Buy the shop. We’re using the office.”
“Ryder. Put me down. We can’t go to someone’s office.”
Smacking her arse, I enjoyed her squeal of outrage as I walked to the back and opened what I hoped was an office. I was ecstatic to see a desk. I sat her on the clear end, turned, and shut the door, locking it.
“Ryder, I mean it! We can’t have sex in here.”
Shrugging I lifted her skirt and hooked my fingers into her underwear. “We have two bodyguards out there. Who would cross them? And I said I would buy the place. If I can’t do that, I’m sure a huge amount of cash thrown at them will shut anyone up.”
She shook her head. I pulled her underwear down and off, so damn happy she wore a skirt. Her panties are wet and I bet if I felt her pussy she would be soaking. This was all turning her on.
“We shouldn’t.” Her protest was weak.
I knelt and settled between her legs. Her breathing came out in gasp. She spread her legs further apart and leaned back. Hovering over her I blew and brought a finger to lightly trace her pussy lips. Her thighs tightened against me and I sank my finger into her core and moved it in and out. Sucking on her clit while I finger fucked her, I could feel how wet she was, and her mewling sounds of pleasure urged me on. I added another digit and pumped them in and out faster. She moved with me now, riding my fingers, searching for the high.
Adding a little teeth gently scraping her pussy lips, I captured her nub and gave a slight pull. Her scream as she orgasmed was so loud I bloody hoped Chad had things under control out of the room. “Oh, fuck yeah! God, I love you. Oh, Ryder. Ryder!”
My cock was so hard it was fucking painful. I kissed and gave her little love-bites as I made my way back up her body. I eased away and undid my pants, quickly freely my aching dick. I settled back between her settled legs and drank in the sight of her. My woman was hot. Her hair, that had been straight, was now wavy and a messy halo setting on her flushed skin. Her skin was a beautiful, rose pink and her big brown eyes were like warm melted chocolate. Her huge breasts rose and fell as she basked in her bliss. I was a damn lucky man. Leaning in to her I lined my dick up to her pussy and rubbed it along her pussy lips, enjoying the sight of the shiver I sent through her. Staring at her gorgeous face I slowly pushed my way to my home. I loved watching as her eyes went from almost closed in bliss, to open and filled with renewed lust.
“I love you, Divinity.” Leaning down I brushed my lips over her jaw, cheeks and then the tip of her nose before sealing my mouth to hers in a kiss that showed her just how much I loved her. Buried to the hilt, I devoured her until she pulled away panting for breath. “I can’t wait to make you mine forever in the eyes of everyone else.” Easing out, I slid back in again. “You’re heaven.” I pulled out and thrust in and out, over and over. “God, you’re my heaven.”
She wiggled herself back to the edge and gripped the edge and held on for dear life as best she could with one of her hands still in a cast as I started pounding into her. She lifted her legs trying to help. She pushed up to meet me each time I drove into her.
The coil that was wound tight inside me was going to spring any minute, but I held it tight, not letting myself go until Divinity had her pleasure. Needing to feel her squeeze my cock, I leaned down to the crook of her neck. She loved her neck being kissed and if I sucked a spot on it, she went mad with lust. But if I nibbled on just the right spot by her ear while I drove home, and then bit down and sucked, she fell apart every time.
Taking her lips one last time, I kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Our tongues tangled and our mouths made love. Bracing myself, I detangled our lips and kissed my way down her chin and then neck. My tongue circled the shell of her ear. Her core started to quiver around me. I nibbled on her lobe and made my way down to her neck where I sucked her skin in as I pushed in deep.
“Yes, yes, yes. Ryder!” she yelled over and over. Her core held my dick in a vice like grip as it milked me of everything I had.
“Fuck, I love you,” I moaned as I exploded.
Resting myself on her I don’t know how long we stayed like that enjoying our rapture, but I didn’t care.
“Arghhhh, I can’t believe we just did that. You’re so bad.” Divinity moaned. “How am I ever going to face anyone out there? Oh crap, they’ll all know what we did. Do you think they heard us?”
I wondered if she really wanted the truth. And as I got off her, I groaned at the loss of heat and my cock slipping out of her. I pulled up my pants and covered my dick with boxers before my pants. “I’m sure if it was a problem we would have heard from someone.” I hope that was more reassuring than telling her, Hell yeah, vixen. You’re super loud and there is no way everyone in the store didn’t hear us.
“Thanks for not telling me the truth.” She sighed. “Give me my panties. I need something to help contain you.” She gazed around the room. “I wish there were tissues.” She glared at me. “If I had my handbag in here I would have tissues.” I handed over underwear and she quickly got them on and eased off the table. “Come on. Let’s go out there and face the music before I chicken out and send you while I see if there is a back way out.” Circling her waist, I to od the lead as we exited the office. “You’re lucky I love you,” she mumbled.
I had gotten my cast off just in time for Ryder’s birthday. His birthday would be exactly two weeks before any wedding anniversary we had. I was surprised I wasn’t nervous considering my wedding was only two weeks away, but I wasn’t. I guess it was because I was sure I was doing the right thing marring Ryder.
“What did you think of the movie?” I asked Ryder as we turned down the country road that had now turned into just dirt. I was in the SUV BMW. I loved this car and had pretty much claimed it.
“I liked it. What was there not to like? There was action, adventure and even a little romance.”
“I enjoyed it too. There could have been a lot less blowing up of things. I mean, I bet in real life if someone’s house exploded like that and you just made it out you would at least have broken something.”
“You’re right vixen, if that really happened you’d be a lot more hurt than the hero was, but it was just a movie.”
I nodded and we were quiet for a moment or two. I loved with Ryder that I could just be, that we didn’t need to fill the silence. When we were close to my surprise I asked, “What do you think so far of your birthday?”
“I’m loving it. Any time I spend with you always makes my day great.” He had the perfect answer until he added, “One of the best is I’m getting you all to myself. No little trouble maker puppy.”
I shook my head. He really didn’t get on with Teddy and I thought it was hilarious. That was why I was getting him this present though. The only problem would be that his brother Tyson would have to pick it up and have it for a little over a week as we would be on our honeymoon.
I turned left down a winding driveway that was basically rocks and mud and was glad we had an SUV. When we’d been on the road for a good five minutes, we came to gates that were open with Chad waving us on past his SUV on the side, with just enough room for me to squeeze past on the rock road. The road straightened and we could see the huge farm house, sheds and kennels.
“Where the hell are we?”
I parked the car at the side as we came up on the house and saw Joel there with an older woman in her late fifties. “Your surprise. Now get out of the car.”
We got out and Ryder came to me and circled my waist as we walked to Joel and the woman. She stepped forward. “Hello. It’s nice to put a face to the lady I’ve been talking to. I’m Rose Benchwood.”
I shake her hand. She was the owner of this working farm and trainer of the German Shepherd dogs she breeds for police and the military. I hate to admit it, but the Silverman name went a long way, and when Rose heard it was for Ryder, a detective, she offered him first pick of her new litter. “Mrs. Benchwood.”
“Rose, please.”
I nodded my thanks. “Rose, this is my fiancée, Ryder. It’s his birthday today so that’s why I wanted to come and meet today.”
“Happy Birthday.” She smiled at Ryder.
“Thank you. I’m sorry though, you have me at a disadvantage as I don’t know why I’m here.”
“If you’ll just follow me, my daughter Ruby has everything set up.” We followed Rose around the back of the house and as we turned the corner, we heard the little barks and growls. In a small fenced in area were eight little German Shepherd puppies. “They’ll be four weeks old in two days.” We stopped at the fence and she handed us antibacterial cream. “Please put this on before going in. The puppies are little and haven’t had all their vaccinations so this will help to make sure they don’t get anything from you before they get the rest.” Ryder and I both did our hands and I started to worry when we entered the fenced in yard and Ryder hadn’t said a word to me since the car. “Ryder, as I discussed with your fiancé, you can have the pick. I have agreed for you to come once a week for lessons on how to train, too. It all depends to on how well you want your dog trained. I train dogs for the police and help with the Army.”
“Holy shit, vixen, did you get me a real dog?”
Rolling my eyes at his ‘real dog’ comment—Teddy was real he was just little—I nodded. “Yes, I got you a dog that, if you want, you could train and maybe use for your work if you ever decided to leave the force and go out on your own.”
“Damn, I love you.” He turned and tilted my chin up and his lips claimed mine in an all-consuming, forget-about-where-we-were kiss.
“I’ll take that as he’s happy,” said Rose quietly.
“Yep.” Joel replied softly and then raised his voice and added, “Although they’re always doing stuff like this and acting like they’re the only two people around.”
Easing apart, I knew I was bright red as I turned to Rose. “I’m sorry.”
She waved my apology away. “No need to apologize. Come. Meet the puppies. This is my eldest daughter, Ruby.”
I looked at a girl a little younger than me, sat on the ground, surrounded by toys. Behind her was a small play gym obstacle course. Tiny black, tan, and white covered puppies played. They were so cute.
Ryder sat on the ground and I smiled at the sight. He looked huge and too big to sit on the ground. As soon as he sat he was greeted by two puppies, one that was almost all black but with tan paws, and another that was what you picture your typical German Shepherd dog looking like.
“Can you tell already who’s going to be best to train?” Ryder looked up at Rose.
“They are starting to show their personality more and more. The two that you have with you are very curious and inspect everything. They are both very close and doing almost everything together so, I’m watching but I’m thinking they may have to stay together.”
I slipped off to the side and let Ryder have his time with the puppies and get any info he wanted. The puppies were just so cute, and I knew if I went and sat down I’d fall in love with them and want one even though I had my Teddy.
I don’t know how long I watched Ryder and the pure joy he was having, not only playing with the puppies, but talking to Rose. I knew it had been longer than an hour when my feet started hurting and before I could leave, a seat appeared courtesy of Chad. After only having the cast off a couple of days ago my feet were getting used to standing again. I didn’t stand for long with the cast.
The puppies were sleeping by the time Ryder came over to me. “I think I have decided. Rose said that you’ve organized with my brother Tyson to come and pick the puppy up as we’ll still be on our honeymoon.”
I stood and stretched. “Yeah. He’ll only have the puppy for week. You okay with that?”
“Sure. He’s staying at our house looking after Teddy anyway. This will give them time to bond too.” Ryder winked. “Great. Just what I need another puppy to piss and chew on all my things.”
“Ha, ha. This will be your dog. I know you’re not a fan of Teddy.”
He shrugged. “You love him.”
I went to him and wrapped my arms around him. “I do. Thank you so much for him.” I snuggled against him for a moment before turning to Rose. “Thank you so much for having us today and taking my calls and answering my questions. I look forward to seeing you in the future.”
“It was nice to meet you two, too.”
“Thank you.” Ryder shook Rose’s hand. “I’ll see you when we get back from our honeymoon to train the puppy. Thanks for the web link. I look forward to watching the puppies.”
We walked back to the car and Ryder reached for the keys and kissed my cheek. “I love you. Thank you. This has been the best birthday I’ve ever had.” He brushed his lips over mine. “I know you’re tiring easily with the pregnancy.” He grinned. He always smiled at the mention of my pregnancy. He was so excited about the baby and becoming a father. “If you fall asleep I can carry you inside. Thanks for today.”
I was tired. I still wasn’t a hundred percent and being pregnant was taking a lot out of me, too. Ryder had been considerate, loving and caring from the start, but since being hurt and finding out I was pregnant, he was to the extreme, and I’d never admit it to him, but I loved it. I loved that he was so happy about the baby. It might have been early in our relationship to have a child, as we hadn’t even had a year together, but I already loved our baby and I felt even more in love with its father every day.
I got in the passenger seat and Ryder leaned in and put my seat belt on me giving me a quick kiss again. I was so happy and content. I settled in for the ride home.