Alphas of Sin Read online

  Shit, he loved the way she responded. He reached down to squeeze her bouncing breasts. Soft, firm, perfect globes he wanted to worship, but first, he was climbing toward his release and he needed her there before he gave in.

  He pinched her nipples between his fingers, and she shouted out her release, her walls rippling around him. He came, shooting over the edge as he watched her bite her lip, her eyes going glassy as she stared at nothing.

  Her chest heaved as he moved off the bed to rid himself of the condom. He came back, snagging his pants. With a grin, he set the other three condoms on the nightstand, sure he’d need at least one more, but hoped to use them all.

  CHAPTER 5

  Brian sat up, looking around the dark room. Shit, where the hell was his phone? He didn’t want to wake Kylie, not for work.

  Right, in his pants that were still on the floor. He grabbed his cell and stepped into the hall. “This is Cox.”

  “O’Malley. I got your call. If you can be here in thirty, you can follow my guys to the address. We’ll want to question Kent Jensen, too, but you can take him back to your precinct after.”

  “I’ll be there.” He hurried back to the room and pulled his clothes on before sitting next to Kylie, stroking her back. “Hey, sweetheart. Wake up.”

  She rolled over and opened her gray eyes. “Hmm?”

  “I need to go. I have the go ahead to pick up your brother if he’s at Tracy’s. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “Okay. Be safe.”

  “Will do.” He bent to kiss her head before walking to his car.

  He called Marissa next.

  She answered with a yawn. “You got a lead?”

  “Yeah, should have told you last night, but I was with Kylie.”

  She snorted. “Do I need to get up?”

  “Yeah. I’ll pick you up. We’re heading to Middleton.”

  “Right, see you soon.”

  Ten minutes later he was in the cruiser and in front of Marissa’s. She hurried to the car, and he called the number O’Malley texted.

  “Officer Taylor. This Officer Cox?”

  “Yeah. Is it okay if I meet you at the residence? We’re coming from Lakeridge, and not sure I’ll have time to stop by the precinct first, but I can be there in fifteen.”

  “Sounds good. We’ll be there.”

  He pulled up in front of Marissa’s, and she climbed in, in uniform and a traveler mug full of coffee in hand. “So you stayed with Kylie?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Didn’t want her to be alone.”

  “Who was watching her house?”

  He shrugged. “Timmons and Fetch. They were in the car, across the street. They haven’t said anything. But damn it, it’s a small town, and there is nothing that says I can’t start something with someone if I’ve been called out to their house for a case.”

  She snorted. “Maybe, but it’s interesting timing.”

  “Doesn’t matter. We don’t run in the same circles. I’ve only seen her a few times over the years, and always in passing.”

  “What prompted the overnight stay?”

  “That’s how I got this lead. So stop right there. She remembered some place Kent used to go hide out when the shit started getting too deep.”

  “And where’s that?”

  “Tracy Hickman’s. Out in Middleton.”

  “Oh, isn’t that convenient.” Marissa shook her head in amusement. “At least you let her go when she decided to be stupid.”

  “Shit. When she dumped me, she was stoned out of her mind, and Kent was still in her bed. What else was I going to do? She’d clearly chosen the opposite path. I’m glad she moved away.”

  “And if you could have helped her?”

  “She didn’t want help. Neither did Kent. I learned that fast.” He sighed. “I’m not the only one who’s made bad calls on friends and lovers.” He squeezed her shoulder. “And that isn’t a jab, just back off, okay? I don’t judge your choices.”

  “Fine,” she muttered, turning to stare out the window. “One question, though. Last night, will it happen again?”

  “Hope so.”

  “Fair enough.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Brian parked behind the other cruiser and climbed out of the car. They were around the corner from the house.

  One of the officers shook his head. “We just saw a male fitting Kent Jenson’s description running through the yards.

  “And you didn’t think to stop him?” Brian demanded.

  “You weren’t here yet.”

  “You realize he broke into the witness’ house, left a bag of drugs, and stole from her, right? His own sister. And you just let him go because we weren’t fast enough?”

  “We tried, but we couldn’t keep up,” the rookie sputtered.

  “Still need to question the woman who lives there.”

  Brian started toward Tracy’s home, assuming it was too late to catch Kent. That left a sour taste in his mouth as he stalked up to the door and knocked.

  Tracy answered after a moment. She looked strung out. Her once glossy hair was dull and greasy. Dark circles sat under her bloodshot eyes. Skin and bones. He didn’t have an ounce of sympathy at the moment.

  “Where is Kent Jensen?”

  She shrugged. “How should I know? I haven’t seen him in months.”

  “Then why was he seen leaving your place?”

  “Shit. Fine, he was here. I saw the cop car, and he took off.”

  “What’s he afraid of?”

  “Says that Fitzgerald wants his money. If he doesn’t get it, they’ll kill him this time. Roland Rygar is after him for the supply he stole. He needed the money to pay them both back. He’s scared shitless at the moment.”

  “Right, because stealing from a supplier is wise in the first place. Have any idea where he may have gone?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “You realize he just put you and his sister in danger?”

  Brian spun back to find the other two cops behind him. Marissa wasn’t there, but she may have gone in pursuit, or at least was attempting to figure out where he might have gone.

  “Take Tracy in. Question her. See what else you can learn.”

  “Will do.”

  Brian stalked off toward the cruiser.

  Marissa caught up. “Nothing?”

  “Oh, he’s in deep shit. He owes Fitzgerald money. He stole from Rygar. Either of them would go to Kylie if they thought she had anything to do with it. We’re heading back to Lakeridge. See what we can find out.”

  She held her hand out. “Let me drive.”

  He gave her no argument. He was pissed enough he didn’t trust his judgment at the moment.

  CHAPTER 7

  Last night had been abso-fucking-lutely amazing. Brian was better than anything she’d ever imagined. She’d thought he was being enthusiastic when he set three more condoms down. They went through them.

  Now, she was achy in all the best ways and still pushing herself to clean up the rest of the mess her brother left.

  At least one good thing came from her brother’s stupidity. She found someone who might be worth her time. Gorgeous, strong, and ready to rock her world. With his job, he wasn’t likely to demand all her time. Exactly what she needed at the present. Later, if they worked out, maybe more.

  Sighing, she hung the last of her clothes. Then the banging started.

  Her heart leapt into her chest as she walked toward the living room. The phone buzzed on her dresser and she swiped it up. Brian’s number.

  She answered. “Get him?”

  “No. Is someone at your door?” The last was a snarl.

  “Yeah. Just started knocking.”

  “Don’t answer it. Stay away from windows. Your brother is into a lot of shit he shouldn’t be. Hide. We’re on the way.” The phone clicked off.

  She stepped into the hall and ducked into the guest room, hoping if it was Kent, he wouldn’t think to look there. If it was anyone else, hopefully Brian w
as fast enough.

  The pounding got worse, then went silent. Kylie ducked into the closet and slid the door shut. There she strained to hear anything she could.

  Someone yelled.

  Kent yelled back.

  Kylie’s heart raced.

  Then sirens drew closer.

  Shots were fired.

  A car peeled away.

  The sirens parked out front.

  Kylie sat frozen.

  Time seemed to stand still.

  CHAPTER 8

  Marissa pulled up in front of the house. Brian had his gun drawn as he stepped out of the car and knelt behind the door. Kent lay bleeding on her doorstep.

  Someone had just fled the scene, but they needed backup for this shit. Brian called for that and a medic.

  “Great timing, huh?” Marissa muttered.

  “We need to clear the area.”

  Marissa moved closer to the door, and they both took a moment to make sure no one else was there. When they came back to the front, Brian called Kylie.

  He knelt beside Kent who’d been shot in the leg and arm, though the arm was only grazed.

  She answered the phone. “What happened?”

  “Your brother was shot. He needs your help. More police and an ambulance are on their way.”

  Marissa read Kent his rights while Brian talked to Kylie.

  Something heavy slid, then he heard running. The door burst open, shoving at Kent’s leg, who doubled over.

  She took one look and ran inside. He wasn’t sure what the hell she was doing, but he worried for a second she wasn’t coming back. Then she reappeared with towels.

  “Need to stop the bleeding.” Her medical training took over as she assessed the damage. The fear he’d heard in her voice was gone for the moment.

  The ambulance was the first to arrive, followed shortly by two more cruisers. Where the hell had the cops gone who were supposed to be watching her house? That’s all he wanted to know.

  Later, he planned to raise hell with O’Malley in Middleton and chew someone’s ass for ditching their post in his own town.

  Kylie let the paramedics take over, though she’d gotten the bleeding to stop. Seemed to be a muscle wound, but not artery or bone. His arm would be fine.

  They hadn’t managed to pry anything useful from Kent, but hopefully, at the hospital they would. Someone wanted him dead. With all the police swarming, would they target Kylie? He hoped like hell not.

  * * *

  Kylie watched as they loaded Kent onto the ambulance. She fell back against the door and slid down, staring at her blood covered hands.

  “Hey,” Brian said, “want to go to the hospital? Or would you rather come to my place?”

  “Your place. Don’t want to deal with Kent right now.”

  He helped her to a stand and nodded inside. “Get cleaned up. We’ll be right here. Need to see if we can find any evidence before we take off. Your yard just became a crime scene. You’re welcome to stay with me.”

  She nodded, unable to formulate a response. She walked back to her bathroom and started scrubbing on autopilot.

  How the hell had everything gotten so fucked so fast?

  Hands closed over her shoulders and she looked up to find Brian’s deep brown eyes locked on hers in the mirror. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  “My brother pulled me into a shitstorm because he’s too fucking stupid to live.” She sighed and dropped her head.

  He massaged her shoulders. “I’ll keep you safe. Pack a few outfits. You’re staying at my place. At least until we catch the men after your brother.”

  “Yeah, and if that doesn’t happen?”

  “We’ll catch them, Kylie. They hadn’t been involved in shootings before.”

  “Let me get my things.” She sighed and stepped out of his reach, walking back to her room.

  She came back with a small suitcase. “I’ll drive myself. I imagine you’ll have work to do after you take his statement.”

  He nodded. “How about you follow us? I’ll let you into my home. Get you the spare keys and head to the hospital. Your brother will be questioned, if he doesn’t wind up in surgery first, then the investigation will begin in earnest.”

  “Good. I don’t want to look at my brother at this point.”

  * * *

  Kylie followed Marissa and Brian to his apartment. He directed Kylie to park in the spot next to his truck and took her to his place. He opened the door, then gave her a brief tour and a soft kiss.

  “I’ll be back when I can. You have my number. If you need me, call.” He reached into a drawer and pulled out a box with a spare key. “Here, in case you need to go somewhere.”

  The corners of her mouth tugged up. “Thank you.”

  “Relax. There’s a laptop if you need something online, cable, movies. Anything I have here is at your disposal. I need to go.”

  She wrapped her hand around the back of his head and drew him down for a kiss. His hands curled around her waist and he pressed his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes.

  “Hope that means we aren’t finished because of this mess. I plan to explore us.”

  She gulped. “All for exploring. Go get the bad guys.”

  He dipped his head and walked out of the apartment.

  Her heart melted with the potential for more. Kylie explored the apartment, taking everything in. It wasn’t a mess, but it wasn’t spotless. Things weren’t always in their place, or maybe she was too much of a neat freak.

  Sighing, she sat her bag down in his room and made her way back to the couch to relax. Or try. She needed to take her mind off her brother and the potential trouble he was in.

  CHAPTER 9

  Two days later Brian and Marissa sat at his desk, finishing up the paperwork after bringing both Fitzgerald and Rygar in. Now that the feds were involved since each of them were wanted for crimes in nearby states, it was officially out of their jurisdiction.

  Brian leaned back in the chair and stared up at the ceiling. Kent was in jail, awaiting trial. So were the other two. No one was coming after Kylie, who was on shift.

  “When are you going to tell Kylie we got them?”

  He half laughed. “Tonight, after she gets home. Maybe I’ll have dinner ready for her.”

  Her brow arched. “Ready? As in cook?”

  “As in takeout.” He shrugged. “Something nice. I’ll have a bottle of wine ready. Tell her the good news, and hope that we continue whatever this is.”

  “Doubt that will be an issue. She seems pretty thrilled with the way things have developed.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “She was telling Arianna about you yesterday.” That was her brother’s girlfriend. She spent a lot of time with her family.

  “Guess we’ll see.”

  “Maybe you should bring her over for a barbeque this weekend. If you’re interested.”

  “If she agrees, we’ll be there.”

  * * *

  Kylie walked into Brian’s apartment. As much as she liked staying with him, she missed her home and her things. Not that she minded being in Brian’s place, but it was smaller and missing touches of personality.

  She found food on the table, two glasses, and a bottle of wine. The man couldn’t cook, but he knew the best places to get takeout. Though she had cooked the night before.

  Brian came out of the bathroom in a pair of jeans and nothing else. His hair was still damp. His mouth curved into a smile. “Come, eat. We should talk.”

  Her heart stuttered. Talk? Was he sending her home? There was an air of finality to the statement. But the wine…

  Confused, she dropped her purse on the counter and walked to the table. He pulled the chair out. She sat, and he pushed her in. Then he poured them each a glass of wine before taking the seat next to her.

  “We caught both Fitzgerald and Rygar today. Feds took over. They’re going away for a long time. Your brother is awaiting trial. I still want you to stay tonight, and
then tomorrow, I want to see you. Wherever that is. I don’t want to walk away because you’re out of danger.”

  Her heart jumped out of her stomach where it had lodged itself. “I was beginning to think you were going to say you were done with me.”

  “No. Not at all. As long as you still want me around.”

  “I do. So where does that leave us?”

  “Dating?” He shrugged. “Not sure either of us is ready to move in together, but I do like having you in my bed or vice versa.”

  “Dating. Exclusive?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  She took a sip of her wine. “I’ll stay tonight.”

  BRANDY L RIVERS

  Brandy L Rivers is a New York Times and USA Today, bestselling author. Her two main series are: Others of Edenton and Others of Seattle. She has also written a few contemporary stories.

  An avid reader, Brandy has always loved writing. She became serious about it as a stay-at-home-mother. Her secret lair, guarded by a pint-sized pound puppy who imagines himself a hellhound, contains a file full of manuscripts she plans to edit and publish with new creations she is constantly dreaming up.

  Living in rainy Western Washington with her husband and three kids, Brandy is already working on future stories in each of the series, along with several other projects.

  Website: http://brandylrivers.com/

  Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2cOPGcy

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandylrivers

  THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA ~ M. STRATTON

  “No, no, no. This can’t be happening.” Vanessa slapped her desk with the palm of her hand. The soft glow of the emergency lights bathed her office in a red hue. The building had lost power. Spinning around in her chair, she watched as lightning slashed through up the night sky, and her heart filled with dread.

  Being the owner’s daughter of an international construction company, she had to put in twice the effort as the men who worked here. The ones that knew half as much as she did. That was why she was here working late, again, instead of safe at home during one of the worst storms the city had seen in decades.