Lethal Justice (An Alliance Agency Novel Book 3) Read online

  The night was illuminated by the reds and blues from the police cruisers at the curb. Several civilians were gathered behind the yellow police tape, curious as to what was going on in their quiet neighborhood. Malco didn’t like it one bit; any one of them could be a potential threat.

  He parked his car as close as possible to the police cars. As they exited, he scanned the area and saw Nicholas and Cain in the distance. Both men were clearly analyzing the situation and were ready to act if needed.

  Frida looked around and, with one last glance at him, marched to the entrance. Malco kept no more than an arm’s length between them. It took providing proof of identity, but the officer let them through the police tape.

  He saw a nameplate at the entrance, indicating her firm was on the third floor. When Frida started to attack the stairs two-by-two, Malco quickly grabbed her hand. “Easy, there’s no rush. If you don’t take care of your feet, you won’t be able to walk out of here. I know you’re in pain.”

  She pulled at her hand, but he wasn’t letting her go until she heard him out. “If you can’t walk, that means you’re vulnerable. Is that what you want them to see? You know those animals, and they’ll prey on weaknesses. Don’t feel like you have to be strong to impress me.”

  As he talked, he expected her to explode at him, but what he saw was much more disturbing. Hurt ravaged her face for a second before she shook her head. “I always have to be strong. Always.” And this time when she pulled, he let her go, despite all the questions that invaded his head and he couldn’t ask. She slowed down as she finished climbing the stairs to her firm.

  More cops were inside the premises, looking around. There were two civilians Frida greeted first and Malco guessed they were her employees. She had acted cool toward him and the cops, but her underlying warmth was revealed in the way she comforted her employees, reassured them that all would be okay. It was a nice insight into the woman behind the iron mask.

  A man who was obviously in charge came out from the open door. “Ms. Montalvo.” Malco had seen him before. It was Detective Charles Kasten, one of the most bigoted and racist men he’d ever encountered. The only reason he was still on the force was his high closing rate. The jury was still out on if that rate was due to apprehending the true culprit or not.

  The detective approached them as if the world were his, didn’t offer his hand to Frida, and eyed Malco as if he was a leper. “I need you to answer a few questions.”

  Not at all shaken by his rude manners, Frida barely acknowledged him before bypassing him and heading to her office. From what Malco could see, it was obvious the door had been forced. Inside, the office seemed pretty much untouched apart from the far wall where it had been torn to pieces in order to access the safe door. There were scorch marks and kinks where they had tried to get in, but the door had held up.

  When Frida saw the safe for herself, her obvious relief was palpable to him as if he had been reading her reactions for years, not hours.

  Frida glanced at him. “I’ll have a team remove the contents of the safe and have them secured in another location.”

  Detective Kasten wasn’t about to agree with her order. “This is my investigation. Nothing moves in or out of the premises without my authorization until this part of my investigation is completed. I want you to open the safe now.”

  The detective took a step toward Frida, and Malco tensed, his sudden fury toward the asshole detective volatile in its urgency. Frida didn’t move, merely looked at the annoying cop with disdain and a definite authority that Kasten lacked. “You have no authority here without a mandate, so ditch the attitude. And as a matter of fact, I want you and your men to leave.”

  Kasten blinked before taking another step. “You can’t kick us out.”

  “I can do what I bloody want, Detective. I’ll sign all the papers you want. I decline an investigation or assistance from the police at this time. I’ll take care of the costs of this break-in myself, so leave my office. Now.”

  Malco could almost hear the ‘and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out’ that remained unsaid and hid his smile.

  Kasten stayed immobile for a long moment, fists clenching by his sides as if he were fighting an internal debate on whether to lay his hands on her. The violence inside him was unchecked, the hatred evident for all to see. Malco was a second away from stepping between them when Kasten unclenched his teeth and stepped back. “Don’t come crying for help when those who did this finally get their hands on your Latina ass.”

  This time, it was Malco’s turn to clench his fists and wish he could smash his contemptuous grin until it turned upside down.

  Frida didn’t look away until all the cops had rallied and left. She told her two employees to secure the premises and all official documents before closing her door. Only then did she open her desk drawer and grab an innocuous remote control. After tapping a few keys, the wall slid open. The space was small but packed.

  “That’s all the evidence I was given, and it’s what we need to transfer to the Agency.”

  Malco grabbed his phone. They would need more people on this. More hands, more eyes, and from the last look on Kasten’s face before he left, more security if he wanted to keep Frida safe and carry this investigation of hers to the end. He didn’t trust that asshole as far as he could throw him, and he had a feeling he was just the tip of a rather large iceberg.

  Chapter Four

  When the last box from her office was finally safe at the Alliance Agency, Frida felt like collapsing. Her body felt shaky, her feet were on fire, and it felt like she had grit under her eyelids.

  Mason Bentley graciously offered her his office, so that not only could they store her documents, but she would also have a place to work, although she would be the only one who’d be able to fit in there. The other more sensible option was to commandeer the conference room.

  She made sure her assistant and paralegals were safe and sound at home and reassured them they’d get paid throughout this ordeal. She wasn’t sure how she’d accomplish that, but if there was a will, there was a way, even if it meant selling her car and the entire contents of her apartment, down to her underwear.

  Through the barred windows of the building, Frida could see the sun rising, the light so bright it hurt her eyes. Pushing aside any thoughts of lying down, she forced herself back to reality and smiled at one of Shane’s men who had helped with the transfer of the documents. She recognized him from earlier last night, but her brain couldn’t come up with a name.

  “Thank you for helping me. Sorry if I sound like a bitch, but can you tell me your name again?”

  His smile was dazzling as he extended his arm to shake her hand. “After the night you’ve had, I’m amazed you’re still standing. I’m Cain. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Frida.”

  How strange, this handsome man with piercing, smoldering eyes, and a face that would turn grown women into giggly girls was gently caressing her hand, and she didn’t feel a thing. She must be more exhausted than she realized.

  “I’ve gone through worse, but I’m lucid enough to know I appreciate all the help I can get, so thank you.”

  His smile hyped up a notch, but it was the wide hand in the small of her back that cranked up the heat with surprising vigor. Surrounded by Malco Aguilar’s heat and scent, it took her a full second to realize that Cain had let go of her hand and was backing up with an amused gleam in his eyes.

  Not certain of what was going on, she turned to Malco, who looked at her with those deep, assessing eyes. “Shane and Emme are waiting for us in the conference room with the others. They retrieved your briefcase, but you’re the only one who’ll know if anything is missing or not.”

  Frida nodded, slightly shaking her head in the hope to clear it and focus on the task at hand when all she wanted to do was shut her eyes and lean closer for a quick rest on his broad shoulder. The last few weeks had been hectic at best, and last night was the last straw in a month of accumulated lack
of sleep.

  She pressed both the heels of her hands against her eyes and mentally tried to restart her brain.

  “You shouldn’t do that. You’ll just abuse your eyes more.”

  Malco seemed closer now. Even without seeing him, she could sense him. His voice was lower as he spoke to her, her very own kind of lullaby. Too bad she had to fight it, to fight him. She was in the middle of the ultimate mess, one that could make or break her future as a lawyer in Miami. Even worse, one that could very well end her life if she didn’t get her wits together. Malco was a growing temptation, and it would be very unwise to succumb.

  Gathering all she had left, she pushed her shoulders back and took a step away. “I don’t have to go to court, so the state of my eyes are inconsequential. With a coffee, or maybe two, I should get my second wind.”

  Frida started toward the conference room but stopped and turned once more toward him. “Thank you for organizing all this, Malco. I do appreciate it. Really.”

  With his usual intensity, he gave her the briefest of nods, and if she wasn’t mistaken, his lips almost trembled into a smile.

  The meeting had been brief. Frida was grateful for that small blessing as she didn’t know if she could’ve stayed focused for much longer. The contents of her briefcase seemed untouched, and Shane had made sure the third floor of her firm’s building had been secured with a few extra security features, just in case someone was tempted to sneak back in.

  The Agency’s security had been increased, and the building would not be left empty until further notice. Cleo, the violet-haired admin of the Agency, was already working on a 24-hour schedule with all the team members who weren’t already involved in other tasks or missions.

  It was the status quo concerning her investigation until she could go through all the papers that were brought in. Chief Randall had been adamant that everything be gone over with a fine-tooth comb and the case, if there was one, steel-plated.

  “Is there anything else to be discussed or planned?” Emme quickly looked at her phone before returning her attention to the people around the table, ending with Frida.

  She rolled her shoulders before answering. “I need to inform Chief Randall what’s happened with the break-in and the encounter with Kasten. The detective’s an asshole, and I suspect he’ll be tempted to mess with me. If he starts digging, it might be a problem, so keeping him occupied would be in everyone’s interest.”

  Shane nodded. “I agree. The man is an annoyance at best. Let me know if he pops up on your radar, and I’ll assign someone to keep an eye on him. Anything else?”

  Frida prayed there wasn’t be anything else so she could go into the office, shut the door, and take a power nap. One thing she didn’t like was lack of control, and her body shutting down against her will fell into that category.

  “Is Frida’s apartment locked and secured?” Malco’s question reminded her she hadn’t thought about her apartment.

  Emme smirked. “Oh yeah. Locked, secured, and with some extra additions, like with your office. However, I don’t think it’s safe enough for you to return. If you want a place to crash, you’re more than welcome to stay at our place.”

  Malco shifted beside her, but Frida didn’t look at him when she answered. “There’s no way I’m putting any of you in more danger than you already are. I just need to get a bag from my apartment, and I’ll come back here. I know you have a spare bed somewhere.”

  Shane and Emme looked at each other. “We do, but it’s not all that comfortable. If you don’t want to come to our place, we can find a decent safe house for you.”

  “I have the most secure location. Frida can crash at my place.”

  Malco’s voice silenced the room in an instant and everyone’s attention turned to him.

  Frida frowned. Why on earth would the man have a place with such a high-level of security? What would warrant such precautions? When she swiveled her chair to the man sitting beside her, he wasn’t looking at the room or his bosses, but at her. Solely her.

  “It doesn’t make a difference. I won’t put any of you in more danger than necessary. You’re already spending your work time keeping me safe. You need downtime too.”

  “I’d rest much better knowing you’re safe. I’m not leaving your side until this is over. It can be here or at my place. There’s no negotiation on that matter.”

  Normally, she would argue and get her point across, but the more time that passed, the less functioning brain cells she had, and the remaining ones were focused on a soft bed. A bed and Malco?

  The room remained silent, waiting for her answer, so she turned to Shane and sighed. “I’m done here. Tell me the best option, and I’ll take it.”

  Shane looked at Emme before locking eyes with Malco. “I think Malco is your best bet. At least you’ll be protected and have a decent night’s sleep. And I will too for that matter, knowing you’re in good hands.”

  Her mind heard a double entendre, and she silently admonished herself for that. At the end of her rope, she simply nodded, and Shane dismissed his troops for now, telling them to keep their phones close by for updates.

  Emme came to her side. “Go rest, okay? You’re about to collapse. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard for too long.”

  Again, she forced herself to smile. Emme was always so caring and considerate of the people around her. “I had planned to rest. I just didn’t expect this case to fall on my head before I had a chance to recover. Work, as usual, I guess.”

  Emme gave her a hug as Shane put a hand on her shoulder. “Go get some rest. Only come back when you can see straight again, and you’re ready for this fight.”

  She winked at them. “I’m always ready for a fight.”

  She turned to Malco. “Let me get my bag, and I’ll follow you.”

  “Grab a change of clothes from the locker room. I’ll ask Mercy or Caitlin to go to your place and pack a bag for you, but in the meantime, at least you’ll have something clean to wear.”

  With one last nod, Frida hobbled out. With the promise of rest, her body was slowly shutting down on her, her aches and pain gnawing at her last resistance.

  In the office, she placed a few files in her bag, debating what she needed when the air shifted, and she knew Malco was behind her. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw him skirting a box before closing the door.

  “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  The closer he came, the more difficult it was to ignore the tingles coursing over her skin. Even if it was the worst idea ever, her body and mind weren’t in sync with this. Her mind was ordering her to flee, while her body only wished to surrender.

  “I don’t think you’ll need all that while you’re asleep.”

  It was tempting to roll her eyes at him. “I may be tired, but I don’t fall asleep easily. My mind keeps me awake most of the time. Sometimes, I need to push myself to complete exhaustion before I can shut down. Or have my mind focus on something else rather than my cases. Never works well, though.”

  Closing her bag, she turned and gasped. Malco was only a hair’s breadth away. If she leaned forward, her chest would touch his. His breath fanned her cheeks, and her entire being wanted to close that gap.

  “You’re working too hard.”

  His voice was like a caress, and her eyelids fluttered. She searched for something to say, but came up with nothing as his head leaned forward, his lips skimming hers. It felt like electricity, and before reason could step in, Frida closed the gap and took possession of his mouth.

  The kiss was soft and tentative, but only until Malco circled his arms around her waist to bring her quivering body against his. Plastered against hot, hard muscles, Frida put her hands on his arms and let them run up to his shoulders as he better angled his head to take the connection to another level.

  Lust spiked in her system, and when she moaned, her lips parted, and he took full advantage, sliding his tongue into her mouth. It was as if she’d been drugged. She was high on him, an
d immediately wanted more. Malco forced her back, pinning her against the door, his erection contained by his jeans pushing against her belly. If she hadn’t been wet before, she was certainly drenched now. The man was a menace to her senses and her sanity, destroying all her defenses.

  When his hips pushed against her, Frida didn’t recognize her reaction; she was ready to tear both their clothes off, with no regard to the people beyond the door.

  “Hey, Malco, let me know which car you’re taking. I fueled all of them last night.”

  The knock and Cain’s booming voice on the other side of the door were like being thrown in an ice bath. Her brain forced her to move back and step aside.

  “That was inappropriate.” Her heaving, flushed body contradicted her words, and she must have blushed from it. Malco was as undone as she was, his body revealing the same reaction as hers.

  Once more, he approached her, not giving her any way to escape. His face so close, she expected him to kiss her again, half hoped he would but instead, he offered her a half-smile.

  “I think you’ve found a way to blank your mind. I’ll wait for you outside.”

  And with a gleam that reminded her of a hungry predator, he left her alone, her body alight and her mind blank.

  Chapter Five

  As Malco drove down the long narrow driveway to his secluded home, he wondered what Frida would make of the place he called home. It was a two-story structure with a modern, sleek design. He’d designed most of it himself with the help of a local architect. But it wasn’t the design he was unsure of; it was the questions she might have when she saw the security features on the property.