Hero of Mine (16 page)

D
ANI PUT THE
finishing touches on the romantic meal she'd planned all week. Tyler had left her a spare key to get in, and as soon as her mother had picked up Noah, Dani had started getting ready. Hair and makeup, check. Sexy negligée, done. Mood lighting.

She heard the key turn in the lock and fiddled with her hair as she tried posing seductively by the table.

But when Tyler's gaze met hers, she stiffened, caught off guard by the raw pain in his face.

“Tyler, are you okay?”

He unclipped Duke's leash and let him amble toward her to say hi. He'd gotten his cast off this week, and when he shoved his snout right between her legs, she jumped back with a laugh.

“Gross, go away, Duke.”

She focused on Tyler once more, and her smile died. His shoulders were stiff as he threw his cap across the room. He washed his hands at the sink, still not saying a word, and she folded her arms over her chest.

Why wasn't he saying anything?

“I made chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans, and for dessert, I grabbed a cheesecake, fresh cut strawberries, and whipped cream.” He didn't comment on the whipped cream, not even a lecherous grin about her attire. She took a few steps toward him and placed her hand on his arm.

He turned on her so swiftly she didn't have a chance to react before his mouth claimed hers roughly. Tyler had always treated her with passionate sweetness, but this was different.

This was raw, painful need in every sweep of his tongue. Every nip of his teeth and press of his lips. His arms wrapped around her in a vicelike embrace, and she put her hands against his chest.

“Tyler, please talk to me.”

“I don't want to talk,” he said, trying to kiss her again.

This time she pressed him more forcefully. “Well, I do.”

He released her swiftly and threw a glass across the room, startling Duke and her. The shattering ting of the glass scattering across the floor was the only other sound besides their heavy breathing.

He released a shaky breath. “I'm sorry. You should go.”

She was tempted, ready to grab her stuff and take off. After all, he was acting bizarre, scaring the crap out of her.

But on the other hand, she could hear the tremble in his voice, tell he was trying to keep it together until she left.

Well, she wasn't going to go. Not until he told her what was going on.

She found his broom and dustpan in the closet and, flipping the lights back on, went to work sweeping up all the glass off the wood floor.

“What are you doing? Just leave it, I'll pick it up later.”

“I'm almost done, just stay there,” she said.

“God damn it, Dani, can't you tell when someone just wants to be alone?”

Dumping the glass into his wastebasket, she put the broom back, ignoring his question.

“Just get out!” he shouted.

Dani slammed the closet door, her desire to find out what was wrong disintegrating.

“I don't know why you're treating me like this, but you're being a real asshole.” Grabbing her coat off the back of the chair, she shrugged into it. “Don't call unless you've got one big fat fucking apology for me.”

Her hand was on the knob when she heard a thunk behind her. “I thought of you today.” She looked at him over her shoulder and was surprised to find his strong, handsome face tear-streaked. “When I thought I was going to die, I thought of you and Noah.”

Dropping the knob, she went to him and slid to the floor next to him, her back against the cupboards. “What do you mean, when you thought you were going to die?”

“I mean when I had an angry kid pointing a gun at me, telling me that he was going to murder me in cold blood, you were among the people I loved and would be leaving behind.”

Dani's body went cold as his words sank in, and without another thought about how mad she was, she wrapped her arms around him. “Tyler . . . ”

His arms held onto her, his face buried in her chest. “I stood there, trying to figure out how to protect Blake and the kids behind me, how to make it so he only hit me, and then out of nowhere, Jeremiah comes running and knocks the guy with the gun down. Only then did I move, and it was already too late.”

She stroked his hair, shoulders, and back, rocking him as she felt the warmth of his tears on her chest.

“Do you mean he . . . Is he dead?”

“No, but he spent hours in surgery for a collapsed lung, and it was my fault.”

“How can you say that? You didn't shoot him!”

“No, but the kid who did was there for me. He was there because I kicked him out of the program. He was ready to kill a dozen people and then himself, just to get revenge on me.”

“Stop that. You can't blame yourself for the evil others do. I know you. You're not malicious or unfair. If you kicked him out of the program, then he deserved it, and if this isn't proof enough, I don't know what is.” Dani cupped his face, her voice harsh with a thousand terrifying emotions. Fear that she'd almost lost him, anger at the faceless teenager who had threatened him, and gratefulness because he was still here.

She kissed him. “I can't imagine what you're feeling or how much you're hurting, but I want to help any way I can. If you'll let me, that is.”

This time when their lips met, Tyler wasn't harsh or aggressive, but gentle once more. His hand cradled the back of her neck, and when they broke apart, he laid his forehead against hers. “I am so sorry.”

“It's okay. I understand.” She climbed to her feet slowly and reached down for his hand. “Come on, let's go lie down.”

“What about your dinner?” he asked.

“I think as long as Duke is with us, it will be safe,” she said.

She led him by the hand behind her while he whistled for Duke, pausing to blow out the dinner candles. Once they were in his bedroom, he shut the door behind them, and Dani just held him, leaning her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

“Tyler . . . ”

“Yeah?”

“You can talk to me, always. I will listen; you just have to use your words.”

His chest vibrated as he laughed. “Did you seriously just tell me to use my words?”

“It made you laugh, didn't it?”

She felt his lips brush the top of her head. “Yes, it did.”

“Come lie down with me.”

He didn't argue, just stripped down to his boxer briefs and climbed into the bed. She shrugged out of her jacket and the lingerie, crawling under the covers with him and fitting her body next to his, their bodies a tangle of arms and limbs. She stroked her hands over his shoulders and down his arms until she heard the soft, even sound of his breathing and knew he was asleep.

Her mind strayed back to his words.
“You were among the people I loved . . . ”

And today, she could have lost him. Before she'd been able to tell him she loved him, too.

T
HE GUN WAS
like a gaping black hole, endless darkness waiting to swallow him up.

He stood in front of Carlos Mendez, a human shield, protecting the people behind him. Suddenly, the soft sound of a crying child and woman reached his ears, and he glanced over his shoulder.

Dani and Noah were huddled on the ground, trembling with fear, and Tyler yelled, running for them instead of Carlos. Just before he reached them, two loud pops sounded, and red blossomed on their chests.

“Tyler . . . ” Dani moaned, but little Noah was completely limp in his arms as he cradled them to him.

And then searing pain shot through his back as one last bullet tore through him.

Hands gripped his shoulders, shaking him out of the dream with an insistent voice. “Tyler, it's just a nightmare. Come back to me.”

Tyler opened his eyes and saw Dani's worried face in the moonlight shining through his window.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “You called out my name.”

He realized his hand was trembling as he reached up to touch her face and let it flop back to bed.

“You were shot . . . you and Noah.”

“Oh, baby.” She took his hand and put it over her heart, the steady beat thumping against his palm.

Suddenly, he realized he wanted more than just the pace of her heart in his hand. He wanted her body and soul, to lose himself in her and let his love for her chase the fear away.

Flexing his fingers, he slipped them over the mound of her breast, his gaze locked on hers as she sucked in a breath. Her nipple puckered against his skin, and he reached up to squeeze both full mounds at once.

She threw her head back, her eyes closed and mouth open in a little
O
.

And surprisingly, he was no longer worrying about losing her, but whether or not he would be able to last long enough to finally feel her around him.

Rolling her beneath him, he reached past her to the drawer next to the bed. He pulled out a foil condom wrapper and kissed her lips hungrily as she helped him out of his boxer briefs.

Tyler yanked on her lacy thong, unapologetic when he heard the skimpy fabric rip. He dipped his head to suckle first one nipple then the other, loving the way she arched her back against his mouth, pushing more of her flesh between his lips.

Finally, he pulled away to rip the condom wrapper open and slid the latex over his painfully erect dick.

He didn't ask permission or wonder if they should wait this time. Just kissed her as his hand sought her entrance, and her arousal soaked his fingers. There was no more foreplay, no more playful prepping.

He needed all of her, and he needed her now.

Tyler pushed into her with one smooth thrust as Dani's thighs hugged his hips, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. He didn't even pause, too caught up in the warm stretch of her body encasing him as he rocked against her, short deep thrusts that had her crying out softly every time he pressed forward.

His movements became harder, jerking slightly as he held himself above her, watching her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth open slightly, and he could see a hint of flush on her cheeks.

“Dani, I'm close. So close, baby. I'm going to need you to come, because, fuck, you feel so fucking good. Come on, sweetheart.”

Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he concentrated on her satisfaction as he increased his tempo. Finally, she broke around him, her hand gripping his bicep as she screamed his name, her channel spasming around his cock, squeezing him until he couldn't hold out any longer. He came so hard it bordered on pain, his hips still moving after he was spent.

Falling to his side off her, he pulled her back against him with a sigh. “That was definitely worth the wait.”

Dani released a breathless laugh as he stood up to go clean up.

When he climbed back in behind her, he thought she might already be asleep.

Until she wiggled that sweet little ass back against his cock.

“See, now you're just asking for it,” he murmured against the side of her neck.

“Maybe I am. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.” His hand spread over her naked stomach, traveling down to cup her. “Although, it might take me a while to recover.”

“That's fine, I can wait.”

His finger dipped between her folds, and he placed his mouth against her ear. “I want to hear you scream again. You're always so careful to be quiet, to not wake Noah.” He pressed her clit and started rubbing it in slow circles. “I want you to let go and shout my name so loud the roof shakes. I want to feel you soak my hand as you come.”

“You're awfully demanding,” she said huskily, her hips rotating in a circular motion. Her breath hitched every so often, and he soon waited for it, speeding up his motions until there were no longer breaks in her cries.

When her orgasm overtook her, she did scream his name, and he didn't need any more recovery time. Covering his cock with another condom, he pushed inside her as they lay on their sides, her back to him. He cupped her breasts, squeezing and testing their weight as he thrust inside her slower, using more control this time. He trailed kisses over her neck and shoulder, unable to stop talking dirty against her ear, his tongue running along the delicate shell.

“Do you like it when I fuck you? When I slide my cock into you and take you slow and deep?”

“Yes, yes.” She was panting, pressing back into him, and he pulled out, but he was enjoying himself, enjoying her.

“Because your body tells me you want it faster, rougher, harder.” To demonstrate, he slammed into her, and she gasped loudly. “Well?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes to everything.”

T
HE MORNING LIGHT
swirled into the room, and Dani lifted her arms over her head, stretching. Her muscles ached, and she was sore in the best possible way.

Turning over to look at Tyler, she was surprised to find his eyes wide open.

“Morning.” His dark, raspy voice sent a shiver down her spine as she recalled all the naughty things he'd whispered when he'd taken her that last time on all fours, rocking the bed until it squeaked in protest.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better, especially with you here.”

His words warmed her from her stomach to her chest, joy spreading out to the tips of her fingers.

“I left my bag downstairs, and I kind of want to brush my teeth,” she said out of the blue.

Tyler propped his head up on his arm, his expression puzzled. “Okay, so?”

“Well, I'm a little . . . embarrassed to prance around naked in front of you.”

“If you're going to prance, I need to see this.”

“Stop it,” she said, pushing at his chest. He caught her hand, holding it against his skin, his eyes locked with hers.

“If you want me to turn around so you can grab your bag, I will, but you don't have anything that you need to hide from me. I love everything about you.”

There was that word again.
Love.
All night they'd made love, cuddled, and talked, yet neither of them had said the words. Not in their simplest form, at least. They'd alluded to it, but they hadn't strung the words together.

What was she waiting for?

“Fine, I'll grab it.” Sitting up with her back to him, she tried to take the sheet with her and wrap it around her body, but he wrestled it away from her.

“You suck,” she hissed.

Standing straight as she came around the edge of the bed, fighting the blush that seemed to be covering her from head to toe, she stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of what Duke had in his mouth. The sides of her frilly pink thong hung from either side of his massive lips, and the crotch covered his lower jaw like a bandit's bandana.

“You dog is chewing on my underwear.”

Tyler crawled to the edge of the bed, laughing. “At least he has good taste.”

“Not funny, those were expensive.” She marched over and reached down to pull the underwear out of his mouth. “Duke, drop it.”

Instead, the massive dog scrambled to his feet and, taking advantage of his newly cast-less state, took off down the hall as fast as his long legs would carry him.

“Damn it.” She took off after him and rounded the corner in time to see the dog actually toss her thong in the air as if it was a toy, catching it again with surprising accuracy.

“Tyler, your dog is playing keep away with my panties!”

“Do you want me to get the video camera?” he called.

“Har har, you are not funny.” Heading toward Duke with purpose, she pointed to the ground. “Duke, drop those panties, or it won't go well for you.”

The dog dropped down onto his front paws with his butt in the air, his thin tail whipping back and forth as she neared. Just as she was inches away from snatching the pink scrap from his jowls, he was off, racing back to the bedroom.

“Oh, come on.” She picked up her backpack from the ground and headed back to Tyler's room, giving the underwear up as a lost cause.

Tyler sat at the edge of the bed, swinging her thong around his finger while Duke whimpered and whined in front of him, his intent gaze never leaving the object of his desire.

“You and that dog are perfect for each other.” She tried to grab them, but he held them away from her. As she fell across his lap, he held her there, amusement lending an unholy twinkle to his blue eyes.

“I'll give you back your underwear in exchange for a loving kiss.”

“I told you I wanted to brush my teeth first.”

“Then you won't mind if I hang onto these.”

“Evil.” Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, tongue and all. When she pulled back, he seemed a little dazed. “There.”

He gave her the thong, and she noted several large holes that weren't there before.

“You owe me new underwear.”

“Whatever you want,” he said absently.

She started to climb off his lap, but he held her there.

“Was there something else?” she asked.

“Yeah.” This time, when he kissed her, she was the one left a little light-headed. “I love you.”

Dani's throat closed up, and she didn't think she would be able to speak past the lump of happiness lodged in her throat. Even though it really wasn't that long, it felt as though she'd been waiting forever for those words.

“I love you, too.”

He gathered her to him, and she laid her head on his shoulder, taking in the strength of his arms, and basked in the warmth his words sent rushing over her.

“So, what does this mean for our relationship?” he said, his tone light, teasing.

Trying to hold her joyful tears at bay, she laughed wetly. “Are we seriously about to have the talk? You do know your mom asked my intentions, right?”

“She did? What did you say?”

“I don't know, something about thinking you were great. That I might keep you.”

“Sounds good to me.”

T
YLER SAID GOOD-BYE
to Dani a few hours later, after a lot of stalling and kissing, and headed out to visit Jeremiah. He picked up Meyers at Alpha Dog, and they drove down to the hospital. They were given visitor stickers at the front desk, and they made their way up to the recovery wing with a card the guys had made and a gift card from all the instructors, organized by Blake. Tyler wasn't sure what kind of gift card you gave a kid who risked his life for others, but he'd still added a hundred bucks to the pool.

They were directed to his room and knocked on the closed door. Tyler put his hand on the knob just as it swung open, and he came face-to-face with Virginia Walton.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her tone wasn't hostile, more hollow, and he wondered why she wasn't screaming at him to leave after what he'd done.

“The boys in Jeremiah's squad made him a get-well card, and all the instructors got him something.”

She hesitated before they heard a croaked voice call out, “Let them in, please.”

Virginia stepped back, and they passed by her. Tyler got his first good look at Jeremiah since he'd been bleeding out in his arms. He was sheet-white with oxygen tubes in his nose and electrodes coming out from under his blanket in every direction. He looked like hell, but he smiled shyly at them.

“Thanks for coming by,” he said.

“Maybe you shouldn't talk. You sound like shit, dude,” Meyers said, earning a smack to the back of his head from Tyler. “I was trying to be helpful, Sarge!”

“How 'bout you give him the card and be less helpful?” Tyler said.

Meyers handed Jeremiah the eight-by-eleven handmade card with
Get Well Soon
in large block letters colored in with green, black, and brown. “We all signed it. And I just wanted to tell you that all the guys are sorry we were such assholes, me especially. You're a total badass.”

“Thanks, this is really cool.”

Tyler handed Jeremiah the envelope with the store-bought card and gift card. “And this is from the staff at Alpha Dog. We all want to thank you for what you did and hope that you recover quickly.”

Jeremiah opened the card, and when he glanced at the gift card amount, his eyes widened. “Wow, seriously, Sergeant Best?”

“Yep, we all pitched in. And I have a pretty good feeling that the dozen or more letters Judge Garrison receives today and tomorrow are going to sway his decision to overturn your conviction.”

“So, I'm not coming back to Alpha Dog?” Jeremiah said, frowning.

“Doesn't look like it.” Tyler caught Jeremiah's crestfallen expression. “Hey, what's up, kid? I thought you'd be happy to be going home.”

“Not if
he's
there,” Jeremiah muttered.

Tyler turned to glance at the boy's mother over his shoulder, noting her red face and downcast eyes.

“Well, if you want to stay at the program, I guess we could just tell the judge you don't think you've learned your lesson.”

“I think you should leave now,” Virginia snapped.

Meyers turned to Jeremiah's mother, and before Tyler could stop him, the teenager said, “Your son shouldn't be scared of his own house.”

“It's not like that, and besides, it's none of your business.”

“It's exactly like that, Mom,” Jeremiah said. “You chose him over me. You do it every time, no matter how many times he hits us. You just let him stay to do it again, and it's enough. I'd rather go into the system than go back to you.”

All the color leeched from Virginia's face. “You don't mean that.”

“I do. If you aren't going to leave him, then I'd rather go from Alpha Dog to a group home. At least then I wouldn't have to watch you take his abuse.”

“You're just agitated and exhausted. We'll talk about this later.” She glared pointedly at Tyler. “I want to speak to my son, alone.”

Tyler took the pen on the side table and wrote down his cell on the back of the envelope, handing it to Jeremiah. “If you need anything, you call me. No matter what time it is or what it's about. And I'll be back tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Sarge.”

Meyers glared at Virginia as they passed, and Tyler didn't even bother to scold him. The woman deserved every bit of it; he didn't care if she was a victim, too. The difference between her and Jeremiah was that she chose to stay, while Jeremiah had no choice.

Except maybe he could help give him one.

D
ANI WAS GETTING
ready to go back to work that night when someone knocked, sending Bella and Shasta into a fit of excited barking. She didn't have any plans with Tyler, and at six thirty on a Saturday, she was definitely checking the peephole this time.

On her step was an older Hispanic woman with dark hair that was threaded with silver and pulled back severely from her deeply lined face.

Angel's mother.

Camila Ramirez looked much older than she had the last time they'd met just two years ago, but she would recognize her anywhere. Her cold, calculating eyes stared directly into the peephole, as if she could see Dani on the other side.

Dani pulled open the door enough to keep the dogs inside and tried to smile. “Mrs. Ramirez, good to see you.”

“
Hola
, Danielle. I called you a week ago, and you never returned my call.”

“I know, and I apologize, but like I told Angel, if you would like visitation, you need to go through the proper legal channels.”

Camila's lips thinned into a hard line. “You know as well as I do that my son will not receive visitation the way that he is.”

It was hard for Dani to feel bad about that when her son had threatened Dani. “Then I would get him the help he needs, because I'm not letting him near my child the way he is.”

“And me? Would you allow me to see him? He is, after all, my grandson.”

Dani's gut churned, screaming at her to slam the door in her face. There was something about Camila's demeanor that was almost frightening, and if she had her way, the woman would never see Noah.

“No, I'm sorry. If you want to have a relationship with my son, then I suggest you help your son get his act together and go through legal channels. And if you or your son show up at my home again, I'll file a restraining order against you both.”

Shutting the door and locking it with a rapidly beating heart, she could hear Camila cursing her in Spanish as she walked away.

Did she really think that Dani was going to be okay with her just showing up here, asking for visitation for her druggie son?

With shaky hands, she dialed Tyler on her phone. She knew he had the next week off, and when she'd told him she was heading back to work tonight, he'd decided to go out with his friends.

Was it clingy if she called him now? Would he think she was checking up on him, even though she was just calling for a little comfort?

He picked up on the second ring. “Miss me already?”

“I sure do,” she said.

“Hey, what's wrong? Your voice sounds funny.”

“It's nothing, really . . . ”

“Dani, just tell me, or I'm going to drive over there and tickle it out of you.”

Dani smiled at his silly threat. “I'm no longer ticklish. Totally immune.”

“Then I'll kiss you until you're so complacent, you won't even realize what you've done.” His teasing tone disappeared as her laughter died, and he said, “Please just tell me, or I'm going to worry.”

“Angel's mother showed up here, asking for me to reconsider letting Angel see Noah. When I said no, he needed to go through the proper channels, she asked if she could see Noah. I said no.”

“Understandably. These people need to stop harassing you. I think you should go down to the police station and report it, maybe file a restraining order.”

“I told her I would if either of them showed up again.”

“Do you want me to come over and follow you to work?” he asked.

“No, you have fun with your friends. If I get the heebie-jeebies, I'll just take Shasta to work with me.”

“All right, well, if you need me, I'll have my phone on. I love you.”

A chorus of male voices saying “Ooooh” blasted through the phone, and Dani's whole face heated.

“Shut the fuck up, you idiots,” Tyler snapped.

“I didn't realize the guys were all there.”

“Yeah, we're gonna grab some food and head over to Mick's. If you aren't too tired and you want to come over after work, you're more than welcome.”

“I'll call you if I do. I love you, too, by the way.”