Four
Those two syllables make me smile so hard that my face hurts. And before I can think better of it, I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers. A soft moan leaves her and I almost part her lips with my tongue, but now is not the place for that. Instead, I pull back very slowly and watch with a great deal of delight as her eyes flutter open and lock with mine again.
“Damn you,” she breathes.
“What’s wrong?” I smirk.
“You know damn well what’s wrong,” she says as she lifts her chin. “You’re not playing fair.”
“I never agreed to.”
The sexual tension between us at this moment could be cut with a knife. Before I react again, her partner walks in.
“Lorna, you good?”
“Yeah,” she nods while she keeps looking at me. “I’m good.”
“Better than good if you ask me,” I whisper.
She smirks and moves to sit up. I help her and she allows it. Then Malcolm gives her the bad news.
“We’ve got another call and I think it’s related to the last one.”
Hearing this, I get on my radio and ask for confirmation. When I have it, I help Lorna off the bed and do what’s necessary.
“I’ll ride with you.”
“Why?” Lorna asks.
Jesus, the woman was just shot at a scene and she’s questioning why I want to accompany them to a similar one?
“Hardheaded much?” I ask her as I grip her elbow and lead her out.
“The ambulance will be awful damn cramped with you in there.”
“It wasn’t earlier,” I grin.
“Because my partner wasn’t in there and since you don’t have his medical training that actually broke protocol and I’m probably going to be reprimanded for it.”
“If that does happen, I’ll make a few phone calls,” I tell her. “The best thing at that scene was to get everyone out of there as quickly as possible and in one piece.”
She grimaces at this but doesn’t continue to argue. In less than a minute, I’m in the back of their ambulance. The driver pulls out and they reset the area. When that’s done, her partner reaches out a hand to me. I smile and take it.
“Malcolm Rogers,” he nods.
“Pitbull Hughes.”
“Pitbull? Did your mother not want you or something?” he chuckles.
“No,” I laugh. “All of us Hughes siblings have nicknames.”
“How many do you have?” Lorna asks.
“Three pain in the ass little brothers.”
“Ah,” she smiles. “I’m sure they learned that from their big brother.”
“Cute,” I nod.
“So, what are your brothers’ nicknames?” Malcolm asks.
“Chaos, Snake, and Tank.”
“You all sound like a bunch of hoodlums,” Lorna smirks.
“Maybe you can find out one day,” I tell her.
She wasn’t expecting that. Her shock is quickly curbed by the delicate arch of her eyebrow. Malcolm just chuckles and props his feet up on the stretcher. Lorna never looks away from me, though. And I find that I enjoy having her eyes on me. Until I can have more of her on me. As wicked images of the two of us together bombard my imagination, I get a phone call. When I look at my screen, I see that it’s my supervisor.
“Pitbull,” I answer.
“What’s your twenty?”
“I’m heading to another scene with the paramedics.”
“Which ones?” he snaps.
“The first ones that arrived on the last scene.”
“Shit,” he hisses. “How is the woman who took a hit?”
“She’s fine,” I tell him tightly. “Her vest did its job.”
“That’s good, but I’ve got some bad news for her.”
Lorna’s brow is furrowed now that she knows I’m talking about her. And I hate asking for the bad news concerning her even more.
“What?”
“Apparently, the victim she rendered aid to is the kingpin in the gang Diamond is trying to take down,” he sighs. “If he lives, Diamond is going to put a hit out on her.”
My entire body goes cold. Rage pulses through me at the thought of those bastards coming after her. And I make a quick decision.
“I’ll take her into protective custody right now,” I tell him. “Tell me which location to use and have a car waiting for me at the next scene.”
“She’s going to be exposed at that scene,” he reminds me. “And if Diamond is there, he might take another shot at her.”
“I’ll figure something out,” I tell him.
“10-4. You’ll have a location in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, sir.”
No sooner do I end the call, my fiery Lorna is leaning forward with her fists balled on her thighs. And I cannot wait to spar with her on this.
“What the fuck are you talking about protective custody?” she snaps. “I’ve got a fucking job to do.”
“If you step out of this ambulance at the next scene, there’s a chance you’re going to take another bullet and this one probably won’t be aimed at your vest.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” she says firmly.
If I wasn’t already gone for her, I would be now. But I promised to protect her, and I intend to do just that. No matter how much it pisses her off.
“The man whose life you probably saved earlier is the rival kingpin to the one we’re trying to take down. And if he does indeed survive, you’ll have a hit on you. And those motherfuckers won’t stop until you’re good and dead. So, I’m going to take you into protective custody until we can take him out first.”