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Turning into Sherrie’s driveway, Tony was disappointed to see that her car was not there yet. Amazed at how quickly she had acclimated into his life, he could not wait to see her. And if our after-dinner plans turn out the way I think they will, then ? —

His cell rang and he grabbed it out of his pocket on his way toward the front door hoping it would be her. Seeing Matt , he connected, although disappointed.

“Tony, you gotta get to the hospital. Richmond General. Sherrie’s here. She was attacked.”

He felt his legs go weak, stumbling as he turned and ran back down the front steps. Oh, Jesus. Not again. Twenty heart-wrenching minutes later, he pounded through the doors to the ER and was met by Matt. Vinny, Gabe and Jennifer came in right after him.

“Where is she?” he bit out.

“She’s back here. I’ll fill you in as we go.”

Matt told him about the call to 911 and what he knew so far.

“What the hell was she doing there anyway?” Tony asked.

“She said she was trying to check out some of the businesses that her CASA child’s stepfather owns.”

As they arrived at the ER room, the doctor was just coming out. Assuming Tony was another policeman, the doctor reported the extent of her injuries. “She has a pulled shoulder that we’ve given her a sling to keep immobile, as well as some bruising around the face where her assailant held his hand over her mouth.”

His knees weak again, Tony barely noticed when Gabe and Vinny moved to either side of him. “Can I see her?”

“I don’t think she’s up for any questioning now that she is on pain meds. She’ll be ready to check out soon, once someone comes to take her home.” With that the doctor moved back down the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Tony strode into the ER bay, then halted as soon as his gaze landed on his woman in the bed. Faint bruises were around her mouth and nose and her arm was in a sling. Her eyes were shut but the purple shadows were evident. A strangled sound came from his mouth, causing her eyes to jerk open.

A sloppy grin split her face as she greeted him. “Tony? Dish you come fer me? Ooooh, you brought some friensh?” she said, looking past him at Jennifer and the other men.

Crossing the room, Tony leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead, saying, “Yeah, I came for you, baby. What the hell happened?”

Her large blue eyes teared as she tried to focus on his face. “You’re mad at me,” she wailed.

“Tony,” Jennifer admonished, moving close to her friend. Grabbing Sherrie’s hand, she leaned down and said, “Oh, honey, he’s not mad. He’s just scared for you.”

Sherrie’s tears dried up as quickly as they had come, replaced by the sloppy smile once more. Looking up at Tony, she pulled his head closer and tried to whisper, “You gonna spring me from thish joint?”

He rolled his eyes as the others behind him tried to hide their smiles.

“She like this when she’s drunk?” Vinny asked, as Jennifer shooed the men out of the room so that she could help Sherrie dress.

While outside, Matt showed Tony the report as he had it. “She was in a lot of pain when she came in and we didn’t get a lot. Shane and I’ll come by tomorrow to get the rest of her statement, if that’s okay.”

Tony nodded and gave them Sherrie’s address. Saying goodbye to his friends, he went back in to take her home. With some difficulty, he managed to get her to lay in the back seat while he drove them to her house. Picking her up carefully, he carried her inside and up the stairs to the bedroom without her waking. Laying her down on the bed, he quickly stripped her skirt and shoes off, sliding soft flannel pajama bottoms on. Pulling the covers up, he made sure she looked comfortable before going back downstairs to secure the house.

Coming back out of the bathroom, he stood over the bed and watched her sleep in a blissful, drug-induced slumber. Rubbing his hand over his face, he tried to still the pounding of his heart. What did she stumble into? She wasn’t robbed. Was she about to come across a crime scene and was warned off? That part of town isn’t great, but it’s not too bad either.

His hand squeezed the back of his neck as a tension headache built. Forcing himself to breathe deeply, he slid under the covers on the side away from her injured shoulder. Grateful that she was not hurt worse than she was, he vowed to find whoever threatened his woman. No one does this and gets away with it.

She moaned in her sleep and he repositioned himself to try to make her as comfortable as possible. Knowing sleep would be impossible, he nonetheless wrapped himself around her, protecting her as much as he could, even if for tonight it was just in her dreams.

* * *

“Guys, I know I’m no help, but honestly I didn’t see anything,” Sherrie said, leaning back on the sofa with Tony’s arm draped around her. Wearing pink pajamas and a pink flannel robe, she felt self-conscious. But Tony had insisted she be ready for bed as soon as the group meeting was over. She fingered her sling, feeling useless and angry at herself for being a victim.

Shane, taking notes, just nodded as he prodded, “Anything you give us, even tiny details, can help.”

Sucking in a deep breath through her nose and letting it out slowly to clear her mind, she agreed. Tony had wanted her to take more pain medicine this morning when they woke up, but knowing that their friends were coming she had refused. At least until she could give her statement.

Matt and Shane were there officially, but had been joined by the Alvarez inner circle of BJ, Lily, Gabe, Jobe, and Vinny. Sherrie looked around, thinking how far her life had come in the past year. From being virtually alone to having good friends who cared…she sat up straighter, determined to give a good accounting of herself.

“When I visited Betina at her stepfather’s store…actually I need to make sure to call him Mr. Valesquez because he’s not her legal stepfather. When I visited Mr. Valesquez’s store, everything seemed fine, although I got a strange vibe from everyone. As though they didn’t want me there.”

“Since you actually represent the court system as her CASA worker, do you think that vibe was just a distrust of your position?” Matt asked.

“Maybe,” she said slowly, “but…you know when you just get a weird feeling about something? That was how I felt.” Looking around, she admitted, “I guess that’s sounds very flimsy, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all. Those feelings of instinct are what make a good detective,” Shane added. “So what gave you some of those feelings? What did you see? You can even just list things, if that makes it easier.”

Sherrie closed her eyes and let her mind drift back to the previous day. “I noticed that a lot of the workers there were teens and some looked to be young teens. I noticed that some kids from Betina’s school that she had said could get some food at the store, were there talking to Mr. Valesquez and he was giving them bags. I noticed that the ones running the butcher shop carvers were young boys, not men. I noticed that no one smiled at me. One of the women that was there would stare, but then when I would turn toward her, she would dart her eyes away.” Opening her eyes, Sherrie blushed, saying, “I guess that’s not much to go on, but when I left, I decided to drive by a couple of other businesses that he runs.”

“Why?” Matt said, still jotting on his pad.

“I…it’s just that…Betina doesn’t seem happy. Not at home and not at work. Her teachers say that she is smart and artistic, and that while she is quiet, she also befriends the loners. I just wanted to know more about her and since Mr. Valesquez is a big part of her life since he lives with her mother, I wanted to know more about him.”

After describing the encounter and threat in detail one more time, she was showing more signs of exhaustion.

“So you don’t trust Valesquez, right?” Vinny asked, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees.

“I really don’t. After years of dealing with the kind of people Charisse was involved with, I developed a sense about who might be untrustworthy. So I wanted to see if his other businesses hired a lot of teens and what those businesses looked like.” She leaned back into Tony’s embrace.

Before Tony could comfort her, she jerked forward again, wincing at the pain in her shoulder but ignoring it.

“I’ve seen the underbelly of this city. I’ve been there. I may have been in a normal family at birth but once my parents died, I knew what it was like to be at the mercy of others. Some great foster families and some not so great. I know what it’s like to do anything and everything you can to keep peace in a family that you don’t really belong to. I know what it’s like to go into alleys, bars, or cheap motels to drag out my drunk, high sister out of trouble. And I’ve looked into the eyes of the ones that were pulling her under. I worked as a waitress in a strip bar, dealing with scum. I can look at someone and tell if they are lying, cheating, or just plain mean. And I’ve seen evil, even when it is hiding under layers of normal.”

The group watched, mesmerized, as her chest heaved with exertion and her face a mask of pain. Reaching around to try to ease her shoulder, she slumped as the fight went out of her. “I can’t give you a viable reason as to why I don’t trust Hernando Valesquez, but I don’t.”

“Darlin’, that’s enough for me. I trust your instincts,” Shane added, as Matt flipped his notebook shut.

Lily, quiet during the questioning spoke up, “BJ and I’ll start a background check on him and his businesses and see what we can dig up.”

Matt winked at his wife as the meeting broke up. Leaving Sherrie comfortably reclined on the sofa, Tony walked the group outside.

“We’ll push the party back a week and give her a chance to heal more,” he said. The others quickly agreed and promised to come. “I want to thank you all,” he said haltingly, the emotion of having caring friends overtaking him. How many times have I sat at meetings just like this when one of their women was threatened, without realizing how overwhelmed they were? He rubbed his hand over his jaw, feeling the stubble, before pulling his hand through his dark hair, making the waves stick up.

The men nodded, understanding the emotions behind the words, and knowing he had been there for them.

Matt and Shane left in their vehicle, leaving Tony with his crew.Jennifer slid her arms around him, hugging him while Gabe clapped him on the back. “You know we’re here for you and Sherrie. You need us, just call.”

Jobe moved in next. “Captain, we got your back, and I mean both of you.” Turning toward his truck, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Tony, no one deserves that good woman more than you. Happy for you, man.”

Tony just nodded, not trusting his voice. His gaze wandered over to Vinny, the only one left in the driveway.

Vinny pulled him in for a man-hug complete with slaps on the back before admitting, “Never thought you’d fall in love again, Tony. Not that I didn’t want you happy, ‘cause I did. But seeing you with Sherrie…well, you both deserve to be happy with each other.”

Tony chuckled, saying, “Don’t tell me the great Vincent is going to break hearts all over Richmond by looking for love?”

Throwing his blond head back, Vinny laughed. “You got no worries on that score, boss. There is still plenty of Vinny to go around. Haven’t found the woman yet who can make me want to give up my ways.” With that parting shot he left as well, leaving Tony standing in the driveway.

As he turned to head back into the house, a voice came from behind.

“Lot of activity goin’ on over here.”

Tony saw Bernard walking over from his yard. “Yes, sir. Sherrie had a little accident and our friends were just checking on her.”

Bernard’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “She okay? You all need anything?”

Tony smiled at the older man’s concern. “Nah, we’re good.” He started to move back toward the porch steps, then called to Bernard’s retreating back. “Bernard?” The older neighbor turned back around. “If you don’t mind, keep an eye on Sherrie’s place here. I don’t expect anything, but just in case.”

Bernard smiled and admitted, “Always do, son. I always do.”

Tony acknowledged with a nod and jogged back into the living room. Sherrie had slid sideways on the sofa, her pain medication finally taking effect. He picked her up carefully, carrying her up the stairs to her bed. Laying her down gently, he once again pulled the covers over her. Stepping back, he finally allowed the emotions of the past twelve hours to sink in. Too close. I was too fuckin’ close to losing her. That’s not happening, he vowed. Whether she was in the wrong place at the wrong time or someone specifically after her. Not happening.

* * *

The next day, Sherrie had had enough of lying around and was glad when Tony went to work, even if he had declared that he was coming home early. Running the tub full of bubbles, she sank into the warm, scented water and tried to take her mind off the past day’s events.

But the pull of her assault was too strong as she became pissed again. Focus, Sherrie. Focus. Was there anything that tied it to Valesquez?

No. The man didn’t mention Betina, or Valesquez, or anyone. Could I have just stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time?

Determined to take her mind off her trauma, she popped in her ear buds and finally allowed the soft music to soothe her soul as the warm water soothed her body.

* * *

That morning, Tony asked Lily and BJ what they had found on Hernando Valesquez.

Lily’s face openly showed her defeat as BJ growled, “So far nothing. He runs an ethnic grocery store, a convenience store a few blocks away, and has three laundry businesses. He pays his taxes, none of his employees have ever filed a complaint, and his bank accounts look like they have the normal deposits that you would expect to find with his businesses.”

Lily continued, “The businesses are all very successful, but that doesn’t show criminal activity either.”

“Do you think that this might not be connected to him at all?” Vinny asked.

Tony sighed, the effects of two nights with little sleep starting to show. “I don’t know. I don’t want to assume that Sherrie has gotten herself unwittingly in the middle of something but, sure as hell don’t want to ignore her instincts.”

“We’ll keep after it, boss,” Lily vowed.

The meeting quickly ended after the assignments were handed out and Tony headed back to his office. He finished a few items that needed attention before driving back to Sherrie’s. She was determined to get through the day without pain medication and he wanted to make sure she was all right.

Letting himself into the house, he called out but received no answer. She must be asleep. Heading up the stairs, he found her in the bathtub, soaking in bubbles with headphones on. The memory of weeks earlier in the cabin when he saw her just like this washed over him. His dick jumped at the sight of her naked body, breasts peeking through the bubbles.

She opened her eyes and her smile lit his world.

Pulling the earbuds out, she softly called, “Hey, sweetie.”

He walked over and knelt by the tub. The bruising around her mouth was faint, but the idea of some man with his hands on her nearly choked him with anger. Tamping down the fury, he forced his voice to sound as normal as possible. “You ready to get out, baby? I’ll help you.”

Placing his hands under her carefully, he stood pulling her warm, wet, naked body from the tub. Trying to tell his aching cock to behave, he placed her gently on the floor being careful of her shoulder as he wrapped her in a huge towel.

She glanced down at his crotch before lifting her gaze back to his. “Got something for me, sailor?” she joked.

“Baby, don’t get any ideas. You’re not ready for anything strenuous and you know it,” he admonished.

Pouting, she whined, “Sweetie, I can just lay there and you can do whatever you want. I don’t have to do anything to hurt my shoulder. And Tony…” she purred as her hand reached out to press against his swollen cock. “It would take my mind off of things.”

“Sherrie…” he growled, but before he could object, she dropped the towel, presenting herself to him.

His breath caught in his chest, staring at her beauty. Her long, blonde hair was piled into a messy knot at the top of her head but, with a quick jerk on the clip, it tumbled down. Her breasts were full and the rosy nipples peeked between the blonde strands of hair. How can someone so short have such long legs? Her body was toned, with a perfect hourglass shape. His fingers clasped into a fist as he held onto his control by a thread.

She lifted her uninjured arm, placing her hand on his chest…right over his heart. “Tony,” she whispered. “I need you.”

That was all she had to say to break his control into a thousand pieces. Sweeping her into his strong arms once again, he stalked into the bedroom laying her gently on the comforter. Her naked body, still glistening with a few water droplets, captured his gaze.

Bending quickly, he pulled one nipple deeply into his mouth, teasing the rosy bud until it was tight with need. His fingers found the other one, tugging until it stood taut as the first. His lips found it as well, and he spent several minutes feasting on her breasts.

Her fingers moved through his hair, pulling him closer. When her shoulder gave a twinge of pain she tried to hide it, but was unsuccessful. He moved off of her but she quickly objected.

“I’ll lay here keeping my left arm still, I promise. Just please, don’t stop Tony. I couldn’t bear it if you did.”

“Woman, you make me go against everything I should be doing right now.”

“Don’t think. Just do,” she cried, her need pulsing through her core.

Rising from the bed, he gently lifted her, placing her feet on the floor. She looked at him, but he silenced her unspoken question with a kiss.

Turning her so that she was facing the bed, he gently placed his hand on the middle of her back, saying, “Bend over baby. Put your good hand on the bed and I’ll do the rest of the supporting.”

Holding her carefully by the hips he entered her from behind, careful to move slowly. His erection pushed against every inner muscle feeling them grab and clutch. Shit, I gotta keep this slow and controlled. Years in the Special Forces had taught him control and he reached down deep inside to maintain that control as his body fought to pound into her tight sex.

Slowly, torturously, he moved in and out, both feeling every inch of their body’s connection. Looking down to make sure her injured arm was protected, he kept his strong arms around her to keep her from bearing too much weight on her good arm.

In just a few moments, he felt her inner muscles begin to clamp down on his aching dick as she panted, “Tony, I…need…”

Still holding her with one hand, he moved his other hand to her clit, swollen with need. Fingering it slightly, teasing it before giving it a pinch, she threw her head back, screaming his name.

That was all it took to throw him over the edge as well, his orgasm ripping from his body as he felt the tingles all the way down to his toes. Pumping until every last drop was gone, he continued to hold her sated, limp body as he pulled out reluctantly.

Carrying her to the bathroom, he cleaned between her legs with a warm washcloth. Fitting her sling over her arm again, he helped her dress before they moved downstairs. The tantalizing smell of Chinese food greeted her as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.

“Hmm, what did you bring?” she asked excitedly.

“Didn’t figure either of us felt like cooking so I brought sesame chicken and fried rice.”

Looking into the bag, she exclaimed, “Crab rangoons and spring rolls too. I love you!”

Laughing, he kissed her forehead before reaching for the plates. “Hell, if I’d known that was all it took to get you to love me, I’d have brought you Chinese a long time ago.”

Stopping him with a hand on his arm, she looked into his eyes, a soft smile on her face and said, “All I need is you.”

Dropping the food back to the counter, he took her face in his large hands kissing her once more. “Same here, babe. All I need is you.”

* * *

Hernando Valesquez sat in his small grocery office, listening to the man babble on the other end of the phone. He could not believe the fucking moron had threatened Ms. Mullins. The last thing he needed was for the police to start poking around his businesses. He had worked hard to make sure they were legitimate. Rubbing his hand over his face, he knew what he had to do. Get rid of the mistake and report to his superiors. Getting rid of the mistake would be easy. Telling his superiors? That would take some finesse, but if the man was taken out first…then it would make the news easier to explain.

Cutting off the babbling, he kept his voice steady and even. Setting up a meeting behind a local bar, giving the excuse of needing to talk where no one was around, was the bait. Hanging up his cell, he headed out into the night to catch the rat.

Slipping into the alley early, he waited behind the dumpsters. He did not have to wait long. The punk who had taken it upon himself to go after Ms. Mullins after seeing her outside the laundry was walking down the alley. Why she was there was something that he intended to get Betina to find out tomorrow. But for now?

With a quick movement, the man’s neck was slit. Fast, without a squeak from the victim. Tossing the body forward so that none of the blood touched him. Eyeing the security cameras, he smiled. He was outside their viewing perimeters.

Slipping back through the night, he grinned to himself. He had not worked his way up to be a successful businessman to allow anyone to threaten that.

Now, to keep Ms. Mullins from suspecting him. The smile left his face. That may take more thought.

The next morning, he walked into Quentin’s office, glancing around nervously. Quentin looked up, coal-black eyes boring into him. Hernando licked his lips nervously, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

“You seen coming here?”

“No, no. I came in the back way. No one saw me. No one at all,” Hernando babbled, but Quentin had already looked back down at some papers on his desk.

Unsure if he should talk, Hernando stood shifting from one foot to the other.

“You got something to say, then say it. Otherwise, get the fuck out of my office.” Before Hernando could begin speaking, Quentin interrupted, “And, I don’t want any fucking bad news.”

“No, no. It’s all good. The idiot that tried to assault the court worker has been taken care of. I did it myself.”

Quentin’s gaze looked at him steadily. Unblinking. “Any blowback?”

“Oh no, sir. No blowback. She’s got no idea who threatened her and he’ll never talk,” Hernando chuckled, his eyes imploring Quentin to share the joke with him. Silence was all that greeted him.

“What about the court worker?” Quentin asked. “She gonna be a problem?”

“I’m keeping an eye on her and I’ll make sure she’s no worry to you or me. It’ll all be good. You’ve got my word on that.”

Quentin quirked an eyebrow as he continued to stare. “Your word? What the fuck makes you think that your word is worth anything?”

“I’ve never done you wrong, sir. That ought to count for something,” Hernando protested.

Nodding, Quentin agreed. “So far, you’re right. Make sure you keep it up. I want to know the instant that court bitch is a problem.”

“Yes, sir,” Hernando said, turning to hurry out of the room. Taking a deep breath, he willed his nervousness to go away. Sucking in another deep breath, he walked out of the front door of the building before realizing that he parked on the back block. “Damn,” he muttered. “Gotta walk around.”

* * *

Terrance called into Tony’s office. “Chief, been watching Quentin’s building and I’m seeing some people come out that never went in and others go in that don’t come out. You think there’s some other entrance?”

Tony immediately called BJ and asked him to pull up the floor plans to the old building. Thanking Terrance, he headed out to the main room to see what BJ could find.

“This block of old buildings have been around for a long time, but it looks like they may have some connections underground.”

Several of the others gathered around, watching the screen. BJ showed underground connections between several of the buildings in a two-block area. Lily walked over, having quickly pulled up more information. “The buildings didn’t have large passageways but did have tunnels large enough for men to install and work on the water and steam pipes, so they’re plenty big enough for a man to walk through.”

BJ confirmed, “Yeah, it looks like there are possible tunnels between the building where Quentin’s office is located, the old apartment buildings down the street and then the club in the back.”

Tony called Shane, reporting what they had found. While he was on the phone, the others traced the path of the tunnels to see what else they may be connected to, before looking up when Tony approached them again.

“Police can’t get a search warrant without probable cause, so…looks like we may have a black op mission,” Tony announced with a grin.

The whoops sounded as Gabe, Jobe, and Vinny broke out in shouting and fist bumping. Lily rolled her eyes, as BJ smiled knowing he would be able to be on his first clandestine assignment. Tony headed to the conference area saying, “Let’s go. We’ve got planning to do.”

* * *

Dressed in skin-tight, black, long-sleeved shirts and black cargo pants, the men slipped out of the van heading toward their destination. Terrance, as driver, and BJ, as computer expert, stayed in the van making sure everything from their end would go like clockwork.

Tony, Gabe, Vinny, and Jobe moved silently down the alley two blocks over from Quentin’s building. The dark, rainy night provided the best cover, keeping most people indoors, while these men barely noticed the rain.

Making their way into one of the buildings, they quickly found the entrance leading down to the steam tunnels. The tunnel initially appeared unused for many years but, as they made their way toward their destination, the evidence of use was easily seen.

Coming to Quentin’s building, they easily determined which set of stairs went to his office area. Gabe secured a small camera, checking with BJ to make sure it was operational. Moving along, following the tunnel map that Lily had discovered, they made their way to the entrance of the strip club that the police were watching.

Giving a curt nod, Tony motioned for Vinny to secure another camera at that junction. Noticing the next turn of the tunnel, he wanted to see where it led as well, since it was apparent that it was being used.

Within several hundred feet, they came to several run-down apartment buildings with two entrances to the steam tunnels. This time, Jobe secured the camera, before he and Tony re-traced their steps. Picking up Vinny and then making their way back to Gabe, the four men exited the tunnels as stealthily as they had entered.

Within minutes the six men were heading back to the agency building. Vinny looked over, asking, “What do you think, Tony?”

“Quentin’s definitely using the tunnels to move some people around. Could be people he doesn’t want coming in his front door. Could be his way of keeping his involvement in the club secret since his name isn’t actually on the ownership papers. The apartment building has me concerned. Don’t know why that part of the tunnel appears to be used.”

“When we get back, I’ll patch these three cameras into the main feed and add them to the bank of cameras for the surveillance crews.”

Terrance chuckled, adding, “Looks like I just got more to watch.” The others grinned, having put their own time in front of the bank of cameras. Tony always started new hires, even licensed Private Investigators, in the surveillance room. It was a good lesson in weeding out the ones just looking for glory jobs and gave everyone a chance to share in the duties.

Pulling into the underground garage, the men piled out, securing the van and the equipment. BJ immediately went in to set up the camera feeds while Tony called Shane, letting him know of their success.

Driving home in the early hours of the morning, he looked forward to just that—driving home. For years after calling the Army home, he had simply driven to his empty apartment, stripped and gone to bed. Now there was someone, in a little blue Victorian house, waiting for him. She had asked if he wanted to stay. “It seems silly for you to keep paying rent on an impersonal apartment when you are here most of the time.” Chuckling to himself, he realized that he never thought he would be living in what looked like a life-sized doll house. Turning into the driveway, he parked but stayed in the vehicle staring at the vision in front of him. Yeah, he thought, warmth flooding through him. This is home.