The Hearts Series

  “Come back to mine tonight,” he breathed harshly.

  “Yes,” I said, my voice high as it mixed with my moans.

  He bit down on my shoulder. “Maybe we’ll stop by yours first, pick up those handcuffs.”

  A quick, unexpected laugh escaped me.

  “I can’t wait to put my mouth on your pussy,” Lee continued in a growl. “God, you’re clenching me so tight right now.”

  Man, when he didn’t go all Cockney, he was really good at dirty talk. His voice filled my ears, telling me all the naughty things he planned on doing to me. I was so wet right then, his cock pounding me hard. I lost the ability to think and fell into the sensation. Lee’s mouth went to my neck, sucking my skin as his movements sped up even more. He was going to leave a mark, but I couldn’t even summon the urge to care. I was sure my uniform would cover it at work.

  When he came, it was with a sharp, gravelly expletive, his teeth grazing me as his hips slowed and his warmth filled me. I sighed as my walls tightened around him and he pulled my body tight to his.

  “Love ya, Karla, always will,” he said as he finally caught his breath.

  “Love you, too,” I replied, turning my face and capturing his lips in a slow, tender kiss.

  Here’s what you need to know: We did go back for the handcuffs, and it was incredible. I was going to order a pair of furry ones online, because real cuffs hurt like a mother…especially when you couldn’t help straining against them.

  Aside from prying ourselves apart when we had to work, Lee and I were inseparable over the following week or two. When the day finally came for the opening of his restaurant, I made sure I had the night off to attend. Lee was putting on a big shindig, with free food and drinks to celebrate the grand opening.

  I wore a figure-hugging black dress with heels, and styled my hair in loose waves. Alexis even had her parents babysit Oliver for the night so she could come. My BFF never turned down free food, even if she had to drag herself away from her adorable newborn for a few hours. This was her first night out since giving birth, and I was glad she was getting the chance to let her hair down.

  Reya came, too, looking stunning in a dark blue dress that hugged her curvy form. She’d slotted herself right back into Trevor’s friend zone, but there was no reasoning with her. Trevor had an energetic sort of charm that could become addictive, especially for an introvert like Reya. She got to live vicariously through his extrovert behaviour. In any case, he and his group of traceurs had won their competition and were headed off to Thailand for a month of sightseeing and mountain climbing. Since the two of them had been spending so much time together, I wondered how she’d handle his absence.

  Lee had been at the restaurant all day, preparing for the party, so I hadn’t seen him since the night before. Arriving with my two friends, I saw him standing by the service window, a row of plates lined up before him as he okayed the dishes. He looked busy so I left him to it, accepting a glass of white wine from the waiter carrying around a tray.

  A little while later I excused myself to use the bathroom, and bumped into Liam on my way back out. He was sitting on the staircase, nursing a glass of whiskey. His eyes grew wary when he saw me, knocking back the last of his drink and slamming down the glass.

  “Not feeling the crowds?” I asked, hovering close by.

  “Big parties aren’t really my thing,” he said, and I took that as an invitation to sit down.

  “Yeah, mine neither.”

  I felt him looking at me curiously as we fell into a silence.

  “Lee seems happy these days,” said Liam after a time.

  “I like to hope he is.”

  Turning his body, his voice and face were serious as he said, “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you think I’d make a good copper?”

  He couldn’t have surprised me more if he’d asked if he’d make a good micro-pig farmer. My brow furrowed as I hurried to reply, “Oh, well, sure, I think you could be a good anything if you put your mind to it, Liam.”

  He turned away again, his gaze levelled on his hands. “That’s a pat answer, Karla. Give it to me straight. I want your honest opinion.”

  “Is this something you’ve been thinking about?” I asked. I was still trying to get my head around the fact that Liam was considering joining the police. I wasn’t an easy person to surprise, but this certainly took the biscuit.

  “I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t,” he said, his voice low and uncertain. It made me wonder if he felt insecure about opening up to me.

  “Liam, I think you’d make a fantastic policeman, and that’s the God’s honest truth. But you’ve got a record. You could find it difficult getting your application accepted.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said glumly.

  I studied him, my eyes tracing his handsome profile and short brown hair. Liam was the Cross brother I’d spent the least time with. But looking at him now, I was beginning to think he was the most self-serious, even though he was the youngest. I thought maybe he pushed himself harder to prove his worth to his older siblings.

  Nudging his shoulder with mine, I said, “I could help you, you know. Put a good word in. It can’t hurt matters. And if it doesn’t work, there’s always the army.”

  Liam shook his head. “Nah, the army’s not for me.”

  “So why the police?”

  He lifted a brow. “Honestly? It’s got a lot to do with all the stuff we used to be involved in.” He paused and sighed. “I just feel like stealing’s the only thing I’ve ever really been good at. It’s the thing I know best, but I can’t do it anymore. So I thought maybe I could switch it around, use all the stuff I know about thieving and be the prevention instead of the cause.” He glanced at me. “It’s stupid, I know.”

  I grasped his shoulder. “It’s not stupid, not at all. I actually think it’s very noble. Half the people I work with got into policing because it’s a government job with a steady paycheck, and those are the good ones. You don’t even want me to get started on the bad.”

  Liam seemed hopeful, and a little embarrassed at my compliment. “So you think I’ve got a chance?”

  “I do. And I’ll do everything I can to help.”

  A few minutes later, I crept up on Lee in the kitchen as he stood typing out a message on his phone. I slid my arms around his waist and squeezed tight.

  “Hey,” I murmured. “Everything going okay?”

  He let out a breath and twisted in my arms. “Yeah, we’ve run out of beer, though. I was just texting the supplier, seeing if he can get another delivery in before closing.”

  I nodded. “Fingers crossed he can. Hey, I was just talking to Liam.”

  Lee’s brow furrowed. “What did he say? He’s been a moody little sod the past few weeks. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

  “He told me he’s been thinking about joining the police,” I said, my words coming out in an excited rush.

  Lee shot me an arch look. “Is this a wind-up?”

  “Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are. But no, it’s not a wind-up. I think he’s been considering this for a while.”

  Lee still seemed sceptical, but he gave me a small smile anyway, his hands lowering to cup my arse as he whispered, “Maybe having you around’s been a good influence.”

  I pressed a kiss to his lips before drawing away. After all, there were half a dozen staff milling about, and PDAs weren’t my thing. I lifted a cracker spread with cream cheese smoked salmon off a tray and shoved it in my mouth. Lee gave me a playful smack on the bottom and told me to stop picking at his finger foods. Just as I rubbed away the sting, threatening to get him back, Liam walked into the kitchen.

  “Well, well, well, aren’t you full of surprises,” Lee announced loudly at the sight of his younger brother. “Thinking of joining the coppers. Our dear old granddad would be turning in his grave. You know mum’s old man was a black marketer back in the day.”
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  Liam shot me an exasperated look. “You didn’t have to run right off and tell him.”

  “What?” I said, already shoving another cracker into my mouth. “I was excited.”

  He sighed and turned to Lee. “And why the fuck would I give a shit about some old geezer I’ve never met?”

  “Because you’re making a change, cleaning up the Cross name,” Lee replied, slipping his arm around my waist and preventing me from eating any more of his finger foods. “Hey, who’d have thought the coppers’d be the new family business?”

  I grinned and stuck out my tongue. “You should be thanking me for the improvement. And I’m not family yet.”

  Lee barked a laugh. “Yet being the operative word. I’ll have a ring on that finger before the year is out.”

  I gaped at him but couldn’t help the smile that spread from ear to ear. “Shut up.”

  “Make me,” he purred, capturing my lips in another kiss.

  Liam groaned and left the kitchen, not wanting to witness any more of our smug coupledom.

  Lee stood across the street from the police station, his arms folded as he leaned against his parked car, waiting for me. I got a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy as I walked across to him and he pulled me into a hug, pressing a kiss to my temple. It was nice having a boyfriend to pick me up after a long day on the job.

  “Hey,” he said, pressing his face into my hair and inhaling deeply.

  “Ugh, please don’t smell me right now. I had to chase down a mugger earlier, and I stink.”

  “You smell amazing,” he countered huskily. “And you’re a sergeant now. Let the others do the grunt work….”

  “Ah, but you’ve gone straight. I have to find my excitement somewhere.”

  Lee chuckled and ran a thumb across my lower lip. “I’ll give you excitement, you cheeky little minx.”

  His laughter died when his attention snagged on something just behind us. I sensed my dad’s presence before I even turned around, my skin prickling when he said my name. “Karla.”

  I stepped out of Lee’s arms and turned to face him, his frown and thick, narrowed eyebrows signalling his disapproval. I didn’t necessarily need to be doing anything bad; he just disapproved of me in general.

  “Dad,” I said firmly as I stood up straight.

  He was studying Lee, his face stern with concentration as he tried to figure out how he knew him. Lee and my dad had had a small few run-ins over the years, plus Dad had pictures of him from the McGregor investigation. Still, Lee’s hair had grown out and he wore a trim, fitted shirt, a suit jacket, and slacks. He dressed like that on days when he was in business mode, so he didn’t look the way Dad was used to seeing him. I swear, it was crazy the things a suit could do to blind people. Though in this case Lee was a retired wolf in sheep’s clothing. Dad’s attention came back to me as he cleared his throat.

  “I heard you passed your sergeant’s exam,” he said.

  He wouldn’t be giving me any “congratulations” or “well done” hugs. God forbid he show some actual emotion. However, the fact that he’d approached me at all was out of character. Dad was the kind of man who waited for you to come to him; otherwise, he’d lose his sense of importance.

  “I did.”

  “At least now you won’t be in the trenches,” he said cynically.

  And there it was. I knew he couldn’t keep up the good behaviour for very long.

  A silence fell, and Lee slid his fingers into mine as a show of support. I didn’t really hate my dad, but I knew I didn’t love him, either. I felt a strange sort of disconnection, and it was kind of sad, but that’s how it would always be between us.

  Dad’s attention returned to Lee. “I supposed this is your young man.”

  “Very pleased to meet you, Superintendent Sheehan.” Lee smiled widely and reached forward to shake his hand. I could tell he was getting a real kick out of this.

  “Likewise,” said Dad. “Karla, it’d please your mother greatly if the two of you came for dinner this Sunday.”

  “Oh, sure,” I said, trying not to simultaneously stutter and choke on my own restrained laughter. “We’ll try our best to make it.” The fact that he didn’t recognise Lee was too hilarious for words. If Dad knew who he was really inviting over for dinner, he’d probably turn around and vomit all over his shiny brown leather shoes.

  “Good. I’ll let her know,” he said before tipping his hat to us and turning to walk away. Before he could complete the turn, he twisted back, eyes on Lee. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name.”

  “The name’s Lee. Lee Cross,” my boyfriend replied, and as soon as the words left his mouth, my dad’s eyes practically popped from their sockets.

  “Well,” I blurted. “We’re in a bit of a hurry, so we’d better go.”

  Tugging on Lee’s hand, I ushered him over to the car. We were already pulling away from the kerb when Dad finally came to his senses, his jaw firming and his expression darkening as he watched us drive away.

  “I’m sorry, but that was priceless,” said Lee, laughter bubbling out of him.

  “My poor dad,” I chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look both furious and confused at the same time.”

  “Serves him right, the old prick. Couldn’t even muster up a single congratulations for you. See the difference between him and me? I lift you up, he pushes you down. You don’t need that shit in your life.”

  God, I adored him. “No, you’re absolutely right. I don’t.”

  Lee shot me a tender smile and focused back on the road.

  “Hey, by the way, 007,” I said, poking him in the arm. “Don’t think I’m letting you away with that cheesy line. I’m telling everyone how you introduced yourself. And I mean everyone.”

  Lee gripped my thigh and gave it a firm squeeze, his other hand still on the steering wheel. “Do it, and I’ll withhold oral sex for a month.”

  I mock-gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

  “I most certainly would.”

  “Fine. I’ll keep your James Bond secret. Wouldn’t want to tarnish your rep, now, would I?” I teased him before continuing, “Anyway, I’m willing to bet the invitation to dinner at my parents will soon be rescinded.”

  “Yep.”

  “You could at least pretend to act disappointed.”

  “Nope.”

  I laughed. Seriously, there was no way I could love the man sitting beside me any more than I already did. Placing my hand over his, I rested my head on his shoulder and exhaled. I was happy in the moment but also looking forward to the future.

  And it felt good.

  Later that evening, I stood on the edge of a seven-foot wall in an old industrial estate near the docks. Lee was beside me, holding my hand. The other week I’d asked him to teach me the basics of free-running, and he’d thought I was joking. I wasn’t. Just because I was a sergeant didn’t mean my days of chasing down thieves were over, and who else better to teach me than one of the best?

  “Loosen up,” said Lee. “When we fall and hurt ourselves, it’s because our bodies go rigid when we panic. You ever see a cat break a leg? No, because they’re all loose and springy. Pretend you’re a cat.”

  I resisted the urge to meow. “Okay, I’m a cat.”

  “Just so you know, the first time I tried a jump like this, I sprained my ankle.”

  “I can deal with a sprained ankle.”

  “Liam broke his leg once. And Stu nearly shattered his knee when he didn’t warm up properly.”

  “Are you trying to freak me out? Because if you are, it’s working.”

  Lee’s fingers squeezed mine. “I just want you to be aware that this won’t be easy. You’re gonna have bruises and sprains. Shit, you’ll ache in places you never knew existed before.”

  I firmed my mouth and narrowed my gaze. “You’re trying to put me off.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he replied simply, affection bright in his eyes.

  I leaned over to kiss h
is cheek, my voice turning unexpectedly soft. “Everything good hurts first. If we hadn’t soldiered on, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  His expression shone with love, but he stayed silent, smiling at me tenderly before finally whispering, “No, we wouldn’t. You ready?”

  “Yes.” No.

  “Just relax. I won’t let go of your hand.”

  Staring at the ground, I leapt at the same time Lee did, the air whooshing past my ears as my heart pounded in an exhilarating rush. Our feet landed simultaneously, and I crouched low just like he’d instructed me to do. And, like he promised, he didn’t let go of my hand.

  Glossary of Terms

  Nick: Steal

  You’re nicked: You’re under arrest

  The nick: The police station

  Old Bill: Police

  Bruv: Bro/Brother

  Trainers: Sneakers

  DI: Detective Inspector

  ARV: Armed response vehicle

  NCA: National Crime Agency

  Ringer: A car made from stolen parts, or one with a swapped licence plate.

  Tooled up: Carrying a weapon

  Numpty: Idiot

  Bent: Corrupt

  Quid: Pounds (£)

  Boozer: Pub/Bar

  Mug: Fool/Face

  Smarmy: Smug

  Barnet: Hair

  Epilogue

  2 years later. HM Prison Belmarsh, London.

  Lee

  Hands on the steering wheel. Gear stick in neutral. Heart lodged firmly in my fucking throat.

  I’ve been waiting at her good Majesty’s prison for the last half an hour. Any minute now my brother will walk out those gates and finally be a free man. After serving two years of a seven-year sentence that should’ve had my name on it, he’s finally going to walk. I’m not angry. Not anymore. But I’m not grateful, either. Life’s too short to go around acting like you owe people. Stu did for me what I would’ve done for him. It was simple. We were brothers.

  We still are, but recently it hasn’t felt like it.

  For the last three months, he’s refused to take my visits. I haven’t had a single phone call, letter, or smoke signal, and I’m beginning to get worried. Fuck it, that’s a lie. I was worried long before now, but I have it on good authority that Stu’s alive and in perfect health, so why the hell has he cut off communication?