Thirteen (Love by Numbers Book 4) (24 page)

I feel desired.

I feel alive.

I feel whole.

It’s time to show some of the strength that Harry sees in me. It’s time to be the woman I’ve always aspired to be and not the weakling that hides behind acts of rebellion that never meant anything at all.

I’ve faked my sass. I made everyone believe I didn’t care, that I was indestructible.

Then I let one weak man break me.

All that stops. Today.

“I can hear you thinking from here. Turn that beautiful brain off and come canoodle with me some more.” Harry’s gruff, sleep thickened voice rumbles behind me, sending shivers over my heated skin and tingles erupt low in my belly.

“Did you just say canoodle? Are we geriatrics now?” My voice is just as thick as his, only mine is more lust-addled than sleep, feeling his morning glory poking into my arse cheek as he lifts his hips forward to get even closer.

“Does that feel like the Davidson of a geriatric?”

I can’t help it, I giggle and push my arse back to grind against him. “No. No, that does not feel old and wrinkled, and it seems like it wants to do more than canoodle.”

He groans and manoeuvres himself perfectly so his next thrust settles his hardness between my legs and slides against my bareness. If I just lifted my leg a little, I could let the next tilt of hips glide deep inside.

I let out a long, audible groan and not one of desire. “Stop. As good as you feel and as much as I want to, we have to stop. I’ve only got an hour before I’m due at the police station. I have to get ready.” I make no attempt to move, and he leisurely pulls back and slides against me once more.

“We’ve…”
he exhales against my neck before gliding back and hitting the spot that makes my legs tremble.

“We’ve what?” I ask on a breathy moan.

“We’ve only got an hour until we have to leave. You’re not doing this alone, Lils. I’ll be there.”

I still and moments later Harry lays me flat on my back, then rolls over on top of me. His weight there feels… right.

“This isn’t your mess, Harry. I don’t want you caught up in my shit.”

His grey eyes lock on mine as he tucks some errant hairs behind my ear.

“I’m caught up in
you,
Lils. So don’t push me away, not after last night.”

“Okay.” The word is barely whispered, but I know I’m agreeing to more than him just coming to the station with me. I’m agreeing to more of him,
more of us.

His handsome face breaks into a glorious smile; one I can’t help but return.

“Stop encouraging me to canoodle with you, Bunny Girl. We don’t have time for any more of your dirty shenanigans.” With a swift smack to my arse, he jumps from the bed. He moves Ally-tastic so she rests right next to me, then leans down to place a sweet kiss on my lips.

“I’ll shower in Nate’s room; you can use mine.”

I attempt to deepen the kiss.

“Nuh-uh, stop trying to tempt me, you vixen. This is why I’m showering in the other room. One night with me and now you’re insatiable.” He grins against my lips, letting his teasing words flow right into my mouth.

“Get lost and go shower, or you may find this vixen turning into a bloodthirsty, cock hungry, vamp.”

His whole body shivers, “God I love it when you talk dirty to me. Say cock again.”

I smack him across the arm and wiggle out of his grasp. “Go and shower, Harry David Brown. Then when you’re done, make your girl a nice, hot,
wet …
cup of coffee. I need caffeine, pronto.”

He chuckles, nips my lips once more and mumbles something that sounds like, “Oh, I’ll make you wet…” before heading out of the room.

If possible, I grin even more. My smile carries me into the large ensuite shower room and then the magnitude of what I have to do today hits me.

Today I’ll spill secrets I’m not supposed to know, and I’ll make sure the man I once thought I loved, pays for what he did to my sister.

L
ess than an hour later we arrive at the police station, having been escorted there by the two officers that are still monitoring Harry’s building.

The only information I manage to pry out of them on the journey over is that Wayne has yet to be found and my sister and parents are meeting us there.

“Are you ready for this?” Harry’s voice snaps my attention back to him as we pull up outside the station. He hasn’t let go of my hand the entire journey, and I squeeze it tight, drawing strength from his presence.

“As I’ll ever be.” I offer him a nervous smile, and he instantly sees through my façade.

“I won’t let him hurt you again.”

I take in a deep breath, not knowing if the words I’m about to say will hurt him. “I need to be the one to do that. It’s down to me not to let him hurt me again, and as much as I love your support, this is still my fight.”

He abruptly lets go of my hand and nervously rakes his fingers through his hair.

“I… umm, made a call while you were in the shower. Please don’t be mad at me, I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries but I wanted to help, and I swear I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Tell who? Who did you call?”

His eyes search my face, “Jake. I called Jake. He’s sent one of his legal team over to meet us.”

Woah
. Hold your horses.

He’s called his superstar best mate and told him about my sordid past, shared with him all the awful things that have happened in the last twenty-four hours.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Harry. This is nobody else’s business. I don’t appreciate you airing my dirty laundry to your mates, even in the name of help. I don’t need it and I don’t want it.” My words are filled with ice, and I see the physical effect they have when Harry blanches.

Before I can take them back, my door is opened by one of the officers and I all but tumble from the car in my rush to get out.

“Miss Tremere.” A well-dressed suit approaches with his hand outstretched. “Marcus Meade, I’m here to represent you today, and I’ve arranged a private interview room for us to chat before you give your statement. It’ll give me a chance to get up to speed on your case.”

I look from his hand back up to his face. I can’t afford this bloke; he looks like he’s just stepped out of the law version of GQ magazine. I bet his shoes cost more than the monthly rent on my apartment.

“Thanks for coming, Mr Meade, but I’m afraid I’m not looking for representation. Sorry to have wasted your time.”

He drops his hand, but his smile doesn’t falter. “Jake said he had a feeling you’d refuse and thought H might spring this on you. He told me to tell you to think of me as a gift, one that you can’t refuse and is non-refundable.”

Harry walks up beside me and tilts his chin in greeting, “Marcus.”

I look from Marcus to Harry and back again, about to let the feisty Delilah refuse his offer of help. Then Harry wraps his hand around my waist and whispers in my ear, “I know you’re angry with me right now, I’m sorry for not talking this through with you but I want you to go in there with as much protection as possible. I want you to know that I’ve got your back, that my family has your back. This is the only way I can help you right now.
Please
don’t throw it back at me. You can be angry with me later, but right now, I need you to speak to Marcus.”

I open my mouth to speak, and he silences me with the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had. “I told you I’m selfish, Lils. Do this for me?”

How the fuck can I say no?

He must sense my acceptance because he takes my hand in his and squeezes before saying to Marcus, “C’mon, old chap. Let’s see if this reputation of yours is worth the money you charge.”

My stomach drops, “You’re not paying for this, are you?”

He doesn’t answer, just leads me towards the building before I can protest further.

“Harry.” I stop dead, digging my heels in the ground just before the entrance doors. “This is too much. I can’t let you.”

He turns to face me, his grey eyes filled with sincerity. “It’s not costing me a penny, Lils. I bartered for Marcus’ services.”

Confusion takes over, “Bartered?”

He gives me a smug grin and pulls me towards the doors. “Yes, bartered. You and I owe Emma and Jake quite a few hours of babysitting time and trust me, those tight bastards will call in the favour plenty of times.”

He steps through the door and holds it open for me, once again I stop dead.

This man is like a breath of fresh air in a world where I was struggling to breathe.

“Thank you.”

He blinks once, and I think I see my future reflected in his eyes, then all too soon the moment is gone and he gives me a mischievous smirk, “Oh don’t worry, Bunny Girl. I’m already mentally compiling a list of ways that you can pay me back.”

Funny bugger.

I lean forward and whisper in his ear, “Do you mean blowjobs? Because I have to tell you, blowjobs are kind of like chocolate for me. I can’t just stop at one; I have to keep going and going and…”

“
Fuck.
Did you just purposely talk dirty to me for payback reasons? In the middle of a cop shop, no less.”

I cannot help the snort-giggle that breaks from my mouth.

“Yes. Yes, I believe I did. I think you’ve forgotten who you’re playing with, Harry David Brown. I just wanted to make sure you remember how much I like these kinds of games.” And with that, I stride through the open door, laughing as Harry attempts to subtly rearrange the hard-on in his trousers, before jogging to catch up with me. He takes my hand in his once more and smiles a shit-eating grin.

“Make Lilah snort in a cop shop. Mission completed.”

At that, I snort-giggle again.

Only Harry could make me feel lighter moments before I go and tell complete strangers things that I’ve never told anyone else.

I’m about to admit to having information on dozens of illegal activities, and where I should be more nervous than I ever have before in my life, I’m not. I just feel safe.

Alive.

Whole.

I
didn’t sit in on Lilah’s interview with the Police, though not for lack of trying. I’d already heard enough in her debriefing with Marcus to know that if I ever lay eyes on Wayne again, I’ll be ripping him limb from limb and feeding his body parts to some hungry pigs at the city farm.

No, Grunt. I’ll feed the fucker to Grunt the psychopathic goat.

He subjected Lilah to years of psychological abuse. Belittling her, controlling her and finally using his fists to bend her to his will.

Alongside that, he also used her to hide his criminal misdeeds. Everything from drug dealing, to weapons and finally pimping. The reason she stood up to him, in the end, was because he wanted her to turn a blind eye to his upcoming acquisition of underage girls, ones he planned on selling to the highest bidder. Girls that had been smuggled in from Eastern Europe by one of his ‘associates’. He told her it was just like selling weed or coke, the only difference being he was feeding richer men and their addiction was to something sweeter.

Lilah had threatened to go to the police and that was the day he hit her so hard that she blacked out and woke up, naked and alone on the kitchen floor.