Page 10 of Merciless King

My sight started to go fuzzy, and my body began shaking violently. This time there was no way to ground myself, no fighting the flashback that rushed me.

I stayed where I was on the floor as the present and the past twisted together, paralyzing me.

Breaking me.

3

Van

Jude had convinced me to join him and one of his buddies for a drink. Jude had worked with Detective Connor Daniels before he left the force and came to work at the King Agency. The guy was still a homicide detective, but the two of them had stayed close. Having a reliable contact with the LAPD had been useful for us.

The guy had also worked London’s case.

I glanced around the bar while they talked. For the first time in a while I was on top of my own cases. Good thing, too, because I was in no mood to chase down skips or snap pics of some asshole fucking around on his wife. Nothing urgent needed taking care of. And thank fuck for that after the shitty sleep I’d had the last few nights.

I was running on coffee and energy drinks. Still, I’d managed a workout that morning, and the main reason I was sitting in this dive bar instead of going a second round in the office gym or heading home was that I wasn’t exactly fired up to spend the evening on my own. Usually that wasn’t a problem for me. I didn’t mind solitude. But if I worked out or went home now I’d start thinking about London.

Yeah, shit. Who was I kidding? I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since she walked into my office. Christ, my head was still spinning.

The expression on her face when she looked at me—hope, so much hope, and, fuck, like she’d been happy to see me despite her reason for coming.

But that sweet look on her face wasn’t what was keeping me awake. It was how she looked that fucking horrific night that had me waking in a cold sweat. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her lying there, bleeding out. And every damn time the urge to go to her would overtake me, twisting me in knots.

I hated the pain I’d seen in her beautiful blue eyes when she’d run out of my office. All I’d wanted to do was wrap that thick dark hair around my hand, tilt her head back, and kiss her, promise her I’d make her feel safe again, that I’d take care of her. Her scent—citrus, oranges, mixed with something sweeter—had lingered in my office long after she’d gone.

London Rivera was pure temptation. And I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist if she was put in front of me again.

You can’t have her.

“Another beer?” Jude said, jarring me back to reality and the fact I was standing there staring into space, so deep in my own head I’d almost forgotten where the hell I was.

I shook my head. I’d barely touched the one I had.

“Connor?” Jude smirked. “Coke?”

Connor shook his head and flipped Jude off. “No, you smug bastard.” The guy was on duty and jonesing for a cold one. Jude was enjoying his pain.

They were still bickering when the guy’s phone started ringing.

“Back to work for you, Detective,” Jude said, grinning, before he headed for the bar.

Connor listened to whoever it was on the line for several seconds then cursed. “Where? She okay? On my way.”

I glanced up. “Something wrong?”

“Robbery. London Rivera’s store. Passerby called it in when they saw the door was open and the place was trashed. Looks like she was there when it happened.”

My bottle halfway to my lips halted midair. Since the guy had worked her case, he knew what had happened and that I’d stuck around during her recovery. “I’m coming.”

Connor pulled on his jacket. “I’ve got it.”

I grabbed my own, ignoring him, and shoved it on. “She hurt?”

“Don’t know.”

I could tell he wasn’t thrilled when I followed him out of the bar, but nothing would stop me from going to her.

There were several cop cars parked outside London’s store when I pulled up, their lights still flashing. I parked behind one of them and headed for the cordon tape. A uniformed officer tried to intercept me, like he fucking could, but thankfully, Connor had arrived the same time as me and told them to let me through.