Crossroads: Leap of Faith [Siren APP Exclusive] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  She headed out of the office, out of the building, and down the block to the parking lot. As she passed by a few storefronts, she saw the one store with the sexy lingerie and gorgeous dresses. She wanted to shop in there. She wished she had someone to wear such pretty, sexy things for, and then it hit her. She thought of Miles and Nikko.

  She actually stopped midstride and covered her mouth.

  Holy shit. I want them. I want to look sexy for them. I want to wear something sexy for them and have them take it off, unwrap me like a gift, their gift, and make love to me.

  She snapped out of it as an older gentleman cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows at her.

  “Did I say that out loud?” Her cheeks immediately flushed, and the older man smirked before he continued walking down the side street.

  She laughed aloud, feeling her heart soar, and the potential prospects of having two lovers dominated her mind. Suddenly, everything seemed better. The sky was brighter, her heart lighter, and she hoped that today would be a great day and tonight would be amazing.

  * * * *

  “Did you get her text?” Miles asked Nikko as he looked at his brother. He was smiling and wiping down some equipment they needed in the SWAT truck.

  “Yep.”

  “Yesterday was special,” Miles admitted as he helped his brother.

  “She’s special, Miles.”

  “I know. I don’t think I ever just walked around the town talking and getting to know a woman like that before.”

  “We never made time for that or met the right woman. We’ve been messing around for years.”

  “I know.” Nikko looked up. “It was easier that way. She’s young, Miles. A lot younger than us. But she’s so mature and classy. She’s sweet, kind, and a really good person.”

  “She’s gorgeous, and has an amazing body. She doesn’t flaunt what she has. I kind of like that.”

  “I like it, too. I’m sick of the types of women that always seem to flock by us and the team,” Nikko said and then continued to work on the equipment.

  “If you noticed, we’ve turned down so many of them, less and less of those kinds of women have approached us.”

  “Yeah, well the others seem to have gotten more attention.”

  Miles chuckled. “Good for them.”

  “So what’s on the agenda for tonight? It’s getting close to quitting time.”

  “I would love to cook for her at our place, but something tells me that she’ll freak out.” Miles chuckled.

  “Yeah, well, whatever we decide to do, I think getting her to loosen up and trust us more is on the list of plans. I like how I feel when I’m with her. She calms me,” Nikko said.

  Miles raised one eyebrow at his brother.

  “She calms you? Holy shit. I’ve been trying to do that for years.”

  Nikko threw the rag at Miles.

  “Forget it. Let’s just get this done and finish up. We can text her and see what she likes to eat for dinner.”

  Just then their buzzers on their cells went off.

  “Oh shit,” Miles stated aloud.

  They were getting called in on a job.

  “Now? Damn,” Nikko blurted out as he went to grab his gear. The rest of the team started to show up, and the information was coming in.

  “Lieutenant, we got a hostage situation. Police and EMS are on the scene. One down in the driveway, at least three others inside the house,” Beats stated and then started up the truck.

  “Let’s move, team. Beats, Striker, I want communication there now, and an update immediately,” he said as they grabbed all their gear, got ready, and headed out to the scene in the truck.

  The afternoon was coming to an end, nearly five o’clock, and the sun would be setting soon. He felt the disappointment. He may not get to see Suzette tonight after all. He swallowed hard. Miles had a bad feeling about this.

  * * * *

  Suzette was holding Evonna. Murphy lay on the floor with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Roger was knocked out on the floor. His wife was told to remain sitting in the corner of the room by the window, and their daughter, son, and one friend were sitting on the floor in the living room. Ray was holding one gun in his hand and another was strapped on his waist.

  It all happened so quickly. She had come by to meet with Evonna, Roger, and Murphy. They were talking for a good thirty minutes when Murphy’s brother’s kids and their friends arrived. They yelled that Ray was outside with a gun and had just shot their friend. Then Ray was pushing inside, making demands, and yelling at everyone.

  Murphy pulled his revolver from his ankle, and Ray shot him.

  Roger went to attack, and Ray slammed the pistol against Roger’s temple, knocking him out.

  Murphy was bleeding a lot, and Suzette had applied pressure to the wound.

  Sirens were going off out on the streets almost immediately. One of the other kids must have gotten away and called for help.

  Ray was now pacing the living room and swinging the gun around.

  “This is all your fault, Evonna. Why didn’t you meet me this morning? Why did you ignore my texts and calls?” he yelled and approached the couch. Suzette placed herself in front of Evonna, and Ray screamed at her.

  “You can’t keep my woman away from me. She’s mine. I’m doing this for her, for us!”

  “Shooting her uncle, knocking out her other uncle, shooting an innocent kid, and holding these people hostage is for her? How does that prove you love her?”

  Ray grabbed Suzette by the hair and yanked her up from the couch. Instinctively she reached up to hold where his fingers clutched her hair.

  “You’re the fucking reason why she didn’t return my calls and why she wasn’t waiting for me down the street an hour ago. You’re going to get shot next, bitch.”

  He shoved her down to the floor and placed the barrel of the gun against her temple. He was shaking and so was Suzette. Evonna screamed.

  “No, Ray. Please don’t shoot her. Please stop this. You’re making it worse.”

  He pulled the gun away and stomped toward the couch. “I’m making it worse? All this is for you, so that we can be together.”

  Suzette went to move, and Ray swung around and struck her in the eyebrow and upper cheekbone with the gun. She gasped and fell to the rug.

  The pain was excruciating as Suzette cried out and then covered the area with her hand. She felt the blood, the slight bit of dizziness, and then she heard the phone ringing.

  “Don’t answer it. Don’t move,” he yelled at Evonna as he swung the gun around the room and pointed at the others. Murphy’s brother’s wife was holding a T-shirt against Murphy’s shoulder. He looked pissed.

  “You should answer it,” Suzette stated.

  “What?”

  “It’s probably the cops. You did shoot an innocent teen outside the house already.”

  He stomped toward her and pulled her up by her blouse. It ripped, and he shoved her next to the table by the phone.

  “You’re so fucking smart? You answer it.”

  * * * *

  “Tanner, Big Guns, I need eyes in there. What do you got?” Miles asked. The negotiator from the police department was calling the house now. They didn’t know who was in there or how many, just that one teen was down in the driveway, bullet wound to his leg, and the house belonged to Roger Walker, Murphy Walker’s brother. Murphy was a detective in their precinct.

  “Fuck,” Big Guns stated and then looked away from his scope.

  “What do you see?”

  “There are two people, male and female, teens sitting on the rug in the living room. I can see a woman kneeling on the floor holding something over a man’s shoulder. I think it’s Murphy. There’s the gunman holding another young woman by her hair. Her face is turned away. I think she’s answering the phone. And another woman on the couch, crying. Shit, it looks like the same woman from the other night.”

  “What?” Miles asked.

  “Oh, there’s a man down
on the floor. Blood on the rug by his head. I think he’s unconscious,” Big Guns added.

  “We just got this in, Lieutenant. The house does belong to Murphy Walker’s brother, Roger. He notified the local police department about threats made to his niece by her ex-boyfriend. It’s that fucking piece of shit Nikko nearly took out before the guy killed his girlfriend,” Beats told them.

  “I’m patching in the call now. Someone is answering it,” Tanner said, and they all listened as the phone rang, waiting for someone to pick it up.

  The moment they heard her voice, Nikko and Miles looked at one another.

  Miles was in shock. He knew that voice. He knew it was Suzette, and a thousand thoughts went through his head with the fear that she was caught in the middle of this situation. Why was she there? She was a damn social worker. Was she actually working this case, and trying to save the battered woman whose boyfriend now held people hostage? He imagined her face, that sweet angelic smile, her compassionate tone of voice and personality. His gut clenched at the thought that she could become a casualty if this guy continued to hurt and kill. He needed to be sure that it was her. He needed confirmation.

  “Big Guns, can you get a face to that voice? Can you get a fucking better view from your position?” Miles demanded.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Junior asked Nikko.

  They heard the rustling over the mic and then Big Guns whisper, “Oh fuck. Oh my God.”

  “What?” Tanner asked.

  “Is it her, Big Guns? Is it Suzette?” Miles asked.

  “Affirmative. It’s Suzette.” The mic clicked off, and Miles slammed his hand down on the truck.

  “Suzette who?” Beats asked them.

  “Wait, Suzette from the other night at Crossroads? The one you two were trying to—”

  Beats shut up and then whistled.

  “What do you want us to do, Nikko?” Tanner asked very seriously as the others stood there watching him and waiting for his order.

  He took a deep breath and held his brother’s gaze.

  “Let the negotiator handle it first. We play this by the rules. Be ready to move in on my orders.”

  Everyone gathered around and prepared for entry, while the negotiator spoke with Suzette.

  Nikko listened to her calm voice. She stated who was there, what had happened, and how Ray was holding a gun to her head. It didn’t sit well with Nikko one bit. It felt impossible that Suzette was in the middle of this shit. He was trying his hardest not to think of the worst outcome to this situation. Suzette was smart, and she was very calm, despite the fact that she was in this situation. Well, at least she sounded calm. Big Guns and Jay Bird had their scopes in position and would give the signal if they needed to move in faster.

  He pressed his mic so only Big Guns could hear him and not the others.

  “Tune in to 6, Big Guns.”

  “On it now.”

  “Can you see her?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Is she hurt?”

  “Looks like she took a hit above her eyebrow. Some blood, cheek very red, maybe swollen.”

  “Shit.”

  In that instant they could hear the yelling and then Suzette screamed.

  “We need to move into position,” Big Guns said and then switched back to the main radio.

  “Team Venom, let’s get ready,” Miles commanded, and they gathered around the outside of the truck. They updated the local police, and everyone was on hand.

  His heart was pounding inside of his chest. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. Things had just gotten started between him, Nikko, and Suzette. Why was she here, involved with this? What if something happened to her? They never even had a chance to make this relationship work. Could they lose Suzette, like they lost their own sister?

  “Lieutenant. We’ve got shots fired.”

  “On my command, let’s move,” he said, and they gathered into two teams. Striker, Tanner, and Nikko met up with Big Guns and Jay Bird. Beats, Junior, and Miles took position coming up through the front door. Another team took position by the garage.

  * * * *

  Ray grabbed the phone from her hand and slammed it back onto the table. He gripped her hair and yanked her backward. Evonna grabbed at him, and he struck her across the mouth.

  Evonna’s cousin, Roger’s son, charged Ray, and he fired his gun multiple times.

  Suzette grabbed Ray’s leg and pulled him down onto the floor. The gun fell from his fingers, and she fought him as he tried to regain control of the situation. Everyone was screaming, but Suzette was trying to stop Ray from pulling the other gun on his hip.

  “You shot him. You shot him, too!” Evonna screamed and then jumped on top of Ray.

  Suzette was trying to get up as she crawled from under Ray’s body while Evonna attacked him. Then suddenly he yelled, turned, and grabbed for Suzette and struck her. She saw the barrel of the gun and then heard glass breaking and an explosion, saw a bright light, and then smoke filled the room. The gun went off, nearly hitting her. She screamed and then heard two swift sounds of shots and Evonna screaming in terror.

  There were men in black, guns, people yelling “Police!” It was total chaos until the smoke began to clear.

  Suzette was shaking she was so scared, and then she saw men in uniform full gear, masks. She closed her eyes as she remained in a fetal position on the rug.

  She heard her name. She recognized the familiar voice, and as she opened her eyes she was shocked and totally relieved. Nikko and the rest of the SWAT team were there.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her, looking her body over then touching her chin.

  The tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “Is he dead?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  He nodded, his face red with anger.

  “Is she okay?” another person asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Lieutenant, gunman down, all clear.”

  “Suzette, are you all right?” Evonna asked as she crawled over to her. Evonna’s shirt was ripped, her lip bleeding, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

  “Okay. You?” she asked, lip quivering and her body shaking more now that the scare was over.

  “He can’t hurt anyone anymore. Ray is dead,” Evonna whispered.

  Suzette hugged her, and Evonna laid her head on her lap and cried.

  When Suzette looked up at Nikko and Miles, both men looked like they were about to lose it. With them in their full gear, weapons and ammo all over them, in fierce black assault uniforms, Suzette felt ready to pass out.

  “The paramedics are entering now. There’s more help outside,” Big Guns said, and the rest of the team gathered around.

  Evonna sat up and smiled at Suzette and then walked over toward her aunt and uncle.

  Suzette tried to get up, but she felt so dizzy and she couldn’t stop shaking.

  “Stay still. Let the paramedics check you over,” Miles commanded, his gloved hand resting on her shoulder. It felt so large and heavy. A tingling sensation filled her body, but the fear, the shaking was stronger.

  “I’m fine. Let them take care of Murphy, Roger, and Roger’s son. They were shot.”

  Nikko reached for her as she struggled to get up.

  “You’re shaking,” he whispered.

  “She’s in shock. Let’s get her some help.” Miles began to give commands. He was in professional mode, and she was now a victim and nothing more. She was surprised by his tone and the orders he gave. He was assertive, in total control of the situation as the chaos continued around them. Something wasn’t right. Something changed between them, but with everyone around, it would have to wait until later.

  Chapter 6

  Nikko and Miles were overwhelmed and snapping at everyone as they finished up at work. Suzette got a ride home from one of their buddies in the police department after refusing to go to the hospital.

  They took care of their reports and ended their work near ten o’clock.


  Nikko didn’t say a word to Miles, and he didn’t have to. They were on the same page. They showered at the command center, hoping it would calm them down a bit, but no such luck. Miles drove the SUV to Suzette’s place.

  Nikko texted that they were on their way, and they got there in record time.

  As soon as she opened the door and came into sight, Nikko bit the inside of his cheek. Her bruises were more apparent by her eyebrow and cheek. She wore a light black sweater over a tank top and pretty cotton skirt that barely reached her knees. She was barefoot, her hair damp and her eyes all teary.

  He could hardly take a full breath. The air was so thick he could cut a knife through it. Flashbacks of her being a hostage, fighting the gunman on the floor, and risking her life went through his mind.

  Nikko stalked toward her. Her eyes widened, and she took a retreating step back, but he was determined and quick as he wrapped her in his arms and lifted her up and against him.

  He kissed her on the mouth as she straddled his waist, running her fingers through his hair. The feel of her feminine, petite body against his muscles fed his hunger, his need to protect and possess her. He felt his entire body exhale in relief that she was feeling as overwhelmed and needy as Miles and he were.

  Nikko kissed her deeply, explored her mouth, loving the taste and familiar feel of kissing her so intimately. She felt tiny, yet by the feel of her breasts crushed against his chest, he knew she was well endowed.

  He released her lips and trailed his tongue and mouth over her sensitive skin.

  He was breathing heavy. She softly moaned with her head tilted back, giving him better access to her throat, her body.

  “Oh God, Nikko. Is this normal? Am I supposed to feel so aroused and needy for both of you after what happened today?”

  “Baby, we feel it, too. Fuck, we were so fucking scared,” Miles said as he reached over and caressed her hair from her cheek.