Page 53 of Lethal Justice

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The one thingFrida wanted to do, she couldn’t. When Mason came to her after the press conference and told her that Malco and Alex were safe, she thought her knees would fail as the relief washed over her.

Gripping Mason’s arm, she listened as he explained that when they’d finally reached the storage unit, Malco and Alex had almost freed themselves. The SWAT team took care of Kasten, who was in the unit’s office and was completely surprised to be taken away in handcuffs.

There were still good cops in Miami, especially those personally chosen by Chief Randall to help arrest the traitors.

She wanted to go to Malco, to make sure he was all right, but Mason shook his head, telling her that although they were safe, they had to be rushed to the hospital. Alex needed care since he’d been struck on the head, and they were worried about a possible brain injury as he kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Malco was battered and had lost a lot of blood, but was doing okay. Shane and Emme were accompanying them, promising not to leave their sides for her peace of mind.

It reminded her she still had a duty, an essential task to finish, the first part of it at least. She needed to close the case, make sure everyone was behind bars, and that the wheels of justice were in motion.

So, she had to deny her first impulse to go to the man she loved in order to tie up all the loose ends. The new hacker, Imari, combed through the remaining people in her firm, and once she was certain they could be trusted, Frida instructed them to reopen her office. Frida knew that to bring down an entire network of corrupt cops and probably people within DA Pool’s entourage, would require more than just herself. But she’d learned from her mistakes and would only allow trusted and screened people within her circle.

The day flew by at an incredible speed as she made sure everything was taken care of, especially since things were finally out in the open. Mason and James stood guard to make sure the journalists stayed at a distance while she met with the Mayor, Chief Randall, and government authorities. They were only at the preliminary stage, but everything was well on the way to being tied up.

Mason had brought in food to her office, caring for her like a silent angel and only spoke when he knocked at her door to tell her it was late, and she needed rest.

The moment he’d said the words, it was as if her body decided to shut down. After all, it had been a long time since she’d slept, and she needed a fresh mind for what was to follow over the next several days.

As soon as she sat in Mason’s car, she asked about Malco and was once again reassured he was fine. Her body shut down then, proof she’d pushed herself past the point of what was wise.

The car stopped, and it took her a moment to get her bearings. Frida had thought Mason would head to the Agency and was surprised to see they were at Malco’s.

Too tired to talk, Frida barely remembered the security code, and once she’d locked herself inside and armed Malco’s security system, she headed for the shower. Letting her clothes to fall where she stood, she quickly showered and slid naked into Malco’s bed.

Her nose filled with his scent that lingered on the pillows, she huddled under the covers to finally rest, her mind reaching for him.

* * *

When she emerged from sleep,her body felt so heavy she thought she’d never move again. A thick fog filled her mind, and it took time to figure out where she was and what had happened. When Malco came to mind, she jerked, trying to get from under the cover, and when an arm tightened around her, her heart stopped, and she screamed.

“Easy, Frida, it’s me.”

The low growl quickly registered as Malco. This time, she didn’t fight to get away but turned toward him.

He lay above the covers, partly pinning her down. From what she could see, he’d showered, but cuts and bruises marred his face. He favored his good side, the dressing stark white against his olive skin. He looked both exhausted and sleepy, but his eyes were clear, shining like polished onyxes on her.

“You’re here. How are you? And Alex?” Her fingers touched his face, detailing the damage.

“Alex is still at the hospital. He’s better, but they want to run a few more tests, do a scan to check there’s no other damage. They wanted me to stay overnight, but as soon as I knew you were here, I needed to be with you.”

“Why didn’t you wake me when you arrived home?”

This time, it was his hand that touched her cheek and followed a strand of her dark hair down her neck. “You were asleep, and you needed rest, so did I. You’ve been under for more than twelve hours.”

The shock of his words had her wide awake. “What? I set my phone to wake me hours ago.”

“And I turned it off. Mason told me the amount of work you accomplished, including that press conference and the endless string of meetings. You’ve barely eaten. I contacted Chief Randall, and he agreed to leave you alone until you take care of yourself a little. If an emergency arises, he has my number.”

Frida leaned against the headboard. “I’m fitter than you at the moment. How could you take over my case like that?” She was only half-mad at him, but from the flare of heat in his eyes, Malco was fully annoyed.

When he crawled up to confront her, there wasn’t any sign of weakness or pain in him.

“I’ll do what I believe is right to take care of you, especially when you ignore your own basic needs.”

“And am I allowed the same worry?”

She cupped his whiskered cheek. His skin was hot, and her eyes wandered over his body. He was only wearing black boxer briefs and had removed his prosthetic leg, which warmed her heart. There weren’t any barriers between them. They could disagree and even be angry at each other, but she didn’t fear him.