Breaking and Entering of the Heart Read online

  “The shrinks and everyone else said these spouts would come and go. But I have to admit I hate them, and it pisses me off more at Trevor.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I keep asking why didn’t he come to me or anyone and ask for help? Hell, even the feds could have helped him get out of this mess.” She sighed and turned back to the window. “I made a promise, that day when I found his note, that the bastard chief would pay, and I don’t break my promises, ever.” She moved and plopped down at her desk.

  Her eyes were red from her crying, but from the determination in her voice and gaze, Finch knew she wouldn’t stop.

  He stood and stretched. “We’re going to help you, Skylar, but I still insist you allow us to do the work. I don’t want you mixed up in this. We’ll clear the town.” He smiled. “But when this is over, you and I will be having a nice long chat.”

  “Don’t forget our dance, Finch. I might have bad days, but even I know there is something between us. And thank you for holding me, you don’t know how much that helped, knowing I’m not alone.”

  “Never will you cry alone again, Skylar, but as I said, we will be talking soon. See you tonight,” he promised, giving her this dance that seemed so important to her. But inside, Finch knew it was more of a claiming, so the chief and everyone else would know the mayor was his.

  He shut the door behind him. “Don’t say a damn word,” Finch mumbled to Cooper and Mac.

  “Not to worry, boss, we’ll all make sure your lady is safe,” Mac told him.

  Finch nodded and moved toward the stairs, hating those stupid boxes. “Come on, Cooper, I want to find a few of those kids and see exactly what kind of mess we have going on here. Also, have Torch contact the local federal agents and see if they have anything on the chief. We don’t want them breathing down our necks either, so I want to make sure we’re not stepping on any toes. But tell him to watch it, the chief might even have some help there, too. If this Trevor felt like he couldn’t go and get help, there must be something else going on here.”

  “Agreed, but the mayor was right. From what I have been reading in the papers, this chief has his hands in all sorts of different things, not just drugs.” Cooper snarled.

  Finch stopped at the bottom of the stairs and glanced over at Cooper. “Kids?” If it was one thing that his group hated the most, it was people targeting children for anything.

  “Yea, the signs are here, but I don’t think the mayor has realized just how big this is. Look at this.” Cooper handed him a piece of paper.

  5 semi-trained pick up 9-24 10:30 pm

  “That’s tomorrow night, the big band will be playing.” Finch frowned. “We’ll be packed, a perfect time while everyone is concentrating on the event, but where?” He frowned, handing back the note to Cooper. “A man like this chief wouldn’t allow this kind of transport unless he was there to witness it and make sure nothing goes wrong. Tell Gilbert to have his brother Henderson help trail him for the next three days. I want to know everything that creature is doing. Also, have Keys at the computers in the chief’s office and at home. You know what to do with the phone system, too,” he ordered, Cooper, having a memory like a sponge and a person of detail, wouldn’t forget any orders given.

  Finch knew in a matter of minutes his team would be fully working on their assignments. They would find the children or whoever was being transported while keeping the townsfolk and the mayor safe.

  “Let’s go, I want to find those kids,” Finch said.

  * * *

  Skylar stared at herself in the mirror as she brushed her dull brown hair, putting it up and out of the way. Glancing at the picture of her and Trevor, she sighed. “I miss you, asshole, but it’s time for me to move on. I promise I’ll make sure he pays. All of them will pay.” She reached over and picked up their picture, running her finger over his image like she was touching him in person.

  “You’d like Finch. I think he’ll be a great chief when we get rid of the prick. I truly didn’t think this heart of mine could feel anything again after you, but there’s something there, Trevor. I don’t know if you sent them here or what, but thank you.” She moved back into her office, placing his picture into her desk, grabbing her small bag of makeup.

  It was time to live again. Skylar didn’t know if Finch were the man she’d start a new life with, but there was something there. Even when she’d been with Trevor and he held her, there wasn’t the same feeling that Finch gave her when he held her; it was different. It was as if a peace came over her. It was also one of the reasons her crying spell had only lasted a few minutes compared to half the day like the last time this happened.

  Ten minutes later, Skylar slipped on her tennis shoes, leaving her heals there at the office. It was time to relax and have some fun at the festival. She always did love the little events they had at the square, even as a child growing up here in Elyria, Skylar always begged her parents to bring her up to the square.

  She opened the door, seeing Macey about ready to knock on her door. “Yes,” she asked, annoyed the snitch had the nerve to come to her office.

  “Do you think it’s wise to have those men in your office? You don’t know them that well,” she asked.

  “Aww, how nice of you to worry about little old me, but didn’t I tell you last time you came up here what would happen? Let’s see...” She tapped her finger on her lip. “Oh, I know, you’re fired. Pack your desk up and get the hell out of here now. I’m done having you run your big mouth to the chief and everyone else,” Skylar snapped.

  The bitch’s face turned red. “You can’t fire me. I’m the chief’s cousin.” She smiled and was about to say something else, but Skylar had enough and swung, hitting the woman right in the cheek, sending her back, stumbling.

  “You have ten minutes. Remember, I’m the mayor, and the chief answers to the town council and me, nobody else.” She shook her hand and watched as Macey held onto her cheek.

  “You’re going to regret this. I’ll sue the city,” she yelled, and Skylar laughed.

  “Go for it, but I bet you’re in jail before then. Remember, I know what the hell you have been doing, Macey. I have everything,” she snapped again.

  Macey’s eyes got big, but she said nothing as she ran off.

  “Don’t say a word,” Skylar said and glanced at one of Finch’s men. “I’ve put up with that bitch for too damn long. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go ice my damn hand,” she grumbled and heard him snort.

  “You do have a mean right,” the man said, following her. “My name is Mac, and I’m your personal bodyguard ‘til this is over.”

  “Whatever,” she said but grinned even though her hand hurt like hell. It would seem Finch was indeed going to keep her protected. “Be warned, the chief will find me soon. Macey wasn’t lying about her being a cousin to him.” She stepped outside, taking a deep breath.

  Cotton candy, apples, all the smells of a carnival brought a smile to her face before she noticed the chief coming right at her with Macey traveling next to him, yapping up a storm.

  The man, Mac, stepped in front of her, and that is when she noticed he had to be a damn giant. Hell, his shoulders were even taller than the top of her head, not to mention this man had muscles on muscles, but she wasn’t about to allow him to take the full force of the asshole.

  She stepped up to Mac’s side. “I made this mess.” Skylar didn’t look away as the chief stopped in front of her, but now, his gaze was looking behind her, Finch.

  “You have a problem, Chief?” she asked.

  “Why did you fire Macey?” he growled but kept staring behind her.

  “First, I’m here in front of you. Ignore them for now, please. Second, I told you and her if she got into my face again, she’d be gone. She is as useless as they come. I’ll agree with the two weeks’ severance pay, but that is it. She can’t even answer the damn phone without hanging up on everyone. So, take your little parrot home.”

  “I’m g
lad to hear your morning is over. Maybe now we can finally go out on that date.” He reached out and yanked her to him, covering her mouth with his.

  But Skylar wasn’t having it, biting down on his tongue when he tried to push it into her mouth.

  “You fucking bitch,” he yelled and was about to hit her, but someone grabbed onto his arm as someone else pulled her back away from him.

  “Touch Skylar again, and you’ll deal with me. She has never been yours and will never be yours,” Finch said but stopped as a group started to form around them. Finch leaned over, but Skylar heard him. “Be warned, Chief, I don’t play, I kill.” Finch release his hand.

  “You’re fired!” the chief yelled, his face turning a little pink in the cheeks.

  “Sorry, Chief, the only one who can fire us is the mayor, and that is not you,” Finch told the chief.

  Gasps from those around them were heard, and Skylar knew the gauntlet had just been drawn, but she and the council were prepared.

  Skylar glanced up at Mac, who held onto her, and that is when she noticed at least four other of Finch’s men spread out around them but not drawing anyone’s attention.

  Chapter Three

  Finch had to admit when Mac had shown him what Skylar had done to the whiny little female, he couldn’t help be a little proud. The woman he had chosen was a fighter, but once more, she had put herself in harm’s way.

  But he didn’t know how to keep her from throwing herself into the fire. Either lock her up at her apartment or his, or ship her ass out of town for a week.

  “While you guys are puffing your chests up and banging on them, I’m going to go get some ice. Pete, keep her out of the building, and I’m not playing games,” Skylar said and stomped away, Mac following close behind her.

  “Watch your back, Finch,” the chief said and yanked his cousin down the street. “Shut up, Macey!” he heard the sheriff yell as they turned to corner.

  “How many men?” Finch asked as Cooper stepped up to his side.

  “Gilbert counted six, and so did Henderson, but we know there are more around. I bet he has a few on the mayor as we speak,” Cooper said and laughed. “She is a ball of fire, that is for sure. Be warned, Mac showed your mother and father the replay of her hitting Macey.”

  “What? I swear...” he moaned, knowing his parents would be arriving anytime now. “I haven’t even started to explain things to her yet.”

  Cooper laughed. “Then, I suggest you take tonight to inform the good mayor what she is in for now that you both have expressed your interest, not to mention touched her.”

  “You know, it’s different here about touching,” Finch said.

  “It might be different here, but we cannot change, my friend. There is no going back now that your body, two hearts, and soul have claimed her,” Cooper just got finished saying when Finch heard the shots.

  “Mac!” he yelled, running toward where Skylar had gone.

  “I’ve got her, but boy, is she pissed. Bullet to the arm. A few people around us also got hit. Breaker is calling in the ambulances. Do you want her—” Mac didn’t say another word as Finch was there lifting the mayor up in his arms heading toward his apartment.

  “Mac, Cooper, you are with me. The rest of you find the shooter now. I will heal her, and then, she is staying locked inside,” he ordered, but Finch heard the snorts.

  “Good luck with that,” Gilbert said.

  He wouldn’t need luck, Finch was done playing around. He and the mayor had been word-sparing partners for over six months, but he was changing the game, and she was about to learn he played to win.

  Her little whimper had him glancing down at her. “Soon, you’ll feel better, I promise,” he said and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

  “Drugs, make sure they give lots of drugs when they pull the bullet out. Big baby to pain.”

  Finch stepped into his building, the one that overlooked the town square. He and his officers had bought the property, changing it into living quarters. They were even in the process of putting a pool in the basement for their use all year round.

  He got into their new and improved elevator. “Finch,” he said, and at once, the thing moved quickly and didn’t stop until it was at his floor.

  Skylar opened her eyes and frowned. “What are you doing? I’m bleeding like crazy here, and I have a bullet in me. I need a hospital.”

  “No, you need me to heal you and keep you safe. That is exactly what I’m going to do.” He moved quickly to his kitchen table, placing her on top of it as Mac and Cooper followed them in.

  “Do you want me to do it?” Cooper asked, but Finch shook his head, ripping open her shirt to expose where the bullet had gone in.

  “No, she’s already been marked, and her body is changing; this won’t hurt anything that isn’t already started,” Finch said as she lifted her gaze, meeting his.

  “What has started?” She glanced from Cooper to him, trying to close part of her shirt, so she wasn’t so exposed.

  “I’ll let you explain this,” Cooper said as he and Mac moved out of the room as Finch put his hand over the hole in her arm.

  Heat, electricity traveled from his body into hers, working to destroy the foreign object in her body and healing her. “The exchange of looks, words is the first process of our bonding to a female when our hearts and soul accepts a female we choose,” Finch grumbled.

  “The first time we met I knew there was something about you that drew me to you. I made excuses to be around you, to see you, and then, our bantering back and forth started.” His gaze met hers. “The first time you touched me started the bonding, changing. You are mine, my little mayor. There is no going back.”

  He moved his hand away from her skin, and sure enough, the wound was almost healed. “The bullet is dissolved, and the heat you are feeling is pushing the toxins from your body right now. There is no need to dig inside you, no drugs are needed. Small things like this we can do like heal our women. When it’s a major thing, we have machines that help us. We are in the process of setting up an area where we will have our infirmary. I promised my men since we decided to settle here that we would have one since the human body is so much more fragile than ours. To help keep our women safe if we find the ones that our hearts and soul chooses.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have two of the men that shot up the square. One human has died because of this, and we have closed down the stands and making sure people left the square,” Cooper told him. “Also, the council would like to speak with you and the mayor as soon as possible.”

  Finch took a deep breath, looking back up at Skylar. She hadn’t said a word since he had informed her what was going on. “Skylar?” he questioned.

  * * * *

  She blinked and looked up into Finch’s gaze. “I’m yours?” she finally got out, her voice cracking. “Is it even possible? Shouldn’t you be with someone from your race?” She shook her head. “No, this isn’t right. You shouldn’t be saddled with me and my problems. A fling maybe but not a total life thing.” She tried to get up, but Finch shook his head.

  “No, you’re going to be weak for a few hours, but come on, let’s get you comfortable in the living area. We need to speak.” He lifted her up as if she was nothing, carrying her down a hall to a massive open area where Cooper and Mac sat speaking with two other men at a table. But Finch moved to the softest couch she had ever sat on.

  “Damn, this is nice, but what’s going on? How many injured? Did you guys catch the assholes who did this?” Skylar asked, her brain starting to finally wake up. She’d deal with Finch and her after she found out what was going on with her city.

  Said man reached over and gently grabbed her chin. “Look at me, Skylar.”

  “What?” she asked, frowning, looking up at him.

  “You are mine, there is no going back now, and I wouldn’t want to go back. I know it will take time and that you will have sad days. I’ve been reading
about it, but I’ll be here for you.” He sat down on the edge of the couch, crowding her. “One person was killed tonight, and several were hurt. We have two men in custody and will find out all we can, rest assured, but Skylar, you are not going anywhere. This place is protected; no one can get in here. If you need to work, you can use the office at the end of the hall. It has everything you will need, but with this threat, you are not stepping foot outside ‘til it’s gone.”

  “I don’t think so. I have a city to run, and I can’t do it from here. Plus, you are not the only one that has people watching that asshole. I need to make sure my boys can get hold of me if they need me.” She shook her head. “Sorry, but this is too important.”

  “No, I’m sorry, but you have no choice on this subject. Cooper has already alerted the city council, and your boys are laying low. I will not have them in the crossfire when we get the information we need on these men,” Finch informed her. “I even have two men going to your office and home to gather things to bring here for you. Sorry, Mayor, this time, I’m taking charge.”

  “But you can’t do that!” She glared at him, and he smiled.

  “But I can, and the council has given me the full go-ahead.” He leaned down and kissed her. Not some short peck, but a hard, punishing kiss that had her toes curling and Skyler sliding her arms up around his neck. The need to touch this man outweighed anything in her head right then and there, even the little pain in her arm as she lifted it up.

  He pulled back, breaking the spell, it had to be a spell because Skylar couldn’t explain what the hell had just happened. “What in the world did you do to me?” she whispered, touching her lips with her fingers and looking down at her lap, totally embarrassed right then.

  “Do not,” Finch leaned down, meeting her eyes. “You are mine, Skylar; there is no need to be embarrassed. We have both been fighting this, but with you being hurt, our emotions, and the change is in full force. Soon, you’ll...” Finch looked over at his friends.