I Need a Hero (9 page)

“And is your job dangerous?”

It was a trick question, and he knew any way he answered it, he was screwed. “I’m a police officer on a military base where everyone has a gun. Depending on the call, yeah, my job can be dangerous.”

“And what about being deployed? Could that happen?”

“You know it could.” Oliver softened his voice and ran his hands over her shoulders, willing her to understand and accept him. All of him. “You grew up with a dad in the military. You know I can get a new post at any time; if there’s a war, I can be deployed, and yes, if I take the wrong call on the wrong night, I could be dealing with a scary situation, but that’s not going to stop me from doing my job, Eve. I’m good at it.”

“I know,” Eve said. “I knew that before you said the words, but I ignored it for a little while because despite my better judgment, I do like you. But it isn’t just one bad experience that has kept me from dating guys like you. I want a guy who is safe, who is going to be home with me at night to eat dinner and watch TV. I don’t want to get involved with a guy I might not see for years on end or who might not come home because he has to deal with dangerous situations all day. For a moment there, I thought I could put all those things aside because I liked you, but I still want a normal, safe life.”

Oliver released her shoulders, squeezing his hands into tight fists at his side. “A normal, safe guy could die in a car crash.”

“That would be horribly tragic, but he wouldn’t be putting himself in harm’s way daily or be separated from me. I’m afraid that if I keep letting myself get close to you, I’m going to forget that I don’t want these things because I’ll want you more.”

Hope swept through Oliver at her words, and he wished he knew the right thing to make her understand that this was who he was. He helped people, and there was nothing wrong with that. He could still have it all; they could still spend time together. Their schedules just might be a little different than those of other couples.

“Come on, Eve, we’ve had a rough night—”

“And after one rough night you give up on Beast without even putting up a fight. Kinda says a lot about how much you value your relationships,” she said.

That glimmer of hope was snuffed out by a blaze of fury that tightened every muscle in his body and burned across his skin.

“Are you actually comparing the way I feel about you to my connection with a dog?”

“No, God, I don’t know. Okay?” With a heavy sigh, she pushed past him toward the door, but he was too exhausted to follow.

Chapter Nine

O
LIVER STOOD IN
Sparks’s office the next morning, spoiling for a fight. Between worrying about Beast and being frustrated by Eve’s attitude, he’d hardly slept at all last night. Most women would’ve been wetting themselves, calling him a hero, but he’d managed to fall for the one woman who actually looked at his dedication to his job and country as a drawback. And now, he had to fight to keep Beast.

“I don’t give a fuck what you think, he’s not going back to the shelter,” Oliver said roughly.

“I didn’t say he had to go back to the shelter,” Sparks said.

“But he can’t be in the program,” Best added, earning a threatening look from Oliver. Best threw his hands up in a don’t-shoot-the-messenger gesture. “I’m just saying that these dogs go through so much, it wouldn’t work for him. It doesn’t mean we can’t find him a good home.”

“As long as I can bring him to work with me, I’d like to keep him,” Oliver said.

“What happens when you get put back on patrol?” Sparks asked.

“That’s another thing I’d like to discuss. If you have somewhere you can use me, mentoring, or running social media, or hell, scooping dog shit, I’m in.” He could tell he’d surprised Sparks and Best, but the idea had been rolling around in his mind all night. He could provide a home for Beast. Besides, he actually enjoyed working with the kids, and although he had never considered himself the mentoring type, he’d enjoyed spending time with Tommy, Darrel, and Jorge.

Even if he wasn’t upholding the law, he was helping people. That was all he’d ever wanted to do.

And maybe Eve would consider being with you if your job was less dangerous?

Oliver told himself his decision had nothing to do with her, but it definitely felt like a lie. The truth was, while he’d been lying awake last night, he’d pictured his future. He hadn’t been surrounded by medals and trophies. He’d been sitting in the living room of his house, watching TV, and then suddenly, a woman sat down in his lap and handed him a beer.

That woman had been Eve.

Best and Sparks exchanged heavy glances, and Oliver gritted his teeth. “What? You think I’m a bad fit?”

“No, but we just want to make sure this is really what you want,” Sparks said.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Then I hope you don’t mind working with the MP and police dogs we’re training,” Best said. “I’ll go order one of those full-body attack training suits for you.” Best clapped him on the back on his way out of Sparks’s office.

Oliver kicked out at Best as he left, but Best dodged his boot with a laugh.

And then it was just him and Sparks.

“You know you’re going to have to talk with General Reynolds about making your position permanent.”

“Yeah, I know,” Oliver said grimly. “That’s my next stop. I made an appointment at eleven.”

Dean raised his eyebrows. “You were that sure we were going to want to stare at your ugly mug every day?”

“I was banking on it,” Oliver said.

E
VE
’
S HEAD WAS
hammering. Whether it was from the total lack of sleep or the half a bottle of wine she’d downed when she’d gotten home, she wasn’t sure. Even Matilda’s cries to be fed were earsplitting, and Eve covered her head with a pillow to block out the noise.

Suddenly, she felt Matilda jump up onto the bed and step on her legs before sitting on the small of Eve’s back. Tiny, bony paws kneaded her back, and Eve winced as Matilda’s sharp claws broke through her T-shirt, scraping her skin.

“Okay, ow, I’m up,” Eve said, squirming. Matilda jumped off her back, and when Eve turned onto her side and lifted the pillow, Matilda was staring back at her with a bored expression on the white mask of her face, her tail twitching back and forth like a black snake.

“You are a mean cat. I scoop your poop, give you fresh water, and feed you more than I should, and you can’t let me sleep ten extra minutes?”

“Rouw,”
Matilda answered.

“I guess that’s a no,” Eve said. She sat up slowly, clutching her head with one hand and groaning. “No more wine, ever.”

Grabbing her glasses off of her nightstand, she finally got to her feet and padded to the bathroom, unpleasant flashes of last night assaulted her. The most haunting of which was the expression on Oliver’s face when she’d basically told him that she didn’t want him. For such a big, hard guy, he’d looked so sad, so lost. She’d sat in her car for a while, debating whether she should get out and apologize or get the hell out of there. In the end, she’d driven home and regretted every mile, every minute that put distance between her and Oliver.

But what was she supposed to do? Put aside her principles because she liked him? What happened when it all went to hell and she was looking back, thinking to herself,
I knew I shouldn’t have done that?

The shrill blare of “Mamma Mia” exploded from her bedroom, and she stumbled out of the bathroom to answer her cell.

“Hey, Mom,” she said.

“Hello, Sweetie, you sound terrible. Are you sick?” her mother asked.

“Nope, just hungover,” Eve said.

“Oh, well in that case, take a shower and come meet me for lunch.”

The thought of food sent her stomach into a churning ball of protest. “I’m not really hungry.”

“You will be, and besides, we haven’t had a mother-daughter day in a while, and I want a chance to catch up. It’s hard being an empty nester.”

The guilt trip worked like a charm. “Okay, where do you want to meet?”

O
LIVER SAT IN
the general’s office, admiring his framed metals and pictures, but there was one on his desk that made him sit forward. Picking up the old wooden frame, Oliver smiled at a younger version of the general dancing with a little girl with black curls and a red flowing dress.

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘look but don’t touch’?” a deep voice said behind him.

Oliver set the picture back on the general’s desk and stood up, saluting him. “I apologize, sir.”

“At ease.” General Reynolds was in good physical shape for his age, and despite being several inches shorter than Oliver, he was still an imposing figure. The general sat down and waved his hand to the chair behind Oliver, indicating he should sit, too. “What is it I can do for you, Sergeant Martinez?”

Oliver sat and ran his hands over his legs nervously, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. “I wanted to talk to you about staying on at Alpha Dog, sir. I’ve enjoyed my time there and would like to continue, instead of returning to my unit.”

“I see,” the general said. “And have you also enjoyed working with my daughter, Sergeant Martinez?”

What does Eve have to do with this?
Oliver didn’t know what Eve had told him, but he treaded lightly. “I have, sir. She is a wonderful woman, and you should be proud of her, but she has nothing to do with my decision to stay on. I enjoy working with the kids and the dogs and feel like I can make a difference there. And they have a spot for me.”

“You say that she has nothing to do with your decision to stay on, but I find that hard to believe. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way she talks about you.”

She talks about me with her family?
Oliver smothered his excitement as the general added, “And I am proud of her, most definitely. I am also very protective of her and do not want to see her hurt.”

“That’s the last thing I want as well, sir.”

“Then you understand why I’m denying your request and transferring you back to active MP rotation first thing Tuesday morning. That should give you a long weekend to readjust.”

The general’s blunt announcement took him completely by surprise. “Sir, do you really think that putting me back in rotation will keep me away from her?”

“I know my daughter, Sergeant Martinez. Right now, you’re accessible, but that will change,” the general said. “Evelyn has never been shy about her opinions and desires for what she wants out of life, and I can guarantee you that you are not her future.”

“You don’t know that,” Oliver said, forgetting himself and who he was talking to.

The general ignored his outburst, though. “It’s my fault, really. I let my emotions get the better of me and wanted to teach you a lesson. Instead, I put my daughter in a position of vulnerability, and you took full advantage. I am willing to overlook your infraction and put you back where you belong, no harm, no foul.”

“I never took advantage of Evelyn. What is between us has nothing to do with you and everything to do with her amazing spirit. I’m not giving up on her.”

“Son, my daughter has plans for her life that do not include you. Whatever you think you feel for Eve, if you really cared, you’d let her go.” The general’s tone wasn’t condescending or hostile; in fact, he sounded a little sad. “Men like you and I live our jobs. If I give you this position, you might be satisfied for a month or so, but then you’re going to get antsy, and the urge for more is going to get stronger. You want to climb the ladder—I’ve read your file—and that requires long hours and a lot of sacrifice. And I don’t want that for my daughter.”

“You know her,” Oliver said. “How could you put us together and never imagine I would fall for her?”

Oliver couldn’t even believe he was saying this, but he felt every word in his gut and knew it was true. He was willing to fight for Eve. She was worth it.

“Honestly?” A sheepish grin broke under the general’s salt and pepper mustache. “I thought she’d run you off the first day.”

“She tried, but I’m stubborn. I don’t give up easily, and if I have to, I can go over your head, sir,” Oliver said.

His words wiped the smile from the general’s face. “And I could have you transferred to another base, and then this conversation would be moot.” The general stood up and said, “I’m giving you an out, Sergeant Martinez. I expect you to take it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be somewhere.”

The dismissive certainty in the general’s order filled Oliver with impotent rage, as if it had never crossed the general’s mind that Oliver would really go against him. Oliver exited the office, frustration vibrating through his muscles.

But it wasn’t just that the general didn’t believe that he’d fight for Eve. What if he was right that Oliver would just end up as one of Eve’s regrets?

Damn it, he wasn’t this guy, ruled by what-ifs and insecurities. He jumped in and went after what he wanted, yet here he was, debating and hee-hawing like an asshole.

He wanted to punch something, bust his fist through something hard and fleshy.

As he crossed the base back to his car, Tate and Andy, the man who had hurt Eve all those years ago, were coming out of one of the buildings. Tate waved, and although Oliver tried to ignore them, they intercepted him.

“Hey, Martinez, when you coming back for good?” Tate asked.

“Next week, apparently.”

“That’s great!” Tate slapped Oliver on the shoulder and lowered his voice, “Hey, man, I gotta ask . . . What was it like to do Reynolds’s daughter? Because Andy here, he never got farther than second base, and I’m just thinking—”

Oliver didn’t even remember attacking Tate. It was like a cloud of black and red swirled around him as he took the other man to the ground and threw a fist that shattered the bones and tissue under his knuckles. Oliver was oblivious to Tate’s groan and the sound of gurgling, even Andy’s faint shouts and arms grabbing at him, trying to drag him off. Oliver reached behind him, catching Andy was by the waist, and tossed him over his shoulder.

Finally, Oliver was slammed to the ground, pinned by Andy’s heavy weight. As Andy jerked his arms behind his back, he felt a flash of stinging pain and realized Tate was kicking him in the ribs. The cloud evaporated, and Oliver grunted as another kick caught him in the midsection before he was pulled to his feet.

“Stupid asshole.” Tate spat at him, his face covered in blood and his nose bent and swollen. “You are fucking screwed.”

Just as Tate looked like he was going to make a move again, Andy snapped, “Just leave it, Tate. The last thing we need is the general getting involved and asking questions. Something tells me Oliver here won’t mind repeating everything you said about his darling Eve.”

Oliver glowered at Tate as he wiped off his face and gave Oliver a feral smile. “Man, Martinez, if she’s that good of a piece of ass, I might just try her out myself.”

“You’re not her type, Tate. She doesn’t go for pussies.”

Tate’s fist swung, and Oliver heard a cracking sound as it met his cheek. And then everything went black.

E
VE SAT ACROSS
from her mother, squinting her eyes at the menu. “Did we have to sit outside? The sun is hurting my eyes.”

Her mother looked up from stirring her coffee, her green eyes worried. Eve had inherited her eyes, nose, and mouth, but the rest of her genetic makeup came from her father’s side of the family. She wished sometimes that she’d been more of the natural beauty her mother was, but life was too short for comparisons. She did hope she got her mother’s youthful skin as she aged. Although she was in her late fifties, her mother looked much younger.

“You poor baby, did you take any Tylenol? I don’t know how many times I’ve warned you about having more than one glass of wine before bed.”

Eve shot her mother a glare. “Sympathy
and
an I-told-you-so in one sentence? Congratulations, Mom, your attempt to make me feel better has failed.”

“Are you going to tell me what brought on this late-night bender?”

Eve debated on confiding in her about Oliver, but considering her mother had been the one to sway her away from military men in the first place, Eve doubted she would feel much sympathy.

“I just had a rough couple of weeks, that’s all,” she said.

“Is it this charity event your father asked you to organize? I told him that you’re serious about this PR company and don’t need the extra stress of pro bono work when you’re just starting out. Really, you should be getting paid for everything you’re doing for them.”

“No, it’s been fine and a great way to get my name out there. I just . . . ”

Ah, to hell with it
. She needed to talk to someone. “Mom, I know you didn’t want me joining or marrying into the military, but have you honestly ever regretted marrying Dad?”