ToServeAndProtect

Prologue

Lightning flashing across the sky in jagged forks,
thunderous clashes echoing through the halls, and the deafening sound of rain
to drown out the wail of death would have perfected the atmosphere. Instead,
the summer sun cast a warm glow over the day.

Chills broke along Elliot Porter’s arms, the coarse
hairs tingling. He’d taken risks, six months worth of risks. The scourge of
society had become his best friends. A chuckle bubbled forth. A fool and his
money were easily parted. Almost too easily. Only his associates were more than
fools. They were deadly…but then, so was he.

He rubbed his hands together. The time had come. The
best part of his plan was the chance to shed the twenty-five year old albatross
that had been hanging around his neck. His bitch of a dead wife had saddled him
with the responsibility of raising her brat. He’d sacrificed the prime years of
his life. No more. From now on Elliot came first…regardless of who might get
hurt. The time had come for him to start thinking of himself.

Gray hair receded to the back of his head, crow’s feet
clawed at his eyes, and misery pulled at his thin-lipped mouth. It was hell
waking up one morning to look in the mirror and know more than half your life
was gone, having never really lived at all.

Guilt should have tickled his conscience, that is, if
he had one. A car pulled into the driveway. He turned at the sound of the
engine cutting off. Going to the windows, he pulled back the drapes careful not
to disturb the sheer beneath and let out his breath in relief.

He rushed to the foyer. “I’ve been waiting for you,”
he said, opening the door. A grin split his lips. The time had finally come.

He was followed up the hardwood stairs, down the hall
to the master bedroom. They walked toward the bed…and there was blood.

Chapter
One

Damn! Late again. And so like her. Why couldn’t she be
more like her best friend? There Dawn Wilson sat, her pouty pink lips
twitching.

McKenna Porter waved at Dawn through the front glass
windows of Conversations. McKenna and Dawn were at home in the intimate street
level coffee house. Historic Twenty-Fifth Street was the gathering spot for
hippies, yuppies, students from the local university, and those like Dawn and
McKenna who came to their weekly yoga class at the studio on the second floor
of the old building. People milled about sipping cappuccinos and appreciating
works by the community’s local artists hanging on the whitewashed brick walls.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“Where’ve you been?” Dawn already enjoyed her usual
mocha latte, heavy on the whip cream. If her attempt was to appear annoyed, she
succeeded. “I ordered for you.” McKenna’s usual—a tall, skinny, sugar-free
vanilla with an extra shot—waited on the table.

McKenna dropped her duffel bag containing her yoga
mat, towel, and water bottle next to her chair. “Mmm…” She took a long drink of
her cooling latte and wiped foam from her upper lip with a napkin she took from
the dispenser in the center of the table.

“What kept you? I’ve been waiting…” She glanced at the
clock on the wall. “Twenty minutes.”

“I—”

“Wait. I don’t want to hear about it unless it
involves a man, preferably a naked man. A naked, good-looking man with a big
cock”

McKenna smiled. “It doesn’t.”

Dawn tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t think so. But
one day I know you’re going to come walking in here with a limp because someone
has finally rocked your world.”

“I don’t want my world rocked. I like it nice and
predictable.”

“It doesn’t really matter because Gabriel’s teaching
tonight. We can get our testosterone fix.”

McKenna didn’t say anything, but her expression must
have revealed her thoughts. She wasn’t interested in Gabriel. And she didn’t
think Gabriel’s testosterone cup overflowed.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “It would be a damn shame if he
turns out to be gay. He’s too beautiful. But then it seems all the best looking
men are into each other.” She put her hands flat on the table. “Mickey, people
think
you’re
gay, and you don’t care.”

McKenna smiled around her straw and drank more of her
latte. “It’s not that I don’t think he’s attractive, he is. I admit it, just
like his class, he’s hot. But I’m not interested. I appreciate men, I do. I
just don’t want to date one.”

“You’re hopeless, and who said anything about dating?
I’m talking about hot sex after hot yoga.” The yoga class took place in a room
heated to one hundred and five degrees. The purpose was to cleanse both the
mind and body with deep meditative movements while sweating out the toxins. Too
many weeks, hell months had passed since McKenna had participated in any other
activities that could sweat out the toxins. Lately, her options on men capable
or rocking her world, or even creating a minor ripple, had dwindled. And she
didn’t have the time or energy to do anything about it.

Dawn played with the straw in her cup. “So Gabriel isn’t
your flavor,” she said. “I’m glad about that since I want to sample him
myself.”

“I don’t sample men like you do. Dating isn’t supposed
to be a buffet line.”

“Speak for yourself. I tire of the same meal all the
time. And don’t change the subject, Mickey. We’re talking about your sex life.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Exactly.” Dawn kept on talking as if McKenna hadn’t
interrupted. “What about Steven? The only reason he comes to this class is to
watch you bend your body into what he imagines are erotic, sexual positions.
Even I can see he’s taking notes.”

“I’m not interested in Steven. I want my life
uncomplicated.”

“Oh, hell. Steven would screw you in the backseat of
his car,” Dawn whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “There’s nothing complicated
in that, except maybe getting comfortable. Doesn’t he drive a compact? You’ll
need to grab Elliot’s Caddy.”

“I’m not having sex in my father’s Cadillac. I’m not
having sex in a car.” She chuckled. “I’m not having sex.” But there were
certainly times she wished she were. Dawn had an active calendar and shared all
the juicy little details.

Dawn picked up her cup and drank the last of her
coffee. “If you ask me, you need a bit of excitement,” she continued. “Class is
starting.” She stuffed a napkin into her empty cup. Several people started up
the winding metal staircase in the corner of the coffee shop to the yoga studio
above.

“Your brand of excitement doesn’t appeal to me.”
McKenna grabbed her gear off the ground and followed Dawn up the stairs.

The humid, musty-smelling air filled their lungs.
Gabriel stretched in front of the mirrors running the entire length of the
room. He immediately acknowledged McKenna and Dawn with a lift of his brow as
they unrolled their mats in their usual spots.

“Full class tonight.”

“Yeah, and here comes Steven.” Dawn wagged her brows.
“And looking hot.”

“Yeah, because it’s over a hundred degrees in here.
Everyone looks hot—because it’s hot in here.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Hardy har har.”

McKenna smiled at Steven as he unrolled his mat next to
hers. Then she glanced back to Dawn who smiled mischievously. “Go for it,” she
mouthed. Then Dawn pulled off her sweatshirt and fluffed her cinnamon-colored
hair with her fingers. A mint green, tank top molded to her compact figure.
Drill team, prom queen, and never without a boyfriend in high school, Dawn
still carried the air of snobbery that came from confidence.

McKenna, on the other hand, had excelled
scholastically. Those high IQ points hadn’t translated into a lucrative high
tech career. Although being an insurance agent had its occasional moments.
Predictable moments for the most part.

After adjusting the volume of the tribal music,
Gabriel stood in deep breathing position. “Welcome, my friends,” he said before
demonstrating the first series of movements.

McKenna allowed her body to ease into the difficult
stretches while her mind drifted on the hypnotizing rhythm of the music.

Class progressed and McKenna stretched, pushing her
body. Sweat dripped from her elbows and ran down the back of her knees. Damp
tendrils of hair stuck to her cheeks and temples. Saturated, her yoga top clung
to her small breasts.

She inhaled through her nose, exhaled slow and steady.
Each pose moved into the next. Glancing at the mat next to hers, she noticed
Steven had difficulty balancing and holding positions because he couldn’t watch
her ass and arch his back at the same time.

Oh god, and he had a hard-on. McKenna smiled, tried to
refocus on her movement, and turned away. Now she faced Dawn.

“What did I tell you?” Dawn went from bracing her
weight with her arms, buttocks pointing straight up to the ceiling, to skimming
the mat with her chest, stretching her neck and reaching her chin as high as
she could.
And it’s big
, she mouthed.

McKenna jumped her feet back between her palms where
they rested flat on the mat. “Not now, Dawn.” Standing, she reached her hands
over her head and inhaled. Between Dawn’s prodding and Steven’s ogling, her
relaxing workout was stressing her out.

After the final stretches and cool down, Gabriel clapped
his hands and thanked everyone for coming. McKenna grabbed her towel and dried
her face and neck. Sweat dripped from her hair.

“Hey, Dawn.” Steven didn’t actually look in Dawn’s
direction but kept his attention on McKenna. “Do you two want to get coffee
downstairs?”

“I can’t,” Dawn said as she picked up her bag. “I
already have plans tonight, but McKenna would love to.” She winked then drank
greedily from her water bottle.

McKenna’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t either,” she
interjected.

“Do you have a date?” Dawn asked, knowing she was
attempting to trap her into accepting.

“Um, no, just tired.”

Steven grinned and McKenna could have bit off her
tongue. She should’ve said yes, but she hated lying. Maybe if she was good at
it, but she wasn’t.

“Don’t let her off the hook, Steven. I’ve got to go.”
Dawn swung her bag over her shoulder and hurried to Gabriel before someone else
had a chance to grab his attention.

“Show a man a little mercy.” Steven held his hand over
his heart.

McKenna didn’t want to offer any encouragement, but
she didn’t see an easy way to get out of coffee. The image of his erection
flashed through her mind. Maybe she did need a distraction. “Okay. Sounds
good.” Before she had a chance to put her bag over her shoulder, Steven took it
and escorted her back down the stairs.

They ordered coffee. “I think Dawn will find Gabriel a
bit hard to impress,” he said as he carried their drinks outside to an umbrella
table.

“If anything, Dawn is tenacious…and determined.”

Foot traffic was brisk because of the free evening
concerts at the outdoor amphitheater. Tonight a sassy saxophone carried on a
stifling summer breeze along with the appetizing aroma of brick oven pizza from
the open-air restaurant on the corner. McKenna had to admit, this was nice.
Steven was nice. God, everyone she dated was nice. Nice and boring.