Page 42 of Lethal Justice

“Are you all right?”

Malco didn’t answer and only opened his arms, and she went to him, careful of his side. When her face pressed into his chest and his familiar scent filled her nose, a half-sob came out of her. How close she’d come to losing him hit her full force. If they had aimed higher, she’d no longer hear the steady rumble of his heart in his chest.

Malco didn’t say a word as he rubbed her back steadily, his cheek pressed to the top of her head.

When she could finally draw a full breath without breaking down, she spoke. “You scared me to death, Malco.”

“You walked out on me when I was unconscious, woman. That scared me too.”

Damn, she hated it when he showed his vulnerability to her. It threw her off and was so different from the men in her family. And she fell for him even more for being that way.

She looked up and met his deep dark eyes. “I’m sorry. I hated to leave you, but time was of the essence, even more so since we have a traitor in our midst.”

His fingers caressed her cheek. “I’m sorry for getting shot.”

And just like that, Frida smiled and dug her fingers in his good side a little. “Smartass.”

A low laugh rumbled deep inside before he resumed his hold on her, and Frida soaked in his strength as much as she could.

His embrace tightened even more around her. “I may be a smart ass, but I was sincere. I was distracted and got shot, but I couldn’t live with myself if you were the one hit.”

“We lead dangerous lives, you more than most. And because of our pasts, we know better than anybody that life can be shorter than we hope. I guess that’s why we must enjoy every moment.”

“Enjoy every moment as if it were the last.”

The emotion in his voice was undeniable, and it was clear he was thinking about his lost brother the same way her heart was aching for her sister. They were gone, but they were there, holding on to their memories and trying to make the present better for the kids in the same situation.

Finally, when he released her, his mouth came down on hers like a drowning man seeking air. His taste was all that she craved, and she gladly yielded to him, circling his neck, pressing her body against his as much as possible without causing him discomfort.

As Frida deepened the kiss, wondering how she could have him without reopening his wound, Malco stepped back. “You’re right. Life is short. However short it is, I want you in my life. I love you, Frida.”

A sudden surge of emotion clogged her throat, closing it so tight no words could come out. There, in front of her, was a man who was strong and dangerous but also committed, honest, and who respected her and her work like no other. He valued her as his equal, which was the rarest find of all.

She must have kept silent for too long because she could see a grimace on his handsome face. “I think it’s your turn to say something.”

Bubbles started to form in her belly and fizzed up until it unclogged her throat, and she could speak. “I love you too.”

The relief on his face would have been comical if she weren’t certain she had the same expression on hers, and before she could blink, he was kissing her senseless.

Out of breath, Malco put his forehead against hers. “I would like to take you home and make love to you until we’re exhausted, but we still have so much to do.”

The man was right. The mission was far from over.

With one last peck on his lips, Frida stepped back. “I heard about Ward… this is just a mess. I would never believe he was dirty, selling the kids to the Blood Razors.”

Malco sighed. “Yeah, it got to me. I’ve been working with Ward for some time now, and I didn’t think him capable of this. He’s good, he fooled all of us.”

Frida agreed with him. She’d always thought she had a good radar for bullshit and had missed it as well.

“Show me the data you have on Ward, what you found.”

Most people would have argued with her, but Malco only shrugged and when to the computer to pull up the documents on Ward and project them on the main screen.

What she saw was Ward’s bank statement with regular sums deposited in it.

“We checked it out, and each payment corresponds to one kid’s disappearing from the center.”

Frida processed the information as she looked at the numbers. Something felt off. Moving closer to the screen, her lawyer’s brain took over, years of experience helping to decode the information on the screen until it clicked. “These are pinged deposits.”