Broken Protocols 1-3 Read online

  “And I’m glad to hear that,” Levi said in between mouthfuls. “This monitor allows one to see what wouldn’t normally be seen, while allowing the viewer to distance himself from the reality.” He took another bite. “But it’s not a vid. It’s real life.”

  “Good thing it was a bad guy.” Charmin finally lifted his head from his bowl of food and proceeded to clean his face. “And this bad guy would have killed us.”

  “But we don’t know that,” Dani protested. “He might have been a nice guy and not hurt us.”

  The three males stared at her.

  She sat back and sighed. “Okay, so that’s not likely. But I don’t want to be so complacent that someone’s death is not a concern.”

  Levi reached across the table and grasped her hand. “That’s not likely to happen.”

  “Good. Please remind me of this conversation later.”

  “I will.” He gave her hand a squeeze and then released it to resume eating.

  “I’ll remind you, too.” Charmin gave her a fat smirk.

  “I can do without your input, thanks.”

  She polished off her dinner in silence, her gaze watching the rest of the drama in Johan’s apartment play out. The team of orange blobs collected the injured intruder and were moving down the building – at a slower pace. “Surely they could move him out of there much faster?”

  “Actually, they could.” Levi frowned. He got up and walked over to his wall com. Dani watched the orange blobs stop about mid-level. She gasped. “Are they here?”

  An alarm sounded.

  *

  Levi had planned to asked to ask Stephen about the raid…when the alarm went off again. He quickly told Dani and Charmin to go to the pod room.

  She had a puzzled look on her face as she scooped up Charmin as requested. At least she no longer panicked as she had earlier. Good. When she’d entered the pod room, he double-checked that stealth was on to keep her presence secret. Then he turned off the alarm to his front door and opened it.

  Combots. A robotic retrieval death team. Or as some called them…death squads.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Identification required.”

  “I am Levi Blackburn.”

  “Acknowledged. We need this man identified.” And a body bag was thrust forward.

  Levi blanched. “Why me?”

  “We need to know if you recognized him from the earlier altercation.”

  “Let me see his face.”

  He expected to have the body bag opened, but instead a tablet was shoved under his nose, a large image of a dead man on the screen. “That’s Johan Stroud.”

  “Thank you.” And the Combots retreated.

  Levi stepped into the hallway. “Wait. Who is in the bag?”

  “You just identified him,” the leader said.

  “No,” Levi snapped. “I did not. I identified the face on the tablet, not the body in the bag.”

  “Same man.”

  “No.” He shook his head. No way in hell they were the same man. He didn’t know what was going on here, but they were trying to pull something, and he didn’t want his identification to be mistaken.

  “I need to see his face.”

  “We cannot allow that.”

  “Then my identification does not stand.”

  “You have already identified him.” The Combots were only computers. Advanced computers, but not conversationalists.

  “No. I identified the picture on the tablet. I need to see the face on the body in the bag to confirm.”

  “We can’t allow that.”

  “Yes, you can. And I have Councilman Stephen Cavendish’s permission.”

  The Combots buzzed as if sending the request forward to the Council.

  “The Councilman cannot be reached.”

  “Well, he gave me permission.” Levi walked closer. As much as he didn’t want to look at the dead man’s face, he did want to know who was in the bag. The Combot turned and conversed with another bot. Levi walked closer. He turned his back on the bots and quickly opened the bag.

  “Stop. You cannot do this.”

  “Too late. I have done it.” And it was not Johan. “This is Paul Defino. Older brother to Tommy Defino. This is not the man on the tablet. I repeat, this is not Johan Stroud.”

  He turned, anger building inside him. “Where is Johan Stroud’s body?”

  “We do not have it. This is the only body that we have collected.”

  “Why did you not collect the other one?”

  “There was no other body to collect.”

  Chapter 11

  Dani had barely relaxed in the pod when Levi opened the door. “Dani?”

  She poked her head out. “I’m awake. What’s up?”

  “That was a death squad of Combots. They have one of the Defino brothers bagged and tagged. Dead.”

  “So that’s who was up there. Interesting.”

  “Even more interesting, Johan’s body was not there according to them. They being robots, they can be ordered to do one thing, then reprogrammed to forget what they did. But it appears that whoever behind this is hiding Johan’s death.” He walked closer and pushed open the pod lid higher so she could swing her legs around and hop off. “They are gone. I’ve been trying to reach Stephen, but there’s no answer – anywhere.”

  She winced. “That always sounds so ominous. I was hoping that they’d caught the bad guy, collected poor Johan, and now we were safe.”

  “I’m hoping that’s exactly what the situation is, but I can’t be sure of anything at this time. It’s almost bedtime.”

  She walked with him down the hall to the living room. “I am tired, but more wired. Wondering when this will all go away.”

  “I wonder what happened to Johan?”

  “Are you sure the death bots didn’t remove his body?”

  “They said they didn’t. If they did, they didn’t let me see it.” He slipped a hand up the nape of her neck and gently massaged the tight muscles. “I’m sorry there have been so many issues since you arrived.”

  “Apparently many were caused by my arrival.” She moaned gently as he stopped, turned her around, and dug in his fingers to knead deeper. “Where’s Milo?”

  “Retired for the night.”

  Her insides perked up. She gave him a fat smile. “So does that mean we are alone?”

  “Not quite,” Charmin said. “But I’m heading in to lie beside the fire, so don’t mind me.”

  She laughed. “We won’t. Keep your ears shut.”

  “I’ll sleep instead. Just don’t wake me.”

  She watched as her baby cat sauntered toward the hallway into Levi’s bedroom. That was where she wanted to go.

  “He not only talks but thinks, has words of wisdom, and can solve puzzles,” Levi said, “He’s quite a puzzle himself.”

  When Charmin had disappeared from sight, Dani turned around to face Levi. “Now are we alone?”

  His smile quirked. “As alone as you want to be.”

  She ran her hands up his bare arms, loving the feel of his silky skin. “Good. And it’s late. So…”

  “So…?”

  She raised her eyes to his. “Bedtime?”

  “Absolutely.” A slow smile quirked, lighting a fire in her heart. “Back to the pod or…”

  “Or…your bed?”

  He lowered his head and kissed her. “Definitely my bed.”

  In a move that shocked a surprised squeak out of her, he scooped her up as if she were no bigger than Charmin. Snuggling close, she yawned. “You live a crazy life.”

  “It’s your life, too.” He walked toward his bedroom, nudging the door open with his foot. Sure enough, the fire was burning bright. Overhead, the big timber ceiling sprawled the length of the room. She shook her head. “This is so amazing.”

  “Glad you like it. I can change it if you’d rather have a different scene.”

  “No,” she cried. “This is perfect.”

  He walked ove
r to the bed and dropped her in the middle of the big poufy comforter. She laughed. “I love this. It seems like forever since I actually spent a night in a bed.”

  “It has been forever.” He turned away to lock the bedroom door, then glanced at the big plush rug in front of the fire where Charmin slept. “Charmin in or out?”

  All they heard was a heavy guttural snore. “He’ll be fine in here with us. He’s a heavy sleeper.”

  “Good. Two’s company in the bed, but three is a definite crowd.”

  “I’d get used to it if I were you. Charmin is used to sleeping on the bed with me.”

  “Not right now. This is time for just the two of us.” He walked to the side, and while she missed what he’d done to make it happen, there was a large series of built-in shelves and hooks where he hung his clothes after stripping them off. She sat up, wondering what they did with laundry. “Do you have a laundry service or do you wash your own clothes?”

  He paused momentarily as he took off his wrist com. His shoulders started to shake. He turned with a silly grin on his face. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? We don’t do any menial work anymore.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “None?”

  “None.”

  “You cooked,” she accused. “And cleaned up.”

  “Did I?”

  She stopped and had to think. No one had washed dishes. She’d assumed that Milo had cleared the table, but she hadn’t seen that happen. So really, she had no idea.

  “You don’t do laundry? Dishes?”

  “No. I’ll show you tomorrow. Hand me your clothing and I’ll hang it up. It will be clean and ready to wear again in the morning.”

  Her mouth gaped open. “That cupboard will wash your clothes?”

  “It’s like a mini dry-cleaning service inside.” He stood completely nude in front of her, as unconscious of his nudity as she was conscious of it. Then again, she’d have to be dead to not notice. “Do you want to try it?”

  “Oh, yes, please.” Trying to be as natural stripping in front of him as he was with her, she stripped down to her skin and walked over. He showed her where to hang the items up. When done, he closed the closet and pushed a small button. “Do this every night, and every morning the clothes will be clean and ready to be worn. If you don’t do it all the time, it stacks up and you have to stand here and do this over and over again.”

  “Marvelous.” Dani turned to him and smiled brightly. He opened his arms.

  She stepped into them, loving that they instantly closed securely around her.

  *

  Levi pulled back slightly so he could look into her deep blue eyes. She was so beautiful. So natural that he couldn’t imagine any enhancements that would improve what Mother Nature had given her. She wouldn’t agree, but that he’d found was the way of women. Maybe people in general.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked, a small shadow sliding into her eyes. She didn’t know him well enough to understand his actions, the nuances of his voice, yet she stood before him, as bare as the day she’d been brought into this world, with such trust, he felt his heart swell.

  “I was thinking that I am the luckiest man alive.” And damn if his voice didn’t drop to a hoarse whisper. He closed his eyes and dropped his chin on top of her head as emotion choked him. “I don’t know why I am so blessed, but I truly am grateful that you are here in my life, in my arms tonight.”

  She snuggled closer, the brush of her nipples against his chest sweet torment, the slide of her arms around his chest a delight. When she laid her head against his heart, he thought he’d cry. Instead, he crushed her against him and held her tight.

  She deserved so much more. And he planned on giving it to her. He gently picked her up and carried her to the bed. In some weird symbol, a night in his bed meant the start of their married life. A wedding night for just the two of them.

  He flipped back the covers and lay beside her. Instantly, she turned toward him. God, he loved it that she wanted to be here with him. Not just a party where everyone came to have fun with anyone, not because he was wealthy and eligible, but she wanted to be here with him – because she cared.

  Heat rolled through him. He needed that. Needed her.

  Her hands slid up his chest to cup his face. He shuddered.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” he murmured. “Just a little overwhelmed.”

  “Same.” She kissed him gently. “I came a long way to find you, Levi.”

  He shuddered again, her words finding all the lonely places in his heart and filling them.

  “I missed you all these years,” she whispered against his neck, her breath warming him to his toes. “Where were you, Levi?”

  She dropped more kisses on his chin, then on his neck before moving on to his collarbone. A trail of heat then ice followed as she drifted her way down his body. He wanted to tell her to stop. Wanted to pleasure her, but the words wouldn’t come out. The need to be, to exist, as is, with her like this…it was too strong.

  She propped herself on one elbow, then pushed him onto his back and slowly worked her way downward.

  “Let me,” he said in a low voice, “I want to make this special for you.”

  “Oh, it will be,” she assured him, a tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips. She slid her hand down. “Besides, you promised me.”

  “Later,” he said, and her hand closed around him. He cried out.

  “This is my time,” she murmured, dropping kisses down his chest and across his ribs. “My turn.”

  And then she found him with her mouth.

  Levi thought he’d died. Dani’s mouth was so wet, so sweet, and so damn hot he almost couldn’t hold on. He was afraid to move. Afraid she’d stop. And afraid she wouldn’t. He didn’t want this over too soon. She scraped her teeth down the long length of his shaft.

  He lifted his hips and groaned.

  Then her mouth was gone. He opened his eyes to find her carefully shifting over him, straddling his hips. She grasped him gently in one hand as she found her position.

  And lowered herself. His groan rumbled free. He couldn’t help himself. He reached up and grabbed her hips to hold her steady and he lunged upward, grinding his pelvis against her. She gasped and threw her head back, tightening her inner muscles.

  He shuddered at the delicate internal massage.

  “Oh God,” he whispered. “Dani, you feel so freaking good.”

  She laughed, a wild abandoned sound that ended on a low moan. She leaned forward, dropped a tongue dueling kiss on him, and started to ride.

  He was a goner. In heat. In lust. In love.

  And that no longer scared him. Emotion overwhelmed him. “Dani,” he cried out.

  “I’m here, Levi,” she whispered. “Just let go.”

  “Not…without…” he flipped his head back and forth, the tension coiling tighter and tighter. He didn’t want to let go. He wanted this to last…forever. “You.” And he couldn’t hold back.

  His body exploded, his hands holding her hips in place as he ground as deep as he could go.

  Through the haze in his mind, he heard her cry out, her thighs holding him tightly. He shuddered. When she collapsed on his chest, he held her close against his heart.

  “I think I’m in love.”

  She froze. Then a tiny giggle slipped free. “Only think? ’Cause I don’t have any doubt.”

  He rolled over, still inside her, and pinned her underneath him. He stared down into her beautiful, luminescent eyes, so full of joy, satisfaction and…yes…love.

  “Neither do I,” he whispered. “I don’t know how I got to be this lucky, but I love you, Dani. So very much.”

  And he proceeded to show her all over again.

  Chapter 12

  A long time later, warm and happy, Dani rolled over and cuddled up against Levi.

  His strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her even closer. He kissed her forehead before dropping back in exhaustion. Good. She’d wor
n him out, too. She smirked.

  “I heard that.” Levi murmured against her hair.

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “I felt it.”

  “Now that’s possible.” She waited, wondering if she should ask.

  But he, ever sensitive to her needs, asked first. “What’s on your mind?”

  She shifted so she was lying, arms crossed on his chest, chin resting on top. Where she could look into his eyes. Where she could see the truth.

  In a serious voice, she asked, “Did you mean it?”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his eyes warmed all the way through. Even as satiated as she was, her body quickened at the heat glowing from his heart.

  “I meant it. All of it. All the way.”

  She closed her eyes. In spite of herself, a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. She swore she was done with the bawling, but the depth of the feeling in his voice…well, she didn’t think anyone had ever cared for her like he did.

  “Please, don’t cry.” He pulled her higher up on his chest so he could kiss the tear away. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

  “You could never make me upset by telling me how much you care.” She smiled, blinking rapidly to stop more tears from rolling down her cheeks. “I was just realizing how much I want this. How much I missed when all my friends had loving relationships and I didn’t.”

  “I feel the same. I didn’t want to be with everyone and yet no one. I wanted to find someone to love, and who’d love me.”

  She made a face. “I hate to say it, but it looks like we owe Milo our thanks.”

  He laughed. A deep rumble that rolled through him, making her sigh with delight. “That we do, but we won’t tell him just yet.”

  He flipped her over, and she whispered, “Tell me again.”

  “How about I show you instead.”

  And he lowered his head and kissed her.

  *

  Hours later, an alarm shuddered through the apartment. Levi bolted out of bed.

  Dani woke up beside him, a cry on her lips.

  “Alarm on low.”