Saved by the Lieutenant (Winter Rescue)

2. Jake

2

JAKE

I wake to the buzzing of my cell. Years of being in the Army have attuned me to be awake and alert within seconds.

“Hello?” I answer, without checking the caller ID. Whoever the fuck’s calling at this time of the night isn't doing it to shoot the shit.

“Jake, it’s me, fuck, brother,” Peter says roughly, and I tense. “I need your help.”

It’s been months since I’ve heard from Peter. Hell, even longer than that. So, for him to call me now, something fucking bad must have happened. “What’s up? What do you need?”

“It’s Amanda,” he says and my gut clenches.

Amanda Bright, the only woman I’ve ever loved. Christ. It’s been two years since I last saw her. Two years since I walked away from our future and broke her heart. The woman is gorgeous, smart, and devours life. She’s perfect and I broke her.

“Is she okay?” I ask, my heart racing. I need him to tell me that she’s okay.

“About as good as she can be. Brother,” he says low. “I fucked up. Fuck, I seriously fucked up.”

“Tell me,” I say, through clenched teeth. “What happened?”

“Mandy’s last article didn't sit right with the department. She’s currently blacklisted from the department. The article she wrote was accurate and she didn't leave anything out, including the fuck ups that the police detectives involved in the case made. The department isn’t happy that she’s made a situation that was tense and fucking awful, worse.”

That's Amanda, she gives the readers everything. She’ll never leave anything out, it’s not who she is. She’s one of the best, if not the best crime journalist and she puts her all into every case she works on.

“Get to the fucking point,” I snarl. “What happened?”

“She’s been calling me for over a week, I’ve been dodging her calls.”

Anger works through my veins. “Why?” I hiss.

She’s not just some reporter, she’s always been a fuck of a lot more than that.

“I fucked up. I have my partner and other detectives riding my ass about how close we are. Fuck, I made a mistake.”

“What aren’t you telling me, Peter?” I’m getting frustrated, beyond that. He’s keeping something from me, and I need him to get to the fucking point.

“I answered her call today. She uncovered a serial killer in Pennsylvania. How she managed to do that, I don’t know, but Mandy’s smart. She’s so fucking good at what she does, she’s been paying attention and tonight she had confirmation that the sixth woman was murdered. She was to meet me at a diner and when she didn’t show, I went to her office—” he pauses and my heart fucking crashes against my chest. “She’s beaten, strangled and if I hadn't shown up, she’d have been dead.”

A red haze forms over me. “What?” I ground out. “Tell me you’re fucking joking?”

“I wish I were,” he snaps. “Christ, Jake, she’s battered to hell, when my car approached, the asshole ran away. The moment I got to her she passed out. She’s still unconscious.”

Fear unlike anything I’ve ever felt grips me. I’ve been in some of the shittiest positions in my life, I’ve lost so many brothers, friends, men, but nothing compares to how I feel right at this moment.

“I called for backup, but the perp was long gone. Jake, fuck, her face is a mess. She’s got finger marks on her throat. I had the EMT’s look over her and they’ve said she’ll be sore, but nothing’s broken. I didn’t want her out of my sight, so I brought her home.”

Silence spreads between us, I’m trying hard to keep my emotions in check. “Does this have anything to do with what she’s uncovered?” I ask.

“What she told me so far. The killer likes women in their mid-to-late twenties, brunette, with green eyes. He beats and strangles them—” he trails off.

“And what?” I snap. “What else does this motherfucker do?”

“Stabs them to death,” he tells me, his voice low and filled with fear.

Peter and I met when we were in basic training, it was a few months after that when we met Adam. He was determined to give his sister the best life. Amanda is almost a decade younger than Adam and he raised her. I met Amanda on her twenty-first birthday, the moment I saw her I knew she was the one. I don't know how to explain it, it was a consuming feeling that took over me. From that moment on I was hooked, but when Adam died two years later, that was when Amanda and I grew ever closer. She was devastated, rocked to her core by the death of her brother. Peter and I helped her pick up the pieces and although none of us were ever the same after Adam's death, we did what we could to move on.

Amanda and I started dating a year after Adam's death, we were together for three years before I walked away. Doing so was my biggest mistake, but I didn’t have a choice, it was what was best for her.

“Tell me you have a fucking lead on this monster?” I growl, the fear has grips me tight, like a noose around my neck. “This fucker knows where Amanda works, Peter, that means he’s been watching her.”

“I know,” he fires back. “I fucking know that but until Mandy wakes up, I can’t get the answers I need. I have my partner looking into the murders that she told me about, but on the phone, it was very limited and only basic information.”

I inhale deeply. “I’m taking a leave of absence,” I tell him. “I want you to take her to the cabin. I’m not letting that motherfucker take her, Peter, it’s not happening.”

“She’s not going to do that,” he says softly. “You hurt her Jake, you wrecked her. She’ll not want to be around you.”

“Right now, I don’t care. I need her safe. That fucker knows who she is, Peter, I’m not sitting around and waiting for them to strike again. It’s not happening.”

I hear his sigh. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow. She doesn’t leave your side until she’s with me.”

He chuckles. “Does this mean you’re finally going to do the right thing and stop with this bullshit crusade you’re on?”

“Not talking about this,” I grunt. “I’ll set up my leave of absence and head to the cabin. I know she’ll be pissed, but I’d rather deal with her rage than her being dead.”

“Mandy’s good at what she does, I know that she’s meticulous with her investigations. We’ll uncover who this animal is, and we’ll stop him.”

“It should’ve never gotten this fucking far.” She could’ve died tonight. She could’ve been brutally murdered— I shake my head, pushing those thoughts from my mind.

I can’t think of that right now. God no. I can’t imagine a life without her in it.

“When she wakes up, find out everything you can and then get her to the cabin.”

“Will do, nothing else will happen to her,” he assures me, and I know he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. He's the only person in this world that I'd trust with her life.

“I'll see you in a few hours,” I tell him. “Call me if you need me.” I end the call and get started. I've a lot to do and little time to do it all.

First thing first, ensure that my commanding officer approves my leave of absence. I have all my days available to me and if needed, I'll be taking it all. I need to ensure that Amanda is safe, and I'll be staying with her until this asshole killer is found. I won't leave her alone, no way in hell.

Once I have my absence sorted, I need to get the cabin ready. We're in the midst of winter and it's snowing up in the mountains, it's going to be cold, and the cabin hasn't been used in a while. I know that when Amanda shows up at the cabin, she's going to be pissed that she'll have to spend time with me. It's been two years since we last saw one another and the saying absence makes the heart grow fonder is bullshit. Amanda can hold a grudge better than anyone and I hurt her, fuck, I broke her heart and I doubt that there's any way I can mend it. I'll take all that hate and anger directed at me as long as she's safe.

That's my main goal. Keeping her alive and safe.

It's almost one in the afternoon and I'm finally at the cabin. The snow is even worse than I had imagined, and it's only meant to get heavier. Peter should be here within the hour. From what little he said, Amanda didn't put up much of a fight about coming out here and I have to wonder how much he actually told her about what's going to happen when she gets here? I doubt she'd be so solemn about coming here if she truly knew I'd be here. Amanda can argue with herself if given the chance, there's no way that she wouldn't argue with Peter about staying with me.

I'm running on little to no sleep, but right now I don't give a fuck. I need to see Amanda and make sure that she's safe. Since I received the call from Peter, my chest has been tight, I know the feeling is fear. Amanda is the only woman I've loved. Walking away from her was the hardest decision that I ever had to make, but it was the right one. But knowing that she's been hurt, that she was almost killed, it shifted something within me. I always knew that I'd do whatever it took to keep her safe and I made a promise to Adam that I'd watch over her. I'll never break that promise, not ever.

Tires crunching against the snow lets me know that a car is approaching. This cabin belongs to me, it was something I purchased after my grandfather died, I wanted a secluded place I could retreat to if needed. When I met with Adam and Peter in the military, I gave them the location, letting them also have the peace and tranquility that the cabin brings. With Adam gone, only Peter and I know the exact location. Making it the safest place for Amanda to be. I have the most up-to-date security system. there are cameras placed within a six mile radius, so if someone's on my land, I'll know about it. Not to mention it's at least an hour away from the nearest store. For however long it takes to find that monster who's killing the women, Amanda will stay here with me.

Opening the door to the cabin, I watch as Peter's Toyota Camry rolls to a stop outside. I slide my gaze to the passenger's seat, she's glaring at me, her eyes shooting daggers into me. The heat of her angry gaze warms my chest. Fuck, it's been two years since I last saw her, and she looks even more beautiful than I remember.

Peter exits the vehicle first, sighing heavily as he closes the door. “She's pissed,” he states. “She had no idea that you'd be here.”

A small smile plays on my lips. “I was wondering how you managed to get her to come here. I see now that you didn't tell her that it would be me that would be protecting her.”

He lifts his shoulders and shrugs. “She's a fireball,” he says. “I thought it would be best to deal with that later. She's here now, you can deal with her anger.”

Peter, he never changes anything to avoid drama. “Don't you think she deserved to know before you brought her here?”

He walks around to the passenger's side of the car and opens Amanda's door. “If I’d told her, she wouldn’t have come. I need her safe, I need her away from the firing line in order to do my job. I can't have my attention split between protecting Mandy and finding this fucker. It's why I called you. I need you and I know as much as Mandy hates it's you, there's no other choice.”

He's right about that, there is no one else. We're all she has left now that Adam's gone.

“I am here you know,” Amanda drawls as she exits the car. My brows knit together at the roughness of her voice. “I can speak for myself.”

Peter nods. “You could, but you shouldn't. You need to rest your voice.” There's anger in his voice that has me wondering what the fuck I'm missing.

“I'm fine,” Amanda says, waving her hand in the air.

“No,” Peter says thickly. “You're not. Wearing that turtleneck is only hiding the bruises that mar your neck. The makeup you're wearing does a piss poor job of concealing the beating you took, and not to mention, you barely slept.” He releases a heavy breath. “You're far from okay, Mandy and I get you're pissed at being here with Jake, but I need you safe and for that to happen, he's the only man that I trust to do so.”

I watch as Amanda's entire body sags and she pushes her body into Peter's. “I'll stay here, doesn't mean I like it,” she says low. “Thank you.”

He curls his arm around her shoulders and holds her tight. “Don't thank me,” he growls. “I should’ve answered your calls a long time ago, and this wouldn't have happened.”

“We don't know that,” she sighs.

He doesn't respond, instead, he pulls away from her and turns her to face me. “I'll grab your bags, you go on ahead and get warm.”

I watch as she takes a few deep breaths before she gathers the courage to move toward me. With every step she takes, it's like a sucker punch to the gut. Her beautiful face is bruised, even with the copious amount of makeup she used trying to conceal it. Her eyes, normally vibrant and full of life, are dull and filled with fear. The impact of seeing that look on her face, the fear she feels, it's gut wrenching. Fuck.

She doesn't say a word, just breezes past me into the cabin and I'm left seething, wanting to find the asshole who's done this to her and kill them.

“Bury it,” Peter says. “She doesn't need to feel the anger from you, Jake. She needs to feel safe. What you're feeling, you need to bury it.”

I glare at him. “Her face?—”

He nods. “It's worse than what you can see. She needs you right now, no matter how things were left between the two of you. You’re the only one she's truly ever felt safe with. So, bury that anger, and go do what you do best. Protect her.”

I wish it were as easy as he claims. But fuck, how can I act as though seeing her hurt isn't affecting me? I've never, not once, felt the urge to kill until now.

“What has she told you?” I ask, needing a full debrief.

“Not much, she told me how she uncovered the first three women, that the reports were eerily similar and that they stuck out to her. It's what made her start investigating. She's damn good at her job and managed to uncover all the similarities among the victims, and it's given me a lot to work with. I'm hoping with what we know, we'll be able to work this case quickly.”

“What about how the fucker found out she was investigating him?” I ask. There has to be some way he knew, from what little Peter has told me about this case, no one knew there was a killer on the loose other than Amanda. So how the hell did the killer know she uncovered his spree?

I watch as Peter's eyes darken. “That is something we've yet to find out. Neither I nor Amanda know how they found out she was onto them. Her boss, Gerald Levi, is currently having his entire office swept for cameras or microphones. He's worried about her and is demanding that we do everything in our power to find out who the hell is doing this. He was enraged when an officer turned up at his house last night asking for the footage. He had no idea what had happened and was waiting on Amanda to call him when she got home. He was devastated to find out that she'd been attacked.”

Gerald Levi is the closest thing Amanda has to a father. Since she started working at The Metropolitan Gazette, Gerald took her under his wing and became not only a mentor but a friend and father figure.

“I'm going to head back to Philly,” Peter tells me. “I'll keep you updated with any and all information that we uncover. Hopefully the two of you don't kill one another, the last thing I need to do is investigate another homicide.”

I chuckle, he's not wrong, I have no doubt that when I walk into the cabin the temperature is going to be Baltic. The reception I got was frosty to say the least, now we're spending twenty-four seven together. It's going to go one of two ways. She's either going to be icy toward me or she'll demand answers as to why I walked away from her two years ago. Right now, I'm not sure what I'd prefer. All I want is for her to be safe.

“Also, I know Mandy, she's not going to stop investigating this case,” he tells me. “She's too invested, too emotionally attached. Just help her keep off the grid. Anything she finds out, we're going to want to know.”

I nod. Amanda will see this through to the end, there's no doubt about that, but she'll not be doing it alone. “Whatever she uncovers, you'll be the first to know.”

He gives me a relieved look. “Thanks, Jake,” he says. “I know she's pissed, but this is the best thing for her.”

“I know and so does she. Call me if you have anything.”

I watch as he returns to his vehicle and backs away from the cabin. Once his car's out of sight, I enter the cabin. The heat from the fire is blazing and I shut the door behind me.

The beautiful woman is sitting on the chair beside the fire, her legs crossed with her laptop resting on them. I should’ve known wouldn’t have waited to start working.

“Amanda,” I greet and bite back a laugh as she glances up at me, before scrunching her nose and going right back to work. The haughty look she has is sexy as hell and I need to keep my distance.

Amanda Bright is dangerous for me. I walked away to protect her, I need to remember that. If I don't, I could ruin her once again and that's the last thing I want.