Destroy Me Read online

  DestroyMe

  A Destroy Novel

  by

  K.D. Carrillo

  Destroy Me (Destroy 2) by K.D. Carrillo

  Published by K.D. Carrillo at Kindle

  Copyright © 2014 K.D. Carrillo

  All Rights Reserved

  Edited by Missy Borucki

  Cover design by Renee Ericson of RE Creatives

  http://recreativesdesigns.wordpress.com/

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  This book is available in eBook format.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Kate

  I took the chart from the nurse as she fled from the room. She appeared irritated and aroused. It was an odd combination, but considering the man recuperating inside it was totally understandable.

  "Don't be so stubborn. Lay still and quit hassling the nurses," I said the second I entered the room. Reed Martin was one of the most pig headed, uncooperative, and sexiest patients I had ever worked with.

  He flashed a lopsided grin I'd come to secretly adore. "I didn't hassle the nurses. I was very nice when I told them that I wouldn't let anyone treat me but you."

  "They are just trying to do their job, Reed, and they're dealing with a lot. The waiting room is full of cops, all wanting updates on you. It's hard to get in here and do our job when they stop us demanding a moment of our time that we don't have. Now cut me some slack and quit being difficult. You were shot, and you just got out of surgery. I'm not here every hour of the day. If you don't let them treat your wound it will get infected," I answered frustrated.

  I wasn't going to fall for his grass green eyes, square jaw, thick dark hair, or bulging muscles. Reed Martin, by all appearances was a stand up guy, but I've made that mistake before. Didn't mean I didn't enjoy the view, but I wasn't going to do more than look.

  "Are you still seeing that guy Jake?" Reed asked out of the blue.

  "We go out sometimes. It isn't serious," I answered warily.

  "And if I asked you out?" he continued.

  "Then I would have to say no. I'm your nurse. It would be unprofessional," I answered quickly.

  "You won't always be my nurse," he stated.

  "True, but I am now," I said running out of excuses.

  "You know I'm only going to ask you out again when I'm out of here," he told me.

  "I guess we'll see what happens when you get out of here," I said, moving away from his bedside.

  "What haunts those big brown eyes, Katie girl?" Reed asked, more observant than I'd have liked.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," I said without looking at him again.

  Don't see me, I silently begged. But Reed was observant. Always studying me, and always seeing more than I wanted him to.

  "I gotta call bullshit. I'm a cop, Kate. I'm trained to see things others don't. I see you, Katie," he said softly.

  Slowly I lifted my eyes to his. I felt electrified by his gaze and I couldn't look away. I wanted to fall into the acceptance I saw in that one look, and I might have worked up the courage, but I was saved by a very timely interruption.

  Aiden and Becca burst into the room. Becca was directed to the empty bed across from Reed. Dr. Williams came in and proceeded to examine her while I charted Reed's vitals.

  "Hi Kate," Aiden greeted.

  I stopped writing on Reed's chart and looked up. I felt my cheeks heat up and I knew I was blushing like a schoolgirl. Aiden had a smug look on his face, and he turned to talk to Reed.

  "How are you?" Aiden asked Reed.

  "I'm alive, and the service here is pretty good," Reed answered. "I'm glad Becca is okay," Reed said, without looking away from my reddened face.

  Dr. Williams confirmed that Becca and the baby were doing fine. Aiden, the over protective father he was becoming, gingerly helped her up, anxious to have her back safely at home.

  "Take care, Reed, we'll drop by and see you tomorrow. Thanks for everything. We couldn't have handled this with out you," Aiden said on their way to the door.

  "I take care of my friends. Besides, I have a feeling meeting the two of you was the luckiest thing to ever happen to me," Reed replied.

  I groaned once Aiden and Becca were out of earshot.

  "I'm going to win you over. You can count on that," Reed promised.

  "I'm not a prize to be won, Reed," I muttered. God only knew the darkness that lingered inside of me, the stain I carried that turned everything good to blackness.

  "That's where you're wrong. You are the ultimate prize. You are every love song I've ever heard. You make me want to be a better man, and I think I'm a pretty good one right now. I can't imagine something better happening to me than winning the heart of a girl like you," he said, without the cockiness and the swagger he usually wore.

  I felt the first crack in the wall I built around my heart. I wanted down to the depths of my soul to trust him, to allow my feelings to break free. I watched Becca blossom under Aiden's steady love, but I couldn't believe that was in store for me. For me love hurt, love tormented, and eventually love would kill me.

  Chapter 1

  Reed

  I threw my cell phone across the room. Luckily it bounced off the couch and landed with a soft thud on my carpet. I really didn't need the hassle of replacing a phone, but it would have been satisfying to hear the shattering crack of glass and plastic after that conversation.

  Over six months ago, I was shot in the shoulder when my friend Aiden's crazy ex-girlfriend ambushed me in my garage. I was hiding Aiden and Becca after she narrowly escaped from two hired goons. Vanessa, Aiden's ex, his mother, and his ex's father wanted access to Aiden's very fat trust fund. Apparently Becca stood in the way of their getting their hands on it. I learned first hand how far Vanessa was willing to go to get his money.

 
I scowled at my phone. Moments ago I learned that I would not be released from desk duty. I haven't regained full range of motion in my arm, and without it I can't return to investigations. Riding a desk, preparing reports for other officers, and taking other random bullshit assignments is not why I became a cop.

  It was just a bullshit excuse though. I was recovered enough to go back to work, but that wasn't their real concern. I'd overheard the captain talking to the department shrink. They thought I was suffering from PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder and I weren't new acquaintances. Hell, Vanessa's bullet wasn't even the first to ever tear through my flesh.

  I fisted my hands in my hair to stop the shaking. I wasn't weak. I didn't jump at every noise anymore. I could sleep through the night. Well, mostly. Occasionally I'd wake in a cold sweat, the lingering sounds of bullets and shouting bouncing in my head until I could wake up fully.

  I didn't let it bring me down the first time. I got help. I was man enough to realize I needed it, and I took it. I fought through and reclaimed my life. I was lucky I had a life to reclaim, that wasn't true for everyone I'd served with. It wasn't true for James Stewart.

  I heard a rap against the glass on my back screen door, pulling me away from the darkness. I didn't have to go through the house to verify it was Aiden. He knew I was frustrated with work, and checked in on me often. I knew he felt responsible for what happened, and was worried how I was handling it. I opened the door to what had become a very common sight, Aiden pushing Scott in his stroller. He took Scott with him to take Becca to class, and then they walked around until it was time to pick her up again. After almost losing her, Aiden hadn't been able to stop hovering. I could tell it irritated Becca, but she put up with it because he needed to protect her.

  "I can't wait until this quarter is over," Aiden said, with exhaustion in his voice.

  I flopped down on the recliner across from him. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, but I envied him. He had Becca and Scott.

  "How much longer?" I asked.

  "Three more weeks," Aiden said, tucking a blanket around his sleeping son.

  He had a hopeful look on his face, and it made me wonder what he was looking forward to. "What is going to be so great about the end of the quarter, besides not having to go to class?"

  "Becca agreed to let my dad come and stay with Scott for a couple of nights. I love my kid, but I'd really like to see my wife for five minutes without him competing for her attention," he admitted.

  That gave me an idea, a mostly altruistic one. Okay, I had an ulterior motive, but it could get everyone what they wanted. "I have two younger siblings, and a few nieces and nephews. Let me watch him for a few hours tonight. Take that pretty wife of yours and go do something," I offered.

  "Really?" Aiden asked perking up.

  "Really," I confirmed. "What are you going to go do?" I asked curiously.

  Aiden groaned. "I should take her to dinner or something romantic. Neither of us has been anywhere in six months. But the only thing I want to do is Becca," Aiden grumbled.

  I laughed. "That bad huh?"

  Aiden scowled. "No, but we tend to get interrupted, a lot."

  "Well, take her out to dinner, and then home for some quiet time. I'll call Kate and coerce her to help me babysit," I told him.

  "Ah, two birds with one baby," he joked. An alarm sounded on his phone and he got up, like always, to go get Becca.

  "Man, how long are you going to hover over her? You can't live your life like that, and you're going to drive Becca nuts," I advised.

  Aiden slipped his phone into his pocket after turning off the alarm. "What am I supposed to do? I can't breathe when she isn't right next to me. I almost lost her, more than once. I can't take chances with my family. I can't live without them."

  "It's going to take time before the fear fades, but until then your friends are here to help. Like tonight while I'm babysitting. Go on. Go get Becca. Tell her not to worry tonight about letting Scott hang here for a bit. I'll call Kate as soon as you walk out the door," I promised.

  Chapter 2

  Reed

  I told Kate I was going to ask her out when she wasn't my nurse anymore, but something about they way she reacted when I was around made me wait. She seemed like a frightened kitten. I didn't want to remind her of whatever scared her. I wanted her to trust me, and until she did I wouldn't push her. I wouldn't stay away either. Kate was mine; she just didn't know it yet.

  I hadn't been with another woman since I met her. I tried when she was dating that tool Jake. She never really seemed very into him, and I couldn't figure out why she continued to date him. She had to see that he wasn't good enough for her. Hell, I wasn't good enough for her. No one was.

  The two dates I went on weren't total disasters. They were nice, beautiful and smart women. But neither of them had large brown eyes that seemed to display every emotion, no matter how badly they wanted them hidden.

  It didn't matter I couldn't get Kate out of my head. It wasn't just that she was beautiful, even though I couldn't stop myself from staring when she was around. She was tall, probably about five eight or nine. She came to around my shoulder, which was nice, because at six four most women seemed like they could fit in my pocket. Her hair was a thick dark blonde that reminded me of honey, or fields of wheat.

  Her clothes were usually too baggy, like she wanted to hide from the world. She always looked good, classic, but she hid the lean lines and soft curves under way too much fabric. I wanted to get a better look at her, but I loved that no one else would get a peek.

  I picked up my phone off the floor, and pulled Kate's number out of my contacts, a number that had been sitting there taunting me for months. It rang several times. I prepared to leave a message, but she answered panting like she was out of breath.

  "Reed?" she huffed.

  "Is this a bad time?" I asked. I listened closely to hear another guy's voice in the background, but I only heard her heavy breathing.

  "No, it's fine. I just got back from a run, and I think I pushed it a little harder than I should have," she replied.

  I released a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding. "I need a favor," I blurted out.

  "Ooookay," she drew out.

  "I volunteered to watch Scott tonight. Aiden is having a hard time, and needs a night out with Becca," I began.

  "Alright, I don't understand why you need me to help you watch a six month old baby," Kate replied.

  I released a sigh. I actually did need help watching Scott. My shoulder was still weak, and he was a heavy baby. I wasn't sure I could take care of him without some help.

  "Look, Kate, my shoulder isn't a hundred percent. I want to help Aiden and Becca, but I don't want to take any risks with Scott," I admitted.

  "Why don't I just watch him myself?" she offered.

  I hadn't anticipated that reaction. I needed to come up with a reason for her to help me, not do it herself. "Aren't you tired?" I asked, clutching at straws.

  "Yes, actually I am. I worked the night shift last night, and I've been up all day trying to turn my sleep cycle around for the school week," she admitted.

  "Between the two of us, we make one good babysitter. What do you say, Kate? Will you help watch Scott with me so Aiden and Becca can have some time alone?" I held my breath. I was moments away from begging, and how attractive would that be?

  "What time?" she sighed.

  "Around six. They were going to do dinner and alone time, so we might be babysitting late," I warned.

  "I'm used to being up late. I'll be there," Kate finally agreed.

  I found myself ridiculously excited to babysit Aiden's six-month-old son. It was the closest I'd ever come to getting Kate alone.

  I've never had to work so hard to get a woman to agree to go out with me. I've always had a uniform to break the ice. My high school football uniform always had cheerleaders smiling and flirting with me. Then I found my Army greens brought me a lot of female attention. My patrol uniform wor
ked well too, not that I wore it to work anymore.

  My various uniforms made attracting women easier, but it was never very difficult for me in the first place. I knew women found me attractive. I was tall, and my work required I stay in shape. I had thick, dark hair that I wore a bit longer than the other guys I worked with. Inheriting my father's unusually bright green eyes seemed to work in my favor as well.

  The thing was everything that worked with every other woman seemed to have the opposite effect on Kate. I noticed her checking me out when she thought I wasn't looking. I wasn't sure if it was me she didn't trust, or herself around me, but I planned to find out.

  Chapter 3

  Kate

  I pulled up to Reed's house in time to see Aiden and Becca pull into the driveway. "Hey, Becca," I greeted.

  "Hi, Kate," Becca answered. She was distracted watching Aiden carefully take Scott's car seat out of the back of the car.

  There was a sweet smile on her face while she watched him. "What are you thinking about?" I asked her quietly.

  She blushed and looked down at the ground.

  "Okay, now you have to tell me," I insisted.

  "I thought it would fade, you know?" she said.

  "I wish I knew, but I'm afraid you'll have to explain it to me," I replied.

  "With Scott we're both tired all the time. Sometimes I'm so tired I forget to eat. My head hits the pillow and I start to calculate how many hours I might get to sleep before Scott needs to eat or be changed," she began.

  Her blush deepened. "Then Aiden lays down next to me, and his spicy cologne hits me. Instead of trying to get that couple hours of sleep, I pray to get a couple of hours alone with Aiden."

  "You're lucky," I told her.

  She laughed. "Well, we never seem to get those two hours. Every time things get interesting Scott starts to cry. I swear he has a sixth sense for when we're getting busy."

  "So you haven't gotten to...uh, you know...since he was born?" I asked surprised.