#countown

“Work?”

Evasively, she made a noise that implied yes as she turned away. She hated keeping every aspect of her life secret from everyone. It never bothered her before. She desperately needed secrecy at one time. For years after her life was thrown open to everyone against her will, she willingly kept secrets. Eventually, it became a way of life. The few people she dealt with directly back then understood her need for such intense privacy. But everyone pressured her to go to therapy or find someone to confide in. She glanced at Mark. Blythe, who knew her story, casually asked her if she had told Mark about her past, but she changed the subject. He felt she needed to talk about it, but she hadn’t for five years; why would she now? But in the back of her mind, she worried Mark would find out on his own, either on purpose or by accident. She wondered how he’d react.

“Hey, come here,” she said gently. When he was close, she wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes, and gave him a long kiss. “I missed you. How has your week been? Is work okay? You’re not really burning out, I hope?”

Mark shook his head, then squeezed her tightly. “It’s typical. But honestly, I needed this. It’s been a while, and my brain is starting to feel like it’s swimming.”

“Can I help?” she asked, kissing his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

Mark leaned into her, just absorbing her essence. She already had a calming effect on him. Sometimes he felt like his old self, before the tumor. “Just let me breathe you in for a few minutes. Or an hour.” She smelled so good. Her perfume seemed to change with her clothing or her current attitude because it wasn’t the same scent as before, but smelled just as classy and a little fun, without that high-dollar elegance of her perfume last time. He never really noticed perfume unless it was overwhelming.

After a few minutes, he let her go so that it wouldn’t seem creepy.

“Hey, I have a suggestion. Why don’t you come to my house tomorrow and play on the beach? That would relax you.”

“You’re beach front?” That seemed a bit pricey, but perhaps her family was rich. He should have guessed that based on her car and her expensive clothing, and her perfume.

“No, two blocks over in Laguna, but it’s a nice section of the beach with access for people in my subdivision. Mostly retired people, so the sand stays cleaner. The guy who sold me the house moved to Chicago, so he left behind snorkeling, fishing, and surfing gear. I never got a chance to learn anything, but I’m guessing that you know how.” She chuckled with a shrug. “I have heard there are gnarly swells.”

“Okay, Point Break,” he teased. “I surf, but it’s been years. A little lying on the beach and playing in the water with you would be fun. Will you wear one of those tiny bikinis that show off your ass?” He'd love to surf, but he worried about a headache or dizziness drowning him.

“I own many suits. You’re welcome to choose how much is revealed.” She smiled wickedly. “So, are you beaching with me tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. I thought I’d do some boring things around the house. But your house will be more fun. I have the impression that you make everything fun.” He kissed her until they were both out of breath. Her eyes were lit up with happiness. “I had planned to fire up the grill and make you dinner. I hope you aren’t a vegetarian. I got steaks.”

“I am absolutely a carnivore. What can I do to help?”

Mark grabbed the steaks, and Tori picked up the beer and seasoning. All the sides were premade from the store, so Tori just sat outside, watching him grill. She would glance over at him and think how hot he was. The other day, she told two of her work friends a couple of things about Mark, without mentioning his name, and they both said Mark was too old and it was creepy that he was dating someone young enough to be his daughter. They proceeded to recommend six or seven guys that she should go out with. That was when she realized her friends had no idea the kind of guys she liked, because those guys might be her age, but they were all too boring, arrogant beyond belief, and did nothing to spark her interest. They weren’t even funny, and that was a big requirement. Sitting here watching Mark grill steaks turned her on more than any of those guys.

“Where are you? You’re miles away,” Mark asked, coming closer to her chair. She pulled out her phone and snapped a pic.

Tori stood up and leaned into him. “I wanted a pic of you in that apron. Later, you can wear just the apron,” she whispered.

She felt him flinch, then he quickly turned away. It gave her a bad feeling that she’d done something wrong. Needing to stop overreacting about a flinch, although a flinch was never good, she went inside and grabbed the sides, silverware, plates, and utensils. As she dashed around the kitchen, she saw him through the screen door, holding his head tightly. He leaned on the deck railing, and she could see him glancing around like he wanted to make sure she wasn’t there.

Tori slid out of his view. Okay, so the flinch wasn’t her. It was him. As she ran through what it could be, she looked around for a wall calendar to see if he had doctor appointments. Apparently, he kept his calendar on his phone. She saw some mail. Maybe doctor bills. But she realized how wrong it was to spy on him. She’d ask him and hope for the best.

“Tori? Steaks are done.”

“Coming.” When she came outside, he started to get up to help, but she put half of what she held. “Don’t get up. I got it.” She bent down to kiss him, then pulled back slightly so she could see his eyes. He looked very tired, but she wasn’t sure what to look for, so she just sat down. “Thanks for dinner. It's unreal for me to have a sit-down home-cooked meal.”

“I wasn’t sure what you were doing and if it was related to the task force, so I thought it might be dangerous to be seen together. Sorry, the steaks might be overcooked.” He sounded so down that it was starting to get to her.

“Fine by me as long as it's not mooing. Glad you thought about us being seen. I didn’t. I don’t think I have been...uh…seeing someone while I was undercover.” She thought back to her past assignments and realized she always dumped someone she was dating before she went UC. Her history with men was atrocious: very few guys and mostly self-destructing relationships.

What sounded like a herd of elephants came charging at the deck, and Mark quickly jumped up to close the grill, cursing. Two dogs ran up the stairs and straight for Mark and started jumping all over him. “Guys, come on. Sit! Sit! Great, you can’t even sit. You were obedience school dropouts.” He was losing the battle, so Tori grabbed some fat off the steak and tossed it.

Mark quickly sat down. “Thank you. Every time I grill, I am blessed with an appearance of Frank and Tommy, or whatever ridiculous names my neighbor gave them.”  Despite his words, he clearly loved the dogs, judging from his grin. She smiled, seeing him so joyous.

“They’re cute at least,” she said, trying to ignore the cute begging faces. “They’re sitting for me. You must be doing it wrong,” she gloated. She didn’t know dog breeds, but she suspected Frank was a Great Dane. The smaller hyper one was something curly. The two dogs seemed to work out who to beg from, and she got the Great Dane. He was very bold, putting his feet in her lap, and the more Mark tried to stop him, the worse he got. Eventually, he moved to her other side, so she was in between him and Mark, then he lay across her lap. Tori laughed and said it was fine. She actually loved dogs, but couldn’t have one with her work life. Every time she gave them food, Mark fussed about them never leaving now.

“Zeus! Appletini!” Aha, that’s the ridiculous names that Mark avoided using. He rolled his eyes with a long, deep sigh as he stood up slowly. His dread about the neighbor was curious, so Tori couldn’t wait to see her. Just as she turned around, a woman came around the deck. “I should have known they’d come see you. I swear you’re trying to seduce my dogs to get to me, naughty boy.” The woman laughed loudly, one of those laughs that sounded like it was climbing stairs. She had to be sixty at least, most likely older. Her makeup was from the seventies or eighties, pounds of it caked on. To top it off, yellowish-white, extremely big hair. She was also very handsy with Mark, touching his chest, shoulder, and arm a lot. Tori smirked because every time she touched his chest, the woman squeezed his muscles. Mark seemed to be barely tolerating getting felt up. The woman was legit throwing herself at him. Tori had to bite her lip to keep from laughing aloud. Tori almost wanted her to grab Mark’s ass just to see his reaction, but it was annoying. If the roles were reversed, Mark would have been charged with sexual harassment or possibly sexual assault. He seemed more willing to have the dogs climbing all over him for steak than this woman, who was trying him like he was the steak.

“Oh, you have a little friend over. You’re playing hard to get with me, are you?” She walked up the steps, brushing past Mark. She glared at Tori. “Are you his date or his daughter? You’re way too young for my Mark. I’m Adele, by the way.”

She could see in the background that Mark was at a loss. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tori.” She ignored the age comment despite wanting to smart off.

Adele looked her over for a moment, then turned and started speaking quietly but very animated to Mark. Tori couldn’t hear it all, but did hear about her supposedly fake boobs, Adele calling her trashy, and obviously, into dark stuff, judging from her shirt, and how a girl like her might be fun for a night, but he needed to think of his future. Tori wasn’t sure, but she thought Adele also called her a slut. She gave Tori a backward glance, and Tori gave her the most pleasant smile she could manage. She felt like she had failed some test. Mark raised his eyebrows and just shook his head. Finally, he took the dog leashes that Adele had brought and got them fastened onto the dogs.

“Well, we want to finish dinner, so let me help you get the dogs to the gate, and you can head home,” Mark said. Then he managed to finally get Adele off the porch. Tori couldn’t believe an old woman was throwing herself so boldly at him. Even though she felt bad for him, she was glad he wasn’t a jerk to the old woman like a lot of guys would have been.

The food was cold, and the mosquitoes were out, so Tori carried everything inside. Time stretched out to almost twenty minutes. She planned to tease him about being over there having a quicky. Going back out on the deck, she glanced toward the neighbors. Mark was standing beside the fence, resting against it with his head down.

It was obvious this was more than migraines, but he clearly didn’t want to tell her. He was in a lot of pain. After a moment, she jogged down the stairs and over to him.

“Whoa, Tiger. The beer getting to you, too? Let’s get you home before Adele gets even more aggressive with you,” she said quietly, pretending Adele might hear her. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she led him into the house. “Do you want me to heat your food again?”

“Nah, I think I’m full. I need some Tylenol. I’ll be right back.” Once again, he sounded down, almost defeated. She felt so conflicted, wanting to help but sensing he didn’t want that, no, knowing he didn’t want any attention drawn to it. But did he need it anyway?

Trying to kill some time, she put away the food and cleaned up. Fifteen minutes had gone by when she went to the bedroom. Mark was lying on the bed in the darkened room.

Tori climbed onto the bed, and he looked over at her. “I’m sorry. I know I'm not really much fun tonight. If you want to bail, I get it.”

Leaning over, she gave him gentle kisses. “If you and Adele have a secret rendezvous planned, just be honest, I can go. But I kind of want to stay, if you don’t mind.”

Chuckling, he pulled her closer so he could kiss her. “Nah, I figure she's always there. Always… I can spend some time with the trashy dark girl.”

“For the record, my boobs are real.”

“Oh, I know. Believe me, I know.” He ran his hand under her shirt and undid her bra in the back. Tori pulled it off through her sleeves.

Stopping for a moment, she swallowed hard. “Mark, it's obvious that something is wrong. But I can tell you don’t want to talk about it. I would love to help if I can. I won't push you to tell me, but I am here if you want to talk about it.”

“I know. It's just a headache.” Eager to change the subject, he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her to him. His kiss was aggressive, and she moaned into his mouth. Pressing her back against the bed, he pulled her shirt up over her boobs and lowered his mouth to suck kisses over them.

When he moved slightly, Tori saw him flinch and felt bad. He clearly was attempting to distract her. She quickly took the aggressor role from him, urging him onto his back. She straddled him as she pulled off her shirt. He pulled her down to kiss him. After a few minutes, he sat up and pulled off his shirt, then wrapped his arms around her waist. She kissed his neck and bit his shoulder as she grinded on him. Eventually, he moaned, “Tori, I need you to fuck me. Now.”

Quickly, she rolled onto her back to remove her jeans and panties. Sitting on her knees, she helped Mark undress. He reached for a condom, but she took it and tossed it on the bed, pushed him to lie down, and she slid down on the bed. She wrapped her hand around his dick, then raised her gaze to his as she licked down the shaft. She didn’t want to torture or tease him like last time and almost immediately took him deep in her mouth. His hand lightly rested on her head as she moved quickly, alternating between light swirls of her tongue and strong sucking, all while moving up and down on him.

“Fuck, that feels so damn good,” he moaned after a while. “But I’m going to come soon if you don’t slow down.” When she took him even deeper, using her hand to stroke the remaining inches, Mark groaned and knotted her hair in his fist. Unable to resist the natural urges of his body, he thrust into her mouth a few times before Tori lay beside his legs, pulling on his hip so eventually he was fucking her mouth.

“Tori, don’t stop now. Your mouth feels so good. Jesus, just like that.” He cried out when she sucked him all the way down. Her nails digging into the flesh on his hip and ass, she pushed him over the edge. He thrust all the way multiple times before he moaned that he was coming.

“Damn, you’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured, lying back, breathing deeply.

Tori took a deep breath and smiled. “But what a way to go.”

“You seem to enjoy it too.” He rubbed his thumb over her lips.

“Sex is about our connection, so we both get pleasure. That is, if we’re doing it right. But blowjobs are about your pleasure. So yes, I do enjoy giving them to you.” She looked at him mischievously.

Mark watched her swing her leg over his and started sucking a hot path on his stomach. Suddenly, she said, “Shit.”  Then she jumped off the bed and rushed into the living room. Mark watched in confusion when she then ran into the bathroom with her purse.

Propping himself up on his elbows, “Is everything okay?” He chuckled when he heard her brushing her teeth. Eventually, she ran in and jumped on the bed. He pulled her to him. “You’re both sexy as hell and adorable.” She smiled brightly before kissing him.

“You’re pretty cute yourself,” she whispered. “Now where was I?” She continued kissing him as she straddled him.

“Right there,” he said, lowering his hands to stroke her legs. She drove him crazy in the best way. It was hard to remember how miserable he was half an hour ago, even as his headache was returning.

Their relationship or dating or hooking up or… whatever this was, normally would have sent him running for the hills because he felt so drawn to her, and that made him feel like she had more power than he did. Despite her games before, since their first night together, she hadn’t played games since. She also never seemed to try to gain an advantage over him or string him along. She acted more mature than most of the women he dated, who were twice her age, but she seemed pretty clear about her limits. He had a feeling that if they had a conflict, she wouldn’t back down to please him. But she also didn’t try to start drama over nothing.

Strangely enough, it felt like they were already months into a happy relationship. She made him laugh and smile; she made him hot. In fact, she was the perfect woman he should have met before being diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. This was karma.

“Now you’re the one who is miles away,” she whispered. She caressed his face gently. “If your head’s hurting again, we can wait.” Mark could see the concern in her eyes and hated it. She moved to lie beside him, propped up on her arm. “What usually helps?”

“Nothing,” he admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. I know this has to be annoying for you.”

“You have only annoyed me one time,” she replied. When he studied her, she quietly chuckled. “I may have downplayed my reaction to you shooting me. You have never seen me angry. It doesn’t happen much, but it's not pretty. Maybe a bit unhinged, lots of ranting and raving, with some throwing things. When you shot me, I was upset. I kept repeating the same thing over and over again. Even now, two years later, Nathan and two of my co-workers tease me about it.” She started laughing and covered her face.

Mark watched her for a few moments before asking, “Should I be afraid you’re going to get even? What did you say?”

“You know I am pretty young compared to my fellow agents, but I try really hard not to act my age. I failed miserably that day. When they were patching me up, I was silently raging. Another agent was trying to calm me down and said something about it not being a big wound. I just mumbled that I could believe the hot one shot me. It escalated some into my just furiously repeating it. After me ranting about it being the hot one who shot me, one of the other agents who was on the phone with Blythe at the time, asked me ‘just to confirm, you’re not mad that you got shot, but that it was the hot officer who shot you?’ but he was laughing so I grabbed something and threw it at him repeating that I couldn’t believe it was the hot one that shot me.”

Mark chuckled, “You’re making that up.”

“I wish. I never lived it down. I even have a shirt at home that says, ‘I can’t believe the hot one shot me,” that someone gave me on my birthday that year,” she answered with a shrug. “Yup. Nathan even referred to you as the hot one that shot me when he came to me about the task force.”

Mark put his fist to his mouth, trying not to laugh, but it didn’t help. “So, when you said you recognized me the prison, it was a little bit of an understatement, huh? I thought you were angry I caught you with that drive, but you were mad I had shot you previously?” He started laughing with her. “Well, I was sorry I shot you, but now I’m just glad I made a big impression on you.”

“And my former co-workers will never let me live it down,” she pointed out.

“So that’s why you kissed me?”

Tori grew more serious and just looked at him for a minute. It was one of those times when, even though she was smiling, she still looked very vulnerable. “No, I told you why. I knew you’d be great in bed… and you made me smile.” She grew uncomfortable and added, “And don’t think I haven’t noticed how I am always the one admitting my thoughts and feelings. God forbid Mark Meachum confess to having any thoughts or feelings. But I guess it could be as simple as you just wanted to sleep with me.”

Mark went back and forth about how honest to be. “Well, I liked your flirtatiousness, never really giving in. Of course, I wanted to sleep with you. Have you seen you? But… you don’t seem to expect anything from me other than what I give you. It’s nice to know that I’m… enough, I guess? Most women fall for me ‘exactly as I am’ then want to change everything about me ten minutes later.”

She cradled his face and gave him an intense look. Mark caressed her face gently. “I only want to change one thing about you. I wish you weren’t in pain so often. But promise me whatever it is that’s causing it, you won't push me away. Let’s just enjoy whatever this is  and only end it if we start to hurt each other.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don't.” She smiled before she kissed him.

Tori found the right mix of things to ease his headache. First, a steamy hot shower, with a nice massage, after that she gave him some hot tea, then massaged his neck again. She alternated with Tylenol and Ibuprofen until he felt human. While watching a movie in bed, they made love. Mark wrapped his arms around her and gave a contented sigh.

Mark felt so much better than a few hours ago. He felt alive now. When the headaches came, the pain made him feel like he was burning through the time he had left. And each day it felt like he had less and less time. And he was less and less. He glanced down at Tori, who had fallen asleep with her head on his chest. He ran his hand down her back and kissed her forehead.

xOxOx

Sipping his coffee, Mark dragged his feet getting back to work. Too much paperwork covered his desk. Shepherd constantly told him he’d end up buried by it one day. He’d proceed to try and sweet-talk her to do it. Shepherd would laugh and remind him that this wasn’t high school, and she no longer did the quarterback’s homework. Mark wanted constant action at all times. It was late afternoon, and his mind was wandering. He sat on top of his desk, talking about the basketball game the night before with Fin. Oliveras insulted his favorite player, so Mark excluded her from the conversation, which made her even more eager to jump in. They were all having a much-needed laugh.

“Meachum.” Oliveras pointed out that Blythe was signaling him, waving him over to his office. When Mark walked in and sat down, he instantly noticed that his leader was at a level nine or higher on the stress scale. He was on his cell for a moment before curtly saying, “Yes. I understand. I’ll send him out front.” Then he hung up.

“What’s up?” Mark scanned his face.

“That was Agent Maroso from…another agency. One of his agents has disappeared, her wire’s silent, and the GPS on her phone is off.”

Confused as to why Blythe was telling him, it took him a beat to register ‘her’ being mentioned twice. “Tori?”

“I don’t know what you know about her job, but losing contact with her in her current position is serious. There has been a huge data leak about under… one of her coworkers is picking you up out front. Victoria could have potentially crucial data we need, but they may have found her. If so, she’s in danger. I don’t know. Her handler said Tori implied last night that she found something. I normally wouldn’t ask one of my people on a task force to help another agency, but she’s indirectly connected to us. And from what I understand, directly connected to you.”

He handed Mark a piece of paper with the addresses where she had worked this week, and Mark recognized the address of an office building owned by Volchek’s second in command. He was known for managing the things Volchek didn’t want to dirty his hands doing. “I trust you to find her, Meachum. You need to get her out, whether she’s discovered or not. After last time…I don’t…” He stopped suddenly, guilt etched on his face, then looked away.

When Blythe clearly wasn’t going to continue, Mark shook his head. “When I get back, you’re going to finish that statement.” He was already out of his chair and moving to the door when Shepherd came in, and Blythe told him to wait. Shepherd looked at Mark curiously before turning her attention to the boss. No one on the task force, except Oliveras, knew much about Tori, just that there was someone in his life, and Bell had seen her at the gym that one time. Certainly, no one else knew her possible connection to the task force and Blythe.

“I reviewed that list and, in particular, those five names you gave me, sir, and monitored the chatter. One of the names, Anne Miller, has been popping up all over for the past few days. The other one, Victoria Murphy, just started appearing three hours ago, increasing in frequency; some of it was in Belarusian. There is no link to any agency listed, unlike the others. None of the addresses appeared until two hours ago. The one outside the city, near Laguna…”

Mark didn’t need to hear the rest. “I’m taking one of our vehicles. Have her coworker go to one of the other places she might be and check. Shepherd, keep monitoring the chatter.” He started to jog to his desk to get his gun.

“Take backup. Take Oliveras,” Blythe called after him. Mark realized how important the data she had must be if he’s using task force resources. Or Blythe just cared about Tori. From the way she talked, he helped her out a lot in the beginning.

“Until further notice, no one leaves here without backup,” Blythe stressed to the team. The others glanced at each other curiously, then at Mark.

“Oliveras, I need you.” Meachum grabbed his jacket and gun. Amber immediately got up, grabbed her things, and followed him out, no questions asked.

But she had a running stream of questions on the drive over, her emotions going from curious to angry. Finally, she asked the one that really bothered him. “If this data is so fucking important to our investigation, why wasn’t the task force informed about it or Victoria?”

“Tori. She prefers Tori.” He answered quietly, and Amber saw the apprehension on his face. “I have been so worried about my tumor, I honestly forgot how dangerous our jobs are, how dangerous her job was.”

“She’s going to be okay, Meachum,” Amber said, but her eyes weren’t convincing.

“I don’t know much about her job other than its black ops. And she isn’t on the task force, so she could be more flexible about authority, I think. Like agency oversight or something? We’re all domestic. I figured she was on the international side, the Belarusian angle. She rarely goes into long-term deep cover lately. She’s only been in for three days now, but she made it sound like it would last four or five days tops, so I wasn’t worried yet. I should have gotten a phone number of her handler or something. It’s not like I’m her emergency contact. I don’t know if she has personal contact at all. I let it all go because I didn’t want her to push me on my secrets. Jesus Christ.” Mark slammed his hand into the dashboard three times.

After less than a minute at a traffic light, he lost his patience, driving down the middle lane and through a stoplight. Oliveras just held onto the safety bar. “Mark, you understand how UC works, so you didn’t push her. You’d never tolerate it if someone did that to you; of course, you backed off. It makes sense. Stop blaming yourself. We don’t even know if her cover is blown or not.”

“The night I overheard her talking to Blythe, she teased him that the task force couldn’t go in as quietly as she could. She only told me that it doesn’t require as much paperwork to do her job.” Why wasn’t he more insistent? Considering he shot her, he knew her job had dangers. She acted so mature and capable, he forgot she was only twenty-seven with less than a decade of job experience. She once said she had only fired her gun three times in the field. Like she said to Blythe, she was able to get in quietly, and he had hoped, get out just as quietly.

Mark took the turn near her house on two wheels, then flew into the driveway.

“Is there a back door?” Oliveras asked, jumping out of the SUV. The house was small in size and remarkably simple. Living alone, Tori sacrificed size and an upper-middle-class address so she could afford to live near the beach. He once thought she came from money because of her car and residence location. But the car was an inheritance from her grandfather, and the house was smaller than his.

Amber headed toward the side of the house. Mark stopped her, pulling her close. “We’re dealing with violent people. Take precautions,” he hissed in her ear.

Tori kept the garage door open, due to the heat, so the area's stray cats could cool off and get water. It drove Mark crazy, but she laughed it off. He installed an alarm system three weeks ago and luckily knew the codes. He noticed the alarm wasn’t going off. Today, the garage door seemed higher, and Mark started to sit down, but she grabbed his arm. “Oh, move, you stubborn idiot. I’ll fit easier than you.”

“Wait.” He checked the garage windows, then the side of the house. “Clear.”

Once Amber was in, she opened the side door for him. Mark was able to pick the lock on the door to the house. Inside the house, it was extremely warm. “She would have turned the air on. I don’t think she’s here. The alarm is not on. But she forgets it. Take the rooms on that side of the house.” He gestured to the back. He was able to clear the open-plan living and kitchen-dining room area quickly. He checked the small backyard, too. His heart was racing as he tried to think where else Tori would go. He didn’t think she’d risk going to his house. He went back inside and locked the door. He headed for her bedroom.

“Meachum,” Oliveras rushed over and showed him a text from Shepherd.

‘Uber dropped a severely injured woman at that house two hours ago. She refused the offer to call an ambulance or take her to the hospital. Local unit and bus en route, no sirens. Bell and Fin en route as well.’

Mark rushed into her bedroom, Amber behind him. He crossed the room to her bath, where he found a bloody washcloth in the sink, still wet.

“Fuck. Mark, she's in here.” He came into the bedroom, and Amber was closing the closet door. Then she crouched down to look at Tori. “Mark, she’s bad. I'll check for the ambulance.” Amber glanced at him, concern on her face. His heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of her. Blood dried mostly around her mouth and nose, but also caked in her hair. Her shirt had a wide collar, and there were blood and newly forming bruises that trailed along the exposed skin and shirt; sometimes the sticky material bound the fabric to her skin. There was a long, jagged rip in the shirt on her right side, below her breasts, to the seam at the bottom. Most of her clothing has rips and tears on the same side. He could see from here that there was a significant wound there that was still actively bleeding.

“Wait, Oliveras,” Tori spoke softly and struggled to sit up, her breathing labored. “There’s a USB. I can’t get it…”

“Wait. Just wait. We’ll help,” Oliveras said gently. Mark slid past his partner to come up on the other side, even more horrified at Tori’s condition. He helped her get the drive and handed it to Oliveras.

Tori’s breathing was so rough, he told Amber to hurry. Turning back to her, he smiled gently. “It's always a USB with you, isn’t it?”

“Better than starting a riot.” She couldn’t even smile. He found a spot free of dried blood on her forehead and kissed her.

“You’re a mess… I don’t even know where it’s safe to touch you. The ambulance should be here soon. Why didn’t you go when the Uber driver offered to call?” She bled so much that it ran down her body before it dried, making it hard to determine the actual wound, and he didn’t want to hurt her. He finally rested his hand on the back of her head. “Jesus, Tori.”

“If I am going to die for that intel, I wanted to make sure the task force actually got it. Mark, my ribs are broken. It’s so hard to breathe. I feel like someone is sitting on my chest.” He pressed gently on her ribs, and she cried out. Quickly, he moved his hand.

“You’re not going to die. Don’t talk like that. Now I am asking as a cop, not your boyfriend. Were you sexually assaulted?”

“Ever? Or today? Yes and no.” Oliveras had walked back in, and Tori looked at her. “Do they ask male agents that?”

Mark glanced down, knowing this wasn’t really her speaking. It was a battered, scared version of her. The "yes" to past sexual abuse was upsetting.

Tori reached for his hand. “I’m sorry. I just…it hurts so much.” Her breathing was getting dramatically worse, and he started looking for wounds. Amber examined her other side.

“Damn. She’s got a GSW.” It was on her left side, near her hip. He couldn’t talk much about it without moving Tori, and he didn’t want to cause more bleeding by doing that. Tori whispered, “It wasn’t the hot one who shot me this time.”

 “Can you get something to stop the bleeding?” Oliveras was already heading for the bathroom. “Tori, were you shot more than once?” He glanced up and saw her eyes were closed, and a stream of tears was flowing down her face, leaving tracks of clean skin. He grasped her face to make her look at him. “Come on, babe. Stay with me.” He kissed her, intensely, just trying to keep her there with him. “I need you to stay focused on my voice. Were you shot more than once? Were you stabbed? Where is all this blood coming from?” He yelled at Amber, “Where is that fucking ambulance!?”

Oliveras handed him the towels, but then grabbed his hand, speaking low to him, “Meachum! Keep it together, or you’re no use to her. Can you do this? Can you? If not, move and let me take over.”

After a few moments, he nodded, grateful she was tough enough to push him. He needed it now.

Tori opened her eyes and protested, “Those are my good towels.” Mark didn’t pay any attention to the towels. Tori swallowed hard and shook her head. “I don’t think so; Was I shot? I don’t remember. They hit me, Volchek cut me. but I ran. I jumped wrong and fell.” She tried to suck in a lungful of air with obvious struggle. “Mark, I can’t breathe…” She was wheezing and breathing shallowly now, and her lungs sounded wet. Mark suspected a collapsed lung, but she was also panicking. He tried to situate her to make it easier to breathe, but he was on the verge of losing his shit.

“Tori, calm down. I know it’s hard, but your panic affects your breathing.” Amber advised her. She was much calmer than he was. Tori’s panic level was rising, and she really struggled. All of her wounds were put on the back burner as she fought for oxygen. “Tori, breathe slowly. Breathe with me. Breathe in slowly, then exhale.”

“Where the hell is that bus?” he asked Oliveras again, not realizing it had only been minutes. Amber ignored him as she finished checking for more GSWs and talking Tori through breathing. He bent down and kissed her gently. “Just calm down. Listen to Oliveras.”

Both of their phones started ringing. “Meachum,” he snapped into the phone.

Fin spoke quickly, “You need to get out. Volchek’s men were watching her house for more agents. They are a house away, waiting for you guys to leave. Go now. We’re en route. Eight minutes out.”

“Make it five,” Mark told him. “We have to go,” he told Amber as he hung up.

“Wait.” Oliveras went into the closet for a minute and came out with a scarf. “Let’s tie the towels down on the GSW. I think the gash on her side is the real bleeder, though. There is a lot of blood on the floor near it.”

“Let’s focus on that then.” He tied two of the bigger towels around her body, with the knot covering a lot of the wound.

Doing what they could manage in two minutes, Amber then helped him lift her, so the wound was pressed against him, and she held towels against the gunshot wound.

“Tori, stay with me,” he whispered. She was unconscious, but her breathing was so loud, he knew she was alive, at least.

“Mark, there is no way we can run to the car and get her in it without us all getting shot. There is no cover.” Oliveras pointed out, after glancing out the front window.

Mark ran through the scenarios in his head. “She’s going to hate me.” He rushed into the garage, and Olivares helped put Tori in the back seat of her SUV. Glancing out the garage window and not seeing any cars nearby, he went back into the house. He returned to the garage and tossed a set of keys to her. “I’ll pull out first, around our SUV, then in the opposite direction down the street. Hopefully, that will draw their fire. Then you drive straight out and take the road the other way, how we entered the street. And hurry.”

“Mark, that's a mint condition classic Mustang, and you’re going to use it as a target? That’s cold. And there is no way you can do that with less than two car lengths between the car and the SUV.”

“Okay, pull forward to give me a few extra feet.”

She looked at him with disbelief as she got in the SUV. Mark wondered if she was right. He loved this car, always insisting on driving it, and he was going to wreck it shortly or at least fill it full of bullet holes. Though it was either save the car or save the girl? It’s just a car. “Sorry, Baby,” he said as he stroked the driver’s door.

Judging where he needed the garage door to rise to on the wall, he slid in. This all depended on Volchek’s men not shooting until he and Oliveras were fully visible.

Appearing much more confident about pulling this off than he actually was, he gave Oliveras a thumbs-up and pressed the door remote. He pulled the Mustang forward as much as possible to position the car. When the garage door rose high enough, he gave it a couple of inches more and then slammed it in reverse, squealing tires. He flew backwards, cutting the angle sharply in front of the task force SUV, scratching the driver’s side of the Mustang as the two minorly collided with a loud screech, but he made the cut. Barely. Amber timed backing out perfectly; the two of them were both in high-speed motion, going opposite directions by the time the shooting started. Like clockwork, Fin and Bell sped onto the street. He drove it like a madman across the neighbor’s yard and driveway down to the road. Tori might kill him, but at least she’d be alive to do it.

Bell let Oliveras pass him and then blocked Volchek’s men from pursuing her, Fin firing from the passenger window. Mark gave them space to get past him, then he followed Amber, hitting the corner hard enough that the Mustang was airborne for a few moments, and he almost took out a squad car that was on its way to Tori’s house. It drove into the ditch, and Mark swerved to miss it. Well, he wanted some action earlier. Be careful what you wish for. He quickly dialed Blythe.

“Is she alive?”

“Yes, but she looks pretty bad. We just left in two cars as Bell and Fin pulled up. Between the shooting and the three vehicles at reckless, high speed, you might want to warn the LAPD so we don’t get delayed. I also just put a patrol car in a ditch. Shit! Call Bell and tell him they’re coming from the west now.”

He disconnected. He could still see Oliveras in Tori’s SUV, which meant Volchek’s men could see her too, so he turned in front of them hard, squealing tires as he came in sideways, spinning around and cutting them off. Before they had a chance to course correct, Bell slammed into one car from behind. Another patrol car he hadn’t seen before came up, blocking the only way out. Mark climbed over the seats to get out of the passenger-side door as the guns started going off, mostly in his direction at this point, shattering the windshield. The glass cascaded down on him. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Another bad thing about this car was that it provides no cover at all and the glass didn’t have the shatter resistance that modern cars do.  He slid out of the car onto the pavement as the passenger side window exploded right above his head.

Volchek had sent six guys in two cars. The patrol car he almost hit pulled up beside Bell. Mark hated that they were on a residential street close to the beach, but at least they had the two cars boxed in. He waited for a break in the shooting and ran around the Mustang and shot one of their guys, then ran to Bell’s side.

“The two drivers stayed right beside the car. You two go left, and I’ll go right.”

“Are you trying to get killed before your girlfriend sees her car?” Fin yelled as Bell went around the back of the SUV.

Mark glanced back and shook his head. “Hey, it still runs.”

“I desperately want to be there when you use the ‘it runs’ excuse,” Bell replied, chuckling.

One of Volchek’s men shot one of the LAPD officers, in the shoulder, so Mark yelled to the remaining officers to cover the three of them. Then he ran up and shot one driver without hesitation. The other one decided to run. Mark tackled him to the pavement and let his rage about Tori’s condition fuel him as he pounded the man. Eventually, the driver surrendered as Fin saw what was happening and ran to pull Mark off the man.

“Blythe wants these guys back at headquarters for questioning,” Bell said as he walked up. “Let me have the keys to the Mustang, and you get one of the unis to drive you to the hospital. You’ll get there faster.”

Fine studied Mark’s expression and asked, “Is your girl okay?"

“I don’t know. She’s in worse shape than I expected.” Mark said as his smile faded. “Can you make sure you close the garage door and lock up the house? I doubt I did.” As he jogged to the cruiser, he noticed how many bullet holes were in the Mustang. He yelled to Bell, “Don’t you get a scratch on my…I mean Tori’s…baby.”

xOxOx

When Mark got to the hospital, the emergency entrance was a crime scene. There were three cruisers, officers, and detectives there, and the ambulance bay was taped off. Tori’s SUV was on the curb directly at the door, and an old sedan was parked behind them. Mark jogged into the hospital, where there was an even bigger police force, so he had to show his badge. He was also covered in blood, which made them cautious about him.

“Meachum,” Oliveras called him. “She’s in a room being examined.”

“What happened outside?”

“No one has explained what prompted it. At least no one told me. We arrived, and the shooting started. But they were shooting at another car too. They carried that guy in after us, full of bullets. He’s in a room too. It didn’t look good. LAPD had to come out and get me and Tori while the shooting was still ongoing. I don’t know what happened.” He saw Nathan arguing with another guy in a suit. “Oh, I did a terrible thing. Nathan wanted us to keep the USB drive, but the CIA is demanding it. So, I sent Shepherd back to the office with it.”

“Have they told you anything about Tori?”

“They’re with her now. They didn’t tell me much except that the bullet wound wasn’t the most critical aspect. The doctors couldn’t say more due to HIPAA. Tori said a few things in the car. She either fell or jumped a few stories. She wasn’t making much sense. Who Is the hot guy that shot her? Well, he didn’t shoot her this time. It didn’t make sense. She was in and out of it, but I think they gave her something for the pain. I told them you were her husband so you could get info. Were Bell and Fin the ones that helped us?”

He smiled slightly about the hot guy discussion. “Yeah. You missed the team shootout. Volchek’s men looped back around the opposite way to try and catch you, so Fin and Bell, two patrol cars, and I pinned them down. There were four left standing. The guys were taking them back to headquarters. Tori must have gotten something good for all this.” Looking around, Mark noticed there were multiple rooms with law enforcement guards.

“I noticed it too. I overheard Blythe on the phone saying something was an extreme security leak. He’s furious. There are high level agents from many agencies talking to him and others. Something really bad happened. Honestly, I don’t think all of this is about Tori and her intel. I saw DEA here, too. I think she’s a victim of whatever happened, not that she triggered it by being caught by Volchek.” Her voice trailed off as Blythe walked by with a woman in her mid-fifties.

Blythe stopped and asked how they were. “I just saw Tori. Doctors think she’ll be all right. Nothing fatal, at least. Heard you did some crazy driving over there., glad everyone made it. Remember to stay with backup outside this area.” He nodded curtly and then walked away, clearly still at stress level nine.

“I’m going to see if I can get back there,” Mark said and went up to the nurses' station. After he looked down and realized how much blood was on his shirt, plus stuff from the ground where he tackled the last suspect, he realized he couldn’t go in there like this. “Let me go wash my hands at least.”

The nurse patted his shoulder. “Let me get you a scrub top, Detective. Your pants were mostly spared, or do you want both top and bottom?” After she returned and handed him the shirt, he told her thank you and went into the men’s room. This was the first moment he had been alone, and his head was already aching. After he washed up, he rested his hands on the counter.

He could have lost her today. It was beginning to feel like they were losing time. He needed to find out who did this. If it was Volchek directly, he could kill two birds with one stone. They were all losing time.

After he finished and came out, there was an officer to lead him back. Security in that area, with the law enforcement officers, appeared both secure and also a strange mix of agencies.

Her guards weren’t police. CIA, maybe? FBI? He wasn’t sure. One of them smirked at his badge, which instantly annoyed Mark, thinking it was a slight against the LAPD. Quietly, the guy said, “Congratulations on your marriage, Detective. I just saw Tori at Starbucks the other day, and she didn’t mention such a joyous occasion.”

Mark grinned when he realized why the guy laughed. “When you know, you know. And I knew a few hours ago.”

The man grew serious and added, “Tell her that David said he hopes she has a quick recovery.”

When he entered the room, the sight of her face struck Mark hard. Even with the blood cleaned off, it was shocking. She was naturally so pale, which made the bruises and cuts stand out more. He went to bed and gently stroked her less bruised cheek, then moved the oxygen mask so he could kiss her. Seeing her like this, Mark wanted to find Volchek and rip him apart.

“Mr. Meachum?” An older Black doctor sat in the corner behind him, working on a tablet, and he walked over and picked up a chart.

“Detective.”

“Of course. My apologies. I’m Dr. Williams. I’ve been with Victoria since she arrived. Currently, she is on pain medication that is keeping her mildly sedated, but she’ll be in and out. We need to take her upstairs to set her ankle. But she has lost a lot of blood, so we are trying to give her some volume before we do surgery, then remove the bullet and resolve her other internal injuries. She has a broken ankle, collarbone, and ribs. She has a pneumothorax where her ribs punctured her lungs. She’s on oxygen now, but if she gets worse, we’ll have to intubate her. We’ll repair her lungs in surgery. Her rotator cuff needs to be monitored. Concerning the bruising and lacerations, she experienced a physical assault; however, she also reported jumping two stories and landing on an awning. The fall resulted in the most significant injuries. He glanced at him uneasily. “They also carved words into her skin.” He lowered her sheet, then pulled up Tori’s gown to show the bandaged area on her lower stomach. Mark swallowed twice and squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments, desperately trying to force back his anger that was choking him. She was black and blue and had a large area on her side that had been the huge laceration they tried to bind. They stitched it up already. It was at least eight inches long. Probably longer. She must be in extreme pain. It made him sick.

The words on one side were in Cyrillic, so he took a photo for Shepherd. The other side only had one word: ‘Blythe.’ He watched the doctor replace the bandages.

“I’m sorry, Detective. I know it’s shocking and…”

Mark began breathing heavily and pacing, then picked up a metal clipboard and threw it across the room, making the doctor flinch. “I’m an LAPD detective and a former Army Ranger with multiple tours in the Middle East. Do you think anything shocks me anymore about what men who are seeking power will do?”

The doctor hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I do. You’re shocked by how helpless you feel seeing someone you love in this condition. It’s a normal response, Detective. It’s different when it's personal.” He reached into his pocket and then handed Mark a business card. “Due to security concerns, there will be guards outside her door and outside the OR. You can call me if she needs anything. I’ll bring the surgeon in when he arrives.”

Mark took a deep breath. “Will she recover? Completely? Nothing is wrong that can’t be fixed?”

“As far as I can see now, she will have a full recovery. Once we can fully evaluate in surgery, I can confirm there is nothing further. She’s young and strong; I’m very optimistic.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

When he was alone with her, Mark sat in a rolling chair beside the bed. Quickly, he texted the picture of the words cut into Tori’s stomach to Shepherd to find out what it said. He stroked Tori’s hand, then pulled it to his mouth, kissing her gently.

When Shepherd texted back, he read that the words carved into her said, ‘The next one dies.’ He suspected it was a message for Blythe since his name was also carved into her. But he said the next one dies, as if Tori wouldn’t die. What is the point of carving a message like that into her if they were still going to kill her? And ‘one’—who? Next one on the task force? Next woman? And why send men to kill her if they intended to let her live? It might be just a warning to Blythe not to embed anyone else in his organization. Mark had no way of understanding how this man thought.

He sent the picture of Blythe’s name to Shepherd, too, and asked her to let Blythe know.

His headache had been wanting to knock him flat for an hour, just lingering patiently until he was mentally and physically beat before it smashed into him like an anvil. He took her uninjured wrist and rested his head on her arm, watching her. After about twenty minutes, she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Please tell me you’re not going to make this about you,” she said with a faint smile. “I’m not sharing my pain meds.”

A/N-

A/N My erotica turned into a romance last chapter, and now it's an angsty, action-adventure romance. This is a temporary side step. Another chapter or two, I'll get back to the erotica/romance/angsty without the action adventure.

“You’d think she missed you or something,” Jason remarked with indifference. His attention turned to Tori walking up.

“Did you get lemons?” Tori asked, looking around distracted. “If not, tell me where they are. I can’t see over this sea of people.”

Mark chuckled. “No worries, Shorty.” He held up the bag of lemons, then put his arm around her shoulders.

“Jason, this is my girlfriend, Tori. Jason works with me.” Tori smirked at him over the slip, and he rolled his eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Detective.” Tori shook his hand. Diane cleared her throat. Tori didn’t know the backstory, so she just smiled at her and said, “Hey, I’m Tori.”

“It’s good to meet you, Tori. Wow, Meachum. She can’t be with you. She seems so sane. Not your type at all.” This earned a dirty look from Diane.

Mark couldn’t help but watch Tori and Jason. Jason was much closer to her age. The women at work all considered him good-looking and charming as well. She glanced at the other man when he spoke to her, but she was looking at the food stands nearby and leaning into his side. Sometimes she’d glance at Mark and smile. He wasn’t the jealous type, but it was reassuring that she wasn’t interested in exchanging him for a newer model.

Jason slapped Mark on the shoulder. “You need to get back to the office, Meachum. It’s almost boring without you.”

“Almost. But not quite. I’ll be back when it's unbearable.” Mark laughed.

“Pining away for you?” Tori smiled at him.

“I pine for no man!” Jason winked at her. “I need to finish here. Meachum, drop by Shooters one night. I’ll even buy. Good to meet you, Tori.” Diane started bitching him out for something when they walked away.

Tori tilted her head with a grin. He couldn’t miss the happiness in her eyes. “So, I’m your girlfriend now?”

Mark rolled his eyes and said, “I probably should have discussed it with you.”

“Slipped me a note saying, ‘Do you want to be my girlfriend? Check ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Nah, this way works better, but can I call you my old man instead of my boyfriend?”

Mark shook his head. “Nope. Not even in private.”

She batted her eyes at him. “Okay, Daddy, if you say so.”

“Tori. Don't even…”

xOxOx

Mark came into the house, and the first thing he noticed was a trail of Tori’s clothes leading to the dining room. He was exhausted, and it was after eleven, but this perked him up. All over. A power ballad was playing in the living room. Tori didn’t do mellow or jazzy, so power ballads were her version of romantic music. The music and mood lighting throughout the house made him grin. He was getting lucky for sure. Actually, he did most nights, but earlier they had their first spat. He jokingly asked her to send nude photos. His very adventurous and open girlfriend became livid with him. But now she was up to something special.

He followed the clothing trail through the empty kitchen to the dining room. Tori was relaxing on top of the table, reclining back on her hands with her legs stretched out. She was wearing a skin-tight white outfit with long sleeves and pants to the ankle. Her white rhinestone shoes had at least four-inch heels. It wasn’t until he was closer that he realized the outfit was completely sheer with the barest hint of a shimmer, plus two circles of scattered rhinestones covering her breasts and a rhinestone V covering points south. Her hair was pulled back tightly, and she had dark makeup on. The finishing touch was a white rhinestone choker. He pulled up the silver tag attached to the front and saw an M engraved.

Mark whistled under his breath. They should fight more often. “That is… You look amazing.”

“I went shopping today for an apology gift,” she said in a sultry tone. “I got you dinner. Then I saw this little number as I was leaving the mall. I thought you might like it better than a photo.” Mark ran his hand up her leg, then examined the rhinestones over her breasts.

“Oh, I do. But you don’t have to do either one. If you had just said no, I wouldn’t have pushed you,” he replied and reached to cup her chin. “I feel like I touched a nerve, really touched it. Danced all over it. Did an ex share nude photos of you?”

Tears filled her eyes, and she pulled away. “Something like that. Can we drop it now? I just can’t."

Cradling her face, he looked into her eyes. Maybe not today, but he needed to know what it was. He gave her a tender kiss, then whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Tori shook her head. “It’s not you. It’s in the past. Please, can we just forget it?”

“Okay.” Mark grew concerned about her evasiveness about her past, but he couldn’t complain about her secrets. He wanted her back in her sexy, fun mood. If she didn’t want to discuss it, he’d drop it. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving. Or are you dinner and a gift?”

“No, I got you that Korean barbecue you like.” She pulled him closer. “I’m dessert.” She gave him an aggressive kiss as she moved her hand down his stomach and then over his crotch, rubbing him through his pants. "You might be my dessert."

"You know the rules. Don't start something you can't finish." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to the end of the table. 

"Is that a challenge? Do you double dog dare me?" She smirked and wrapped her legs around his hips. "It wouldn't be the first time I ate you alive. You'd lose that bet."

"There are other more adventurous things we haven't done..." He placed his hand on the side of her face and then whispered in the opposite ear. "You know I love your ass."

Tori's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. "Not ready for that yet. Someday. I was actually thinking of tying you up. I didn't really get to enjoy you in handcuffs."

Tori started to get off the table, but he stopped her. “No, no. You stay there. You’re the best centerpiece I’ve ever seen. Let me heat my food. Did you eat?”

“Yeah. I didn’t know how late you’d be when I planned this,” she explained when he sat down at the head of the table. She teased him with her foot. Suddenly, Mark grabbed her foot, and, raising his gaze to her face, he unfastened the buckle and slipped off the shoe, tossing it over his shoulder.

“I’m slowly undressing you,” he said with a smirk. He repeated the action with the other shoe.

Tori scooted closer to him, picked up his food, set it aside, and slid off the table into his lap. “Thought you might need help.” Mark watched her with hungry eyes before he leaned forward and gently bit on her shoulder. Tori held up a fork full of food. When he put it in his mouth, she leaned forward and sucked on his earlobe before whispering, “Have I told you how hot you make me, just looking at you? Because I always remember things you have done to me.”

She pulled back and scooped up some more food. Before he took it, he asked, “Anything in particular you think about?”

“Lately, I have been thinking about that night at the bar near my house. When we were dancing and rubbing up against each other. You got hot enough to grab my hand and drag me into that small supply room. Do you remember that?” Tori watched him as he licked his lips.

“I picked you up and fucked you against the door since we couldn’t lock it. It’s a good thing the music was loud; we were both too loud and in our own world.” He leaned back further in the chair, and, grasping her waist, he pulled her closer. Now she was sitting directly on his erection. She adjusted her seat, squirming in his lap. He closed his eyes and moaned. Twisting around, she grabbed more food.

“And you stole my panties and kept reaching under my skirt, touching, and fingering me. Such a terrible tease.” She put her hand on the opposite side of his face, then dragged her tongue up the side closest to her.

“This coming from the woman who teased me for months just to get her name. But not that night. You practically ripped my clothes off in your car. I didn’t actually think we could manage sex in a Mustang. You’re a bendy thing.” He moved the food away. “I’m not hungry anymore. At least not for food.” Mark grasped her hips.

“Then what do you want?” She whispered, pulling his shirt up and over his head.

“To start with,” he spoke softly as he nuzzled her neck. “I want you to beg.”

“Be serious,” she said, slapping his chest.

 “I am. Completely.”

Tori studied him for a long time. “You have lost your mind. You expect me to beg?”

“Yo, if I need it in the morning or the middle of the night. I ain’t too proud to beg. If the lovin’ is strong, then he got it goin’ on and I ain’t too proud to beg.” Mark sang, and she just stared. “TLC? Surely, you’ve heard that?”

“Is it new?”

Mark chuckled and said, “No! I was like fourteen or so. You’ve really never heard it?”

“I was four. And since you ain’t too proud to beg, then you do it.” She smiled sweetly at him.

“I have begged you a couple of times. It’s your turn. But if you’re not interested, we can go to bed, I guess.” He looked at her as if bored, which she hated, and then he shrugged. “I have hands.”

Her eyes widened, and as her mouth dropped open, Mark wondered if he pushed her too far. The last thing he expected was her jumping up. “You’re going to need those hands to defend your pretty, delicate face!” Since he was still sitting, she was able to kick his shoulder. Mark rolled off the chair in the other direction and managed to stop a kick aimed at his stomach. They had wrestled before, but that was in bed, and he was able to subdue her easily without hurting her. He worried this time somebody was going to get hurt. Or maybe his house would suffer.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Victoria?” He chuckled as she swung at him, and he easily caught her arm, spinning her around and pulling her back to him. She bit him on the hand and shoved him, but he managed to twist her arm behind her back.

“Depends. What are the stakes?” Mark picked her up and moved them both in the opposite direction from the table. She squirmed away by kicking him inside his knee. Grabbing her ponytail, he pulled her back against his chest.

“You…begging.”

She chuckled. “So pitiful. And weak. That’s really what you'd get your ass kicked over?”

Mark smirked; even being careful not to hurt her, he wasn’t losing. “And what do you want?” Tori had moved to the other side of the table.

She tilted her head to the side. “You as my slave for a day.” Before he could even agree, she ran and stepped onto the chair before launching herself at him. He stepped back into the wall as he caught her. Tori wrapped her legs around him and squeezed tightly as they both panted.

“If I’m going to die, between your legs is the way to go,” Mark chuckled, and then he managed to loosen her grip. She leaned back, putting her hands on the floor to flip over. But he caught her leg before she got away completely, spinning her around and pulling his arm behind her knee, making her fall back. He caught her before she did, though, and she ended up back with her legs around his waist. “Were you a cheerleader at some point?” he asked, in surprise.

“As an FBI agent, I learned combat, naturally. Since I’m smaller than most men, it made sense that I learned creativity,” She explained. “Were you a cheerleader? It would make sense with that pretty face.”

“Always complimenting my face. I dated cheerleaders.” He grunted under the pressure of her thighs. “Victoria, I’m about to turn you over my knee.”

“You wish.”

“You’re right. I do.”

Tori watched him like a feral animal. “You’ll never give in.” He shook his head. “I’ll never give in.” She shook her head. “But this is kind of turning me on more.”

Mark smirked and nodded. “Me too.” She leaned forward, biting his lip, and when she released it, he asked, “Tori, you don’t want to beg?” He reached up and tapped the charm on the choker. “Say you are submitting to me without saying you’re submitting. You’re wearing a collar with my initial on the tag. But if you want to keep wrestling…”

He could tell she was torn. She grabbed his shoulders and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “I would have given you anything. And everything. You knew that.” A chill ran up his spine. “You screwed yourself.”

“There’s always tomorrow,” he reminded her, pulling her to kiss him.

Mark was too impatient for begging. “Begging takes too long. Beg tomorrow. Now I just need to fuck you.” Walking to the chair, he sat with her on his lap. She grasped his cheeks and kissed him hard, her tongue exploring his mouth. When they pulled apart, both of them were breathing deeply.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, wrapping her ponytail around his hand as he nibbled down her neck and collarbone. “I want you to ride me slow.”

Tori chuckled. “Save a horse, ride a cowboy.” Her bodysuit had a snap closure between the legs that she undid. Mark unzipped his pants and freed himself, stroking a few times.

“You don’t want me to blow you?” she asked, wrapping her hand around his cock and licking his full lips before tugging gently on the bottom one with her teeth.

Mark slid two fingers inside her. “Right now, I want you to come on my cock. More than once.” Withdrawing his fingers, he lifted her so he could thrust inside her. “You’re so wet.” He glided his fingers across her lips, making her taste herself.

Tracing the contours of his muscles, Tori trailed her hands down his chest and belly, so lightly that it gave him goosebumps. She loved his V line. It was as sexy or sexier than any six-pack. Maybe because the other term for it is "sex lines," and with him, that fit. And Mark knew how to move those hips. Grabbing his thick, muscled shoulders, Tori used him for leverage as she rode him. Mark kissed her, his tongue moving quickly against hers. Sometimes in bed, Tori was the aggressor and made him fight for dominance. It turned him on, but if he pushed back, she’d submit, which turned him on just as much. But Mark loved it that she made him work for it sometimes.

“Unless you want to risk me ripping it, you should take that top off.” Suddenly, he pushed his chair back. “Take it all off. It's beautiful, and I love that you wore it, but I prefer your bare skin. I need to feel it.” He lifted her up, then bent down to remove his boots.

When he stood up to remove his jeans, Tori had her back to him. As soon as both of them were naked, he reached out and grabbed her hips, pulling her to sit on his lap with her back against his chest. He thrust into her slowly, relishing the feeling. He reached around and cupped her breasts and noticed something different. The hoops were gone, replaced by a bar and something dangling from it.

“You found your present,” she whispered, turning slightly and leaning back so he could see.

Dangling from a silver bar through her nipple were tiny silver handcuffs. He smiled, then grasped her chin. “Perfect. Sexy. And fitting.”

Tori leaned back against his chest, moving her hips in an erotic dance. She rode him slowly, enjoying the feeling of him filling her. She loved how he didn’t have a predictable  and boring rhythm. Some guys you could keep time by. Mark was too wild for that. And he was so good at reading her body’s responses. He wrapped his arm around her tightly as he sucked on her neck. He licked her ear, and she shrugged her shoulder up because it tickled. She could feel the sheen of sweat on his arms and chest, but he didn’t smell sweaty. As his body heat rose, his cologne got stronger and filled her senses. She didn’t know if she liked his cologne by itself or if she just liked the way he smelled, but she frequently slept in his shirts so she could smell him all night.

“Are you close?” he asked, gripping her hips and pulling her back as he thrust forward.

“You know I am,” she replied, knowing he knew the signs. “I feel like my heart is pounding. You feel so fucking good.”

“I feel like you’re milking my cock, and you're so hot. Come for me, sweetheart,” he said, lowering his hand to push her over that extra inch.

“Oh my god,” she whimpered, and he thrust faster. Mark pulled her back, then wrapped his arm around her waist to take full control. He lifted her and pulled her down, hard and fast. When she came, it felt like the walls of her pussy clamped down on him, and he had to bite his lip not to join her in coming. She gripped him tightly.

“Mark, come inside me,” she pleaded, her head thrashing from side to side as her fingernails dug into his thighs. "You feel amazing. You’re making me crazy. I love your fucking cock.”

Mark was getting frustrated by this position, so he stood up, lifting her as he went. When he thrust inside her, she lifted her leg and rested her foot on the side chair. Mark kissed her neck as he stroked inside her, and Tori pushed back to him. “You feel so good, so damn good,” he moaned loudly. He pulled her head back using her ponytail again and kissed her, his tongue thrusting deeply inside her mouth. It didn’t take him long before he came, and then she came again with a shudder.

“God, that felt incredible. How do you manage to feel different every time?” He rested his head on her back, catching his breath. Tori made a sound like a purr, leaning back into him.

“Yeah, not bad,” she whispered with a little chuckle. She waited a few minutes before turning around. She didn’t say anything at first, just gave him an intense kiss and stroked his beard. “You’re the best lover I've ever had,” she whispered, wrapping herself around him. “You give me what I need before I even know I need it.”

Mark had slept with a few professionals, not something he was proud of now, but he had been young and dumb when LA porn stars were considered a badge of honor with his equally young and dumb friends. Back then, a woman talking dirty and screaming like no man ever made her feel ever so good was something he could convince himself had to be true because, of course, unlike most men, he knew if a woman was faking.

After a while, he realized he was an ignorant fool and had gone out of his way to please his lovers. But once they started faking orgasms or screaming and fake crying out in a way that grated his nerves, he was totally turned off. He’d had good lovers, but he became increasingly pickier. He’d say that five or so in his life were amazing, and none of them were professionals. But Tori knew how to drive him crazy. One of the other four could have been technically better, but it had been too long to remember. He and his ex-fiancée were incredible with make-up sex. The everyday sex was average at best. Tori’s playfulness, looks, age, and willingness to try almost everything definitely made it really easy to forget the others. Mostly, it was the way she made him feel about himself at a time when he had to avoid hopelessness.

“I could easily fall in love with you, if I let myself,” she added, serious now. She watched his reaction closely. Mark was at a loss. He had to tell her about the tumor soon.

“I…” he began, but she put her fingers over his lips.

“Please don’t say anything out of a sense of obligation. I don’t want false promises.” He realized she wasn’t even mad when she gave him a faint smile.

She started gathering up their clothes, and he just watched her, not knowing what to say. She snapped back to regular, flirty, fun Tori within minutes as they both got ready for bed, but it seemed a little less joyous than normal. He hoped it was just tiredness. As soon as she turned off the light, he lay behind her with his arm holding her tightly against him and his hand grasping her neck loosely.

He pressed his mouth to her ear. “I don’t feel obligated to tell you that you’re my best lover, which you are. But to say that I love you… Tori, you deserve the best. And I’m just not sure that’s me. I don’t want you to settle. That’s my hesitation.”

Tori rolled over and asked, “Do you trust me?”

He smiled. “I know this trick. When I say of course I do, you’ll say something about me being good for you.”

“I'm not going to trick or pressure you. Honestly, if you don’t mean it, there is no point in saying it. There’s certainly no benefit to me if you say it and it’s not true. Like I said, I don’t want you to feel obligated. You’ll say it when and if you’re ready.” She kissed him sweetly and said, “Good night.”

When she rolled over and faced the other direction, Mark just stared at her back for a few minutes. “Okay…um… Either you’re being extremely understanding, rational, and mature, or this is code for ‘I’m fine,’ and you're going to do something horrible to me, like maim me permanently, while I’m sleeping. I don’t know which one it is. Now, I’m afraid.”

Tori started laughing and then said, “Good. I like to keep you guessing.”

XOXOX

Tori moved toward Mark’s spot in the bed, seeking heat. He ran hot, ruling out the need for extra blankets. His side of the bed was really cold, which made her realize she was alone and had been for a while. She opened one eye. Not wanting to completely wake up, she snapped it shut again.

After about ten minutes and no Mark, she sighed and got out of bed, throwing on Mark’s shirt and shuffling into the bathroom, rubbing her eyes. He wasn’t in the bathroom. Noticing a light coming from the kitchen, she went to find him in there.

“Mark?” She came around the corner and almost tripped over him lying unconscious on the kitchen floor. “Oh my God!” She sank to her knees, checking his pulse, and then she quickly examined his head for a wound of some kind. When she tried shaking him and lightly slapping his face, she still couldn’t wake him. “Come on, Mark. Don’t do this to me.”

Jumping up, Tori ran to the bedroom to get her phone. Grabbing a cold cloth before coming back, she kneeled beside him again, pressing it against his forehead. “You have two minutes before I call 911, so you need to wake up.”

She jumped when his hand closed over hers, sliding her phone away. He kept his eyes closed. “Just give me a minute. I’m okay.”

Tori stared at him with her mouth hanging open. “You are many things, Mark, but you’re not even in the ballpark of being okay. I have let you put me off long enough. What is wrong with you?”

Staying silent for a few minutes, Mark finally opened his eyes and began sitting up. Tori helped him to his feet and then led him into the living room. “I don’t trust you not to distract me in the bedroom.” As soon as he sat down, she ran her hands through his hair, checking for lumps. “I don’t feel any lumps. Do you want some Tylenol?” Without waiting for an answer, she ran and got them, along with two bottles of water.

She just watched him while he took the pills. He looked really terrible. Leaning back on the couch, he kept his eyes closed for a minute. “Glioblastoma multiforme,” he said quietly. “I have a brain tumor.”

Tori remained quiet, tears burning her eyes. She had told herself that no matter what it was, she wouldn’t make it harder for him by crying, but she failed. Looking down, she tried desperately to push back her emotions and produce something supportive to say, but she just wanted to beg him to take it back.

Finally managing to speak, she asked, “What is the treatment?”

“The risks are too high with the treatments available.”

“So how will you recover then? Or is it not that serious?” Tori knew it was unlikely that it wasn’t serious, but she had to ask. He was quiet as she watched him. Finally, she shook her head. “You just told me you have a brain tumor, like you’re talking about the weather, and now it’s like I am trying to pull teeth. Tell me something. Please.”

Mark turned to look into her eyes and took her hand. “I won’t recover.”

“But…” She studied his face. “How long?”

“Months, if I’m lucky.”

Tori couldn’t respond at first, but when she did, it was shock and anger all at once. She was angry at the situation he was in. She knew cancer wasn’t selective, but this wasn’t fair. “No. That’s impossible. You…you can’t be serious. Surely any treatment is better than none. I don’t understand why you’re just giving up. You don’t give up on anything, Mark,” she insisted. “Even if they don’t have an effective treatment here, there might be something outside the US. Or some type of trial.”

“Tori…there is nothing,” Mark responded, running his hand over the back of her head and coming to rest on her shoulder. “I know I shouldn’t have put you in this position. I should never have allowed us to get involved. But… you make me forget about it when you are around. You make me happy, and I was selfish.” Mark sighed and looked down. “I’m so sorry, Tori.”

Tori watched him for a few minutes, then climbed into his lap, throwing her arms around his neck. “Please don’t just give up. I’ll help you through this, Mark, whatever it takes, but you have to promise me you won’t give up.”

Mark held her tightly. Tori rested her head on her arm as she silently sobbed.

“Tori… I love you,” he whispered. She could hear the tears in his voice.

Leaning back, she looked into his eyes. “Don’t say that so you can quit trying.”

“I’m not.”

“Not to be manipulative, but if you love me, you have to fight this.” She swallowed, trying to choke back the tears. “I love you. I have never been in love before, so you can’t leave me.” She hated that they admitted they were in love for the first time during a moment like this, but she wouldn’t put it off. Cradling his face, she repeated it. “I love you, Mark.” She kissed him tenderly.

Mark raised his hands, wrapping them around her wrists. “Tori, I’m... I don’t want to die. I think that’s why I hesitated telling anyone. If no one knew, it wasn’t real.”

Nodding her understanding, she whispered, “Just because it’s real doesn’t mean it’s over. We’ll figure something out. I don’t know what, but something. I didn’t fall in love with you just to watch you die. Does Blythe know? Someone at work?”

“I told Oliveras. But not Blythe. I don’t want to be benched.”

She was thoughtful and nodded her head. “I’m glad someone can watch after you. Give her my phone number. I want her to call me if anything happens.”

“I’m waiting for an update from Blythe.” He kept kissing her until she stopped crying. “By the way, according to the hospital, we’re married.”

“How long was I asleep?” she asked, with a little smile. “How’s your head? Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Don’t worry about me. It’s work hours, so my work wife will step in while you’re in surgery,” he answered with a smile.

“You seem obsessed with marriage today. You have two wives now.”  The wheezing in her lungs got louder when she spoke. “Did you guys get the USB drive?”  

“Yes, Shepherd has it. Stop worrying about that. Focus on your breathing.” Mark knew that if she didn’t calm down, her lungs would worsen.  

“He said they knew everything about me. All my cases, even…even…” She swallowed roughly. “They had photos of my aliases.” She seemed altered, so he kept trying to calm her down. 

He stroked her hair and kissed her on her forehead. “Tori, what do you need from me? What can I do to help?” 

She just stared at him at first. “As my boyfriend or as a cop?”  

“Both.”

“I want Detective Meachum to leave this hospital and take down Volchek. Put him in the ground. Deep in the ground. But I want my boyfriend to hold me for a few more minutes. Then go put Volchek in the ground.” He gathered her in his arms and gave her a slow kiss. 

Hearing a knock, she wiped her tears on his shirt. Once more, he kissed her. “I love you,” he whispered, before getting off the bed, then he opened the door for Blythe.

Mark permitted him to enter but stated, “Hopefully this didn’t happen due to your desire to go one step further than Volchek does.”

“Mark, it was my decision. I didn’t even clear it with my boss. I just wanted to get more data for you guys,” Tori said quietly. “But I don’t think I blew my cover. They were lying in wait for me. They knew who I was when I got there.”

When Blythe shot a glare at him, Meachum knew they’d have a conversation about that later. Nathan dropped his angry expression when he turned to Tori. “Do you mind if Oliveras comes in so I don’t have to do this briefing multiple times?”

“She’s met me for the first time at my worst. It can only go up from there,” Tori replied with a bitter chuckle. 

While Mark went to the door and got Amber, Blythe walked to the bed and took Tori’s hand, with a gentle smile. “Are you going to be alright, Victoria?” He always used her full name, unless he was frustrated with or angry at her. It was the opposite of how most parents usually use their kids’ full names. Tori thought it was because Victoria was the agent that he had grown to respect and care about over the years, and Tori was the bratty, young, difficult one that vexed him immensely. 

“Of course I’ll be okay. You know me.” Tori nodded and tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn’t. Blythe sat in the rolling chair now, watching her with such concern. Mark walked around to sit on the edge of her bed opposite him. He didn’t want to do much in front of the others, because she might resent it. So, he just held her hand. When Tori had gathered her wits about her, he handed her the Kleenex, and after wiping her eyes, she was quiet. Then, she looked at Amber.

“Thank you, Agent Oliveras. I don’t know what I would have done without your help. And Mark either. You were the calm one, fortunately. I wish we had met under better circumstances, but I really appreciate all you did,” she said quietly. 

“You’re welcome, but I was just doing my job,” Amber said with a smile.

“You went above and beyond, and I’m grateful.” 

Everyone turned to look at Blythe. He was serious, but everyone could sense his anger. “Volchek knew we were getting information from somewhere. So, he gained access to a database containing all undercover federal agents based in LA. His men hit eleven agents in the city after you. Four are dead. You and the other wounded are here, which is why a large multi-agency response team is here. We didn’t want the agents spread out in different hospitals. Plus, two Homeland Security agents were killed in San Diego. The shootout in the ambulance bay here earlier, when you and Oliveras arrived, they shot an FBI SAC who wasn’t on the list. We suspect he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He died shortly after. Tori, you were the only one directly attached to Volchek. The rest were just revenge. Even if it wasn’t deadly, yours was more personal, with him going to your house and waiting for the others,” Blythe explained. “I don’t know if he knows there is any connection between you and Mark before he was at your house. He knew you and I are connected, because it was listed on the database as your contact.

Tori appeared both shocked and concerned, but she quickly grew agitated. “You shouldn’t have sent Mark to my house. Or Oliveras…any of the task force. Now all of them are in danger. You should have just sent local units.”

Mark glanced at Blythe, and then, turning back at her, he squeezed her hand. “No, Tori, he should have sent me.” When she started to argue, he shook his head. “Listen. Take our personal connections, it makes the most sense for the task force members to have gotten that intel from you. And officers who don’t know what he’s capable of would show up and get ambushed. Oliveras and I were well aware of what a monster he is.”

Tori looked at Blythe. “Is the rest of the task force in danger?”

Blythe sighed, looking a decade older than he did this morning. “The leak was limited to federal servers. Currently, twenty agents are reviewing and securing the servers. Additionally, they are temporarily relocating the UC agent files to the LAPD server, which has remained secure. Legally, they can’t remain there long. The Task Force documents were already on the LAPD server. I think Meachum and Finau are safe. That’s why I’m keeping them paired up with Oliveras and Bell, who are both federal and could be at risk. Meachum, there’s a possibility he knows you’re connected to Tori, and he will remember meeting you at Mikhail's dance hall. Everyone needs to operate as if Volchek knows who they are. Mark, there has been a unit watching your house since Tori went missing. They are bringing in all federal UC that they can.”

“Even the DEA agents in Mexico? They would never regain the trust they built.” Amber pointed out. 

“The DEA will make the ultimate decision, but we don’t know if he intends to sell or release the database. The brass wants to protect their agents.”

“Volchek is making sure law enforcement is too busy looking internally instead of in his direction. How many agents were in the file?” Mark asked, concerned about his friends more than himself.

“Three hundred forty-seven,” Blythe answered, sounding very defeated. Mark whistled and then took a deep breath. This was huge. Amber and Tori were shaken, as well. “It could have been worse. At least he isn’t taking out regular police officers on the street. The brass wants the task force’s focus to remain on Volchek, and others will deal with the leak. Since we’ll have extra agents, we’re getting another agent to help Shepherd make sense of the data Tori retrieved.”

“Was it worth it? I was in a hurry when I copied everything over, so I didn’t have time to check it afterward. I probably got a lot of junk, but I installed the rootkit. Did she know about that?” It was apparent that her struggle to breathe and loss of blood were wearing her out. “Was it my fault he went after the database? Did I trip up?”

“No, Tori. The task force asked questions that alerted him. No one was to blame.” Blythe shot a look at Mark, seeing how upset she was getting and her body’s response to it.

“Tori, you need to calm down and rest,” Mark said, standing up beside the bed. She was even paler than before and struggled to breathe so much that Blythe went to the door to call for a doctor.

“Mark…” She grabbed his hand and said, each word a struggle, “You can’t do anything for me here, except watch me fail at breathing, but you can find Volchek.” Mark felt helpless watching her get worse. Blythe’s face showed the depth of his concern as well. Alarms begin going off as the nurses rushed in.

“Let us examine her, Detective,” an older nurse said, urging Mark away. Amber grabbed his arm, pulling him close to her and out of the way. She knew he hated this. He was a man of action, not someone who stood around watching. His nature was to jump in and fix things. 

Doctor Williams, the doctor from earlier, came in and started giving orders. “Detective, we need to intubate her and take her to surgery. If you want to say anything to her until after surgery, now is the time to do it.” Mark stepped over and took her hand. She was falling asleep, so he just kissed her. Then he whispered in her ear, “Tori, I love you. And I need you. Don’t leave me.” He stepped back and just watched. The doctor worked to intubate her, and a nurse told Mark where he could wait for news. They explained everything in detail, but Mark couldn’t focus on the medical jargon.

As the attendants rolled her out, he grasped the doctor’s white coat. “Just tell me she’s going to be okay.” 

The doctor looked at Tori. “Most of her injuries can be repaired in surgery. She has a good prognosis. After surgery, we’ll continue with transfusions until her blood is at a normal level. She’ll need some time to recuperate, but she’s young and strong, so she should recover.

“Can someone call me as soon as she’s in recovery?” The doctor nodded, and Mark walked over and kissed Tori on the forehead. Blythe trailed his fingers down the bed railing, looking serious. Solemnly, Mark watched them take her up to the elevator. The two guards who had been outside her door went as well. The one who had spoken to Mark earlier gave him a look of reassurance.

Mark glanced at the floor for a minute or two, trying to calm his thoughts. 

“She’ll be okay. She’s tough, Mark,” Oliveras reassured him, rubbing his back for a few moments.

Eventually, Mark pulled out his phone and looked at Blythe. “Volchek sent a message to you. He carved it into her stomach.” He held up his phone. “Shepherd said it says, ‘The next one dies,’ in Belarusian.”

Looking at the phone, Oliveras muttered under her breath. “He’s a psychopath.”

After looking at the photos, Blythe said nothing, but his face was stormy and said it all.

Amber stated the obvious: “We need to catch him.”

“I need to go to the office. I can’t just sit and wait. Volchek just ramped it up. He’s going to skip intermission and go directly to the final act. He’s hoping we’ll be distracted, but he will also know that he could have made us hyper-focused, so we’ll bring in more people to look for him. We cannot afford to lose any more officers. He could have shared that data anywhere, including the dark web. He’ll act soon. We’ll need to hitch a ride,” he said to Blythe. When Blythe hesitated, Mark added, “Does it matter if I wait for Tori to get out of surgery if Volchek blows LA off the map?”

“He’s right. Volchek cannot get his way. We can’t miss what he is doing while we’re licking our wounds,” Oliveras said, as she followed Mark to the waiting room. Fin and Bell were waiting there.

“Brought your vehicle back. How’s your girl?” Finau said, tossing Mark the keys.

“Thanks, man. She’s in surgery, but they think that she’ll recover. She’s tougher than she looks.” 

“She’d have to be, dealing with you,” Fin responded with a smirk.

“Meachum, Finau.” Mark turned to see Jason and Alex walking their way. “Are you two still on some assignment? Does it have anything to do with this mess?”

“Some,” Mark replied.  He gave quick introductions to Bell and Oliveras, without titles. He didn’t introduce him to Blythe because that might link someone back to the task force. He trusted Jason, but it was an off-the-books task force. Plus, Fin knew Alex, but Mark barely did since he had been undercover at the prison for so long. “Are you two on something here, too?”

“Yeah, we’re helping to investigate the shootout in the ambulance bay. Sadly, the victim we were supposed to interview died. But we’re supposed to be off in thirty minutes, so we offered to help out with guard duty on some feds. All hands-on deck, apparently. Two agents were gunned down near the courthouse, and a judge and an ADA were injured as well.”

“Which agency?” Finau asked.

Alex pulled out his phone. “One was an FBI agent who had been undercover for the last two years and just returned to his office across the street today. He was having lunch with a friend in the ATF, who also died. This is absolutely crazy. Do they know who’s behind it?”

 Jason glanced at Fin, then back at Mark. “Wait, is your girlfriend…um, Tori, right? Is she a Fed? She’s not involved, is she?” 

Deciding to risk Blythe’s annoyance, he pulled Jason away from the group to answer. “She is. Look, I have to get to something time-sensitive, and they just took Tori up to surgery. Is there any way you can keep an eye out for her and call me if something happens? I don’t know if the hospital staff will get in touch with me right away when she’s finished. It should be an hour or more, and they said she’d be in the recovery room for a while, too. I’ll just give the nurse your information, too. They think we’re married, so they’ll probably allow me to add you to her record for today.”

“Sure. I can probably have the two of us assigned as her guard when they change out. They’re trying to get local law enforcement to replace feds. They’re even bringing in some Highway Patrol and State Police officers to help since we’re in charge of investigating so many shootings of federal employees.” Jason asked, following Mark to the nurses' station. “Is she going to be okay?”

“They say she will. I’ll believe it when she gets out of surgery. Please keep an eye on her.” Mark spoke with the nurses and then said goodbye to Jason and Alex before returning to the task force. 

Blythe gave him a curious look. “Jason’s going to be with Tori since they’re swapping out the Feds with local officers as guards, and he has to be assigned to someone anyway. He’ll let me know how she is when she’s out of surgery.”

“We need to go back to the office. Shepherd said she’s found some interesting things on the drive. There was a whole satellite company in Pasadena using his late wife’s name,” Bell explained as they walked out.

xOxOx

Tori opened her eyes slowly, the sedation still making her so drowsy. At first, she couldn’t remember what happened. The pain cut through the fog, though. At least she could breathe now, although her ribs and the gash on her side hurt like a mother. Feeling something tickling her arm, she looked down to find Mark sleeping in the chair beside her with his head lying on her arm. She smiled, feeling an overwhelming emotion of both tenderness for him and fear for all of them.

In Andrei Rybak’s office today, he proved both he and his boss, Volchek, are complete psychopaths, if there was any doubt. She felt sure she was benched for the rest of this investigation, but she worried about Mark. With the tumor, a potential dirty bomb, and the psychopath, she felt Mark’s danger was too much.

Tori smiled tenderly at him as he slept. He looked so young and innocent when he was asleep. He had no idea how much the idea of being with him kept her alive today. While she debated letting him sleep, she didn’t want him to stay all night when he’s clearly wiped out, especially in a chair that couldn’t be good for his back or his head.

Stroking his cheek lightly, Tori said his name. Even though she spoke softly, he jerked awake. He raised his head and looked at her for a minute before standing up to stretch. He sat on the side of the bed, then leaned forward to kiss her. It was a deep kiss, and he caressed her face with his fingertips. When he finally released her lips, she moved over and pulled him to lie down beside her. It was a tight fit, but she’d rather have him beside her.

“How do you feel? The doctor said the surgery went well, and there was no additional damage internally. I noticed you’re breathing better,” he said, his voice still thick and sleepy.

“I’m okay. The painkillers are surprisingly good. But how are you? It’s after work, so your work wife isn’t around, and you need to tell me how you feel. Mark, you look so tired,” she said in a quiet voice as she ran her fingers through his hair.

He didn’t bother lying. “It’s been a long and exhausting day. My head isn’t too bad now, but it’s been bad a few times today. Once I saw Jason, and he agreed to watch after you, I felt a little less stressed compared to when you went into surgery.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, giving him a few gentle kisses. “I’m sorry I added to your pain.” Glancing up at the clock, she asked if he had eaten.

“Don’t apologize for being attacked. It wasn’t your fault,” he chuckled. “I just hate not being able to help you or even be here when you woke up. We ended up finding another site of his. I have been full speed all day, so no, I haven’t eaten. I didn’t even think about it. Oh, the gang sent you flowers. And a few other people.”

“Ooh. Red roses? I hope that’s from you and not my work husband,” she teased him. 

“Not going to lie. I wasn’t sure what flowers you should send to someone in the hospital. But, according to Finau, red roses are always the right answer for your woman, no matter the question. This is why he has a happy marriage, I guess. Work husband, huh? Is that payback for my work wife comment, or do you really have an Oliveras at your office?” he asked suspiciously.

“Yes, but he’s gay. So…” She reached down and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “Order something from DoorDash. I’m going to ask the nurse if I can eat regular food.”

By the time DoorDash got there, Mark was fighting off sleepiness, resting beside her with his head resting on her shoulder. The nurse came in as they were eating and fussed at him for being on her bed. He kept hitting the call button by mistake.

“He’s staying here, and I really don’t want him sleeping in a chair. Is there any way I can get a cot here? He’s LAPD, he had a long shift, and he’s on call tonight. I really don’t want him to miss a total night of sleep. Today has been so scary and stressful, and I really need him here with me,” Tori said, looking a bit traumatized, her eyes even filled with tears. The nurse agreed and went to get a cot.

“Holy shit,” Mark exclaimed, watching her in shock. “You just totally manipulated her, and if I didn’t know you better, I would have bought everything you said. Have you done that to me, too?”

Tori shrugged, attempting to look innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Convict number 9.” Eventually, she smiled. “You know my job often depends on my being able to manipulate people. Just like you do, Detective Meachum. And yes, I have done it to you before, but never anything important. Just getting what I want. Oh, was Jason still here when you came? He poked his head in here for a minute.”

“Why did Jason come up immediately after you said, ‘getting what you want’?” Mark turned and watched her. He wasn’t actually angry. Just giving her a hard time.

“Stop it. You know I couldn’t have fucked him even if I wanted to, with these broken ribs and side wound. But it has been three days since we had sex, Meachum. If I felt tempted, it would be now.”

“Fine. Let’s go,” Mark said and started unfastening his belt. Tori laughed aloud, watching him try to fasten it back when the nurse came in. After checking her vitals, the nurse left. 

Tori turned serious suddenly, and he kissed her forehead, snuggling her into his arms. “Mark, I thought I was going to die today, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” She rested her head against him and wrapped her arm around his waist. She looked up at him. “Thank you for rescuing me. It might be a few days before I really show you my gratitude, but it's going to happen.” She put her arm around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. Mark caressed her face gently as he returned her kiss. When he released her lips, she nervously asked. “What was the message he carved into my stomach?”

Mark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “On one side, it said ‘the next one dies’ in Belarusian and just ‘Blythe’ on the other.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I never wanted to have a man’s name on my body because if we broke up, I’d be stuck with it. I certainly never expected to have a co-worker’s name on my body. I guess I’ll never forget Blythe. Does he know?”

“Yes. He’s furious because he feels like he’s at fault for Volchek hurting you. But don’t worry. When they heal, you can get a tattoo over each of them. By the way, why didn’t you let the Uber driver take you to the hospital earlier?” 

“Well, I was a bit confused due to extreme pain.  I didn’t know he knew my home address or that he would send someone there,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want to lead him back to you.”

Mark stared at her, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t worry about me while you are bleeding out.” He watched her closely, worried she was more traumatized than she was acting. “Tori. I thought I was going to lose you. This psycho blew up his own wife. I don’t even want to think about what more he could have done to you. Then I realized I don’t know enough about your job to know if you’re in danger. We need to fix that. I don’t have to know everything about your cases, but I need to know who to call, and I certainly need to know that they’ll call me if something happens to you.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but seeing his expression, she just nodded. “I’m not used to anyone caring where I am, except at work. I didn’t think about it,” she explained. Tears filled her eyes, and she wiped them away angrily. “I know you want answers about my past, my job, and my family. When the task force is over, we can talk about some of it. I just didn’t want to dredge up the past and ruin our happiness. But since you have a tumor, I guess that ship has sailed.”

“I’m happier than I have been for a while despite everything going on.” He cupped her face and kissed her for a long time. “You make me happy, even on a day like today.”

“You want to go sneak in the bathroom and have sex?” she offered.

“I’m too tired.”

“I always forget how old you are,” she teased him. “Is Jason still outside the door?”

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Tori’s gaze flew to his, and she shook her head. “I cannot be weak again, always living in fear. I cannot worry every minute that I will lose everything again. I won’t do it.”

“What are you talking about? You went through hell today. Nightmares are natural. Everyone has them. It doesn’t make you weak,” he replied, kissing her.

“Have you ever experienced fear on the job? You don’t understand feeling paralyzed until… You don’t understand. Mark, you’ve never been afraid of anything except for your cancer. And having cancer made you less afraid of everything else.”

“I’ve been afraid. Of course I have. Today, I thought I would lose you,” he insisted.

She chuckled bitterly. “You don’t even know what happens to a female agent if she gets hurt. I’m sure it happens at police departments as well. If women get hurt undercover, whether it’s their fault or not, they spend years proving themselves again. Proving that you can cut it, because if something happens to a woman, it's because she’s a weak woman. If you get beat up, shot, or stabbed, Mark, no one doubts you. You’re just considered brave. They’ll probably even promote you. I know I’m benched until Volchek is stopped, probably for a while after that. The other time I did need the extra time. When I wanted to go back, they knew I could sue the fuck out of the FBI.”

Mark studied her, trying to understand what she was talking about. “You’ll go back when you heal. They can’t blame this on you. That was a huge leak, and others got hurt. You can’t be blamed.”

Tori remained quiet for a few minutes before her gaze met his. “I won’t get blamed for the leak. I’ll be blamed because I’m weak enough to get hurt by the big man. Maybe if I’m lucky, there’ll be another case where they can exploit my looks to manipulate the criminal into committing the crime on an FBI agent.” Mark was speechless. As she turned away from him, he suspected what she had been hiding from her past was associated with her first case, her only undercover, strictly an FBI case. Eventually, she turned back, her calm, confident mask in place. It made him sad when she did this. “Mark, you should go to sleep. You’re running on fumes, and you know tomorrow will be another big day.”

Caressing her face, he shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’m staying right here.” He situated himself so she could rest her head on his chest. “Tori, when I get you home, you and I are going to talk about your first case. Whatever happened, you can tell me.” 

After a few minutes, she shook her head. “No, I can’t. Please. I can’t think about it. Ask Blythe to give you the files if you can’t let it go. Or Bell, any FBI agent.”

Mark held her and asked, “Do you want to go back undercover? Do the same thing you’re doing?” He thought she fell asleep because she was so quiet.

“I’m not sure. I keep moving around, and maybe I need to leave. I used to love it. I thought I was good at it. Mostly, I didn’t want to burn out and bail after only seven years. It’s not like I’m undercover with drug dealers or something unbearable. But I feel like none of the last few cases have gone right. I’m tired of feeling like I didn’t accomplish a thing by risking my neck. I don’t think I’m like you. I don’t like the adrenaline rush because I’ve gotten hurt more times than I’ve been useful.”

“Hey, listen. You can go back to your job, or you can go somewhere else. No one will judge you, least of all me. You could be burnt out or just need a change. Lots of people change their careers, some people every year. Either way, Tori, you’re not weak or useless or anything but tired of what you’re doing and needing a change. People do that all the time,” he assured her. “I’m not going to lie. If you weren’t in a dangerous job, I’d be glad, but I also understand what it's like to feel like your job is part of you. If I knew you still loved your job, I’d suck it up, but I worry that apathy towards the work will end up a tragedy.”

Tori moved so she could see him. “If I take off time to be with you until we figure out something to do about your cancer, would you be upset? Are you taking time off after Volchek? I’ve tried to be understanding and let you do what you need to do, but I worry every day that you’re going to get hurt because of your headaches or dizziness. And I know how much you hate it when people are coddling you. But please, let’s both take some time after this case wraps. I’m probably going to need to sell my house thanks to the leak. I could get a condo near the beach, but closer to town too. Maybe we could get something together, just a weekend house or something. I mean, we never really talked about living together. I just never went home. I don’t want to assume anything. But I want us to actually decide to do the next part together. Whatever we do.”

In truth, he wanted that. But he also knew she was dreaming of a future that included him, and he probably wouldn’t be there. He was torn between raising her hopes and hurting her with the truth. 

Of course, she read his mind. “I know what you’re thinking. And you’re getting a second opinion if I have to get the task force to tie you up and help me get you to another doctor. The treatment isn’t worth the side effects? That’s a bunch of BS. If the alternative is you dying, then it's worth it. You’re going to beat this. You won’t go out without a fight, and I’ve never heard of you losing.” She smiled at him, then added, “Except when I handcuffed you to a table.”

“You can handcuff me to a table a thousand times, and I’ll still call it a win.” He ran his hand down the side of her face. “Tori, I love you. I can’t imagine if I was still alone in this. Between you and Oliveras, I’m getting by even when I probably shouldn’t be. If you need me to actually say it, I will. Let’s live together. We’ll figure out something about your house, because that’s also your money. We can work out details, later. We have plenty of time for that.” 

She smiled and whispered, “You just said we had plenty of time. Maybe you do have a little bit of hope.”

Mark chuckled. “Your relentlessness is contagious. Are you feeling better? What's your pain level?”

“I feel better now. I have you to chase the nightmares away, even if not the pain. But my bestest friend ever, Mr. Morphine, is handling the pain.”

“Good. Now kiss me goodnight.” They kissed for a long time, even though both were tired. Eventually, he encouraged her to lie down. “By the way, I stole two pairs of scrubs for you to wear when you get better. I missed them.”

She laughed softly. “Sometimes I really miss the game we played, chasing each other. But then I remember you naked and that damn pretty fucking face of yours. Then I’m pretty glad I don’t have to chase you anymore. Especially now with this cast on my ankle.” He chuckled and held her tighter.

xOxOx

Mark woke up to a large, elderly nurse with red cheeks that made it look like she was smiling even when she was looking at him with annoyance. “Did you miss the cot, Detective? You’re not supposed to be in bed with my patient. And don’t even try to look at me like that. I am immune to the LAPD. No matter how cute they are. Get up and out of that bed, or I’ll start taking your temperature. Rectally.”

“You promise?” Mark called after her. As he got up, his phone rang. He caught it before Tori woke up. She must be really out of it now; usually, any phone wakes her up. After he finished his conversation, he grabbed his bag and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower, then threw on clean clothes, since he had grabbed some the day before. Tori woke up when he kissed her goodbye.

“You’re leaving me already,” she said, still half asleep. “You should skip work. I’ll write you a note.”

“I got a call, and there was a house explosion that I need to check out before I go into the office. You need to get more sleep. I’ll try to call you later. Behave for the nurses,” he said with another kiss.

“I love you.” Tori grabbed his shirt to hold him still. “I know it’s against your nature, but please be careful. And if you’re too tired tonight, please go home and get some sleep. Please?”

“I’ll call you.”

xOxOx

Tori slept off and on all day due to the pain meds. It was the afternoon when her phone rang. Glancing down, her breath caught in her throat when she saw who it was. She closed her eyes for two rings before she answered.

“Hey, Gina.”

“Hi Tori. How are you?”

“Well… You’re calling me, so that usually means I’m not great, right? Did another video show up?”

She remained silent for a few beats before clearing her throat. “Yes. Well, actually, it was three. I got one down within hours, but then another one popped up. It could have been there before, and the software just missed it. But as soon as I got that one reported, another one showed up. They aren’t just on the main websites now. And the smaller sites rarely stay up long, but they also don’t have protection set up to prevent people from downloading them. Then those people upload it to other sites. I’m sorry. I’ll keep on checking, but it’s getting harder to get them all down. I think whoever has them is aware of how I’m tracking them.”

Tori bit her lip, trying to stop herself from crying, but the tears filled her eyes. “Were they bad?”

The silence said a lot. “There were some that you were worried about showing up eventually. It seems like something must have triggered whoever this is into being more aggressive. I really think you should report them to the FBI. They have better software than I do.”

“No,” Tori said, shaking her head. “Just keep doing what you’re doing, please. If he’s being more aggressive, maybe he’s coming to the end of the videos.”

“Tori…” Gina sighed. “I don’t understand why you won’t report these to the FBI. It’s nothing you’ve done wrong.”

Tori remained quiet, her mind going in ten directions at once. The biggest thing bothering her now was how much she worried that Mark would find out from one of his friends, who would see it and tell him, or something equally awful. “It’s never going to end, is it? Gina, if I report it, my case becomes active again. I have to deal with my coworkers watching those videos or the photos. The old ones are in evidence. I just can’t…”

“I know Tori. I understand why you did it this way originally. You needed to stop the attention you were getting on the job, but it’s getting harder to catch the videos. Can’t one of SACs open the file quietly?”

Tori bit her lip trying to prevent the tears, but it was impossible. “There’s a guy. I haven’t told him, but one of the guys we’re investigating assaulted me and put me in the hospital yesterday—a physical assault, not sexual. But he knew all of my aliases and had some of the photos from that case.”

“Oh, Tori, I’m sorry. But if this guy really cares about you, he’ll understand. I keep reminding you that it’s nothing you did wrong. If this happened to someone else, would you think it was their fault?”

“It’s not about fault. It’s humiliating. I’m pretty sure that Mark would be amazingly supportive, but he’d silently wonder how many of his friends or co-workers saw my sex tapes.” Tori insisted, wiping her eyes.

“They aren’t sex tapes! They were assaults. If it were anyone else, you’d insist they see it as it was, an assault, but you never give yourself that grace. You had no control. Please, Tori, consider going to the FBI leader that you were really close to. In the meantime, I’ll get these three videos down as fast as possible. Do you want copies as usual?” Gina asked. Tori knew she didn’t think it was smart that Tori watched the videos.

“Yes. Thanks, Gina.”

“If you love this new guy in your life, give him enough credit to be understanding.”

xOxOx

Mark ended up being too busy to visit during the day, and he wasn’t finished work until late in the night. When she found out they were working long shifts, Tori insisted he go home and get some sleep. Despite his exhaustion, he wished she were here. It was bad enough being away from her, but after her attack, it really stressed him out. Jason promised he’d watch her door tonight. He couldn’t imagine how stressed he’d feel if it were strangers watching over her.

The next morning, his head felt like it was splitting open. He lay in bed, curled up in a ball, clutching his head in pain. Nothing helped ease it. Eventually, he managed to get out of bed and into the shower. But he struggled to get ready for work, so he was still there when the call came about Blythe. He drove like a bat out of hell to get to the ER. The woman at the desk refused to answer his question; in fact, she got hostile with him. When he went and stood with the others, Oliveras pointed behind him. “Um. Mark?” 

Tori told Jason he could push the wheelchair, or she’d do it herself. The nurses only let her have scrubs when she threatened to leave AMA. She negotiated with them that she’d come back if they let her have the scrubs. Jason tried to stop her. When he said he’d call Mark to see if he was cool with it, she asked an orderly to push her to the elevator. She loved Mark, but she didn’t need his permission.

As Jason pushed her to the desk, Mark walked up to her, incredulous. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“Honey, if my father is in the ER, I need to know what’s going on,” she said dismissively. The woman tried to pretend she wasn’t there. “Ma’am, I don’t want to bother you, but I need to know about Nathan Blythe.” The woman looked up, and after a glance at Mark, she looked really annoyed. Tori didn’t give her a chance to speak. “I can tell by your face that my husband has already harassed you, but can you explain to me why you didn’t update him and my sister about our father’s condition? I mean, they work together, but he’s her father and my husband’s father-in-law. I had to come down here to find out anything. As you can see, I’m not at my best, so please, I need to know his status right now.” 

“Your husband and your sister didn’t make their relationship known to us, or I would have informed them. He’s in surgery, but I will go see what I can find out.” The nurse seemed really frustrated with them. 

Mark pushed her chair over to the others. Bell glanced at him. “You didn’t tell us she was related to Blythe.”

“I’m not. I just figured you guys couldn’t get any information, so I’d help out. And I wanted to be here anyway. Shepherd’s my sister now, so she can get information when you aren’t here.” 

Mark grabbed her chair handles and said, “Give us a few minutes. We’ll be right back. Jason, you might as well sit down since you’re useless.” The other detective through his hands in the air.

“It’s not his fault. I told him if he didn’t come, I’d go on my own. What did you expect him to do? Handcuff me to the bed. Seemed a bit much.” She didn’t laugh because she could see he was really angry with her. He pushed her to the other side of the waiting room, near the drink machines. “Don’t be mad. You knew I’d come to check on Nathan.”

“It’s only been a couple of days since you and over a dozen others almost died because of Volchek. Did you ever stop and think that Volchek would know you would be here?”

“I’m here with three LAPD detectives, a DEA agent, and two FBI agents. I think I’m safer here than upstairs. If the six of you can’t protect me, I’m doomed,” she explained. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook them away. “Mark, it’s Blythe. I had to come. Please don’t be mad.” She grabbed his wrist and pulled him in front of her. After a minute, she said, “Your head is really bad today, isn’t it?”

Mark wanted to deny it, but she knew how to recognize his pain, even if he tried to cover it. “I’ll be okay once my meds kick in. Please don’t do something this reckless again, Tori. Until we catch Volchek, you have to be careful. I need you to be safe. I can’t do my job if I’m worried that he’ll get to you before we can stop him.”

She carefully stood up, then put her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to worry you. I’m not used to anyone worrying about me.” She couldn’t raise her right arm due to the stitches, so she reached up with her left hand to rub his neck. “Babe, it feels like we’re coming to the end of this case. It’s so intense, and you know Volchek feels it too. You’re not the only one worried. With Nathan getting attacked, I can’t stop thinking about you being next. I can’t lose you.” He didn’t point out that she might lose him anyway. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

“Meachum.” Oliveras came over, and they returned to the others. After they got the update on Blythe, the whole team split up. Mark kissed her and made her promise to stay with Jason or another officer. The nurses offered to put her in the surgery waiting room, so she agreed.