Dirty Little Tease (Book 2) The Dirty Little Secrets Series

Chapter Thirteen-Lance

Hello, Lovelies, 

Thank you for reading Dirty Little Tease.  I realize I was a little mean the last time by leaving it on a cliff hanger but this chapter will fix that.  I truly appreciate that you have read this story.   It means a lot to me.  

News: I'm still editing Sparked.  I have finished ten chapters.  I will probably finish the eleventh chapter today.  Also, I am in Nanowrimo.  Above is the cover for what I'll be working on for that.  It is an 80s band romance set on the Sunset Strip.  I hope you will read it.  I will be updating as I write.  So, you'll get updates every day.  Please let me know how I'm doing as it progresses.  This will not interrupt my release schedule.  Everything will be released on time.  

I hope you enjoy this chapter.  If you do, turn that star the color of a pumpkin.  Comments are deeply appreciated and often push me through the bad author days.  If you have questions, ask them in the comments or send me a message.

-XXXX Amanda

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We arrived at the restaurant within five minutes, speeding the whole way with Becca's voice coming through my phone. Jay hung up with the police even though they were telling him to stay on the phone knowing we weren't going to wait for them to arrive to try and save her. Jay frowned, his eyes dark, "Man, you'll have to turn off the phone so he doesn't hear it," he said, giving me a sympathetic look. I swallowed as my hands shook and I turned off the connection between me and the woman I loved.

We moved toward the restaurant. It was eerie and silent as we walked toward the front door making our steps as silent as possible. The wind picked up and I paused as it brought with it a voice.

"Did you hear that?" I asked in a whisper moving closer to the side of the building.

I narrowed my eyes moving down the darkened alley toward light cast on the murky garbage riddled path where it appeared someone had dropped bags of trash. Linc's voice echoing down the alley, "Today he drove you to work."

Jay was close behind me as we reached the open doorway where we saw Becca on her knees in front of Linc who was holding Nica around the waist as her wide eyes moved toward the woman in front of her. The mouth of the barrel was pointed toward Becca's head and I knew I couldn't save her unless we distracted him because one twitch of his finger would bring her death. We had to get that gun off her before I could make a move. Jay nodded in understanding as we tiptoed further into the kitchen, keeping to the shadows that blanketed the hallway. We moved further inside keeping low. Jay pointed toward the metal workstation that split the kitchen in two where he could hide and make a distraction in the opposite direction of where I stood giving me a chance to tackle him as long as he took the gun off of Becca and giving Jay enough protection so he wouldn't take the bullet once the gun was turned toward him. I nodded as he moved around it as I hid between the cooler and the wall where I hoped Linc couldn't see me.

"You've been here all night long?" The tremble in Becca's voice broke my heart.

Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll get you out of this, I thought closing my eyes hoping those words were the truth.

"I was going to wait until he picked you up to do this but then, this opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up," Linc said causing anger unlike any I had ever experienced to pass through me. I clenched my fist realizing that Jay better hurry and distract him or I was going to do something stupid, "You'll die and I wonder how he'll feel about that. I'm sure it will torture him for the rest of his life which is much better than simply killing him."

My nostrils flared. I was going to kill this sadistic bastard.

"Look at me," Linc said, causing the hair on my nape to raise and I knew from the way his voice deepened he meant to kill her.

"I said look at me...Unless you don't want to save your friend," Linc said, his voice ripe with the threat.

I couldn't wait anymore because I knew that Becca would raise her head. She would look at Linc to save Nica and Linc would pull the trigger. As I pulled myself from between the wall and the cooler the sound of metal clashing against the wall sounded through the kitchen. I rushed toward Linc as the gun he jerked the gun away from Becca toward the metal bowl that had hit the opposite wall from where I was charging toward him, hitting him with a force that took both him and Nica to the ground. A cry sounded from between Nica's lips as Linc dropped the gun. I straddled him and began to pound his face with my fist but the sounds of his bones crushing didn't satisfy the rage caused by the fact he had a gun trained on the woman I loved or the fact he was going to kill her or that he had hurt her before. I wanted him gone. I wanted him dead so he would never harm her again.

Becca was the one who kept me from killing him as the police sirens sounded around us. Her voice brought me back to reality as I glanced around the room finding Jay holding a sobbing Nica before my eyes settled on Becca. Her tear-stained face broke me as I stood and pulled her into my arms as the fear of almost losing her caused me to tremble. Her sobs told me to be strong for her as I held onto her as if afraid I would lose her if I let go.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I whispered into her hair, my voice gritty with relief as my heart pounded hard and fast against my ribs, "I've got you and I won't let anyone else hurt you."

I could hear the police enter the front of the restaurant and held her tighter. There would be questions and she would have to answer them. The police entered the kitchen with their guns drawn but I still didn't let her go as I explained that the man on the floor had been stalking Becca and had held her at gunpoint with the intent to kill her. She buried her face into my chest, her body trembling as they arrested Linc but had medics take him out of the kitchen on a gurney.

A grim-faced police officer came toward us, "I'm sorry but I need to ask you some questions."

Becca tensed, "Is he gone?" Her voice was broken...So, broken and I wondered if there would ever be a way to fix her.

"He's gone, Becca," I whispered, softly as she raised her head while keeping her arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"I know you filed for a restraining order," the police officer said, sadly, "So, we know you felt he was a danger before this but we need to know what happened so we can put him away so he can't bother you again."

Becca nodded as even more tears dripped down her cheeks, "As long as Lance stays with me."

My heart clenched as I tilted her head up with my fingertips beneath her chin, needing to see her face...Needing to know she was alive, "I'm not going anywhere."

The relief in her eyes made me tighten my hold on her as she turned telling the police the events that took place until they arrived. Tears slid down my face as I realized again how close I had come to losing her. I closed my eyes promising that this would never happen again and I would find a way to make sure she was always safe.