F-BOMB: Curvy Vigilantes 8: Fracture
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Mary E Thompson
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24
Enjoy the 8th book in the steamy BBW romantic suspense series from USA TODAY Bestselling Author Mary E Thompson.
She found the truth once. But it was locked inside her mind. She had to find it again. If the one who broke her doesnât get to her first.
Lorelei spent months on the trail of a monster. Months that were wasted after an attack left her with amnesia. She canât remember who she was, what she learned, or how she managed to end up hundreds of miles away in her old apartment.
Vinnie wanted in on the case that captivated his city, but all he could do was wait for the call to say his team was needed. Until then, he admired the woman in charge and tried to get to know her. When she disappeared, he knew something was wrong, even if every single person told him to stand down. He trusted his instincts. Always.
While Vinnie helps Lorelei put the pieces of her broken mind together, they find themselves going deeper and deeper into a truth they never expected to find. A truth that could destroy everything they hold dear. Including each other.
Chapter 1
Vinnie
Vinnie Morgan ignored the phone buzzing on his hip and continued down the deserted hallway. Something wasnât right. His gut told him he needed to investigate, and he never ignored his gut. Not when it was so loud.
Three days. It had been three days since anyone had heard from Lorelei Sloane. The badass woman who was in charge of the biggest investigation his city had ever seen hadnât been out of touch with her team since it was created.
Going missing at her partnerâs wedding wasnât more of a comfort. Especially when Vinnie heard she was meeting with a contact. Not that it surprised him she would take off during a social event for work. There was no doubt in his mind she would have at least checked in afterward.
In Vinnieâs line of work, people didnât go dark. Not when they were on a case. Not without someone knowing where they were. Sure, the gorgeous woman in charge could have shacked up with someone after the wedding, but for three days? That didnât feel right to Vinnie. Heâd seen her in action. He knew her type. The type that would stop at nothing to get the job done and put the bad guys away.
He was the same type. It was why he was plucked from the force and invited to join SWATâa decision he never once second-guessed.
Vinnieâs heart pounded as he drew closer to the door. If he broke in, he could surprise a woman who was perfectly fine. If he ignored that fear, he could find anything.
No one was in the hallway. Not a sound came from behind any of the doors. Either they were expertly soundproofed or no one was home. A high-end place like Lorelei Sloaneâs apartment complex could have been either. But it made Vinnie aware of every creak the floor made as he moved toward her unit.
The door was closed. It didnât appear to have been forced open at any point. The trim was intact, and the door wasnât damaged. But something still wasnât right.
Vinnie tried the knob. Locked. He jiggled the door a little and could tell the deadbolt wasnât engaged. A single woman living alone in a big city would never lock her doorknob only. Especially not a woman with her training.
He knocked softly, hoping he was wrong about everything and Agent Sloane would open the door and tell him he was being paranoid and a creep. He waited, holding his breath so he didnât miss a sound from the other side of the door. None came, and Vinnie pulled out his lock-picking kit.
Less than ten seconds later, he had the door open and his suspicions and fears were confirmed. Lorelei Sloane lay on her couch in the living room. Sheâd been badly beaten. Her beautiful face was marked with cuts and bruises. Her clothing was all in place, but she was not okay. She was far from okay.
She was barely alive.
Vinnie snatched his phone just as the buzzing started up again. He swiped to answer, not caring who was calling him. âWhat?â
âWhere the hell are you?â his boss barked.
Yeah, Vinnie might have skipped town. Against orders. He would be lucky if he wasnât fired. Except he had good news. Sort of. âI found her.â
âWho?â Damien asked. Vinnie had his bossâs attention now.
âLorelei Sloane. Sheâs in her apartment in Boston. We need an ambulance here now. Head trauma, bodily injury.â Vinnie swallowed roughly as he took in the bloody clothes and bruises appearing on Loreleiâs dark skin. He knew if he could see them, they were worse than they appeared. And so was she.
Noises in the background told Vinnie that Damien was notifying everyone that Lorelei Sloane was alive and where she was. Vinnie put his phone on speaker and set it down so he could hear if Damien asked more questions.
Vinnie probed her skull, checking for fractures.
She groaned and opened her eyes. Deep brown pools stared up at him.
âYouâre safe now,â Vinnie whispered.
She appeared to nod, then drifted off again.
âHey, wake up. Stay with me.â
Her eyes blinked open again, slowly, like it was taking all her effort to open them.
âThere you go. Do you know where you are?â
The pinch between her brows said she either thought he was insane or she had no idea where she was. Either was possible. She opened her mouth, then winced and slammed her eyes shut again.
âLorelei, look at me. I need you to stay with me. Help is on the way.â
She drew a breathâone that stopped in the middle with another wince.
Vinnie laid her head back on the couch and ran his hands over her sides. At least a few broken ribs. She wormed away from his touch, telling him where she hurt the worst. He held his breath and slid his hands over her hips to her legs. She didnât fight him until he touched her right ankle, which he realized was bent at an awkward angle.
âFuck,â Vinnie whispered.
âParamedics and police should be there any minute,â Damien said.
Vinnie sucked in a breath and looked back up at the woman heâd been watching for months. The woman who led a multi-agency team without hesitation. She was strong and smart and capable.
And she was broken.
She opened her mouth again, a whisper of a word coming out.
Vinnie moved back to her head again and saw the marks around her throat. It could have been hands or it could have been something more. It didnât matter what it was; she was going to have a hard time talking for a while.
âIâm not going to let anyone else hurt you, Lorelei. Youâre safe now.â
She nodded, the move jerky like it hurt. Her eyes filled with tears.
All Vinnie wanted to do was scoop her up and hold her, but he didnât know what other injuries she had. That and theyâd never actually spoken, so him being in her apartment was more than a little fucked up.
Voices outside grew louder, then the squawk of a radio echoed in the hallway.
âIn here,â Vinnie called, drawing the attention of the people heading toward them. âI havenât cleared the apartment.â
Two officers walked in first, guns drawn. They nodded to Vinnie, then spread out to search the place. Both called out clear and came back into the living room as the paramedics entered.
âCan you tell us what happened here, Mr. Morgan?â one of the cops asked, clearly aware of the overall situation from Damien.
Vinnie shook his head and watched the paramedics work. âI wish I could. I showed up a few minutes ago and found her like this. Sheâs been missing for three days. People were here two days ago, but there was no sign of her. Sheâs an FBI agent.â
âItâs pretty clear someone wanted her dead.â
âYeah. The people sheâs been investigating. We just donât know who that is.â
âWeâll get a crime lab out here. Hopefully, weâll find something. Are you local?â
Vinnie shook his head. âNo, sir. I live in Niagara Falls, New York, where sheâs been for the last few months, running the investigation.â
âThatâs a long way from here.â
âYeah. These people are smart.â
âToo smart.â
Vinnie nodded. Unfortunately, that was accurate.
* * *
Lorelei
âYour name is Lorelei Sloane. You are an FBI agent,â the woman said.
Lorelei nodded, the slight movement making her brain feel like it was full of eggsâraw ones that had no shape and would make you sick.
Which was how sheâd spent the last day.
âOkay,â Lorelei whispered. It was the best she could do with the damage to her throat.
âDo you remember anything about who attacked you?â
Lorelei groaned, sending a bolt of pain through her throat. She jerked at the feel and sent more pain through the rest of her body. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She was not going to show her pain.
âDo you need more meds?â the menacing man in the corner asked. He was up and out of his seat, hurrying to her side.
The nurses said his name was Vinnie and he came in with her, but Lorelei didnât remember himânot that it was a shock, since she didnât remember any damn thing.
âIâm fine,â she hissed.
She was being a bitch to everyone. She fucking hated feeling like she was incapable of doing something, and at the moment, she was incapable of doing everything. She couldnât go to the bathroom alone. She couldnât sit up. She couldnât speak or think or remember anything.
All she wanted to do was cry and scream and remember who she was and what happened to her.
âMaybe we should do this another time,â Vinnie suggested firmly.
The woman sighed heavily. She glared at Vinnie, but he didnât blink. She looked back at Lorelei and flipped her tablet closed. âFine. Iâll be back tomorrow.â
âThanks,â Vinnie said in a tone that suggested he was less than grateful.
Lorelei watched the woman walk out of the room. She knew there was a reason she was there, but everything was so mixed up that she didnât know what it was. âWho was that?â
Vinnie moved to the chair next to the bed. âThat was Alexis Waterford. Sheâs an FBI agent in your old office. She said you didnât work together, so you only met a handful of times, but she is trying to find whoever attacked you.â
Lorelei nodded, trying to pretend she followed any of that. Sheâd been told over and over again that she was an FBI agent, but she wasnât even sure what that really meant. Since she woke up the day before with Vinnie hovering over her, she hadnât recognized anyone or anything. It was all foreign to her, including the woman in the mirror.
The doctors said it was because of the assault. Sheâd been beaten so badly she didnât recognize herself, but shouldnât she recognize something? Her eyes, her hair? Something?
For all Lorelei knew, it was a stranger staring back at her.
The only thing she was sure of was that Vinnie was one of the good guys. She couldnât explain how she knew that, but she did. He saved her. He protected her. He hadnât left her side since she woke up.
A knock on the door made Vinnie tense. He moved around the bed to check whoever was at the door before opening it.
âVinnie Morgan?â a man asked.
âYes, sir. Iâm sorryâOof,â Vinnie said.
The machine Lorelei was connected to beeped quickly with her panic. Someone hit Vinnie or did something to knock the words out of him.
âThank you,â the other man whispered.
What did that mean?
âHappy I made it in time, sir,â Vinnie said.
Who the hellâ?
The curtain separating Lorelei from the men slid to the side, and they both stepped back into view. Loreleiâs gaze slid down Vinnie, cataloging him to make sure he wasnât harmed.
Satisfied her protector was okay, she looked at the other man. Blond hair, blue eyes. White. There was something⊠maybe⊠familiar about him, but Lorelei wasnât sure what it was.
âHoly fuck. Are you okay?â He moved toward her quickly, crossing the space before Lorelei could say anything.
She recoiled when he reached out to touch her, and he pulled back.
âSorry. I should have asked where your injuries are. I was just going to touch your hand,â the blond man said.
âWhoâŠâ She looked from him to Vinnie, then back to the blond man.
âThis is Adam Johnson. Heâs your partnerâat the FBI,â Vinnie said.
Lorelei looked at the man.
He held her gaze for a moment, then turned to Vinnie. âWhy are you telling her who I am?â
âShe doesnât remember anything from before yesterdayâwho took her, from where, where she was held. And she doesnât remember who she is. Youâre the first one to show up that she should know, but clearly she doesnât know you either.â
Adam looked at her, his face going soft.
âNope,â Lorelei said. âNo pity. Fuck that. Get out if youâre going to look at me like that.â
Adam snorted. âWell, they didnât knock your personality out. We just have to help you remember everything else.â
âWe?â Lorelei asked.
Adam nodded and gestured to the door. âRaina is hereâmy wife. You were at our wedding before you went missing. And Karli, your cousin, is here with her boyfriend, Cade.â
âCousin?â
Adam nodded and looked at Vinnie. âIs it okay if the others come in?â
Vinnie nodded. âAs long as everyone gives her space and time to process. Maybe start with her cousin?â
âOkay. Thanks.â
âIâm here, too, you know,â Lorelei snapped at them. She didnât like people making decisions for her.
âYou are, but if you donât know me, chances are youâre not sure what the doctors have said about visitors and recovery. Iâm asking the person in the room who has an intact memory.â
Lorelei scowled at both men. She wanted to be indignant, but they werenât wrong.
Adam walked out, saying something to someone in the hallway before coming right back in. He held the shoulders of a Black woman with dark hair like Loreleiâs, same tight curls and dark brown eyes. She had full lips and red circles around her eyes.
âOh, my God,â she whispered as she moved toward Lorelei. âIâm so happy youâre alive.â
âMe, too,â Lorelei said. She stared at the woman who must be her cousin and tried to remember her. Just like Adam, she was familiar, but her mind wasnât letting her access any of her memories.
âAdam said you donât remember anything.â
Lorelei looked at Adam, once more trying to place him. She kept scanning the room and found Vinnie. âI remember Vinnie.â
Karli looked at the man. She tilted her head and smiled. âI donât remember Vinnie. Have we met?â
Vinnie shook his head. âNo, maâam. Iâm on a SWAT team in Niagara Falls. Weâve been called in for support a few times. I heard about your cousinâs disappearance and couldnât let it go.â
âWait, we didnât know each other before?â Lorelei asked. The nurses said he came in with her. Didnât that mean they had some kind of history?
Vinnie shook his head. âNo. Not well. Weâve met, but weâd never spoken until yesterday.â
âWell, shit. I thought I knew you.â Her memories were shot, but Vinnie was someone she didnât doubt was supposed to be there. He protected herâmade sure she wasnât pushed too hard. Never left her alone unless he verified the ID of whoever walked into the room.
But he was a stranger.
Lorelei looked at the man who said he was her partner. âWait. How do I know youâre all here to keep me safe and not to hurt me again?â
âLook at me, Lorelei,â Vinnie said. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. âYou know Iâm not going to let anything happen to you. You know Iâm here to protect you and help you and keep you safe. You might not know me, but you know that.â
Lorelei looked at the man and nodded slowly. The beeping of her heart rate monitor slowed as she stared at him.
He was right. She wasnât afraid of him. He wasnât a threat. He was the one who saved her. And he was protecting her in ways she didnât even realizeâmaking sure she was given time to rest and not pressured to reveal things she didnât know.
He was her guardian angel.
âWow,â Karli whispered from Loreleiâs other side. âIâve never seen you calm down that quickly.â
âSame. Youâre good for her, Vinnie,â Adam said.
Vinnie didnât look away from Lorelei as he spoke. âSheâs good for all of us. Iâm just lucky that I get to be around her for a little while.â
Loreleiâs body tingled at his words. Desire? Maybe. Appreciation? Definitely. âThank you.â
Vinnie nodded at her. âIâm not leaving unless you tell me you want me to. And if you do, Iâll be right outside making sure no one ever hurts you again. I promise you that.â
Lorelei sucked in a breath. She might not remember anything about her life before she woke up, but she knew, without a doubt, no man had ever made her a promise like that. And no man had ever made her feel like she didnât have to do it allâlike she could lean on someone else and know she wouldnât fall.
It was a damn good feeling. Because with Vinnie by her side, Lorelei knew sheâd find answersâall the answers.
