Ex-Con by M. S. Parker

Table of Contents Title Page Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 About The Authors Acknowledgement

Ex-Con A Stand-Alone Bad Boy Romance By Shiloh Walker and M.S. Parker

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer ’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2015 Belmonte Publishing LLC & Shiloh Walker Inc Published by Belmonte Publishing LLC.

Chapter 1 There’re few things in my life that are certain. I need coffee to wake up my brain. At some point in the month, I'll pay at least one bill late. Most likely two. I’ll freeze my ass off through the winter, and roast all summer. The heater in my place isn't worth shit, and I can't afford to pay the bill for the A/C so I never turn it on. And at some point during the year, I’ll be let go from my job. You see…my luck just isn't that great. I’d held my current job going on two months, and that was a record, but I had a feeling that streak was about to come to an end. It wasn't that I couldn't do the job. I was a damn good mechanic, and a damn sight better than the slack-jawed moron standing across from me. But that slack-jawed moron had a wrench in his hand, and if he lifted it in my direction, I was going to shove it up his ass. In fact, I’d just pointed that promise out to him. He stared at the wrench for a moment before grinning at me. “Seems to me that a guy like you would

probably enjoy it, Bobby. But maybe you should let me do the shoving.” The joke wasn’t a new one, and it hadn't been worth getting myself in trouble the first time I'd heard it. The girl cowering in the corner darted a look at me, and then at him. “Candy.” I waited until she looked at me again, although I didn’t take my eyes away from Frank Hodges. “Why don’t you call your brother to come pick you up?” Candy helped out up front from time to time, but today wasn’t an ideal day to have her name on the schedule. Frank pointed at me with the wrench and it took an extra burst of self-control not to make good on my threat right then. “Boy, you ain’t got no place telling the employees when they can leave and when they can’t. You just one yourself.” “You are.” His brows scrunched down low over his eyes and I could see him trying to figure it out. Helpfully, I said, “You’re saying it wrong, Frank.” I pointed at him. “Now see, I really am from the backwoods of Kentucky, but when you talk like that, you make us all look bad. The proper way to say it would be… you are just one yourself.”

His face turned an even uglier shade of red, and he took a step toward me. I sighed. Shit. He really wasn't going to let it go. “You really want to do this?” I cracked my neck and gestured at him. “All you had to do was leave Candy alone. Stop breathing down her neck and staring at her chest. Treat her like a person, and this would all be done, but you had to go and act like an asshole. Now I’m asking you again...do you really want to do this?” “You’re the one who oughta be asking.” Frank hitched the wrench up and propped it on his shoulder. He grinned at me, baring teeth stained yellow and brown. “All you gotta do is get in trouble one time, Bobby boy, and you know what happens to you.” I shrugged. “True.” Then I smiled. “But I doubt that'll be much comfort to you when you’re picking metal shavings out of your ass for the next six months.” I took a step toward him. His eyelids flickered. The door in the back opened in that moment, and the garage owner stepped inside. Peter Brewster studied me, studied Frank and the wrench, and then crossed his arms over his chest. “Why did Candy’s brother just call me?” Frank’s face underwent a total transformation. “Beats the hell out of me, boss. This ex-con you hired...” He

shrugged and jutted his chin in my direction. “He’s always bossing her around, telling her what to do.” I heard a faint sniff from the doorway, but I didn’t look back. “That the truth of it, Bobby?” Running my tongue across my teeth, I studied Peter. He’d been a pretty decent boss, hadn’t made a big issue out of my past, just told me to keep my nose clean. I appreciated the chance, but I wasn’t sure I could keep my nose clean if I had to keep working around Frank. He was going to hurt somebody – a girl like Candy probably. I may be an ex-con, but he was a perverted bastard. “It’s not true.” She was the first one to speak, and she peaked around the corner, glanced at me, then at Pete. Not once did she look at Frank. His face bled back to that ugly red, and I subtly shifted, staying between them in case I needed to move. There wasn’t any need, though, because Peter was doing the same. He’d had his eye on Candy for a while. More evidence that Frank was a dumbass. She swallowed and in a halting voice, started to talk.

***

Frank ended up getting his teeth knocked down his throat that night. But it wasn’t me who did it. Pete was a solid guy, built like a football player who’d let himself go just a little. A little. Not a lot. Under that first layer of semi-soft fat, there was a hell of a lot of hard muscle, and although Frank had come at him after Pete told him to clean out his locker, Pete hadn’t so much as budged. And then Pete had swung out with one big, rawboned fist, and the dumbass had gone down like a felled tree. I’d been happy to help haul his ass out. I was less happy now though. “I’m sorry.” An hour later, I was sitting in the office, staring blankly at the wall. Pete had just given me my final check, along with a bonus that added up to two weeks of pay as a nice it’s been good knowing ya gift. Even though I hadn't done anything wrong, he was letting me go. I should've just shoved the wrench up Frank's ass. I

still would've lost my job, but I might've felt better about it. Pete continued, “I don’t like it, Bobby. You’re a good worker and if I could ride it out, I would. But–” I shook my head and stood. “You’ve got your own to look after, Pete. I understand.” I did, too. Mostly. One of his regulars, a stuck-up, tight-ass named Jamie Rice, had thought I looked familiar. Once she’d figured it out, she'd started going around plastering my image on telephone poles and anything else she could find.

GUILTY. WE DON’T NEED HIS KIND HERE.

She claimed it was her Christian duty that had her speaking up. Candy had, surprisingly, been the one to get in Mrs. Rice's face about it. “I’m pretty sure Jesus had thieves and liars and adulterers among his followers. Besides, what was that saying about stones, Mrs. Rice?” I could have hugged her for it, but I hadn't wanted to freak her out. She was one of the jumpiest people I knew. After Mrs. Rice had stormed out, Candy had told me, in her shy, nervous voice it would all blow over.

But it wouldn’t. No surprise there. Things didn't work like that for me. The past two weeks, business had been slow and today, one of Pete’s regular contracts had called to say he was taking his business elsewhere. He said he had...concerns. Concerns. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant. I held up the bonus check. “Can you afford this?” “Sure.” He grinned widely. “Pete didn’t get any severance.” I laughed, and while there was some humor in it, it was tired too. Pete rose, and after a moment, he held out his hand. “Bobby, you’re a good kid. Something will change for you.” “Yeah.” I accepted his hand and tried not to think about how wrong he was. Good kids didn’t make the mistakes I’d made. Blindly, I gathered up my gear and started out the front. I couldn’t go out the back – there was a deadbolt that had to be locked each time and I’d left my keys in

the back. Candy was standing in the front talking to her brother when she saw me. She gave me a nervous smile. I just nodded back. She started to say something, but she saw my bag and her mouth fell open as she realized what happened. “It’s because of her?” Her eyes narrowed. I shrugged. Mrs. Rice may not be the nicest person in the world, but I wasn't going to put the blame anywhere other than where it needed to be. “It’s because of me. She’s just letting people know.” I looked at Candy's brother and gave him a short nod. Noise blared from the TV, and instead of getting into a conversation I didn't want, I watched the screen as I pulled on my miserable excuse for a jacket. The caption across the bottom read: The Princess Is In Town! Below that, the words: Derby Parade Grand Marshal! The screen flashed to a woman. Blonde, built and beautiful. “I thought the princess had brown hair,” I said, latching onto the distraction with both hands. “Not that princess,” Candy said, laughing a little. “That’s–” A familiar set of lights reflected in the windows across the street and I craned my neck. “Aw, hell. My

bus.” I shoved outside, but I was already too late. The bus was already lumbering up Broadway before I'd gotten two steps. I cursed as I watched it go. “You need a ride?” Candy’s brother stood in the door with her peering around him. I blew out a breath and then shook my head. I wasn’t about to have him hauling her down to the area where I lived. I doubted he’d be comfortable with it either. He was a nice guy. A good kid. “I’m good.” I forced a smile, then turned around, walking away from the garage for the last time. It was a six-mile walk, but it wouldn’t kill me. Maybe I’d luck out and see a help wanted sign along the way. Yeah. Right. I had a bit of extra money stashed. Not even close to a lot, but it would let me pay for the rent on time, which meant I wouldn’t have to worry about being out on my ass just yet, and for a few weeks, I didn’t have to worry about going to bed hungry while I searched for a job. I’d be okay, for a while. If I was careful. The big problem was going to be telling my parole officer. That had me grimacing and craving a drink.

Striding down West Muhammed Ali, I cut through the crush that was already forming around the so-called party venue that was Fourth Street Live. It was cold. Louisville, Kentucky is one of the weirdest places on earth, as far as the climate went. Last week, it'd been almost eighty, hot enough that I’d been dripping with sweat as I worked in the garage, but now it was in the low thirties, and people were gearing up for all the stuff the city did for the Derby. Two minutes of horses racing around a track, and the city treats the whole month of April like a party. Right now, the area around Fourth Street was packed, a stage set up in the middle, cold weather be damned. Girls were tottering around in heels, their skirts barely wider than the palm of my hand. Their shirts, if they could be called that, bared arms and flat, toned bellies, backs, tattoos and pierced navels flashing. I’m a healthy, warm-blooded male, so yeah, I looked. And I wanted to grab them a damn coat. It was freezing. I was shivering in the threadbare coat I’d found in a secondhand store back when the winter had moved in on us, and I was still freezing my ass off. Under that pathetic excuse for a coat, I had on a flannel and T-shirt and I was still freezing. How could they stand to be out here in what little they were wearing? I guessed the alcohol helped.

One of the young women looked up at that moment and caught my eye. A slow smile curled her lips, and a hint of appreciation twisted through me, but I just kept on walking. That place had a dress code and dollar limit even for their outside venue that I couldn’t afford. If I had to drink, it was going to be some of the cheapest shit beer available. My money had to stretch, and my taste buds could survive. Up ahead, a couple of cop cars sat, lights flashing. It was instinct that had me turning left on Fifth. There were more of them the next block up, and I hooked another left, swearing as it led me back to Fourth. I made a right and strode past the ritzy Seelbach. I didn’t bother to look at the hotel. That was where the high-rollers stayed. Around Derby time, this place got crazy, but it was only the first week of April, so it shouldn’t have been lunatic crazy. Except it was. I dodged a couple of reporters and ducked my head, scowling as I waded through the mass of people. Dammit, I’d gone that way to avoid people. I was so busy trying to avoid that I missed seeing her right up until she crashed into me. I caught her arms, trying to steady her.

She was a cute little mess of blonde curls and the kind of curves our society likes to mock. The kind of curves I actually preferred. For one brief second, we stared at each other and I thought…wow. Then I thought whoa, because she tore away, quicker than that dynamite body should've been able to go. Even as she was moving away, my brain started picking at the puzzle. She was familiar. Why was she familiar? She moved so fast, I was left standing there with my hands in mid-air while I pondered the question. Lowering my hands, I looked up to see if I could find her, and then swore, lunging for her just as she took a step onto the road. We ended up sprawled on the street with me half on top of her. “The fuck’s the matter with you?” I growled at her as the car laid on its horn, speeding by without even slowing down. Big shock there. Asshole driver. “You want to end up dead or what?” She glared at me. “Get off of me, you idiot.” I narrowed my eyes. I'd just saved her life. I wasn’t expecting a reward or anything, but being called an idiot didn't really seem like an appropriate way of thanking me.

“Carly!” She didn’t even turn her head, although I had no doubt who they were talking to since her entire body went tense beneath me. “You got a death wish?” I asked. I started to shove off her, my weight going to my hands. Then my body kicked on, sending a loud and clear message to my brain that maybe I didn't want to move. Fuck. “Get. Off. Me,” she said, enunciating each word like she thought I was slow. “With. Pleasure,” I said, echoing her speech pattern and drawing my words out more than normal. The Eastern Kentucky twang came through more thickly as I took care to enunciate those two words. Her eyes narrowed as I pushed off her and settled on my heels, offering her a hand to help her up. Her dark pink dress was now streaked with grit from the road. The pink was pretty, not garish. It made me think of roses. I’d bet my last nickel that the dress was trashed now. Expensive stuff wasn't made to last. She didn’t accept my hand, sitting up slowly on her own. She was just a few inches from me and when I breathed in, I caught a headful of her scent. Wow and whoa echoed inside me again. She licked her lips.

I glanced down at her mouth and had the fleeting desire to kiss her, trace my tongue across those gorgeous lips. Then she could slap me, and maybe even press charges. That would cap off my night just right. But I was still considering it, might have even put some real thought into doing it, except somebody shouted her name again. She still didn’t look away. I cocked my head. “Carly,” I murmured. She lifted an eyebrow. In contrast to her goldilocks blonde, her eyebrows were strong, dark arches over eyes of vivid blue. A sexy combination, especially when combined with that little mole by the right corner of her mouth. “It’s Carly—not Carralee.” “Carly,” I said, taking care to draw it out again. I smirked. “That’s what I said.” She gritted her teeth. “Are you always this obnoxious?” Before I had a chance to answer, two men grabbed me from behind. That was their first big mistake. I’d been grabbed from behind before. A man couldn't do time and not get grabbed from behind.

I reacted more out of instinct than anything else, and it ended only a few short seconds later. One of them was doubled over, coughing, struggling to catch his breath. The other was faster, and he’d figured out quickly I wasn’t some dumb-ass who couldn’t fight. But in less than a minute, I had him bent over with his arm twisted up behind his back. “You move,” I warned. “I break it.” I was dead serious. When it came to fighting, I was always dead serious. The sound of someone behind me caught my attention, and I looked up, never easing the pressure I had on the man’s arm. The second man squinted up at me as he struggled to catch his breath. “You’re going to jail over this, you know. Might as well make it easy on yourself.” I laughed at him. It wasn’t a pleasant sound. I could tell by the way his mouth tightened. “I’m going to jail because I reacted when you two tried to jump me? You know the laws in this state? Just back the hell off.” Chances were, I would go back to jail because of this, but these assholes didn’t need to go throwing their weight around just because they were rich. Except I didn't get the chance to find out exactly what would've happened because I suddenly found myself being accosted.

A huge bag hit me in the head and I almost lost hold of my captor. I turned my head, gaping down at Carly. I had to blink twice to bring her into focus and I knew I was going to have a nasty headache later. “What the hell is the matter with you?” I demanded. “Let him go!” She brandished her purse at me. I snarled. “I swear, if you–” The man I held tensed. I reacted. There was a particularly sickening noise a bone made when it broke. I’d heard that sound more often than I cared to admit, and it turned my stomach every damn time. But as I’d rather the sound came from somebody else instead than me, and I didn't give empty warnings, I had no choice. As he howled in pain, I let him go. He'd be down for at least a minute, most likely more since I hadn't gotten a super-soldier kind of vibe off of them. Then Carly swung her purse at me again. I swore and caught the damn thing, throwing it down. “What is your problem?!” I shouted. That’s when everything went crazy. The man still standing rushed to put himself between the two of us.

Some guy with a camera practically tackled Carly, and I grabbed him, throwing him back. The dude with the broken arm surged to his feet, cradling his arm but struggling to get between Carly and the crowd. Dimly, I realized what was going on. Reporters. Something else clicked too. Carly was somebody important. Or at least somebody the reporters wanted a piece of. So I did the only thing I could do. I’d caused this mess. Only seemed right to help fix it if I could. Another reporter nosed in and I grabbed him, shoved him back. Did the same thing over and over as I cleared a path between me and the men who fought to keep between Carly and the horde. She was pale and furious, and when her eyes met mine, I could tell she wished she had the room to hit me with her purse again. If she had the chance, I planned on giving her a free shot. One bearded burly guy with a camera shoved in close. So close that the lens of his camera came within inches of her heart-shaped face, and I was near enough to hear her startled intake of air. That was it. I shoved between them, blocking his view of her.

“Back off,” I growled. “Freedom of the press,” he said, grinning madly. Then he shoved me. “Yeah?” I glowered down at him, using every inch of my size to show him that I didn't give a rat's ass about what he thought he knew. “You just put your hands on me. I’m pretty sure freedom of the press doesn’t cover that. So what are you going to do when I lay you out – in self-defense, of course – and you spend the night in the hospital?” “Are you threatening me?” He shoved his face into mine once more and this time, he used a thick, stubby finger to drill a hole into my chest. I didn’t touch him. Just sneered. “No, limpdick. I’m telling you that if you touch me again, I’m going to defend myself, and it will involve a whole world of pain for you.” “Touch me and your ass will go to jail.” “Won’t be the first time. And I can guarantee you, the pain I bring you will be worth every minute of it.” I smiled as I said it, pushing aside the knot in my stomach at the thought of going back. On the plus side, I'd get three square meals and I wouldn't be freezing my ass off. He must have seen the truth on my face, because his

eyes flickered away and I saw him swallow, watched as he fell back a pace. In the next moment, a group of black-suited men surrounded us. I found out a few minutes later that they were security from the hotel. I blew out a breath and waited for them to call the cops on me. I wasn’t going to take off running. That didn’t ever go well, and there were cameras around here. My face would've been captured already, and I’d be identified in no time. But as I huddled, freezing, against the wall, the two men in their very expensive suits spoke with the blonde firecracker and the other suits...and no flashing lights came. Well, not exactly. An ambulance came. The man whose arm I’d broken stubbornly shook his head and my respect for him grew again. No super-soldier, but he was dedicated, and that meant a lot. “I’ll go in a bit. In a cab. Not now,” he said. “Jake!” That came from Carly. “No, I’m staying,” he said, and shot me a glare. I smiled serenely back at him. He flipped me off and I couldn't say I blamed him.

A few minutes later, I was ushered into the glittering golden beauty that was the Seelbach. We weren’t in the lobby long before we were whisked into an elevator. It got quiet as the doors slid close, and that's when I realized that they were all working very hard at not looking at me. I hated awkward silences. As it stretched out, I finally cleared my throat and looked over at Carly. “Look, if ya'll aren’t calling the cops on me, can I just go?” Carly cocked her head. I stared at her. Hard. “If you are calling the cops, just do it.” I shrugged. “They really are the only option because if you’re looking to sue me, the only things I got are the clothes on my back, two or three more pairs of jeans and a few more shirts. Oh, and a couple of blankets, some dishes I got at a yard sale, and a few second-hand books.” I pulled my check out of my pocket. “This is pretty much all I've got that's worth anything.” Now all of them were looking at me. Carly’s mouth fell open. I wasn’t embarrassed. What was the point? The truth of it was, I had more now than I’d had for a good long while. I had some clothes, I had a few books, and I had a roof over my head. More importantly, I had no bars around me.

“Are you serious?” she asked, her voice hardly more than a whisper. I thought about the list I’d given her, then shrugged. “There’s a couch and a backpack. The table isn’t mine. Came with the apartment.” I rubbed my hand on my chin and felt my stubble scratch at my palm. “Not exactly the sort of thing you’d lie about. So if you’re looking to sue me about what I did to your arm, man...” I slanted a look at the man cradling his broken arm. “I can’t give you shit.” He ran his tongue across his teeth and then looked away. “I have insurance. Don’t sweat it.” Now it was my turn to look surprised. “Don’t sweat it?” I echoed. Sweat beaded on his pale brow and he managed a pained smile. “You heard me. Just tell me one thing… what style of fighting did you study?” Style? I arched my brows and studied him. Then I grinned. “The school of hard knocks taught me, man. The school of hard knocks.” For a minute, he looked nonplussed. Then he chuckled. It was a rusty sound, like he didn’t laugh often. In the next moment, the elevator opened on a whisper and we all spilled out. Everybody else fanned out into the room.

I stood there staring, trying not to let my mouth hang open. I could think of exactly one thing I’d seen that had been this beautiful. And it was the woman who turned to look at me with an amused expression on her face. “Are you going to join us?”

Chapter 2 “I need a drink.” While I was still standing there trying to take everything in, Carly made her announcement to the room in general. “Anybody want to join me?” I heard a few denials. Nobody said yes. Considering what just happened, I had to give them credit for refusing. “What about you over there?” Realizing she was talking to me, I looked away from the elegant white of the room to meet her gaze. “What?” As soon as I asked it, I felt stupid. She’d been talking about drinks, so she was offering me one. I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. I still had no clue what I was doing here. “You don’t need to do that.” Carly rolled her eyes at me. “Of course I don’t need to. If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have offered it. So do you want one? After what happened the past twenty minutes, you could probably use one.” I jutted my chin at the suits. “If that’s the case, why aren't they having one?” She shook her head, an amused smile on her face.

“Julio’s boys don’t drink on the job.” A dark-skinned dude built like a tank smiled faintly as she gestured at him. I assumed the men behind him were his boys and he was Julio. She gestured to the other men, including the one with the broken arm. “And my boys? They don’t either, even though I keep telling them it’s not a big deal when we’re here. But they won’t ever relax.” “It’s our job not to relax, Carly.” The guy with the broken arm spoke through gritted teeth. He was going to need to get that looked at. She rolled her eyes again and then smiled at me. “Have a drink with me. Makes me look a little less like a lush.” “Ah, yeah. Sure.” I shrugged. If I was going back to jail, I figured I should probably enjoy the moment. “Whiskey, I guess. If you’ve got it.” She didn't even blink. “What kind?” Kind? Running my tongue across my teeth, I thought that through. Okay. Yeah, I knew there were kinds. I was born in Kentucky after all and even if I hadn’t had much chance to experience it, this was the land of milk and bourbon. But my idea of variety, as far as whiskey went, ran the gamut from the kinds that didn’t burn your stomach lining right off and the kinds that did. Rather

than confirm my ignorance, I acted like it didn't matter. “Anything is fine.” She studied me for a moment, and then she smiled. It was a somber kind of smile, one that was curiously sad, and because it made my chest feel sort of tight, I looked away. This was why I tried to avoid people. No one looked at me like they actually saw me, just who they thought I was. While she busied herself at what I guessed was the bar, I moved over to the window. I found myself staring out at a city I barely recognized. I supposed when you lived in the west end, in some armpit apartment that really ought to be condemned, then maybe you didn't notice the bright and shining lights, or the pretty glow of the bridges at night. My city was vastly different from hers. “Here.” I turned at the sound of her voice, and I found myself caught up in the sight of her again, the scent. Really, she was an entire experience. Golden curls, pale, soft skin and sweet, sweet female. The kind of sweet, sweet female I’d never had the pleasure of knowing, and when her fingers brushed mine, it made me twitchy. It had been way too long since I’d been with a woman, any woman, and she was right here... “Here,” she said again, smiling as she pushed the

glass of whiskey into my hand. “Try this. I bet you’ll like it.” To cover the flush that seemed to be rushing up my neck, I grunted a response, and turned back to stare out the window. Then I tossed back a swallow, ready for the burn of it. It didn’t burn. It glided. Like hot, sweet silk. “Damn,” I murmured a second later. “Nice, yeah?” Instead of responding, I lifted the glass and took another drink, a smaller one this time, taking care to savor it. It was just as good this time as the last and I enjoyed it that much more for taking my time. “Nice is one word for it.” I lifted the glass and studied it, decided I could maybe make it last ten minutes if I was careful. I'd learned a long time ago that ten minutes could last a lifetime. At least these would be a good ten minutes. “Angel’s Envy,” she told me. I frowned and looked over at her. She tipped her glass at me, tapping it with a nail that was painted pink to match her dress. “The bourbon. Angel’s Envy. Good stuff. It’s one of my favorites.

Kentucky makes some excellent bourbon, I must say. It’s almost as good as Pappy Van Winkles.” She had to be joking with that one. Squinting at her, I said, “Pappy Van Winkles?” “Yep.” She winked, one quick drop of her lid. “If you’re nice, maybe I’ll share it with you some time.” With a name like Pappy Van Winkle, it would probably taste like pure rotgut. Then again, she didn't exactly look like the sort of woman who'd throw back that shit. My experience around the opposite sex had been with that sort, and she sure as hell wasn't like those women. I gave her a tight smile and went back to savoring the bourbon. Angel’s Envy – the name was perfect. It was almost gone, and I wished I hadn’t belted that first drink. If I had more, I’d have a reason to linger, and considering what I had waiting for me when I left, lingering didn't sound like a bad idea. Around me, I could hear the low murmur of voices, the two men who’d chased after Carly at first, and the others who joined up soon after. I heard what sounded like a report, and then a stream of cussing, a promise of regular updates. I didn't look at any of it, letting myself enjoy the time alone with my drink. I finished it far sooner than I wanted to and finally turned around. I saw the neat little bar area where she’d

poured the glass and went over, intent on washing it up. I may have been rough around the edges, but I had some manners. “Do you have a job?” Carly's question stopped me in my tracks. I went still, my spine going poker straight. Slowly, I turned. Meeting her gaze dead-on, I inclined my head. “Why?” It came out more harshly than I'd intended, but I didn't apologize. A cute, impish sort of smile curled the corners of her pretty mouth. Man, I should have stolen a kiss when I'd had the chance. I’d regret that for the rest of my life. Maybe she’d never remember anything else about me, but if I’d kissed her, I could have given her something to remember. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” That question caught me off-guard, and I didn't have an answer for her. Scowling, I reached up and rubbed the back of my neck, trying to figure out the best way to answer. From the corner of my eye, I saw the looks a few of the hotel suits slid me. They were quick. Subtle, too. But I know that kind of look. You stupid or something? Or something. I curled my lip in their direction.

Judging by the subtle tensing of Julio’s body, he realized something was amiss. Now he was real subtle, but I caught the quick turn of his head, the way he cocked his eyebrow at his people. Their faces blanked quick as you please. Fuck ‘em. “I figure you had to be somebody,” I said, shrugging. “Reporters don’t go around shoving their cameras in the face of your everyday average bombshell just for the hell of it. But...no. I don’t know who you are.” Carly’s head fell back as she laughed. Maybe I should've been embarrassed by that, but the sound of it wasn’t mocking. I knew when I was being laughed at. And I knew that wasn't it. I hadn’t heard the sound of pure and simple happiness very often, and maybe that was why I recognized the difference so easily. She was just happy. Delighted, even. And it had something to do with the fact that I didn't know who she was. This day just kept getting weirder. She came toward me, still grinning, although the laugh was fading. I could still hear the echo of it, and it was hard not to let my mouth curve up in reaction. I wanted to smile at her, share in that bright, infectious pleasure, despite the fact that I didn’t really understand

why she was so delighted. It was a puzzle, and I was so busy trying to figure it out that she caught me off-guard. Not something that normally happened to me. It wasn't smart, not for a guy like me. It could end up getting an ex-con like me dead, so I'd spent years honing my awareness. But she was something I'd never expected. Or experienced. I tensed as she reached out, my body reacting instinctively. When her fingers brushed my cheeks, I caught her wrists. What the hell was she doing? Then she swayed closer and the shock had me loosening my grip. I didn't understand why her goons weren't stopping her. Because there was no way she actually wanted... She dragged my mouth down even as she rose up on her toes. Before my brain could process, she pressed her lips against mine. Hard. Lust, visceral and hot, twisted through me like a punch to the gut. Fuck. She was already retreating when I caught her shoulders and did exactly what I’d wanted to do pretty much from the second I’d tackled her out on the street. Then, it would have been pretty damn out of place.

Now...well, maybe it was out of place, but for that split second when her lips had brushed mine, I felt it. That strange, seductive tug. And, hell, she started it. I waited for her to pull back, but she sighed against my mouth and leaned closer. What should have been a fast, impersonal kiss became something slower, softer...sweeter. I licked at her lips and she hummed deep in her throat, opened her mouth for me. My fingers tightened on her shoulders and I started to slide my hands down. But the loud clearing of somebody’s throat interrupted before things could go any further. We broke apart and I could feel my face heating up while she studied me. There was something in her eyes I hadn’t seen until that moment, and I wasn't sure how that made me feel. She took a step back and I wanted to grab her, pull her close, make everybody go away, make the whole world go away. And I knew she could do that for me, do the one thing that no one else had been able to do. She could make me forget. Forget where I was, who I was. Instead of acting on what I wanted, however, I put more distance between us. My booted foot kicked something and I looked down, realizing I’d dropped the

glass that had held the bourbon. I stooped down, grabbing it. When I straightened, I caught sight of her from the corner of my eye. Lust clenched my stomach at the look on her face. She was still watching me, wearing a small smile. The kind of smile a woman gets when maybe she wants a man to make the whole world go away. I could do it, too. But she’d hate me after, either because she'd found out who I was or because I'd left before she could. “So.” One of the suits cleared his throat again, cutting through the silence. I hunched my shoulders and cut around her to the counter. I needed something between us. The hotel suits were studiously looking elsewhere, while the other two – I decided to call them Tango and Cash – were glaring at me. Hard. That was fine. I planned on getting the hell out of here anyway. Once I left, maybe Tango would finally call that damn cab and get his ass to one of the hospitals a few blocks away, so they could set his arm. He was all pale, his forehead shiny and his mouth tight with pain. I hurt just looking at him. He was older than I'd realized too, and that just made me feel worse about what I'd done. He wasn't exactly old,

but he had at least half a dozen years on me. “Are you going to answer my questions?” I shifted my gaze to Carly, for just a moment, and tried to remember what she'd asked me. After a moment, it came to me. “No, I don’t know who you are, and no, I don’t have a job at the moment.” I paused and then gave a thin smile. “I’m between projects.” Between projects sounded so much better than unemployed. Especially when I was unemployed – again – for the third time in a year. I’d start job hunting first thing tomorrow and, sooner or later, I’d find something. But it would be suck work, for suck pay, despite the fact that I was qualified for all sorts of jobs. There were plenty of people out there willing to hire people with a record, but there were ex-cons and then there were excons. I was one of the latter. “Between projects,” she echoed. “So does that mean you have something else lined up?” I glared at her. “What is this, Twenty Questions?” “Is it bigger than a breadbox?” She grinned, apparently not intimidated by my annoyance. Damn, that made her all the more desirable, even if her questions were annoying me. “I’m curious.” She shrugged. “I...well. It won’t do me any good to talk about it if you have a job lined up. Do

you?” “There’s always something floating around.” I kept my voice vague and glanced at the door, then the time. It was already nine. It was going to be eleven by the time I got home, even if I left now. And I wanted to get an early start tomorrow, so I needed to get out of here. “Look, I need to get going, so if you all don’t—” “So, you don’t have anything specific lined up.” Now she looked pleased, smiling that gut-wrenching smile again. “Good. I want to hire you. For a week. I pay really well.” “Carly!” That came from the one I'd deemed Cash. The one without the broken arm. Tango was more polite, but it was just as clear that he hadn't been in on Carly's offer. He moved forward, his movements easy despite the fact that I knew his arm had to be hurting like a motherfucker. I’d had my arm broken before, so I knew. “Sir...ah, I’m sorry, we never did get your name.” I tried not to snort a laugh at the sir. “Call me Bobby.” “Bob, if you—” “Bobby,” I corrected, hardening my voice. “My name isn't Bob.” That had been his name, and I never went by that.

“Bobby, then,” he said easily. “We need to speak with Carly for a moment, if you don't mind.” “No, Jake,” Carly said, and she said it with steel. I slid her a sidelong look as she moved in front of me, arms crossed, one high-heeled foot tapping impatiently. My eyebrows went up. Was she actually putting herself between me and her security guards? “I’m the boss, remember?” Cash stepped up next to Tango – Jake, I corrected myself. “Carly, you put us in charge of your safety.” When Jake spoke, I wasn't sure who was more surprised, Carly or me. “Ryan, Carly’s right. She is the boss.” Carly gave Jake a brilliant smile and then turned to me. “So. You don’t have anything concrete lined up for at least a week, right?” I’d fallen through the looking glass. The rabbit hole. Whatever. Rubbing my neck, I studied her for a few seconds, and then looked around, trying to figure out just how this conversation had gone from what I'd assumed was a thank you scotch, to her trying to hire me. And for what, anyway? “Look...”

“I take it that means I’m right.” She beamed, looking pleased. Dammit she was cute. And arrogant too. It was just a little more than confident, but not so annoying that it rubbed me the wrong way. In fact, it rubbed me very much the right way. I thought maybe about kissing her again. But then she started talking...about a job. “So, a week, okay? We can talk wages and–” Time to stop the crazy train. Shaking my head, I turned away. “No. Sorry, darlin’. You can’t pay me well enough to make it worth the kind of trouble working with you – whoever you are – would bring the both of us.” “Wanna bet?” Her voice, cocky and confident, should have gotten on my nerves. But, instead, it was making me hard. Yeah, she’s arrogant, alright. I turned back to her, my gaze sliding to the smug grin on her pretty mouth. Fuck. I had to look away or I was going to keep thinking about how that mouth had felt against mine. If she was smart, she’d stay far away from me. I could see the way all of the suits were watching me. Jake might've let her have her say, but it was clear he wasn't giving me free rein. She couldn’t tell what she was

dealing with, but they could. They saw it all over me. So they were watching. Like they thought maybe I’d make a move on her. Like I’d ever hurt a woman. Any woman. And definitely not that one. But I could if I wanted to. I knew how to hurt people, had once spent most of my time doing nothing but that. Then I’d been forced to do it to stay alive. I’d never hurt a woman. They wouldn’t believe that, though. They wouldn’t understand the kind of life I’d lived, the choices I’d made, the roads I’d walked. But they didn’t need to. I didn’t care about them. I was bothered, though, by the fact that she was being so careless, even as I was strangely drawn to the fact that she wasn’t afraid of me. I couldn’t remember the last time somebody had talked with me about anything without giving me the side-eye, wondering if they were going to come out of the discussion intact. Even Frank and shy, nervous Candy had been jittery at first. If people didn’t act nervous, then they were hostile or aggressive, like a dog marking its territory. Carly had asked me if I knew who she was, but now I was thinking I should have asked her a similar question: do you know what I am?

“You haven’t asked how much I can pay you,” she said, taking another step toward me. “Because it doesn’t matter.” I jerked a shoulder up as I shoved my hands into my pockets. Why wouldn't she just let this go? The scotch had more than made up for her hitting me with her purse. Not to mention that kiss. I didn't need anything else from her. “You sure?” As a smug little smile curved her mouth, I took a step back, and allowed myself a long leisurely look at her, letting my gaze linger over the curve of her hip and the length of her legs. She was stacked. The lush curves of her body could take the weight of mine, and I knew that sinking into her would be like sinking into heaven. “Just what do you plan to offer me, princess?” I asked and my voice was rougher than it should have been. “Fifty bucks a day? A hundred?” The room was quiet. I lifted my gaze back to her, expecting to see her blush or ordering one of her suits to muscle me out of there. I hadn’t been subtle about my perusal of her body and I’d done it on purpose, deliberately making sure everyone in the room knew exactly what I was doing. To my surprise, she was giving me a bored look.

Like she’d been on the receiving end of such a stare more times than she could recall and she didn't even care. That idea pissed me off – and it left me feeling ashamed. I didn’t like it. Once our eyes met, Carly crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward the slightest bit. She smirked. “You’re a little off.” “Yeah?” I cocked up a brow. “I’m pretty sure you don’t need a mechanic. If your limo isn’t running right, a girl like you just gets a new one, right? So what exactly did you have in mind? Car engines are about all I’m good at.” “Relax. My limo is just fine.” She looked amused. “No, I’ve actually got something else in mind. See, I’m in town for the rest of the week and this weekend. Jake is going to be...limited, we’ll say. I’m sure you can imagine why.” She slid her gaze to the man who was cradling his arm. I blew out a breath as guilt started to twitch. Although, okay, really, that wasn’t my fault. He was the ass who’d grabbed me. I’d told him not to move. He’d moved. He couldn't say I hadn't warned him. “Hey, don’t look so grim,” he said, sliding a hand into his pocket and pulling out a bottle. “I was going to be down for the count some of this week anyway. Now I’m just going to be down and in a cast. I’ve got to get

some tests and shit done.” He tossed the bottle he held over to the other suit – Ryan, I remembered – and I watched as Ryan opened the bottle, shook out some medicine, and brought it to Jake. They spoke in low tones and the look on Carly’s face was somber, something sad in her eyes. It was a private moment and I shifted, uncomfortable being in the middle of something that was clearly personal. The hotel guys were looking away too, I noticed. Then Carly shook her head a little, as if focusing. When she looked back at me, her brazen smile was back in place. “We had coverage lined up,” she said. “Except the guy who was here, his wife went into early labor this morning. The other guy? Just took his first vacation in two years. He can get here, but...” Her voice trailed off and her gaze shifted to Jake. “Ridley needs the vacation.” Jake gave me a cool look, clearly assessing my every reaction. “Yeah, I bet.” Running my tongue across my teeth, I looked between the three of them and asked, “Just what exactly do you want me to do?” She cocked her head as she explained, “I basically need you to do just what you did earlier. Help with

annoying reporters, keep me from doing stupid things like running out in front of cars.” “Sounds like you need a babysitter.” A strange, choking noise came from the couch. Carly narrowed her eyes on me as I glanced over to see if it had been Ryan or Jake laughing at us, but I couldn’t tell. They both wore that blank face that professional security knew how to do well. So I looked back at her. “Well, I pay my babysitters five thousand for the week. Or, at least, that’s what I’m willing to pay you.” I blinked, waiting for someone else to say how ludicrous the offer was. Except no one did. Carly stood there, smiling. The hotel suits looked bored. Jake and Ryan didn't even blink. “Okay. I’m waiting for the punchline.” “There is no punchline, Mr...?” “Cantrell,” I said. I had to clear my throat, because my voice sounded like a faint ghost of itself. “Okay, Mr. Cantrell. Bobby Cantrell.” She took a step toward me. “I need another bodyguard for when I’m out and about. Jake will still be with us most of the time. But he’s got a few things to do while we’re here, and since

my back-up is going to be preoccupied with his daughter, I need an extra set of hands. Two good hands.” She flashed those dimples at me. “And since Jake has only one now, I figure you owe me yours.” “You still got the other guy.” I jabbed a finger at Ryan, and then gestured to the other suits. “And all of them. Take one of them.” Carly glanced at the hotel suits. “I can’t. They're with the hotel. I need my own personal security when I leave here. That’s why I want to hire you.” This whole situation was making me antsy now. Skimming a hand back over my hair, I looked from her to the security detail, to Ryan and Jake, and then back at her. “Okay, I’m not getting it. Just why the hell do you need bodyguards? Three of them? Or two and a half. Whatever. Are you Princess Diana’s long-lost daughter or something?” Carly rolled her eyes, the gesture making me want to laugh. “I wish. Maybe then this circus might be a little more fun.” She shook her head. “This is...bizarre. You’ve seriously never heard of me.” “No.” I shook my head, drawing the word out. “Why don’t you enlighten me?” She blew out a breath and then sighed. “My name is Carly Prince.”

I lifted a brow, waiting for the rest. “My father was Phoenix Prince.” Those lovely blue eyes fixed on me and she smiled just a little. But it wasn't a nice smile. It was more like resignation. Like she was sure things would change as soon as things clicked. And then – click – they did and I felt like somebody had just hit me across the head with a sledgehammer. Phoenix Prince. “Son of a bitch.”

Chapter 3 The one thing I’d never imagined was that one day I’d find myself standing face-to-face with the daughter of the man who’d written “Crying Angel.” The song my mother had sang to me almost every night up until I was too old for her to sing to. Then, as she'd lay dying, I sang it to her. “Crying Angel” might not have seemed like a kid’s lullaby, but my mother had been a die-hard Phoenix Prince fan, and the song had been playing when I was born. It had also been playing the first night she brought me home, and according to her, it was the only song that had been able to get me to sleep. Even now, the sound of it soothed me. Bittersweet memories always came with it, but it was my go-to when I needed out of my head. “Son of a bitch,” I whispered again. “Well, some people say he was.” She laughed a little. “I honestly wouldn’t know.” My face went red. “That’s not…I wasn’t…” “I’m messing with you.” She waved a hand dismissively as she took a seat at the table, leaning forward in a position that put her ample breasts on

display. Dammit. I kept my gaze on her face. She was Phoenix Prince’s daughter. “I know that wasn’t what you meant.” A sad smile curled her lips. “I take it you’re a fan.” Feeling like an idiot now, I glanced around. Finally, I moved over to the seat across from hers. “Yeah,” I said. “My mom...” I shrugged, trying to keep my own emotions in check as I spoke, “She loved him. Got me into his music...well, all music, but especially him.” “Loved...” Carly studied me. Her voice softened. “She’s gone, isn’t she?” “Yeah.” I jerked a shoulder. “Cancer when I was in high school.” “I’m sorry.” The words weren't rote. They were sincere. Nodding, I focused on anything and everything but her. I couldn't take seeing pity on her face. I swung my knee back and forth, too much energy coursing inside me. I wanted to get up and pace. “Well, I guess I get why you need bodyguards.” She smiled and I saw it then. She had his smile. And his eyes, I realized. Those

deep, vivid blue eyes were her father ’s eyes. I didn't know why I hadn't seen it before. My brain kicked in then, and I began to remember things I'd heard about her. There had been attacks on her life. Multiple attacks. Somebody had tried to kidnap her. Not once, but twice. There had even been something with a teacher. It'd been this elaborate scheme. The teacher had gone through the whole deal, applying for a position at the girl’s school, biding her time. When she’d ended up in Carly’s class, she’d asked Carly to wait for a few minutes after class one day, and she’d attacked the girl. It had been a passing teacher who’d saved Carly's life. I hadn't been following news about her, exactly, but because of my mom, I tended to absorb whatever I heard about Phoenix Prince. Including... “Your mom. She still batshit crazy?” Even as I said it, I wanted to kick myself. My stomach churned, and I felt like I was going to be sick. Fuck. Why had I said that? The hotel suits looked appalled, but Ryan started to laugh and Jake looked mildly amused. Carly reached across the table and caught my hands with hers. “Oh, honey, I think you and I are going to get along wonderfully.” She squeezed my fingers and then

pushed back from the table. “You’re taking the job. Say you’re taking the job.” She stood and walked past me. I forced myself to think and not stare at her legs. The apology tripped out of me. “I...look, my head – I mean, my brain and my mouth, they aren't always connected right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” “Oh, please.” Carly rolled her eyes and shot me a rueful look. “Trust me. I’ve said much worse. Or at least, I’ve thought worse.” That stopped me. “What?” Her eyes widened. “You think I don’t know what my own mother is like?” For once, my brain worked and I said nothing. Carly winked at me and then turned away. “Julio, if you could take your crew out, I want to talk with my new employee.” Her new employee? When had that happened? I didn't remember agreeing to this. “Hey...hold up a minute.” Nobody paid me any attention. Julio started ushering his men out while Carly turned to Ryan. “We need to get Jake to the hospital. Can you take him while I go over things with Bobby?”

Ryan gave me an uneasy look, and my estimation of him rose. “Carly, I’m not so sure...” “Now everybody just wait a damn minute!” I raised my voice so they'd listen. To my surprise, everybody stopped and looked at me. “I’m not taking the damn job.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the whole stupid lot of them. “Don’t be silly.” Carly waved a hand at me, like I was some kid who'd said there was a monster hiding in the closet. “Silly?” Lowering my voice, I took a step toward her. “You think I’m being silly? Sugar, you don’t know who in the hell it is you’re trying to hire to guard your cute ass. You might as well be hiring the fox to lie down with the chickens.” My accent thickened as emotion took hold. Her forehead wrinkled. She looked confused. And adorable. I wanted to shake her. And kiss her. “What are you talking about?” she asked. I curled my lip at her. “You want a bodyguard, maybe you should get somebody a little more trustworthy, sugar.”

I turned and stormed towards the door. “And just what’s wrong with you, Bobby Cantrell?” she called out after me. I kept on walking. At the elevator, I stopped and looked for the down button. Then I scowled. All I saw was a slot for what looked like a keycard. Damn rich people. Frowning, I looked over at Julio who was watching me with a slightly amused expression on his face. “You mind?” Carly cut between us. “I mind.” I leaned down so my face was only a few inches from hers. “Sweetheart, there’s a word for keeping people against their will.” “Yeah? What are you going to do? Call the police and tell them that I’m trying to offer you a job and you don’t want it?” She rolled her eyes. “Cry me a river...sweetheart.” She drawled the last word. I opened my mouth, only to shut it with a snap a second later. Straightening, I jammed my hands in my pockets as I deliberated about just how to handle her. It came to me then. There was a beautifully simple way to end this, and all it required was the truth.

Skimming the room with a quick look, I finally settled my gaze on her. “You should probably know, I’m not exactly between projects. I fudged the truth a bit on that. I just got let go from my last job and haven’t even started looking for my next one.” “Okay.” She smiled wider. “Sounds like this will be perfect then.” I gritted my teeth. This woman was impossible. “No. See, it wasn’t the boss. He liked me, appreciated my work, appreciated my willingness to work hard. But some of his clientele didn't like my background.” I watched her closely. From the corner of my eye, I could see her two suits as well. I saw a flicker flash across Jake’s face, saw how Ryan’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Didn’t surprise me. I had a feeling at least one of them had already put it together. “But in the end, he had to make a choice. It was his business, or me.” “Why?” Carly stared at me, clearly baffled. “Because I’m a convicted murderer.” I smiled at her, slowly. I took no pleasure from the way her face went pale, nor did it please me to see how dark her eyes suddenly seemed, but I continued on. She needed to hear this. With what was supposed to be an uncaring shrug, I said, “I’ve been out about a year. I did nine years of a

fifteen-year sentence. And, yes, before you can ask, I am guilty. I killed a man. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.” Carly continued to look at me, her eyes all wide and dark...and scared. That bothered me. I couldn’t hide it from myself. Knowing that I’d scared her hurt me. But I didn’t let it show. I just stared right back and gave her a cocky grin while I was at it. It didn't mean anything, but I wanted the others to think it did. I needed them to make sure Carly was protected from herself. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan and Jake exchange glances. After a few more seconds, Jake leaned closer, nodding his head toward the hotel suits, and then Ryan nodded. Jake started toward me and I braced myself for some manhandling. I wouldn't even resist, I told myself. No matter what they did. But Jake cut around me as if I wasn’t even there. “Julio, perhaps one of your men could drive me to the nearest hospital? Ryan needs to stay with Carly.” There was a low conversation that passed between them. I could have listened in, but I was too busy watching Carly. I'd wanted her scared enough to get her to understand why I couldn't be here, be near her. And I

hated that I'd succeeded. She was still staring at me. She licked her lips and it hit me. I wasn’t going to be able to follow through on that kiss. That sucked, but I knew it was for the best. As the elevator door swung open behind us, I turned, intending to join Jake and Julio and Company. Ryan blocked me. “What’s the hurry?” He gave me an easy smile. “I think I’ve worn out my welcome,” I said, not bothering to hold back the edge of temper cutting into my voice. I could feel my head starting to throb. I just wanted to get home and lose myself in sleep. “Oh, don’t worry. Jake or I will let you know when that happens.” He clapped me on the shoulder, not too subtly nudging me back from the door. “Carly, I don’t know about you, but I'm starving.” Carly’s silence seemed to be all the answer he needed. As Ryan pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket, he shot me a look. “You like burgers?” I stared at him. What was he talking about? Ryan’s smile was friendly. “It’s not a hard question, man. Beef, cow, you know?” “Suck my dick,” I suggested. I wasn't in the mood to be jerked around.

“I’ll take that as a maybe. Preferred it dressed or plain?” Since the man was clearly not going to be dissuaded, I just sighed. “Dressed.” As he busied himself on the phone, I moved back to the window. The glow of the lights was one I didn’t think I’d ever tire of. It was a great view. “Who was it?” Carly’s question caught me off guard. I closed my eyes. “Does it matter?” “Somebody died. How can that not matter?” Such a simple statement. So very true. “He was an asshole. An abusive asshole. He beat on his girlfriend. He beat on his mother. He beat on the whores he hired. He beat on the people who were late paying him money. He beat on anybody who crossed him. He tried to beat on me once, and I kicked his ass.” “Is...” Carly hesitated and then continued, “Is that why you killed him? Because he hurt you?” “Nah,” I said, shaking my head. I glanced down at her. “Derrell, he wasn’t worth that. He wasn’t worth much of anything, really. Just a punk. A trouble-maker. He was a dealer. I was a...” I paused, taking my time with how I finished that statement. “I was a problem solver. I

was always good with my hands. Strong. Fast. We worked for the same guy. I didn’t mess with the drugs, but if there was a problem, somebody who owed money, or somebody causing trouble, I was the one who got called. But the man in charge, one day, he told me to go after this woman. She was young. Owed him money. She had a daughter. A little girl. He said...” I closed my eyes and leaned in until I could press my forehead to the window. I felt Carly watching me. I didn't want to tell her, but she'd asked, and if this was how I could get her to understand why I needed to go, then I'd say it. “He told me to grab the girl. Use her if I had to. I wouldn’t do it. I grabbed the little girl from her bus stop, took her to her grandmother ’s, then called the mom. Gave them money. Told them to leave town, all three of them. They did. He found out. Said he’d send his boys after them, but she had a cousin in Texas who was a Ranger. She went right to him, and my boss, he knew better than to go down that road. I said I’d take her debt, but that wasn’t good enough. He tried to send Derrell after me. Derrell, he said he’d do the job right. Do it the way I should have done it.” My heart was racing and I could taste the acrid tang of fear in the back of my throat. My time inside might've hardened me, but this memory still gave me nightmares.

I took in a deep breath. Let it out slowly. “I had a little girl. Or I was going to. My girlfriend, she was pregnant. I got there just as Derrell was tying her up. And I killed him. Then I called an undercover cop I knew. He'd been looking for dirt on my boss for a while, tried to turn me, but I'd told him no. This time, I told him I’d give him dirt, but he had to take care of my girlfriend, the baby.” I looked back at Carly. Dammit. She was crying. Big, silent tears dripping down her cheeks and I flushed. “Don’t go crying about me.” The words came out harsh and ugly. “But–” “Don’t!” I snapped. “I almost got my daughter killed. I don’t even know where she is now. All because I had to take the easy way out. I don’t deserve any fucking tears.” “If you took the easy way, you would have just grabbed that little girl to begin with!” Carly threw the words at me like a challenge. Her eyes were glittering, but it wasn't all sadness now. She was angry. Ryan cut between us before I could say anything else. “Hey. Truce.” He lifted his hands and when his eyes moved from Carly’s to mine, there was an appraising sort of look there that made me want to squirm. “Sounds like you’ve been down a rough road there, Bobby.”

I sneered at him. “Yeah? Well, it’s my road. I can walk it just fine.” “No denying that.” Ryan angled his head. “Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to sit down and take a break every now and then. Come on. Sit. Have a burger. A drink. We can talk.”

***

I was so tired, and the thought of going back out into that fucking cold in just a worn out coat and my flannel, walking the miles still left between me and home made me want to shudder. The tread on my shoes was paper thin, and my feet were already hurting from the walk into town earlier, but I was pretty much broke, so walking was my only option. I wasn’t going to waste the extra money Frank had given me out of pity. It would cover rent and food – not bus fare. I told myself that was why I caved. When the food came, I ate. And when Ryan talked, I listened. Every minute he spent talking was another minute I wasn't out in the cold. It was inevitable, and it just kept getting me home later and later, but I'd decided to enjoy what I had while I had it.

Carly’s paternal grandmother had been born in Louisville, so she'd spent time here as a kid. A few months ago, Carly had decided to fund a school where underprivileged kids – like her dad had been – could go to learn a musical skill. The school was opening in five days, and she was here for all of the opening events, including a gala, some interviews, a ribbon cutting ceremony...so much shit, it made my head spin. They didn’t expect any trouble, and actually had two more men flying in tomorrow, but Carly never went anywhere without at least two body guards, which meant she needed four so they could rotate off. And I’d cost her one of those four. Jake would still be on hand. He'd shown up not long after we’d demolished the burgers. Apparently, Julio had connections at the closest hospital, and Jake had already gotten his forearm xrayed and set. Money talked. Jake assured Carly he was definitely okay to be doing some basic work, but they did need somebody with two functioning hands. And for some reason, Carly wanted it to be me. Even the small bit of time I'd known her, I knew I'd never be able to convince her otherwise. So I had to convince Jake and Ryan. She might listen to them. “Y’all realize I know nothing about being a

bodyguard,” I pointed out. I had another glass of that bourbon, Angel’s Envy, in my hand. It was like liquid gold and definitely worth having the discussion. Tipping my glass at Carly, I said, “Asking me to do this is like asking some lightweight boxer to join your team. Just because somebody is strong and knows how to take a hit and throw a punch doesn’t mean jack.” “There is a lot more to it than taking a hit and throwing a punch,” Jake agreed. “And you proved you’re aware of that. This job takes intelligence. An awareness of your surroundings. An awareness of the people around you. You figured out on your own that Carly needed protection, and although it didn’t concern you, you fought your way through to get to her and provide that protection. Takes guts, smarts and heart to do that.” He slid his gaze toward Ryan and the two of them shared a long look before he turned his eyes toward Carly. None of them spared me a glance. I got the feeling the three of them were having a silent conversation...about me. Carly all but glowed as Jake gave her a terse nod. She spun to face me. “So. Five thousand for a week’s work...how does that sound to you?” She stared at me with those bright blue eyes and a dazzling smile on her pretty face, as though

she knew without a doubt I wouldn’t say no. “I think,” I said slowly. “It sounds like you’re crazy.” I turned to go. I knew if I stayed any longer, I'd give in. I'd had too much shit in my life, and I could use something good.

Chapter 4 Even a no-good piece of white trash like me knows this simple truth of life: money talks. And in some cases, it screams. Especially desperate situations such as mine. I was exhausted. Ryan and I ended up having a ‘healthy discussion’ over how I’d get home last night. He’d insisted it was no problem to drive me. I’d asked him what kind of car he drove. When the word Lexus came up, I told him hell no and he’d decided he hadn’t liked my tone. I’d then proceeded to tell him to shove it up his ass. Not my fault the dumb-ass hadn’t gotten the fact that a Lexus on my side of the city was very much a problem, or at least it would be one for me. I didn’t need my parole officer hearing about the pricey ride I’d been cruising around in. My current PO was a decent guy, more or less, but I didn’t want him thinking I’d hooked up with the local drug dealers or pimps. Nor did I need some of those local assholes giving Ryan grief after he dropped me off, forcing me to do things my PO would definitely disapprove of. In the end, we’d compromised. Or I made him think we’d compromised. He suggested a cab, and said he’d cover the fare. I’d told him fine. Then I had the driver

drop me off a few miles from home and given him most of the cash Ryan had stuffed in my hand. I’d used the rest of it to catch the bus. I’d only gotten a few hours of sleep before the sound of a fist pounding on the door this morning woke me up. It was Ryan. Apparently, Carly’s suits weren’t just pretty faces. Carly hadn’t taken no for an answer, and really, I hadn’t tried that hard, not after the promise of five thousand dollars had been made. But I also hadn’t told any of them where I lived. Apparently, someone had dug it up on their own. While I was still trying to wake up, Ryan proceeded to tell me they needed to get me some clothes, since I’d be escorting Carly to several business and formal events. I was blaming my lack of coffee for not protesting more as Ryan waited for me to get dressed and join him in the car. We’d joined Carly and Jake before heading out to go shopping. I expected many things, but I hadn’t expected this trip to this ritzy area of Louisville. It was like some mythical Avalon. Bums like me, we heard about this part of town, but we never got to really see it. Lush green lawns that looked nice even in the dead of winter, windows that sparkled in the thin, wintry light. The sounds of the

traffic were muted and even the air smelled better. This was where the money lived. I didn’t like it. “Look, this is no big deal, Bobby,” Carly said, leaning against me as we came to a stop by a glass-paned window. The wooden panes were painted white and the glass sparkled under the bright early morning sun. That was easy for her to say. She looked like she belonged here. When I slunk in behind Jake, Ryan and Carly, shoulders hunched and head tucked low, I expected to be tossed out on my ass. I wasn’t entirely off base. A man in a suit that probably cost more than I made in a month – no, a couple of months – came hustling toward me even as another man glided up to Carly and her two men, smiling benignly as if some piece of human dirt wasn’t all but clinging to their heels. “Sir, you’ll have to–” That was all he got out before Carly reached back and caught my arm, pulling me up beside her. “Hi!” she said, beaming in that way she had. I’d never seen a woman smile as much as she did. But then again, maybe she had a reason to smile. Me, I could barely find a reason to scratch my ass.

As she tugged me closer, the man who’d been coming to rid his fine establishment of my presence froze. I could see the look he shot his cohort, confusion that quickly faded, replaced by an expression that was blank and smooth as glass. He wouldn’t react now until he knew what his rich customers were thinking. Carly’s smile was almost impossible to resist, and Mr. Slick in his suit wasn’t immune. His lips curved and he held out a hand. “Would you be Ms. Prince?” he asked, his voice warming. “I am. Jake spoke with somebody a little while ago. Did he explain the circumstances?” I hadn’t heard the call, but I had a pretty good feeling that I was the circumstance. I clenched my jaw and felt my face heat up. I didn’t want to deal with this. “He did.” The man shifted his gaze to me and took a step forward, drawing a pair of glasses from the pocket of his shirt as he did so. As he came closer than I liked, I backed up. “Watch it, pal.” He smiled. It wasn’t the same sort of smile the others got, but it wasn’t totally fake. “I’m sorry. I just need to get a good look at you. An idea of your sense of...style, if you would.” “My sense of style?” I bared my teeth at him as I

laughed. “It’s simple. If it’s clean and covers me, I’ll take it.” To my surprise, the man laughed. “Well, that will do very well for you...for the life you have now, but if you will be assisting a woman like Ms. Prince, perhaps you could understand that you’ll need a bit more...versatility.” Carly caught my arm by hooking hers through my elbow. You could’ve put me in a room with a hundred people, and if any of those hundred people touched me – by chance or on purpose – I’d have been on red alert. You do time, you get weird about people invading your personal space. But Carly...well, I was figuring out fast that having her close to me wasn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, I kind of liked it. More than I should have, I knew, because I wanted more of her in my personal space, and I wanted it to be in a very personal manner, so to speak. Although the man now approaching me with a tape measure had a smile on his face, I could see the few other customers in the shop giving me sideways looks. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if one of them asked when the trash would be taken out. Fortunately, I was at least spared that. Determined to stick it out, I found myself in front of a three way mirror, arms out while the dude – his name was Harrison – buzzed around me, needles in his mouth

like an extra row of crazy little teeth. He somehow managed to talk with them in there, too. I could just see myself trying to do that. I’d choke on them. Get them stuck in my throat and bleed to death on the carpet, right there in the middle of a couple of rich old bastards. “You’ve got a great form, Mr. Cantrell.” “Bobby,” I corrected, trying to pretend my arms hadn’t turned into lead weights, oh, five minutes ago. I was in good shape, but no one was made to hold this position for long. “Of course, Mr. Cantrell.” He straightened and then took a step back. “Lower your arms.” He gave me a once-over and then nodded. “Yes. That will do for the time being.” He checked his watch, and then turned to Carly. “I can have this one done in two hours. I have a few other pieces I can have complete within twenty-four hours, if you need the rush.” “We need the rush,” Carly said, her voice absent, a frown on her face. She was staring at her phone and tapping away furiously. “Absolutely, Ms. Prince.” Jake moved forward and gestured to the counter. “Why don’t we get all that sorted out?” I closed a hand into a fist as I looked down at the pinned and tucked up clothes I wore. The material was

softer and finer than anything I’d ever known. I didn’t even want to think about how much it cost. So much for swinging by a Target or something. Or stashing all of that five thousand while I looked for another job. “I can’t afford this.” Carly waved a hand. “It comes with the position. I pick up all my employees’ on the job expenses.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she turned away, shoving her phone toward Ryan. Her tone was agitated, and the sound made my stomach clench. I didn’t like whoever was making her feel like that. “Look at this shit!” she said to Ryan. “She’s at it again. I’m calling my damn lawyer. I can’t keep doing this. The lawyer can handle it this time.” Ryan took the phone and skimmed it. He held it out towards her, but Carly didn’t even notice. She was striding across the floor, long strides that did crazy things with her stretchy mini skirt, over the knee boots and those long, long legs. “Why do I have to put up with the crazy, Ry? What did I do to deserve this?” “You know what my advice is going to be, Carly.” She stopped and raked her fingers through her tousled hair. I wondered what it would feel like to bury my hands in her hair, to see it messed up after a night together. My hands curled into fists. Dammit. This was going to be torture.

“I can’t...” She stared up at the ceiling, and then her head rolled toward me and she caught sight of me. As if she’d forgotten I was there, she gave an odd little start, a half-jump, half-shiver. Then she smiled. “Sorry. Family freak-out. Ignore me.” Like that would ever happen. But I shrugged. “No problem.” Then because I couldn’t not ask, I said, “Is everything okay?” “Oh, yeah.” She shrugged. “Just typical family crap. You know how it goes.” Right. “Yeah. Sure.” I turned at the sound of footsteps. I didn’t think her idea and my idea of family crap were even close to the same. With my dad, back when he’d still been breathing, an average day had gone something along the lines of this: food wasn’t done, or maybe it was done and it was cold, he’d dump his shit, wash up, and then slap my mother. If his mood had been really foul, she’d gotten a belt across the back or a fist in the face. If I’d been too loud or not fast enough, or if he’d been just feeling mean, I’d gotten a kick in the ass or fist in the face. That had been my family until my mother and I left Tennessee. Then, it had been just the two of us…until she died and I’d had no family. It’d just been me. Then,

before I’d gone to jail, that had been changing. I’d been looking forward to it, even. But I didn’t have that anymore either. “Hey.” The sound of Carly’s voice drew me out of the ugliness of the past, and the even uglier mess of my own mistakes. I looked up to see her studying me. “Where did you go?” she asked, her voice soft. “Nowhere that matters.” I shrugged it off, or pretended to. There were people who acted like guys didn’t get emotional or some shit like that, but that was all bullshit. Some of us just didn’t show it. In my opinion, what was the point of getting worked up over something I couldn’t change or fix. Except I still thought about it, the past. Sometimes I thought about it so much it drove me crazy, made me want to take drastic measures just to make it stop. “If it doesn’t matter, then why did you slip off there?” I jerked my head up and met Carly’s soft blue eyes. For a princess, she sure as hell saw pretty deep into people. I didn’t like it. And because I didn’t like it, I leaned in close and murmured, “I’m in the middle of a good hard brood, princess. But if you insist on distracting me, why don’t we slip off to one of those dressing rooms they

got back there, huh?” I didn’t back away, crowding into her space. I waited for her to blush, pull back, or maybe even call for Ryan or Jake. Or both of them. They both had a rough idea of how I moved now, and if they planned it out, they might be able to take me down. Especially since I was in a mood to hurt. Not to hurt somebody, but get hurt myself. But all she did was reach up and lay her hand on my cheek. I sucked in a breath at the way her soft skin felt. “If and when I decide to get naked with you, it won’t be because you want to use me as a distraction, or to forget what’s cluttering up your head, Bobby Cantrell.” She leaned in and kissed me. I was stunned enough by what she said that I didn’t think to deepen the kiss or even grab her and hold on. And then it was over and she was backing away. By the time my brain caught up, she was already five feet away. And I realized what I thought I’d heard her say “What?” I had to have misunderstood her. She smiled at me, that sly, feline, female sort of smile a woman gave a man when she knew she said something that will drive him out of his mind. “You heard me well enough, sugar,” she said, mimicking my accent almost perfectly. Then her face brightened and she pointed over my shoulder. “Look, I think Jake found

you some clothes to wear for now.” I almost snapped that I didn’t want any clothes. It would’ve been the truth. I didn’t want any clothes, and I sure as hell didn’t want any clothes from this place. I hadn’t seen so much as a price tag, but I had a weird suspicion that even a week’s worth of clothing would cost more than I made in a couple of months. The man with Jake gestured toward me. I couldn’t help but notice it was the same guy who’d been ready to hustle me out the door earlier. I gave him a mockery of a smile. He swallowed and smiled gamely back. “Sir, if you would...” ***

Four hours later, I’d more than doubled my wardrobe. I just about choked when I heard the discreetly murmur of the total. Ryan passed over a gold card without blinking, while Jake and Carly started talking to me, clearly an attempt to distract me from a sum that had not three digits, but four. She’d just spent a few thousand dollars on clothes, and that wasn’t even counting the suits she’d had those guys putting a rush on either. These were just some jeans, sweaters, a few sports coats that fit like they’d been made for me, and some other clothes that ranged

from casual to...well, they looked pretty damn dressy to me, but with the suits I now had, I didn’t know what to call the other stuff. Before we left, Carly had me take a pair of black trousers and one of the shirts into the dressing room to change so I could wear them out. When I got back there, I looked at the clothes. For fuck’s sake. She’d given me underwear. She hadn’t even blinked when she’d given me a fucking pair of boxers. I didn’t wear boxers. But I wasn’t about to argue that point with her. I’d deal with the underwear problem on my own later. A few minutes later, though, I decided maybe I’d give the shorts she’d pushed on me a chance. They weren’t the loose-fit boxers I’d thought they were at first, but rather those boxer-briefs, and they were pretty nice. Soft, too. It was pretty pathetic, but I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d gotten new underwear. The clothes were better. Okay, the pants fit well, snugger in the ass than I preferred, but the shirt was amazing. I guessed it was more of a sweater, but it was soft. Like softer than anything I’d ever felt before, except maybe Carly... I suddenly realized I was standing there, stroking the arm of the sweater, and I felt like a damn idiot. Muttering to myself, I scooped up my old clothes and was now embarrassingly aware of how they looked. Jeans so

worn they were white at the seams and faded old thermal that wasn’t all that warm anymore. I didn’t even want to look at my underwear. I opened the door, and then stopped in my tracks, staring at the image of the man in front of me. I recognized the face, the hair. I knew the man – he was me, after all. But whoever in the hell said clothes didn’t make that big a difference didn’t know what they were talking about.

Chapter 5 A haircut turned the man in the mirror into even more of a stranger, and an intense session on table etiquette with Jake had me ready to shove my head through a plate glass window. But that headache paled in comparison to what came next. It was a dinner party at the home of a local mystery author. Apparently, Louisville had more than its share of local celebrities and this author was known for her slew of mysteries. I’d read more than a few while I was in prison, not that I planned on mentioning that if I happened to meet her. The car came to a stop in front of the building that I wasn’t sure I would call a house, and Ryan paused before he opened the door. “Remember, you’re mostly just watching and taking things in tonight. There’s security on site. Just stick with Jake and do what he tells you to do.” I nodded and tried to pretend I didn’t feel like I was going to puke on the toes of the shiny new shoes Carly just bought. And she’d paid some ridiculous amount for them, I was sure. “Quit fussing, Ry,” Carly said from across the limo.

“Bobby will do just fine.” Ryan rolled his eyes. And then he opened the door. The flash of lights practically blinded me. Now it made sense why anytime I’d seen a picture of a bodyguard, they almost always wore a pair of sunglasses. I fumbled in my pocket for the pair Jake had loaned me. They slid down my nose almost instantly – he had a face like a big, square brick – but they were better than nothing. As I slid them into place, Ryan settled his body in front of the door. I climbed out and he stepped aside. The whine of cameras and the roar of voices flooded my ears. I didn’t know how much time passed before that annoying bit of posing for the cameras and ignoring microphones was over. A few people tried to shove a microphone into my face and I did just as Jake had said, covered it with my hand and pushed it away. After a few minutes of standing silently by Carly’s side, they seemed to get that I wasn’t the flavor of the night, but actually there in a working capacity and they turned their focus to her. Not that she gave them much more. She posed and smiled and waved at the cameras, but any time somebody tried to talk to her, she ignored them.

As we were led inside, I caught sight of basketball and football players from the University of Louisville, a coach, and other faces that looked familiar, although I couldn’t remember where I knew them from. By the time we got inside the big house, I was ready to tell Carly she was out of her mind. This job wasn’t worth five grand. But as soon as the door shut behind us, she turned and flung her arms around me. Damn. My dick stood up and took notice. “You did fantastic, Bobby. See? It’s easy for you. I knew it would be.” I rested a hand on her hip but didn’t push her away. Ryan and Jake hadn’t covered how to handle this. Clearing my throat, I waited until she backed off and managed a game smile. Okay. I could do this. For a week. Maybe. “Doesn’t take much to stand there like a monkey in a suit, Ms. Prince.” “Ms. Prince?” She wrinkled her nose at me. “It’s Miz Caralee, remember.” I found myself smiling at her. It was hard when she was teasing me like that. “You like making fun of the way I talk, don’t you...Miz Caralee?”

“Making fun?” She shrugged. “No. But I do enjoy listening to it.” She smiled up at Ryan. “Are we ready?” He withdrew an invitation from inside his jacket. “Let’s go find our hostess.” ***

It didn’t take me long to realize that while Carly Prince wasn’t the only celebrity there with bodyguards at her side, she was one of the few who actually interacted with them – er...us. Ryan and Jake took their job seriously, there was no denying that. She couldn’t take a step without one of them moving with her, and if anybody so much as moved in her direction, one of them was already working to intercept. It was effortless, the way they did it. It was subtle, elegant. People didn’t realize they were being subtly herded into an approach that the two guys had decided was the safest way to approach their self-appointed princess. They liked her. Hell, I liked her, and not just because I’d spent half of the night before dreaming about getting her naked. She was funny, and sweet, but with an acerbic sense of humor that was hidden under that angel’s face. But they didn’t just think she was charming. They cared about the woman they were paid to protect. I could

tell easily enough that wasn’t always the case. It was damn easy to see why too. Quite a few of these people treated everybody as their servant, even the ones who were clearly not working for them. Most of what I saw just solidified my opinion about the upper-class. Fuck. I needed a drink. Somebody was roaming the room with a tray of drinks, and Carly saw me eying the tray and she leaned over. “The bar ’s open. Go grab you a drink if you want.” She winked. “I’ll bet they’ve got that bourbon you liked.” “I’m fine.” I shouldn’t drink on the job, right? “Oh, come on.” She leaned against my arm, hugging it a little. “If you get one, then I won’t feel so bad if I ask you to get me one.” I couldn’t really explain the charm she possessed, not in words. But standing next to her, I fully understood what charisma was for the first time in my life. Which explained how I found myself wandering the brightly lit, wide-open hall, searching for one of the open bars Carly had mentioned. I found one tucked under the staircase and caught the eye of the guy behind the bar as he finished passing two tall tumblers off to a couple who looked as wide-eyed as I didn’t want to admit I felt. “Drink, sir?” he asked. Sir. I resisted the urge to look behind me. Barely.

“Ah, yeah. Do you have...?” I wracked my brain. “Angel’s Envy?” “Of course. Single or double?” I swallowed. “Double. Make it two.” I remembered how Carly how had taken hers. “No ice.” He nodded. A moment later, he slid two small, squat glasses to me. “Angel’s Envy. Neat.” As I headed back to Carly, I pondered the wisdom of asking for two. If I’d been smart, I would have gotten three. One to toss back before I headed back, and then another to have after I gave Carly hers. I told myself to keep it in mind for next time. And there I was thinking I’d make it to the next time. An hour ago, I’d been convinced I’d trip over my feet or drop spaghetti sauce down the front of my obscenely expensive sweater. So far, I hadn’t seen any spaghetti, and here I was, making plans on how to drink next time. Was this really my new life for the next few days? It wasn’t hard to catch sight of Carly in the crowd. I towered over most everybody, and Carly wasn’t one of those delicate little princesses, even without her heels. The heeled boots she wore tonight should’ve counted as dangerous weapons – in more ways than one – and they put her at just under six feet tall. How she could walk in those things amazed me, and how she could walk

gracefully amazed me even more. Of course, she’d paired them with a black velvet skirt that ended about three inches above her over-the-knee boots, and the vivid blue shirt she wore was cut low in the back, baring an expanse of soft, pale skin that made my hands itch. Apparently, quite a few other men liked the way she looked too, but she didn’t look at any of them. She was too busy talking to an older woman. The woman’s smile was a match for Carly’s and they looked like they’d discovered their own little world. A world that didn’t include the rest of us. I moved closer, feeling more than a little out of place. Then Carly saw me and she waved me closer. Shit. I couldn’t move. I’d just now figured out who Carly was talking to. It was the writer. The one who’d written the mysteries. The one who owned this museum of a house. I’d known I was out of my league, but seeing the two of them together made it hit me even harder. “Here he is,” Carly said, seizing the bourbon from my hand and tossing half of it back. But she didn’t stop there. She twined our fingers together, swinging our hands back and forth like I was some new friend she’d found on the playground at school. Except I’d never seen anyone on the playground

who looked like her. The smile on the older woman’s face widened. She looked like the kind of person who smiled often and laughed loud. Someone I’d probably like. When she held out a hand, I reluctantly tugged my hand free of Carly’s and accepted hers. She gave my hand a light squeeze and the rest of me a quick look-over. “I have to say, I’m glad to see you’re still standing.” “Ma’am?” “Well, after that hit in the head from Carly’s bag...” Frowning, I slid Carly a look. She pursed her lips and then shrugged. Tossing back the rest of her bourbon, she put it on one of the trays tucked against the wall and then dug her phone out from the tiny purse she’d elected to use tonight. I wished she’d hit me with that one after the fiasco on the street. The other one with its heavy metal buckles hadn’t done me any favors. “Here. I guess you might not have seen it.” “Just about everybody else has.” The author sounded amused. “Hush,” Carly said, nudging the other woman with her elbow as her fingers flew across the screen of her phone.

A moment later, her face and the back of my head, appeared on the screen. In miniature, I watched an instant replay of the moment where she’d swung her purse at me. Hit me. I couldn’t stop the wince. Then it happened over and over again. Below it was a caption. Crazy Carly is at it again! Smaller print continued on and I squinted my eyes to read it. Has Carly Prince finally gone off the deep end? A rough-looking knight in shining armor saves her from being hit by a car only for her to attack him. Read on for the full video! I flicked at the screen. But as it started to move, Carly took the phone away. “Hey!” “You saw enough.” She shoved it into her purse. Our hostess laughed. “Carly, he’ll just look it up later.” Then she looked at me and winked. “Are you going to be traumatized by the video of you grabbing her before she was made into a pancake, or will it be from the blogger speculating that you were homeless and Carly’s attack was justified?” Blood rushed up the back of my neck at how close she came with her last speculation, but I shrugged it off. “I don’t know about justified, but she didn’t exactly

know who I was or what I was doing. Being pissed off was a natural reaction.” Carly sniffed. “Mrs. G, don’t encourage him. He’s already incorrigible.” Mrs. G.? I guess it suited her better than The Grande Dame of the Modern Mystery. I remembered seeing that title on one of her books. She smiled at the both of us. “Then he should fit in just fine with you. Oh...oh, dear. Carly, excuse me, would you?” Carly gave a reply, but I didn’t hear what she said. Something else had caught my eye. Unconsciously, I’d moved to put my back to the wall when I’d rejoined them, and now I had full, nearly unrestricted view of the room before us. I didn’t know what to call it, exactly. It wasn’t a living room, at least not like one I’d seen before. This wasn’t where people flopped and watched TV at the end of a long day or shared a beer or three with friends. It was too classy, too elegant for that. It was also big enough to hold a good forty people, more as they mingled in and out of the hallway and the dining room. A dining room holding a table long enough to seat the entire population of the city. My gut tightened as I realized somebody out there was looking in our direction with a whole lot of rage.

As if they’d picked up on my tension, Ryan and Jake moved closer. They’d been holding people at bay from a distance of two feet, giving Carly and her friend the illusion of privacy, but now they closed that gap. Jake bent towards me while Ryan stood at his back, facing the crowd, searching for whatever was bugging me. “What is it? What do you see?” Jake asked. “I don’t see anything,” I said, shaking my head. Instinct had me echoing his low tone. I didn’t bother looking at him as I continued to skim the room, trying to keep it subtle and low-key, the way I’d seen them doing it, but I doubted I pulled it off half as well. “Tone it down,” Jake said softly, clapping me on the back and giving me an easy smile. “Look at me, smile. Do it now.” I did. The smile felt forced. “That’s it. Whatever it is...” The smile froze on my face as I caught sight of someone familiar moving toward us. If the sky had opened and lightning had cracked down on me out of the blue, it would’ve been less of a kick in the ass. The man striding my way was a blast from the past, and not a happy one. Not that I had many happy ones, but he was one of the worst.

He’d been younger – barely out of high school – the first time I’d seen him, but not the last time. The last time I’d seen him had been just over a year ago, when he’d shown up for my parole hearing, and thrown every bit of his considerable weight as an upcoming young detective with Louisville Metro Police Department behind keeping me incarcerated. The parole board had decided to give me a chance and he hadn’t been pleased. Every day since I’d gotten out, I’d expected to see him riding my ass and just looking for a chance to throw me back behind bars, but it hadn’t happened. Judging by the look on his face now, he was about to make up for that. As Detective Dale Mitchell came to a stop in front of me, I pulled my hands out of my pockets. Ex-cons don’t do well having their hands in their pockets when there’s a cop around, trust me. Hands where I can see them, and all that jazz. “Well, well, well,” Dale said, an ugly smile twisting his face. “I thought that face on the video clip flying across the web today looked damn familiar, but I told myself you had a doppelgänger or something.” He paused, and then added with a sneer, “Doppelgänger means double.” “I know what it means, Detective.” He rubbed a hand over the neat growth of his beard.

When I’d first seen him, across a courtroom as he stared at me with hatred, he’d been a skinny kid with a face full of pimples and tears in his eyes. The only thing that hadn’t changed in the passing years was the hate. I couldn’t exactly say I blamed him. I killed his older brother. His gaze skipped away from me to linger on Jake and then moved to Ryan and Carly. “Why don’t we step outside, Cantrell?” I gave him a terse nod. I wasn’t about to make a scene here. Jake moved in front of me. “Care to explain why?” He glanced at me and made an accurate guess. “Detective?” “It’s okay, Jake,” I said, even as something I couldn’t immediately identify rushed through me. Shit. It was gratitude. Jake knew what I’d done. I’d told him. And he knew the guy in front of me was a cop. But he didn’t care. He was taking my side. “No, Bobby.” Jake smiled easily, never once taking his eyes away from Dale. “You see, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re here doing the job you were hired to do. You haven’t caused any problems.” He paused, continuing to stare at Dale. “So, again...why do you need Bobby to step outside?”

In response, Mitchell pulled out his badge and flashed it. “Because an officer of the law is requesting it, and this man is a convicted felon.” He smiled smugly as he said it, as if waiting for a reaction to his announcement. But all Jake did was give him a steady look. “Yes. He’s a convict. An ex-con, I believe is the term he used when he told us about his past. As in, he served his time. But...” He nodded and gestured toward Ryan. “I do believe he’s allowed legal counsel, correct? My associate, Mr. Harmon, is an attorney. He is only licensed to practice in New York and California, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at least assisting in this matter.” I swung my head around to stare at Ryan. He gave me a faint smile. He was a lawyer? No wonder he and Jake had realized what I was. “I wouldn’t mind at all.” “You’re supposed to be taking care of Carly,” I said tightly. Under clothes that still felt as unfamiliar as somebody else’s skin, my shoulders were tight, and I was painfully aware that people were staring at us. I just wanted to get out of there, even if it was with Dale. “Is there a problem, Dale?” And now my humiliation was complete. Mrs. G had rejoined us. Now, she looked and sounded very much

like the Grande Dame of something, her tone regal, her head inclined imperiously, her gaze frosty. Dale jerked his head at me. “You aware you’ve got a convicted in attendance here?” Mrs. G’s gaze flitted toward me. There was surprise in her gaze, but she hid it quickly and she waved a hand. “I see no need to do a full background check on those my guests bring. Besides he’s one of Carly’s security people, which means he passed inspection with her people. That’s more than enough for me.” “He’s a killer.” There was a vein throbbing in Dale’s forehead now. Blood roared so loudly in my ears, it was amazing I could hear him. Or anybody else for that matter. But I did. People were starting to murmur, and I saw more than a few of them carefully edging away from me. But Carly stepped toward me. With bold, deliberate steps, she moved to my side and hooked her arm through mine. “I thought the whole point of the prison system was reform, Detective,” she said, her voice dripping sweet. “Or are you of a mind that once a man commits a crime, we just lock him up and throw away the key, let him rot there?” Carly’s simple, unequivocal defense of me was something new. A knot would have formed in my throat

if I’d let it. Dale took a step forward and I automatically nudged Carly behind me, putting myself between her and him. “Leave her out of this,” I said softly. “You’ve got a grudge against me, and you’ve a right to it, but don’t drag her into it.” His lip curled and there were words in his eyes, on his face. He didn’t speak them, but he didn’t need to. I could hear them well enough. I’d been telling myself a version of them from the first moment I realized I wanted to be near Carly. You dragged her into it just by being here with her. He left without saying another word.

Chapter 6 I argued with them the whole damn way to the hotel. Up the elevator to the F. Scott Fitzgerald suite, and for a good forty-five minutes after we got into the room. When Carly pushed a tumbler of bourbon into my hand, I just thumped it down on the closest table and ignored it. She rolled her eyes at me and threw herself down on the couch. That successfully distracted me for maybe thirty seconds, because that short skirt of hers wasn’t designed for her to be sitting like that. So much naked thigh was bared, it just about drove me crazy. She smiled, a hot, sexy gleam that made my dick stand up and beg for attention. Fuck. She knew exactly what she was doing. “You can find somebody better than me for this job. Hell, I don’t think you even need me. Broken arm or not, Jake seems to have everything under control and you said he’s got a replacement coming in soon.” I felt like an idiot staring at the bookshelf in front of me, but if I turned around, I’d go back to staring at her, and I didn’t think that was a good idea. “You already agreed,” she reminded me. She’d said that a good five times.

Or was it eight? Ten? I lost track at some point. “Yeah, well, I’ll just un-agree. You don’t need Dale Mitchell giving you grief.” Neither did I. He could make my life a nightmare, and unlike Carly, I would be stuck here when this gig was up. She was my first concern, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking of me at all. “Dale isn’t an issue.” I turned around just in time to see her leaning forward to unzip her boots. Before my eyes could laser in on her hands as she performed that task, I shifted my attention to Ryan and glared. “Are you really a fucking lawyer?” “Yep.” He flashed me a grin. “I don’t practice much, but I specialized in criminal justice for a few years before realizing it wasn’t for me. I went into police work and was happier with that, then I got into private security and voila’…here I am. Better pay.” He grinned at Carly. “Sometimes the clientele sucks...” “Hey!” She stuck her tongue out at him. He winked at her. She lobbed a boot at him, and then looked at me. “Ryan actually worked...well.” She sighed and pushed a loose curl back from her face. “When I was in high school, I was dating this guy...” Her voice trailed off.

Ryan moved to sit beside her, taking her hand. She leaned against him, and the gesture was so natural that it was clear she’d done it before. It was impossible not to see the bond between them, all three of them. “Anyway, I met Ryan when he was still a cop. He was working a case. Jake had already been my bodyguard for forever.” Jake snorted at that. “Forever?” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, it seems that way. I was like eight when Josie found you.” “Who’s Josie?” “She was my aunt.” A sad, wistful smile curved her lips. “My dad’s sister. The only normal person in my life. My mom, my step-sister...you know.” She shrugged. “Anyway, there were a few things that happened when I was a kid and Josie decided I needed a bodyguard. I was eight when she hired Jake. There’ve been others, but Jake’s stayed with me. He’s like my big brother. So’s Ryan.” I had no desire to be like her brother. She looked up at me just as the thought went through my mind and her lashes drooped low. She looked away, her fingers toying with the hem of her skirt. “Please don’t quit, Bobby,” she said softly. “He wins if you do.”

“Dale has a right to hate me.” My own voice was quiet as I said it and she looked back up. Swallowing the knot of guilt, fighting the wave of shame, I made myself say it. “That guy I killed? The reason I was in prison? That was Dale’s older brother.” ***

I told myself I should just quit. Walk away. I’d already spent too much time telling them I should, that they should find somebody else. But she’d asked me not to. Even after I told her the truth about Dale, and the reason behind the hate in his eyes, she’d asked me to stay. So I stayed. Earlier, Ryan told me that a bodyguard had to be on hand all the time. I should’ve been all but ready to jump at the chance to stay at the Seelbach instead of going back to my dump in the west end, but I felt wrong here. Out of place. Like I didn’t fit. That feeling just kept growing as I tossed and turned in my bed. After nearly two hours, I ended up going back out in the living room. The tumbler of bourbon had been emptied. I found

the bottle, poured myself another drink and went to the window, staring outside as I sipped the bourbon. I wasn’t there for more than two minutes when she came to join me. “Can’t sleep?” “I’m sleeping just fine,” I responded, not turning to look at her. “I sleepwalk.” “I love a smart-ass.” My skin pricked as she moved to stand next to me. She stood so close, I could feel the warmth of her, a teasing little promise. I didn’t respond. Instead, I took another sip of the bourbon. Damn, but that stuff was good. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to go back to drinking the cheap shit I’d always had before. She was ruining me already. “How much trouble is he going to try to cause you?” Carly asked into the quiet of the room. “Who?” I didn’t know why I bothered playing dumb. She was a hell of a lot smarter than anyone gave her credit for. Well, anyone but Jake and Ryan. They didn’t underestimate her. Her sigh was dramatically overdone, and from the corner of my eye, I could see the way she tipped her

head back to the sky, almost as if she was praying for patience. If she found any, maybe she could share it. I needed some myself. “Bobby…” I tossed back the rest of the bourbon, and then put the glass down on the small table next to the window. “Caralee,” I said, mimicking her aggravated tone. Then I turned, ready to go back to my room, even if I couldn’t get back to sleep. Except she caught my arm. I looked at her and immediately wished I hadn’t. I wouldn’t be able to unsee the sight of her wearing some skinny-strapped white thing that covered her just down past her hips. She wore a sheer robe that I guessed was supposed to provide some extra modesty, but all it did was make me want to peel it away. I felt like I’d just finished running five miles around the yard, my chest heaving, my heart pounding, my hands shaking. “Bobby.” “What?” “I...” She blinked. I reached up and touched her lower lip. It was so soft. I could remember just how soft too. And how sweet. She swayed closer, a soft little noise escaping her.

This time, when she whispered my name, I didn’t bother saying anything. I just kissed her. She opened her mouth under mine and I groaned. She was hot and sweet and more intoxicating than the bourbon I’d just finished. I felt drunk – on her – and I wanted more. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her flush against me. My hands slid down to her hips, around to her ass. Fuck, she had an amazing ass. Her breasts pushed against my chest, nipples almost as hard as my cock. She nipped at my tongue and I shuddered. Her nails scratched at the back of my neck. I could lose my mind for her. My mind, my heart, my everything. I didn’t remember how we ended up on the couch. I didn’t know if I moved first, or if she did, or if we both fumbled our way over. But suddenly, we were there, and I twisted and she wiggled and then I had that miserable excuse for a nightgown shoved up. Shit. She was gorgeous. I cupped her breasts in my hands, and she gasped. She was fucking perfect. Full and soft and so damn female. Her breasts were big. Big and full, they filled my hands, so damn soft. Except her nipples. They were tight

little points, stabbing into my hands. When I caught one in my mouth, she started to whimper. The sound went straight to my already hard cock and I moaned as I teased my tongue across her sensitive flesh. I couldn’t wait to hear what other sounds she’d make. Light blazed on. In a flash, I was in front of her, blocking her body and glaring into the brilliance that temporarily blinded me. “What the fuck.” I recognized Ryan’s voice. “Do you mind?” Carly snapped from behind me. “There’s a reason bedrooms exist, Carly,” he said sourly. I didn’t say anything. This was the first time I’d ever been caught with my pants almost down, and I was going to have a hell of a case of blue balls because of it too. I wasn’t sure who I was more pissed at. Ryan for interrupting me, or me for letting myself get caught up in the moment. ***

I huddled over a cup of coffee, desperate for the caffeine. The food smelled amazing, but it was weird just taking food, even if I was allowed. “Help yourself,” Ryan said, nodding at the spread. My stomach rumbled even as I lied. “Not hungry.” He lifted an eyebrow and I determinedly sipped at my coffee. I’d been hungrier than this before. It wouldn’t kill me, especially if I had caffeine to keep me going. “You’re a stubborn son of a bitch, aren’t you?” “I said I’m not hungry,” I said flatly. “Okay, look.” Ryan folded the paper he’d been reading and put it down. He was wearing a blue dress-shirt with tiny white stripes, and a red tie. The sleeves were folded back, but I suspected they’d be rolled down and buttoned up in no time. The man looked like a million dollars while I looked like a bum who needed a lot more than a cup of coffee. I caught a quick glance of my reflection in the glasses that Ryan wore to read. Okay, I looked like a bum with a good haircut. A bit shorter than I usually liked, but definitely respectable. Even if nothing else about me was. “You’re working for Carly now,” he began. “For the next four days,” I corrected.

“For the next four days.” He scowled. “Of course, it would’ve been nice if you could’ve avoided shoving your tongue down your employer ’s throat.” I was almost thirty years-old. I’d done eight years hard time. I’d committed crimes I’d just as soon not talk about. I could take a punch to the face, and throw an even better one. But at his blunt words, I felt my face go red. I crossed my arms. “Is there a point to this?” Instead of answering, Ryan stood up and went to the table over by the wall. He picked up a plate, and as I watched, he filled it with food. He returned and put the plate in front of me. My mouth started to water, and I had to swallow before I could speak without drooling. It had been a long time since I’d had a full meal. “The point is, you don’t need to go hungry because you’re too damn proud to eat food you aren’t paying for,” he said quietly. “It’s part of the job, Bobby. Just like the clothes.” I stared hard at the food. My skin felt tight, hot with shame. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take what I hadn’t earned. “I’ve gone hungry before, too.” Whipping my head up, I stared at him. A faint smile crooked his lips up and he shrugged. “I spent half my life on the street, Bobby. My mom, she

died when I was six. We lived in Los Angeles, an area called Compton.” Shit. I figured he was about five or six years older than me, and while I wasn’t a news junkie, I paid enough attention to know what Compton had been like when I was a kid. “I ended up in a foster home.” He paused, hesitated for a moment before he continued, “The first place wasn’t so bad, but then the woman got pregnant, and I went to another place. The guy there...” Ryan’s face tightened. “He was a sick son of a bitch. I ran away when I was eleven. Spent the next four years on the street, ended up in a gang. Then I lucked out. Ended up getting arrested.” He leaned his hips against the table and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at me. My respect for him was growing. When I’d heard he was a lawyer, I definitely hadn’t expected this in his background. “Six months in juvie, then another foster home. The guy was a cop. Lucked out again. And yeah, I lucked out when I got arrested. If I’d stayed where I was, I’d probably have ended up dead. Half the guys I knew back then are either dead or behind bars now. And even the ones who’re still alive don’t have the kind of life I do. Getting arrested was the best thing that ever happened to me.” He laughed and the sound was soft, almost

bemused, like he still couldn’t believe it. “The cop and his wife adopted me when I was sixteen. For the first time in years, I had a real home, a real family. They changed my life.” Now he nudged the plate closer and my stomach gave a painful clench. I hadn’t had much beyond the hamburger the night I was hired. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be hungry, Bobby. Or to have pride. If you have to, think about it this way. Carly’s paying you to do a job, and that job comes with room and board. You aren’t any use to any of us if you end up with pneumonia, stomping around in sub-zero temps in that pitiful excuse of a coat or dropping dead because you don’t eat enough to keep a goat alive. Now eat, you stubborn son of a bitch.” “Shows what you know,” I muttered. But I grabbed the plate. “What?” I shoved a mouthful of eggs into my mouth before I answered. “Goats will eat a whole damn lot.” He chuckled. “You’re a smart-ass country boy, Bobby.” “You’re a dumb-ass city boy.” He went back to reading while I emptied the plate. I’d no sooner finished the last bite when my cell

phone rang. I hated the stupid thing. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have one at all, but I needed a way for my parole officer to contact me, and the pay-as-you-go cellphone was the least annoying option. Especially since a landline in the dump where I lived wasn’t always reliable when it came to retaining messages. If I were being honest with myself, I would’ve admitted I’d been waiting for the call since the second I’d seen Dale Mitchell last night. The phone number that flashed up belonged to Detoine Sampson, my parole officer. Dread crowding my throat, I answered. “Hello.” “Hey, Bobby. It’s Detoine.” “Detoine.” “Listen, man. I know we just met a couple weeks ago, but I need you to come in.” He sounded nice and casual, but I was good at reading people, and he wasn’t happy. Perfect. I didn’t let my annoyance seep into my voice. It wasn’t Detoine’s fault, after all. “Sure. When?” “Today. This morning, actually.” From the corner of my eye, I could see Ryan watching me. The man was like a fucking hawk. And I had a feeling he knew who was calling. “I...uh...okay. I’ll make it work.”

“Make it work soon...okay, kid?” “I’ll do what I can, sir. I just have to speak with my employer.” I knew a job wasn’t an excuse to skip, but it would at least give me bonus points when I got in. The call ended without another word. “Let me guess,” Ryan said, his gaze shrewd. The doors swung open before he could say anything else. Carly, clad in vivid blue and her face glowing, came in, Jake at her back. He was in workout gear despite the cast. So was she, now that I was actually noticing anything besides the bared skin and the flush on her face. Two more men in suits were at their backs, but they didn’t come into the room. The doors closed behind them, and Carly looked at me, a wide smile on her face. As I watched, it faded. I hated that I was the reason she wasn’t smiling anymore. “What’s wrong?” she asked, darting her eyes towards Ryan. “It was your PO, wasn’t it?” Ryan was still watching me. “You read minds too?” My voice was rusty. Unable to look at any of them, I stood up and gathered up the few dishes I’d used, carrying them away from the table, only to stop. I didn’t see a sink. Maybe there wasn’t one. I

stopped and put them back on the table. I kept my tone even. “I’m afraid I won’t be available this morning. Maybe not at all. I’m sorry.” “What’s going on?” Carly asked. I just shook my head and took a step toward the door, but before I could leave, Ryan cut me off. “Was it your PO?” “Yes!” I snapped. Not that it was any of his business. “What’s a PO?” Carly asked. Through gritted teeth, I answered her. Maybe this was what she needed for it to sink in. “My parole officer. I’m an ex-con, remember? I’m on a leash, Carly. The cop last night decided to tug on that leash. My PO got a call and I have to go in. That’s the way it works.” “What does he want?” she asked. “I don’t know!” I shouted the words. She paled and I swore. Spinning away, I shoved my hands through my hair. Dammit! I just kept fucking things up. Yet another reason it would be the best for all involved if I was far away from her. “I’m sorry,” I said, quieter this time. “Look, I tried to tell you this was a bad idea. This will all end up reflecting badly on you. It’s my fault. Just...we’ll call it quits now. No harm, no foul, right?”

Saying those words hurt more than I’d thought it would. “Not so fast.” I hadn’t even made it five feet before Carly’s voice, calm and controlled, split the tension. I turned around and glared at her. “Don’t you get it? I’m trouble, Carly. As in big. Fucking. Trouble. With a capitol T. If I’m in the car with you and local cops know it, they just might pull you over for the fun of it now. For all I know, they’ll decide to start doing drug searches every time they see us. Ever had your car searched for drugs?” She jutted her chin. “Yes.” It took a few seconds for her answer to penetrate. “Ever had anybody...wait, what?” She stormed toward me, a fury in electric blue. She poked me in the chest with her finger, and I had a feeling that if she’d had her purse, she probably would have hit me with it...again. “You heard me. The answer is yes, Bobby. I’ve had my car searched for drugs. My mother considers the law an optional thing, and half the cops around town think I’m just like her.” Something in her expression shifted and she suddenly looked years older. “Remember me telling you about how I met Ryan?

That he was a cop and I’d been dating this guy? Well, the guy I was dating, he was a cop’s kid. He tried to rape me one night, and when I got away from him and called the police, the only one who listened to me was Ryan. The rest of them said oh, she was asking for it. You see how that little slut dresses. Oh, they had a few too many drinks...” She glared at me. “Want me to go on?” I caught her arms. My fingers curled into her skin and I had to remind myself not to squeeze. I didn’t want to hurt her. “Somebody tried to rape you...” I was going to kill him. Cop’s son or not. I was going to find him and kill him... Her lashes swept down. “That’s not the point.” The hell it wasn’t! I’d beat the shit out of any guy who tried to force himself on someone, but the thought of someone trying that with her...it made me sick. She reached up and cupped my face, bringing my attention back to the present. “Some cops are just assholes, Bobby. And some aren’t. But you got into this mess because you were with me. So I’ll be going with you.” “With...no.” I let go of her and backed away, shaking my head. Turning on my heel, I recounted the events of the last few days through my head. How had I gotten into this mess? I’d just been walking home. I’d gotten fired from my job and I’d walked home. That was it. I

should’ve been in my shitty apartment, trying to find another job. I couldn’t drag Carly down into my world. “You can’t go with me.” “I don’t see why not.” Of course she wouldn’t. I had a feeling Carly Prince pretty much went wherever she wanted to go. But my PO’s office would not be one of those places. No way in hell. ***

Somehow, a woman with pin-up girl curves and twisty blonde curls had steamrolled her way into controlling my life, and I had no idea in hell how it’d happened. It was roughly two hours after I’d gotten the call, and we were sitting under the harsh fluorescent lights while everybody stared at us. Well, maybe it wasn’t everybody, but it sure felt like it. Even in my nice clothes, it was clear I belonged. Just as it was clear the rest of the people with me didn’t. We would have been there earlier, but Jake had gotten a call that his replacement would be landing at the airport in a half hour, so he’d said we’d wait to go see my PO since I apparently wasn’t going alone. I’d told

him this wasn’t one of those things I could put off, and that I was perfectly fine going alone. He’d just smiled and told Ryan to make some phone calls. Those phone calls somehow included taking my phone, so I had a feeling he’d made a call to my PO. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Beyond pissed off, obviously, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a bit like I was one of the team for real, not just a temporary replacement. The new guy showed up at the hotel an hour after we’d heard he was coming in. His name was Ridley and, apparently, he’d been the one on vacation. Neither Jake nor Ryan seemed pleased to have called him in early, but Ridley hadn’t complained. Then again, he hadn’t said much of anything at all. I’d gotten the impression that he didn’t talk much in general, but he did thank Carly for calling him in. Based on the look I’d seen on Jake’s face, it’d been her decision and he hadn’t agreed with it. If I hadn’t been trying to think about ways to go see Detoine alone, I might’ve tried to get a sense of the sort of guy Ridley was. But my head was already too busy. It still was. Detoine appeared in the door just as I was getting ready to get up and pace. I’d quit smoking not long after I got out, but sometimes, like now, the urge for a

cigarette hit hard and strong. Pacing helped. Lifting weights helped. Other physical activities helped even more. Anything helped. Well, maybe not anything. Talking to Detoine and explaining that I was only here because Detective Dale Mitchell hated my guts for destroying his family definitely wasn’t going to help. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the four people with me, and then he just gave a small shake of his head. “You’re sure keeping interesting company these days. You know that, kid?” Too nervous to say much, I just shrugged as I stood up. While I never enjoyed coming to see Detoine, and I was always a bit anxious since he could get me thrown back in prison, I was even more keyed up than usual. And I knew exactly why. Carly bounced up right next to me. “Hi!” She gave him one of those smiles that managed to light up the entire room. “I hope you don’t mind that I came with Bobby. I think it’s probably my fault that he’s here.” Detoine’s eyes widened as he took in the force of nature that was Carly Prince. “Ah...of course it’s not your fault. But I really need to talk...” At that, several people started to crowd closer. Jake and Ryan calmly placed their bodies between Carly and

everyone else. Ridley stayed at our back...and that was when it hit me that they weren’t only protecting Carly. Jake and Ryan were making it clear that I was with them, part of them. My stomach gave a strange flip and I was starting to regret having eaten breakfast. Detoine dragged a hand down his face, and then he smiled. “Ms. Prince. Of course, you can come back.” Somehow, I was sure she’d known that would end up happening, despite the fact that I’d told her the meeting would have to be between me and Detoine. Like I’d said before. She wasn’t the kind of person who was used to being told she couldn’t do something. ***

“So run this by me again,” Detoine said fifteen minutes later. Instead of only Carly and me back here, it was Carly, Jake, Ryan and me. Only Ridley had been left outside the office. We’d needed someone to guard the door, after all, and he didn’t know me. I was certain, however, that he didn’t like me. The look he’d given me when I followed the others into Detoine’s office had been one I

was all too used to. “Just how did you get this bodyguard job, Bobby? By knocking her down?” “I didn’t exactly knock her down,” I said, shooting her a look before she could interrupt me. Again. Carly rolled her eyes and I narrowed mine. She grinned at me and reached into her purse – the deadly one – and pulled out her phone. Once she seemed occupied, I explained how I’d been walking home from the body shop before I’d gotten caught up in the melee that was Carly’s life. “So you were walking home from your former place of employment.” Detoine nodded. He cocked his head at me. “I know where your old job was and I know where you live. That’s a hike. Why didn’t you ride the bus?” “I felt like walking.” Detoine’s forehead wrinkled. “Man, it was like twelve degrees that day. I damn near froze my ass off just walking to the car. It’s gotta be close to five miles from the garage to your apartment.” “For fuck...” I stopped and cleared my throat. Focusing on the wall past his shoulder. “Look, I just lost my job. I didn’t know how long it would be before I had another one so I wanted to make my money last, okay? It’s not like work’s a dime a dozen for guys like me. I

didn’t want to waste money on the bus if I could walk it. It’s no big deal.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Carly’s hands slow on the phone. I could feel Ryan’s and Jake’s eyes on me. That just made me stare at the wall even harder. “So how did you end up near the Seelbach?” Detoine asked. “That’s a block or two south out of your way.” I answered honestly, knowing better than to lie about something like this. If Detoine thought for a minute I wasn’t telling the truth about why I took a detour, he could make my life even more miserable. “There were cop cars blocking the street. Several of them on East Mohammed Ali, a few on Fourth near the bars.” I shrugged. “Me and cops don’t get along. You know that.” Carly winced. “Shit.” I looked at her. “That’s, um, that’s my fault. I was over there. And, well.” She looked at Detoine, and then at me. “They blocked it off for crowd control. Bobby, I’m sorry. You were out there walking in the cold because of me.” “I was walking anyway,” I said. Irritated with all of it, I drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair. “I cut up Fourth by the Seelbach. It’s usually quiet there this time of year, but it was crazy busy. I was too cold to care. A bunch of reporters were grouping up there. Then

somebody bumped into me. It was her. I didn’t...” I stopped, tucking my tongue against my lower lip, unsure of where to go at that point. “He didn’t know me.” Carly smirked, looking completely delighted with herself now. “I was pissed off because one of the reporters started asking me about my little sister. She’s my step-sister, actually, and the poor kid is in rehab again and they just won’t leave her alone. Then they go asking me if I’ll be joining her. I do not need rehab, but they are always running at the mouth and...” She sighed, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was giving way more information than Detoine needed. “I let it get to me. I wanted to get away from them, so when we got inside, I told the guys I needed to use the restroom, then I ducked out a side door. I know better. Really. But I was just going to take a few minutes, walk it off. Maybe tell a reporter off. Then I crashed into Bobby. I wasn’t paying attention at all, and if he hadn’t grabbed me, I’d have been a pancake.” “I saw the video,” Detoine said. His voice was dazed. I looked at him. He was staring at Carly, looking, well, spellbound. He had good reason. Carly was like a whirlwind. Abruptly, he shook his head and then leaned forward, pinning me with a look. “Okay, she bumps into you. You grabbed her, kept her from walking in front of a car, and

then she pays you five thousand as, what, a thank you gift?” “No!” Carly cut me off before I could attempt to answer. “Carly,” I said, gritting my teeth. “Believe it or not, I can speak for myself.” She made a face at me, and I heard Jake smother a laugh. “Fine.” I turned back to Detoine. “There were reporters. We made a commotion, me yelling at her and her yelling back. The reporters started rushing us, and well, I tried to stop them from hassling her, and then they all asked if I’d help out.” “After he broke Jake’s arm,” Carly interjected. “For fuck’s sake!” I closed my eyes. “You broke...” Detoine glanced at the two men who’d been mostly silent up to this point. “Jake’s arm,” Jake supplied with a wry smile. “To give Bobby credit, I tried to grab him. He caught my arm, locked it, warned me not to move.” He shrugged. “I didn’t listen.” I stared hard at the surface of the desk and waited for the ax to fall. Then, to my surprise, Detoine started to laugh.

I snapped my jaw shut before looking up. He leaned back in his chair and laughed until there were tears running down his dark cheeks. It took him nearly five minutes to get it under control. “Boy, I will tell you what, you land yourself in some crazy predicaments, but this has to be the funniest one by far. And the best.” He leaned forward and snagged a tissue from a box, dabbing the tears from his face. He tossed it into the trash can by the door and then looked from me to Carly and then back. His face got serious. “Now, as entertaining as this is, I do have questions that I need to have answered. By Bobby, and only Bobby. Let’s get them over with so you can be about your business.” “Will Bobby be able to come with us?” Carly asked. She sounded like a damn kid asking for a cookie before dinner. And I was the cookie. I didn’t know how I felt about that. A smile tugged at Detoine’s mouth. “Just let me do my job, Ms. Prince.” Then he looked back at me. There was humor in his eyes, but if I wasn’t imagining things, I thought I also saw relief. “So you played knight errant, if I’m not mistaken.”

I shrugged, not really agreeing with his choice of words. He picked up a pen and started to tap it on the desk. “At some point, did you let them know you’re a convicted felon?” “Yeah.” He nodded. “I figured as much. You aren’t the kind to hide things.” He glanced past me for a moment and then came back to me again. “Did you tell them what you were in for?” “Yes.” He nodded yet again. “Okay, then. Seeing as how they’re here with you, I guess it didn’t matter much to them. How long will this job last?” “Four days–” I started to say. Carly interrupted. “That’s still under consideration.” I turned my head and glared at her. She smiled innocently. “I never said the job offer wouldn’t be extended.” “Hmmm.” Detoine tapped his pen harder. Pushing Carly and her stubborn head out of my mind, I looked back at my PO. He asked his next question, “What does the job entail?”

“Watching her.” I jabbed a thumb at Carly, hurrying to answer before she did her thing. “I keep reporters back, watch for suspicious activity, and if she needs protection, I provide it.” “I can see you providing the protection. Even watching for suspicious activity. You’ve always had an eye for trouble.” He rocked back in his chair. “Problem is, instead of avoiding it, you usually dove right in, fists up and ready for blood. Are you certain this is the right job for you?” “Mr. Sampson.” Ryan leaned forward and now I could see him as a lawyer, all slicked up and polished, ready to argue with some judge, or another lawyer. “I’m sorry, I know you need some answers from Bobby, but if I could...” Detoine held out his hands. “You didn’t see him that night.” Ryan smiled. “We did. He didn’t know who she was, and even though she tried her best to knock his head off his shoulders with her purse, once he realized there was a problem, he waded through a good twenty reporters and put himself between her and them. That’s what a good bodyguard does, puts himself between the person he’s hired to guard and harm. More than that, he took both Jake and myself down.” Detoine’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that supposed to be a

good thing?” Ryan chuckled. “I’m a former cop. Jake did eight years in the army. And Bobby took both of us without breaking a sweat. That proves he’s strong, determined, and a survivor. Plus, he cares about Ms. Prince.” I tried not to shift in my seat. I couldn’t believe Ryan was saying that with a straight face after what he’d caught Carly and me doing. Almost doing. “If I was being offered five thousand dollars, I’d care too,” Detoine pointed out. “He’s tried several times to walk away,” Ryan countered. “He says with his past, he’d bring more trouble than he’s worth. I believe he’s wrong.” I hadn’t known I was going to have to listen to them talk about me like this. I could feel the heat creeping up the back of my neck. Detoine’s focused shifted back to me. “You want to walk away from a job that pays five grand, Bobby? That’s more money than you’ve seen in a long while.” My head was pounding. Rubbing the back of my neck, I stared out the small rectangle that served as a window. “I just don’t want anybody to have trouble because of me. I’ve caused enough.” Moments ticked by. Detoine finally blew out a rough breath. “Kid, I just

don’t know what to make of you, you know that?” Since I didn’t know how to answer, I didn’t bother. “Okay, I’ve just got one more question.” I looked at him. He stared at me with grim eyes. “You’re not going to like it.” “I haven’t much liked anything about being here, sir,” I said honestly. “Then you’re really not going to like this, but I have to ask.” He very pointedly didn’t look at Carly so when he first said it, I wasn’t quite sure what he meant. The question was just so…so…bizarre, it didn’t make sense. Finally, I leaned forward and spoke in a carefully controlled voice. “Would you repeat that?” “Bobby.” Elbows braced on his desk, Detoine said softly, “I need to know if you’re providing any other services to Ms. Prince. Anything other than what you’ve explained here.” He hesitated, and then added, “Personal services.” I looked over at the woman next to me. Her face was white, her lips pressed into a nearly invisible line. I could feel Jake and Ryan shifting behind me and knew it was taking all of their self-control not to intervene.

“You’re serious,” I said, turning back to Detoine. “You think this woman is paying me to sleep with her?” If it’d been just Detoine and me, my question would’ve been a lot less polite. “Sex for money has been known to happen.” Detoine looked pretty damn uncomfortable with the situation, and that was the only thing that let me keep my temper in check. His gaze skittered away from mine, and he busied himself tidying up his desk. “I realize this is terribly personal and uncomfortable, but the question needs to be answered.” “Why?” Carly demanded coldly. I glanced at her and saw that she had two spots of color high up on her cheeks. I suddenly realized that she might have been embarrassed at first, but now she was pissed off. Like swing-her-purse-at-someone’s-head pissed off. Detoine looked up, but didn’t meet her gaze. “It just does.” “No.” Carly whipped her head around and glared at me, anger turning her eyes to blue fire. “Don’t you dare give him the satisfaction of an answer.” “I have to,” I said softly. Then I looked back at Detoine. “The answer is no, Detoine. I’m not being paid

for personal services. And you can also tell Dale Mitchell to fuck off.” His facial expression didn’t change, but his lashes flickered. That was all. Just the quickest flicker, not even a blink, really. But it was enough to confirm what I’d suspected. Dale was the entire reason I was here. The fucker. “Some detective with a grudge questions my motives for hiring a bodyguard and the two of us have to be subjected to...” Her hands gestured in front of her like she couldn’t find the words to describe what was happening. “Now, Ms. Prince,” Detoine said, moving to defuse the situation. “This is just a routine interview. Considering the rather exorbitant fee you’re paying him, I had to make sure there was nothing else involved. That’s my job.” “Exorbitant?” She laughed, but the sound was brittle. “Five thousand is pocket change to me, Mr. Sampson. I’ve spent that on a spa day without blinking. Hell, I might’ve spent that just on clothes for Bobby yesterday. I don’t even look at the bill for things like that.” Blood rushed to my face and I found myself staring at the soft, steel gray trousers that had been delivered to the hotel just that morning. Five thousand dollars? That hadn’t been the number I’d seen...

Fuck. The suits. She’d put a rush job on the suits. For all I knew, the damn suit they expected me to wear later that day cost five fucking grand on its own. Detoine cleared his throat. “What’s pocket change to you is several months’ income to others.” She stood up abruptly and leaned across the desk. “That’s not the point. We’re here because a cop with a grudge got his jockey shorts in a twist and you fucking know it. Don’t you? But you can’t tell that cop to fuck off, can you? You have to act like me wanting Bobby to work for me is something...sordid.” I stood up. “Carly.” I caught her elbow. She stiffened, and I knew she was going to pull away. Leaning in until I could smell her apple-scented shampoo, I whispered, “You asked me not to quit. Now I’m asking you to do something for me. Let this go. It won’t help.” Slowly, she straightened. A shudder wracked her body and she turned to face me. “It’s not fair,” she whispered. “You went to jail. You did your time.” My heart twisted. What had I done to deserve her protection? Her faith? “You don’t get it.” I brushed her hair back from her face, forcing my hand not to linger. “Whether or not I did my time doesn’t change the fact that his brother is

still gone. Nothing brings him back. He’s always going to hate me. And he has a right to.” “So he gets to abuse his badge?” I didn’t have anything to say to that. “No.” I looked up at Detoine’s quiet voice, except he wasn’t looking at me. He was focused on Carly and his eyes were gentle, understanding even. “No cop has a right to abuse his badge, not for anything.” He sighed and then leaned back in his seat, skimming one hand back across the neat crop of short black hair. He focused hard on the wall for a moment, and then shifted his attention back to me. “Bobby, if you would, sit. Please. Ms. Prince.” I sat. A moment after I did, Carly did as well, but it was pretty clear from the rigid line of her spine and the way she swung her foot that she wasn’t happy about any of this. Yeah, well, neither was I. Shame twisted my gut up as I shoved back out of the chair to pace the small confines of the office. I knew exactly how many strides I could take before I had to turn around. Three. Pivot. Two strides – he had a massive file cabinet and it blocked the western wall. Turn. Three strides back. “Bobby.”

He came out from behind the desk and intercepted me on my third lap. “Come on, kid. You know as well as I do that I’ve got a job that needs to be done.” I shot him a look. Yeah. He had a job. His job, too often, involved questions or actions that were embarrassing as hell, but dignity wasn’t a part of my life anymore. I’d given up that right when I’d taken a life. I got to piss in a cup on a regular basis, and any time some cop decided he didn’t like the look of me, I ended up with my face against the wall while he searched me for weapons or drugs. “I know you’re doing your job,” I said levelly. Turning my head, I stared out the window as I answered his question. “No, I’m not being paid to have sex with Carly Prince.” Then, because I was worried about her, I slid her a look. Her eyes were snapping and hot, staring lasers straight into Detoine’s head. But he was still looking at me. I sighed, “Hell, just look at her. You think she needs to pay somebody for sex? Men would sell their soul to share her bed.” The last bit just slipped out, but I didn’t take it back. It was true, after all. I heard, and felt, the reaction coming from Jake and

Ryan, but I didn’t look at them. Never let it be said that I didn’t know how to burn my bridges in spectacular style. Detoine looked even more uncomfortable now, and he rubbed his hand across his scalp. “Like I said, kid. I’m just doing my job.” “Your job sucks.” He gave me a grim smile that said he sometimes thought the same damn thing.

Chapter 7 I waited until we were outside before I looked at them, but it was only in their general direction. I couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. “I can find my own way back.” “Back where?” Carly hadn’t looked at me, not even once, since we’d left Detoine’s office, but her wide blue eyes swung around to meet mine now and she scowled. “Back home.” I jerked my shoulder in a shrug, my gaze sliding away from hers. “I know this wasn’t what you thought you’d be getting when you...” Ridley was the only one not staring at me and, after a moment, it hit me. “You still want me to work for you.” “Why wouldn’t I?” Carly sounded confused. Blowing out a breath, I shifted my gaze to Jake. He was the logical one of the bunch, and definitely the one in charge. If Carly would listen to anyone, it’d be him. He looked tired today, but what did I know? “Talk some sense into her.” “I’ve been trying to do that since she was just a kid, Bobby.” He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. “It’s not going to happen.” She rolled her eyes at him, and came toward me.

“Look, you think I’m going to change my mind because some asshole cop decided to jerk your chain? I’m not.” She made a dismissive motion with her hand, her expression serious. “All it does is make me that much more determined to keep you with me. I bet you anything he did this because he thought it would make me write you off.” Carly came closer, so close now that I could smell something soft and gentle on her, something that complemented the apple shampoo. Maybe the lotion she’d put on a few minutes ago. I didn’t know what it was, but I liked it. It was...soft. Soft and gentle. There was no room for soft and gentle in my life. Maybe it was stupid, because standing there, close to her while the wind teased her hair and she studied me, I felt that loss keenly. My mom hadn’t been soft, but she had been gentle. Sometimes too gentle. Life had chewed her up and spit her back out, too. I’d learned young that gentle didn’t survive in the real world. Carly had a look in her eye now, the kind of look that made me think that life had tried to do the same to her, but it hadn’t worked. Still, she had that soft and gentle feel to her. Not weakness. Hell, no. She was one of the strongest people I knew. With her, it was caring, compassion. Hope. Some people, they never really lost it, no matter what the world did. Somehow, they just kept believing in things. In people.

And, for some crazy reason, Carly had decided she was going to believe in me. “Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice gruff. “Because.” She shrugged and turned away. “That’s not an answer,” I said to her back. She swung around, walking backward with a grace that belied the four-inch spikes she called shoes. With a wide, easy smile, she said, “That’s the best you’re going to get for now. Ask me again in a few days.” ***

That night sucked even worse than the morning had, and it was far worse than the past night. It was so bad I was ready to gouge out my eye with the dessert spoon before we’d been there thirty minutes. I knew it was the fucking dessert spoon because Jake had hammered that fact, and several others, into my head over the span of two hours. We were attending a dinner banquet, and while Jake, Ryan and the ever-silent Ridley would get to stand in the shadows, I would, apparently, be dining with Carly. “If I’m supposed to be a bodyguard, why am I sitting at the table and eating?” I asked during a break in the conversation. I kept my voice low. I was getting the hang

of the subtle thing, I thought. Carly didn’t seem to agree. She kept a smile on her face even as she leaned in closer and murmured, “Not here.” I pinned a glare on her, but I didn’t ask again. She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. Then she held it to her lips and sighed. “It’s complicated. You’re doing more than being a bodyguard at the moment. I’ll explain later.” Before I had a chance to press her to explain now, some guy who had to be twice her age said her name. He was standing on my other side with the sort of look that said he fully intended to take the seat at her side as soon as I moved. Carly clutched at my arm and gave him her signature smile. “Oh, it’s so good to see you, Hank. I hope you understand if I keep Bobby with me, though. It’s his first time to one of these and he’s nervous.” “Of course.” The smile Hank gave back didn’t fit his words. He walked around the table and took the seat across from her as I pulled out her chair, pushing it back in the way I’d practiced. I sat next to her, stiff and uncomfortable, but ready to do what needed to be done for my job. When I felt her

tense ever so slightly when Hank leaned forward, I realized that I no longer needed her to explain why she wanted me to sit next to her. Although the width of the table separated them, something about her body language was subtly broadcasting it was nowhere near enough space. I shifted my attention to the guy, my jaw clenching. Hank was staring at Carly the same way I would have stared at her if we’d been alone back up at the hotel. He didn’t let the fact that he wasn’t alone with her bother him. Nor did he let the fact that she was clearly not interested bother him. This guy didn’t know how to take a hint. My hands curled into fists. Maybe I needed to make the hint a little less polite. “I’ve been hoping we might have a chance to have a drink together while you’re in town. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked, Carly.” His voice was so oily, I could’ve run a car on it. I didn’t look directly at her, but I could see how her nails were digging into her palms. Going on instinct, I curled my arm around her shoulder. She leaned into me and I felt the tension drain out of her body. Carly smiled at Hank. “My schedule is pretty full this trip, Hank. With the foundation meetings and the opening of the school, I’m slammed.”

Then to my surprise, she reached up and touched my cheek. Electricity shot through me and I tried to keep it from showing. “I had a little bit of time, I thought, but...” Her thumb brushed against my bottom lip. “Fate sort of intervened.” When I tipped my head down to look at her, she was staring up at me. The look on her face was enough to remind me that it had been a damn long time since I’d had a woman beneath me. Or on top of me. Or caught between me and a wall. Bent over a table. Any position at all. Her breath caught, a blush rising on her cheeks and I forced myself to look away. Shit. This was definitely not the time or the place. “You look at a woman like that for too long, she’s going to start thinking she needs protection,” Carly said, her voice soft and silky. I tensed. She couldn’t think I’d ever hurt any woman, let alone her. “I would never–” “I meant a different kind of protection.” She tossed me a quick look. “I feel like you already know what size bra and what color panties I’m wearing.” I sucked in my breath as I caught her meaning. Then her fingers brushed my thigh under the table. Fuck. My muscles tensed and jerked in response to that light touch.

“Bobby?” she said my name in a low voice. She was going to be the death of me. Instinctively, I tipped my head closer. She reached up and laid her hand on my cheek. Now my instincts were fighting a war. One part of me was telling me to put my mouth on hers. It was a damn nice mouth, wide and soft and lush, the kind of mouth a guy could spin entire fantasies around. And I’d already had a taste of it. But the other part of me was saying all the things I already knew. She was out of my league. I didn’t deserve her. Ryan and Jake would kill me. Plus, we were in public. But then she took the matter out of my hands, leaning and pressing her mouth to mine. I could’ve stopped her then, but I didn’t. I kissed her back. Her lips parted, and I traced the entrance with my tongue. She sighed and opened wider. When her tongue came out to tease mine, I closed one hand into a fist. My cock started to pulse, stirring to life. The scent of her, the taste, went straight to my head, and just as I was about ready to reach out, catch one of those curls she’d left trailing down her neck, Carly pulled back. A flash of white out of the corner of my eye had me tensing. I’d forgotten we weren’t alone. She put a hand

on my shoulder. “It’s just the cameras.” I didn’t quite realize what she meant until the flash came again. Before I had a chance to react, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine in a quick, chaste kiss. Another camera flash. I felt oddly frozen and then she pulled away. I stared at her, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. She wiped at my mouth as she murmured, “Smudge proof, my ass.” I caught her wrist. “What are you doing?” I could barely keep my voice under control. “Do you really want to wear my lipstick? Harlot red isn’t your color, Bobby.” She gave me a sensual smile. A low chuckle that was devoid of true humor had me looking up. I pushed my own feelings aside. I had a job to do, and it didn’t include anything about me. “Well, I’ll admit, when I saw the news clips of the two of you, I had no idea things had become so...intimate.” Hank was staring at us with a greasy sort of smirk on his lips. I gave him a hard glare and watched as that smug, sneering look on his face faltered, then faded away completely. Only after he was no longer looking at Carly, I allowed myself to look away.

A moment later, there was a faint noise from the podium. It was time for whatever in the hell it was to start. ***

It was boring, that’s what it was. The problem with boring was that it left me with too much time to think, and almost every single thought centered around Carly and the sleek, silvery-blue dress she wore and how much fun I could have peeling it away. It had been nearly twelve months since I’d had sex. The first thing I’d done after I got out was sit through a full physical and health screening. Disease was rampant in prison, and I’d lived with that fear for pretty much my entire incarceration. To my relief, I’d gotten back a clean bill of health just a few days later. The first chance I had after that, I’d found myself a bar, and when the opportunity had presented itself, I’d gotten laid. I didn’t remember her name, and I was pretty sure she didn’t remember mine either. We’d had a box of condoms and we’d used the entire damn supply in a single weekend. That had been a little over eleven months ago. Since then, the only relief I’d received came from

my own fist. But I was pretty certain that even if I’d had sex three times a week, and twice on Sundays, my body would still have been misbehaving around Carly Prince. She seemed to drag it out of me. The mischievous grin, the way she watched me, the way she moved...oh yeah. I’d want her no matter what. Now, as the third speaker of the night was escorted onto the stage, I found my eyes studying the elegant lines of Carly’s profile, the pretty bow of her lips, the curve of her jaw down to her neck. The dress she wore had an odd sort of sparkle to it, as if the designer had crushed up jewels to make it. It clung to her breasts, accentuating her curves while still looking elegant, demure, even. It slid down along her torso, along her waist and hips, ended a few inches above her knee. I could only imagine what she wore under it. That sparkly thing fit like a glove, and while I was positive she had on something underneath it, I preferred to pretend she was naked. Completely naked. “...Carly Prince!” The sound of her name jarred me out of my erotic stupor and I moved, half on autopilot. Jake and Ryan had walked me through what I was supposed to do, and I was already on my feet, drawing her chair back by the time

the spotlight found our table. I could only hope that my suit jacket would cover the partial-erection I had, thanks to the direction my thoughts had gone. She gave me a wide, open smile, and when I offered my hand to help her stand, she accepted as though we’d done this a hundred times. I escorted her up to the stage and passed her hand to one of the men there, then stood off in the shadows to wait for her to return. Hands folded in front, I let my gaze roam over the crowd, just as I had seen Jake and Ryan doing. I was half-listening, but paying more attention to any potentially dangerous threat that might’ve presented itself. On the stage next to me, Carly started to speak. Her speech, I realized moments later, was all about second chances. ***

Things began to blur as we moved back and forth to events regarding what I soon realized was the music program Carly was funding in her father ’s name. The dinner I’d escorted her to had been a two thousand dollar a plate fundraiser and the place had been sold out. While I was glad she was raising money for the

program, I couldn’t imagine paying two thousand dollars for a dinner where I’d have to listen to boring speakers. The program itself, however, wasn’t boring. It was going to be multi-faceted, and despite myself, I was interested. Music lessons would be offered to disadvantaged youth, but there would also be a program for the politely named ‘troubled’ youth. Troubled like I’d been. Sometimes I wondered what I might have been, who I might have been, if I’d realized I had better options. I’d made my choices knowing full well they were the wrong ones, and I had nobody to blame but myself, but her speeches about second chances made me think about what might have been. We spent most of the day following the dinner dealing with stuff at the music center. Or rather Carly did, while we stood around looking stupid in suits and sunglasses. At least, I was pretty sure I looked stupid. Even with his arm in a cast, Jake looked like a natural. Carly was exhausted when she got back to the hotel, and collapsed into bed almost immediately, while the rest of us stayed up to watch basketball. The Kentucky Wildcats had done pretty well so far, and I wasn’t opposed to them continuing on to the tournament. My opinion on the matter provided some good-

natured ribbing from Jake – and twenty dollars in my pocket when his team lost. “Sucker ’s bet,” I told him. “Anybody could have seen they were going tonight.” It wasn’t until everybody else was asleep that I realized how long it had been since I’d just sat around bullshitting with a bunch of guys just for the hell of it. It had been...nice. Sitting in there, talking to guys who knew about my past and didn’t care. I liked it. And I only had a couple days left. That thought left me in a foul mood the next morning, and it wasn’t going to be a good day anyway. It turned out to be a lot worse than I’d planned. It wasn’t just less than stellar. It fucking sucked. It turned out to be a tooth-grinding exercise in patience and bullshit as Carly made the rounds to all the local news stations, and then a couple of radio stations on top of that. At each one, she talked all nice with everybody and in turn, people played nice back – right up until they had her in front of the camera, and then they asked questions that were either borderline rude or right over the line. The exceptions were the radio stations, and by the time we reached the last one of the day, Carly was dragging, and I was ready to hit something just to relieve some of the tension.

Preferably one of the assholes who were treating Carly badly. “Is it always like this?” I asked Ryan, keeping my voice low as we stood in the corner, watching through the windows as she chatted with a couple of DJs. “Like what?” I tried to figure out how to say it, and then finally jutted my chin toward the DJs. “Well, those guys are being pretty decent. But the TV people...it’s like they were baiting her, just trying to get her upset.” “They were.” Ryan sighed and shrugged. “And this wasn’t even a bad day. Local news stations don’t ever get that bad since she does have ties to the community here. Well, I won’t say never, but they aren’t like Barbara Walters or anything.” He checked the time and then looked over at me. “There’s no privacy for anyone anymore, Bobby. If you’re in the public eye, there’s even less. She didn’t ask to be in the public eye. She was just born there. I guess she could’ve moved to Montana, raise horses...” He shrugged. “Disappear. But she feels like she owes it to her dad’s memory to not completely vanish. People want some part of him to hold on to. She’s it.” “She doesn’t owe people her entire life.” “No.” Ryan shook his head. “She doesn’t. But that’s Carly for you. She doesn’t do anything half-assed. Her

father left a legacy behind in a lot of ways. She just wants to make sure he’s remembered.” “She gives up an awful lot of herself for that.” We both watched as she rose from the table, a smile on her face and shadows under her eyes. “Yeah.” Ryan nodded. “She does.” ***

One day left. That thought had me out of my room and pacing, standing at the window and staring outside instead of sleeping. I didn’t need much sleep most of the time. Came from having been in prison, I supposed. I’d been a killer, but not the biggest badass, which meant I’d had to watch my back. Which meant staying awake as much as I could. Sometimes I craved it, but couldn’t manage any more than a couple of hours, and then there were times when I’d crash, and sleep for twelve hours straight. But today wasn’t one of those days. I couldn’t shut my brain down, and part of it was because I was too busy wishing I hadn’t taken this job. As soon as it was gone, I would be reminded of everything missing in my life. Not just the decent food, although I sure as hell hadn’t minded having room

service once I’d adjusted to it. No, what I was going to miss were things like listening to Ryan and Carly bitch at each other in the morning. Seeing Carly stumble to the table in next to nothing, and then watching her smile at me once the caffeine hit her system. It was probably for the best, though, because that smile of hers was starting to get to me. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could resist her... A door creaked open. I lifted my head and looked, watched as she slid out of her room and padded toward me, wearing one of those miserable excuses for a nightgown, some slippy looking thing that was the color of midnight. It skimmed just a few inches below her ass and made her skin look even softer than usual. I missed soft things. “Can’t sleep?” Even her voice was soft, and I turned my head to look back outside because looking at her was more temptation than I needed. “Still not used to the quiet, I guess.” I shrugged. I tensed when she came up behind me and slid her arms around my middle. Her lips were satin against the back of my right shoulder. I closed my eyes. Fuck. She started to trail a line of kisses across my

shoulder. With a sigh, I reached down and caught her hands, turning around even as I stepped away from her. “What are you doing, Carly?” I asked after I’d put what seemed to be a wise distance between us. Ten feet was safe, right? Ten feet made it hard for me to catch the scent of her skin, although I could still remember it. And no amount of distance would undo the memory of her mouth moving under mine, or wipe away the memory of her taste. The sight of her skin and weight of her breasts that night Ryan had interrupted us... She apparently didn’t like the distance. Ten feet became eight feet, then five. I’d put my back to the bar, and now she stood just two feet away, the crazy corkscrews of her hair spilling more than halfway down her back. I wanted to twist my hands in it, pull her up against me and get lost in her. And I would get lost, I knew. If I let myself, I could lose everything in her, for her. Her gaze dropped down to my mouth and my dick gave a hard, almost vicious twist. She closed the remaining distance between us once more and reached up, touching my mouth. I caught her wrist.

“What are you doing?” I asked again. “Isn’t that obvious?” She leaned against me, and through her thin nightshirt, I felt all of her and it was like feeling heaven. Hot skin, soft woman and sweet curves. But in the back of my mind, I kept seeing those white flashes from a dozen cameras. “We were interrupted last time,” she said. “We were in public,” I reminded her. “In front of a bunch of cameras.” She’d done that on purpose too. I hadn’t brought it up, but I wasn’t an idiot either. Just because I spoke with a drawl and had spent time in prison didn’t mean I wasn’t smart. I was intelligent enough to figure out that she’d had me sit with her because she could kiss me in public, in front of the media. She could shut down that asshole Hank, and give the press a new story to chase for a while. “I’m not talking about at the dinner.” She tugged, but I didn’t let her go just yet. She didn’t seem disturbed by it, just leaned in and kissed the fingers I’d closed around her wrist. I stifled a groan and remembered the night she’d been talking about. Yeah, we’d been interrupted, alright. Thank goodness.

“That shouldn’t have happened to begin with,” I said gruffly. “Besides, we’re just as likely to get interrupted again anyway.” Her pulse throbbed against my thumb and absently, I stroked that fragile, rapid beat. Her skin felt like silk under my touch. I didn’t think I’d ever been so aware of how rough my own skin was. Her lashes fluttered, and I had the insane urge to lean in and press a kiss to her eye, to watch those lids close and then kiss my way down her body, to worship her with my mouth, bring her as much pleasure as I possibly could. “Oh, I disagree there,” she said. She tugged again and this time, I let her go, hoping she’d do the smart thing and pull away. But she didn’t. Of course she didn’t. She slid her hand up my bicep, along my shoulder, ran her fingers through my hair. “I keep thinking I wish we would’ve been smart and gone into your room...or mine.” Her fingers tightened in my hair until it hurt. “Can we be smart this time?” “Smart would have been you throwing me out on my ass the night we met,” I said, even as part of me started screaming for me to shut up. I ignored it and tried another tactic. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know I want you.” I tensed as she skimmed the flat of her hand up my rib cage and then down. My cock was at full attention now, and my pants weren’t doing anything to hide it. “I know I want to know more of you. I know you make me laugh. I know you kiss me like you want to breathe me in, like I’m the air to you.” She leaned in, brushed her mouth against mine. “I know I want you, and I think you want me too. That’s enough for now.” My head started to spin. I could say the same things to her, all of the same things. I opened my mouth, but none of those sweet things were what came out. Instead, I asked a question. “Why did you kiss me at the dinner?” I was an idiot. Slowly, she lowered herself from her tip toes, head cocked as she studied my face. “Does it matter?” “If it didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked,” I pointed out. Now that I’d asked the question, I wanted an answer. She huffed out a put-upon sigh and she looked so damn cute, I almost didn’t catch that glint in her eyes. Almost. “When you live my kind of life, you don’t exactly forget. You just stop thinking about them.” I knew she was being honest. Sort of. I’d seen that look in her eyes. She didn’t want to tell me the whole

story. “You didn’t entirely stop thinking about them.” I shook my head and moved a little closer, taking back the small bit of space she’d given up when she’d eased away. This time I wanted to use the proximity against her. “Did you?” She caught her lower lip between her teeth, eying me. Then, bluntly, she said, “No. Not entirely.” “Then why did you do it?” “Because.” She spun away on her heel and started to pace. The short, barely there bit of silk she wore drove me crazy with each long stride, riding up and then falling back into place, giving me tantalizing glimpses of her amazing ass. “I wanted to kiss you, so I did. I don’t care.” She spun back around and stared at me. “Obviously you do.” “It’s not...” I stopped, something hollow in me, something I couldn’t explain without sounding like I was accusing her of something. “I’m beginning to learn how that head of yours works, Carly. You had more in mind than that. You kissed me because the cameras were there. Why?” “No,” she corrected. She crossed her arms over her chest and again, my libido roared, telling me to screw

talking and take what she was offering. “I wanted to kiss you.” She ran her fingers through her curls. “But I wasn’t playing to the cameras.” “You were using me because of that Hank guy.” Her cheeks flushed and I knew I’d hit on something. “He’s a lecherous ass who’s always pawing at me, so yes, I leaned into you when you put your arm around me because I wanted him to leave me alone.” “If he touches you...” I started to say. She cut me off. “I don’t want to talk about him, Bobby.” Her eyes darkened. “Because he wasn’t the reason I kissed you. I kissed you because the truth is, I’ve been wanting to kiss you, do all sorts of other things to you, ever since you had me pinned under you on the sidewalk.” She swayed closer, her breasts brushing against my chest. Reflexively, I reached out and caught her waist. Fuck. She felt so good against me. “I started hitting you because if I hadn’t, I would’ve been throwing myself at you,” she said against my lips. “It was just embarrassing. And then I kissed you. Just that brief little kiss, and it did things to me...you’re turning me into a mess, Bobby.” She caught my lower lip between her teeth and tugged. I felt the possessiveness and heat of it all the way

down to my cock. I was still clutching her waist when she eased back so she could see my face. “So I kissed you because I wanted to, but the fact that cameras were around?” She shrugged. I made myself listen to what came next, made myself focus on her words and not on the naked skin under that thin veil of silk. “I was just fine with it. Because that son of a bitch cop had the nerve to insinuate that I was paying you for sex...” Her voice started to heat. “He had the nerve to insult both of us and he’s jerking you around like a dog on a leash. It pissed me off.” She slid a hand up my chest, all fire and heat now, the lazy sensuality gone from her eyes, replaced by something ravenous. It twisted primal things deep inside me. “He called you a whore, but money has nothing to do with it. The truth is, the two of us want each other bad enough to keep us up at night.” The look on her face dared me to argue. I stared down at her, heart racing in my chest, blood pounding hard and hot in my veins. I couldn’t argue with her. It was the truth. I wouldn’t have cared if she’d had no money, if she hadn’t offered me a job. Hell, if she told me I had to choose between the money and her, I wasn’t sure which one I’d take.

She arched an eyebrow, the look sly, almost taunting. “Fuck this,” I muttered. This was insane. This was stupid. But it was also real, and it had been too long since I’d had something real. I grabbed the back of her neck and hauled her to me.

Chapter 8 The door to her bedroom slammed behind us with a bang that neither of us really noticed. I spun her around and boosted her up, her back up against the door, my hands full of the curve of her ass. She moaned as she rocked against me. I was so ready to bury myself inside her, my body hurt. When she shoved a hand between us and dragged her palm up and down over my cock, I had to catch her wrist and pull her hand away. She just went for me with the other hand, and a noise that was a pitiful mix between a laugh and groan rumbled out of me. “Stop,” I said, all but ready to beg. “Just...just stop, okay?” “Why?” she asked, a sexy little pout twisting her lips. I bit the full lower one before I answered. “Because for the last few months, the only time I’ve come, it’s been me, my shower and my hand. If you keep that up, this is going to be short and not very sweet.” She gave me a wicked grin and stroked me again. “Sorry, sugar, but I can feel what you’ve got in your pocket. It’s definitely not short, and I don’t need sweet.” I would have laughed, if I hadn’t needed the oxygen. I

pushed my hips against her caress and then a warning pulse raced down my spine and I caught her other hand. “You could drive a man insane,” I told her, drawing both of her hands over her head. I stared down at her in the dim light. “You’ve been doing it to me pretty much from the second you tried to kill me with that damn purse of yours.” A feline smile curled her lips as she stared up at me. “Is that a fact?” “Hmmm.” I dipped my head and caught her lip between my teeth, tugged on it. She shuddered. So I did it again as I pushed my knee between her thighs. She whimpered this time and I increased the pressure. Through my thin workout pants, I could feel the heat of her. She was soft, already wet. Abruptly, I went to my knees, and grabbed her hips. “I want to taste you.” I barely heard her harsh intake of breath before I brushed my nose against the inside of her thigh. Fuck, she smelled amazing. She caught my hair and tugged, but I ignored it, leaning in to lick across the front of the skimpy underwear she was wearing. She jolted. I sensed the surprise, but I didn’t care. I needed to have my mouth on her. A ragged noise

escaped her. She started to squeeze her thighs together, and I caught her behind one thigh, lifting it until her knee rested on my shoulder. It threw her balance off, and I steadied her, murmuring to her absently as I leaned in closer, fully intending to get to skin this time. Then I heard a choked noise. It might have been my name. Whatever it was, it got my attention. Slowly, I lifted my head and stared up at her. She was watching me with a mix of hesitation, nerves and...reluctance. Without her saying a word, I knew she didn’t want me to go down on her. I pressed a kiss to her hipbone, the silk of her nightgown almost as soft as her skin. As I got back to my feet, her hands raked through my hair and, for a moment, I wished I hadn’t let them cut my hair so short. Then her nails scraped against my scalp in the next second, and that made me forget about my hair, and just about everything else. She muttered something against my lips. “Huh?” Her husky laugh made my heart stutter, and then she said it again. This time, it made sense. “Condom.” I stilled. Shit. “I don’t have one.” “I do.” Carly smiled, her mouth soft against my

cheek. “Table next to my bed...handy, huh?” “Handy...that pretty much covers it.” I boosted her up and the silk nightshirt she wore rode up over her hips. The only barriers were the thin pants I wore, and a pair of impossible sheer panties. The feel of her rubbing against me through my pants was the sweetest torture ever. The skin beneath my hands was impossibly smooth, the muscles firm. The walk from the bed was nothing but a blur, and I tumbled down onto it, twisting as I fell so that she came down on top of me. She pressed kisses to my mouth, chin and neck, her hands moving up and down my arms, touching every part of me that she could reach. All the right parts, yet not enough of them. “Off.” I pulled at her nightgown, unable to articulate anything more than that single word. She grinned as she arched back, pulling the nightgown over her head. I caught my breath as she exposed her full breasts, and then it was her turn to gasp as my fingers teased at her already-hard nipples. I sat up, catching a nipple between my lips. She swore as I sucked on her sensitive flesh, and then she was tugging at my shirt. “Want to see you.” She ground down against me until I was almost ready to explode right there. “Condom,” I said as I bit her lower lip.

She made a soft purring sound in her throat, so I did it again. When she pulled away, I caught her hand and tugged her back. “You want the condom, right?” she asked, laughter lurking in her voice. I’d never known this much laughter. Not until her. Reluctantly, I loosened my grip on her hand so she could sit up and lean away, but I kept my hand on her thigh, unwilling to break the connection completely. Seconds, moments, ticked away in a blur of haze and heat as we stripped off the rest of our clothes. She took her time ripping the foil packet open, and then she took even longer to roll it on, her fingers were torturously slow as they slid over my shaft. Finally, I took over, rolling the last couple inches before catching her about the waist and spilling her onto her back. I settled between her thighs, resting on my elbows as I hovered above her. She caught her breath as I leaned down and scraped my teeth along her jaw. I put my mouth against her ear. I wanted her so badly that it hurt, but I wasn’t going to take what wasn’t mine. At least mine for tonight. I wasn’t fool enough to think it was anything other than tonight. “Do you want me?” Her response was to tug my head towards her until her mouth was against mine.

Kissing her was one of the sweetest things I’d done in a long time, so it didn’t take much to entice me into doing it. Just the invitation was enough. Brushing my lips against hers, I settled the head of my cock against the wet heat of her pussy. As I pushed my tongue into her mouth, I pushed my cock inside the heat of her. And I realized, then and there, I was in trouble. It felt like...heaven. Better than anything had ever felt in my life, and pulling out was practically torture, but I had to feel it again, so I did. And as I slid back into her, it was just as perfect the second time. Again, again... She was whimpering beneath me, her hands clutching at my ribs, her tongue sliding against mine, her body growing slick with sweat. Her hips rose to meet mine, pulling me deeper, taking all of me, fitting around me like a glove. I’d told her it would be short and not very sweet. I lied. Maybe it didn’t last all that long, but it was the sweetest night of my entire life. ***

Morning came. Too early. Too harsh. Too bright. But aside from the fact that the sun was shining directly into my eyes, and aside from the fact that it was the last day I’d be here in a beautiful suite of rooms with cloud-like beds and coffee that must have been brewed by angels, it had to be one of the best mornings of my life. Better than the morning I’d known I was being paroled. Better than my first day of freedom. Better, even, than the morning after I’d lost my virginity. And all because of her. I could feel the soft caress of her breath along my side, and I shifted my head to look at her. And there she was. Carly Prince was sighing softly in her sleep, and she was perfectly, gloriously naked, the sheets tangled just below her lush, round ass while a tumble of curls hid her face. Those curls were completely natural, and they’d exploded into a crazy mess during the night. They were just as perfect as the rest of her. I wanted nothing more than to muss them up even more as I covered her body and drove inside her. I shifted on the bed, listening as she made a low grumble under her breath. Nothing else, though. I leaned over her, straining to grab one of the last remaining condoms on the table. Once I got one, I tore open the packet and rolled it on quickly. Even if I hadn’t already had a hard-on simply from waking up, being

near her would’ve done it. I rolled on top of her, putting my knees on either side of her ass. Bending down, I pressed a kiss to the small of her back, then moved lower, listening as her breathing started to speed up. “If this is your idea of a wake-up call...” Her voice was thick with sleep. “Yeah?” She craned her head around to look up at me and smile. “Then I haven’t gotten the message.” Coming down on her, I tucked my cock against her butt and started to rock. She shivered and parted her legs as she pushed up against me. She was warm and soft, still sleepy, and I wanted nothing more than to spend the next ten or twelve hours wrapped around her. I knew, however, that I didn’t have that much time. I was determined to make the best of what I did have though. And part of that meant making her come...hard. After shifting us slightly onto our sides, I cupped her breast in my hand. Her breathing hitched and I felt her spine arch. It drove her breast more fully into my palm, even as it had her ass tucked completely against my hips and my cock. It jerked demandingly, but I was going to make it wait. She came first. Soft, throaty moans escaped her as I teased her

nipple. My other hand slid down her stomach and parted the thin golden curls between her legs. The need to drive into her rode me, but I didn’t want to rush this. Just like that, it would be over and she would be gone. I watched as she slid her hand down her stomach toward the thin layer of golden curls between her legs. Levering up onto my elbow, I watched as she reached her goal and whimpered. I could barely make out what she was doing, but my imagination worked just fine. I rocked against her, and she slid back. She worked herself closer and closer, and then, when she started to come, I reached around her, and pushed two fingers inside the hot, wet glove of her vagina. She came, hard and fast after just two strokes. She was still trembling when I slowly withdrew my fingers and slid them into my mouth. Her taste was pure sex. I would have flipped her over onto her back and pushed her thighs wide, gone down on her until she was a writhing, screaming mess, except I didn’t think she wanted that. She hadn’t last night. I didn’t go where I wasn’t wanted, and I didn’t want to waste what time I had trying to convince her. So I savored the taste of her on my fingers for a moment, and then lifted her leg to slide slowly inside. I

forced myself to hold back against the instincts clamoring for me to drive in hard and fast. I wanted to make this last. Her spine bent and she wiggled, trying to get me deeper. I gripped her hips, forcing her to go at my pace. It was lazy and slow and she came with a low, keening noise that she muffled into the mattress. I gritted my teeth together and rode it out in silence. I was determined to make her come at least once more before I let go. It was lazy and slow, and I made her come twice before I finally buried my face in the side of her neck and groaned her name. The second time in the shower was anything but slow. Hard, fast, dirty, desperate...yeah, all of the above. But mostly desperate, because it was the last time. By the time we finally made our way out into the kitchen, both Ryan and Jake pinned us with a hard look. Carly looked unfazed. Me, on the other hand, I probably looked like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Although it hadn’t really been my hands that had been where they weren’t supposed to be. Or, at least, not only my hands. Carly wagged a finger at Jake, then Ryan. “Leave

him alone. He wasn’t flying solo in there.” Ryan sighed and smoothed down a grass-green tie. Jake continued to stare at me. I wasn’t surprised that he spoke first. “You serious about this job, Bobby? Do you want to do it or not?” “I think I held up my end of the bargain well enough.” I leveled a glare at him as I moved into the dining room. “It’s over today, but if I fucked up last night, I’m sorry.” And I was...sort of. I was sorry that I’d disappointed Jake and Ryan, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret having one night with Carly, not when I knew I’d never see her again after today. As Jake continued to watch me, I shifted my gaze elsewhere. Heat was burning its way up my neck. There was no if here. Even I knew bodyguards weren’t supposed to fuck the body they were guarding. But...hell. Carly wasn’t just some job. The long narrow table – Ryan had told me it was a serving board, I think – was filled with plenty of food and this time, I was a little less reluctant to dig in. Who knew when I’d get to eat a full meal again? Sure, I had five grand now, but I wasn’t about to waste it. “That wasn’t the question you were asked,” Jake said,

voice level. “Are you taking this job serious or not?” “I’m serious about it.” Still not looking at Jake, I moved over to the sideboard and grabbed a plate, taking eggs and bacon. I also grabbed some juice and took a few seconds to crunch down a piece of bacon, then a few more to wash it down with orange juice before I turned to look at him. “But if y’all would take some time to remember, I kept telling you I wasn’t the ideal guy for this job.” Ryan grunted something under his breath. I wasn’t the only one who chose to ignore him. “Regardless, you took it.” Jake braced his uninjured hand on his hip as he blew out a hard breath. “Yeah, for five days. Today is day five.” “Well...” The soft sound of Carly’s voice had me pausing. I’d been moving to sit down, but instead, I put the plate on the table and then turned to focus on the three of them. Unconsciously, I echoed Ryan’s stance as I crossed my arms over my chest. “What is it?” “Carly’s going to need a new full-time man on her team soon,” Jake said quietly. “She said the other day she thought maybe you’d be a good fit.” I snorted.

“You would,” she said. She slanted a look at Jake. “And I still think he would. He was looking out for me before he even knew me, Jake. When he had no reason to care. I don’t think sleeping with me will change that.” “I think sleeping with you is going to make him more easily distracted,” Ryan said. “I’d step in front of a bullet for her.” The words left me before I’d even realized I was going to say them. One by one, they all turned their heads to look at me. Suddenly feeling out of place and stupid, I moved back to the table and threw myself down in the seat. It was a miserable, ladder-back affair, the kind they put at a formal dining set and it had about as much bend as Jake’s rigid spine. For a minute, I was able to focus on eating and ignore them. Or I at least pretended to ignore them. “So...” Carly’s voice was soft. I looked up at her and saw that she’d settled down in front of me, her gaze speculative. I scowled. Shit. “Look, don’t go thinking I’m ready to pick out wedding rings. You...” I jerked my shoulder. “All of y’all...well, it’s been a while since anybody has...” Now my face was really burning up. “Shit.” I kicked back from the table and moved over to the

window. I’d always hated talking about anything of substance, avoided it as much as I could. Hell, I’d never even let Leah that close and she’d had my kid. Now I was about to talk about how I felt to three people who I barely knew. But they deserved to hear it. “There was no reason for any of you to offer me this job. No reason for any of you to do anything except let the cops haul me away after I broke Jake’s arm. But you gave me a job...” I snorted, then added, “Bought me clothes I’m not ever really going to need again, but hell. I can sell them. EBay, right? Anyway. You gave me a chance, and I got enough money now that I have some breathing room while I try to find another job. You’re decent people. I won’t forget it.” Miserable now, and self-conscious to boot, I continued to stare outside. There was the faintest noise behind me and I turned. I wasn’t surprised to see it was Ryan standing there. Everybody else was louder when they moved. “You know, I think you just might be willing to step in front of a bullet for her. Another reason why you’ve done so well at this.” He shrugged, a faint smile on his face. “Some people are just good at this sort of thing. You’re one of them. Although, the idea of you two being in a relationship does present a problem.”

“We don’t have a relationship,” I said quickly. I wasn’t about to saddle her with the baggage that’d come with a relationship with me. I wouldn’t do that to anyone. Carly was at the table, and from the corner of my eye, I saw her stiffen. Then she eased back in her chair, a sunny smile on her face. “Hear that, Ryan?” He shot her a look. There were undertones going on here that I just couldn’t wrap my head around. “What’s going on?” “We already told you.” Jake pushed back from the table and went to pour himself some coffee. His gaze came to mine, held it for just a moment. “We need a new man on the team. Somebody permanent.” I frowned at him. For some reason, the solemn look in his eyes made my skin go cold. “I’m dying,” he said quietly. “I’ve got pancreatic cancer.” Fuck. I felt like all of the air had been sucked out of my body. This man who loved Carly like a daughter was dying and he was taking the time to make sure she was taken

care of. And he wanted me. “You heard what he said, Ryan.” Carly’s voice was pithy. “There’s no relationship.” The words felt like a slap, but I didn’t let myself react to her. I was too busy trying to figure out how in the hell to respond to all of it. They wanted me to do this for real. For permanent. As in leave Louisville. Leave Kentucky. Leave home and move to California to be one of Carly’s bodyguards. Because Jake was dying. “Yeah, I heard what he said.” Ryan’s voice was dry. “But I’ve been around you two all week. Sparks fly any time you two are within ten feet of each other.” “We’re de-sparked now, Ry. Got it out of our system.” She stared out the window. We had another fund-raising dinner today, but she didn’t look like she wanted to go. She looked like she wanted to curl up and cry. She kept shooting Jake looks and I wondered how long she’d known. Then she’d look at me, and I’d have to wonder just how much of her flirting with me had been a distraction. Probably all of it. It explained how someone like her could be with someone like me.

Ryan looked at me and lifted an eyebrow. I lifted a shoulder. “Don’t look at me for answers. I’m still trying to figure out if I should do this or not.” “You should take the job, Bobby,” Carly said softly. “Get out of this place.” I looked out the window, trying to imagine being somewhere else. Then I had to smile. I’d been someplace else...only that place had bars. “I still can’t figure out why y’all think this is a fit.” I glanced at her, then at Ryan. “I’m an ex-con. I fix cars.” There was a whole lot of other shit I knew how to do, at least in theory, thanks to all the classes I’d taken while in prison, but it wasn’t like I’d ever have a chance to put that knowledge to use. No one would hire me for anything other than manual labor. “It’s a fit because it is. You’re good at this, kid.” Ryan shrugged, although his eyes were far less casual. The kid had me frowning. Ryan wasn’t that much older than me, and I was pretty sure the things in my past had knocked the shine off me a long time ago. I shifted my attention to Jake and saw that he was just watching us, all of us. “What do you think about this?” He shrugged. “It was my idea.” He looked down at

his casted arm, and then gave me a crooked grin. “It’s not like you don’t have the ability to take care of her, that’s for certain.” He leaned forward then and pinned a hard look on me. “Let’s put aside your record and focus on a couple other things. You had a choice a few years ago. You could either do a job, one that involved harming a kid and a mom. You refused. Instead, you protected them.” Heat climbed up my neck. “Look, that–” “Bobby, shut up.” For some reason, I did. Maybe it was the look in Jake’s eyes. It wasn’t a look I hadn’t seen before. It just wasn’t the kind of look I’d ever seen directed at me. A weird sort of amusement mixed with frustration and...what else was it? I didn’t know, but I didn’t know how to process it either. So I listened. “You protected them, and I bet you did it without even thinking much about how it would affect you in the end.” He nodded his head toward Carly. “You did the same thing with her. Now after it was done, you thought plenty. You were all but crawling with the need to get away from the hotel that first night, weren’t you?” I jerked a shoulder, tried to keep anything from showing in my face or voice. “It was late. I was tired.” “Yeah. I’ve noticed how much beauty sleep you need, Bobby.” Jake rubbed at his eyes.

He could use some beauty sleep, not that it was going to do much more than rest his body for a while. I had a feeling that the disease eating him alive was already draining his strength. And I’d broken his arm. My eyes dropped to the cast, guilt twitching. I wondered how much time he had. “You’re a born fighter, Bobby.” Ryan’s voice drew my attention away from Jake and back toward him. “Guy like you, you might not look for a brawl, but when a fight comes to your door? Well, you fight. And you win. But more, you’ve got a streak inside you that makes you want to protect people. Now here’s your chance to actually put all of that to use.” I opened my mouth, a hundred denials already forming on my tongue. Ryan’s wide grin taunted me, dared me. “You go ahead, deny it all you want. But inside, you know it’s the truth. I’m the same way. So’s Jake. We’re cut from the same cloth. Which is why we’re good at this.” “We’re nothing alike.” I slid my gaze over him, from his pricy haircut to his pricy shoes, and then shifted my attention to Jake. “You two, you might be might be a couple of cookie cutter do-gooders, but me? I’m just a bum with a record. I’m good with my fists. That doesn’t add up to much.” “And I was a punk-ass kid from Compton, looking

down a one-way road to nowhere. I got off that road because I wanted to, because somebody made me realize I could be something more.” Ryan paused and then asked, “Aren’t you tired of being just a bum with a record?” Yes. From the corner of my eye, I could see Carly, saw her legs shift as she uncrossed them and leaned over. She touched my shoulder. My body, already primed to respond after last night, tensed at the light touch and I turned my head, stared into her vivid eyes. She was hurt and angry, I knew, but there was none of that in her words. “It’s plain and simple, Bobby. Can you do the job? Can you handle the job? More importantly, do you want the job?” Plain and simple, I thought. That was the way to look at it. And that meant my answer needed to be just as plain and simple. And I knew what it had to be. “Yes.”

Chapter 9 I hung up the phone and felt some of the knots in my gut unravel even as others started to tighten and tug. It had taken three weeks, half the time it normally took, but Detoine had been able to push through the paperwork, approving my move from Kentucky to California. “You keep your butt out of trouble, Bobby, okay? And drop me a line when you get a chance.” Those had been his parting words. Keep my butt out of trouble. Yeah. I was sure that would happen. Now, I just had to pack up the pitiful little I owned – most of which was the clothing Carly bought for me – and then get to California. First, I sent off a message to Ryan, letting him know the move had been approved. It was early there, so I didn’t want to call. Once that was done, I grabbed the larger of the two suitcases that had been delivered to my apartment two days ago. I hadn’t ordered them. I couldn’t have afforded them even if I’d thought about ordering luggage. I’d planned

to use the single duffel bag I usually used to cart my stuff around, and the rest I’d intended to just put in a garbage bag or box. I realized now how stupid that would’ve been, not to mention how it would’ve looked, showing up in California looking like some homeless asshole. I was only halfway through packing the first suitcase when my phone rang. It was Ryan. He didn’t bother with any preliminaries. “I’ll have a car there at noon tomorrow. You’ll be ready to go by then, right?” “Noon? What?” I straightened up and looked around me. It wasn’t like I had that much to pack. The few second-hand books I owned were already in the duffel bag I was going to carry on the plane with me. Beyond my books and clothes, there just wasn’t much else. I had a framed picture of my mom that would go in my carryon because I didn’t trust airlines. Everything else that really mattered was either on my phone or in my wallet. That was it, but…noon tomorrow? That didn’t even give me twenty-four hours. Sure, I’d had three weeks to know this was coming, but a part of me had held back, always believing that things would fall through and I’d be stuck here. “I want you out here. Out here and away from that dick.” Somehow, I didn’t think he meant dick as in slang for

detective. Sighing, I looked around and then dropped down on the creaking excuse of a bed. “Yeah. I’m ready.” My gut tightened as I forced myself to ask the next question. “How’s Jake?” “He’s...fine.” Ryan’s voice was carefully neutral. I closed my eyes. “Don’t lie to me.” “I’m not.” Ryan’s sigh drifted across the phone. “He’s tired a lot. Hurts more than he wants us to know, but I see the signs. He’s managing.” I’d done a bit of research on my own. Pancreatic cancer was the kind that hit hard and fast. After watching my mom suffer, I could see both the cruelty and the kindness of such a diagnosis. “How long will he keep working?” “Until he can’t,” Ryan said simply. “Carly’s his world. She’s like a daughter to him, and the guys, we’re his family. You’ll see when you get here, kid.” He hung up after a few more minutes, talking just long enough to give me the details I’d need for tomorrow. I committed them to memory instead of writing them down. I’d always relied more on my memory than on my ability to not lose a piece of paper. Once I disconnected, I laid down and stared up at the ceiling for what I hoped would be the last time. I’d spent

quite a few nights pondering that water-stained ceiling. No more. Not after tonight at least. I doubted I’d get much sleep. I would’ve been too keyed up even if I hadn’t been freaking out about flying for the first time. I sat up after a few more minutes and ran through the instructions for tomorrow. They were sending a car. I’d go to the airport. The driver would direct me to the proper place and then... “Goodbye, Kentucky.” ***

“How’d you do it, Cantrell?” I froze mid-stride and turned my head. I should have known I couldn’t escape without seeing him one more time. Dale Mitchell had parked his car in the rutted alley that served as a parking lot for the apartment building I used to call home. The driver Ryan had sent waited by the SUV, and when I shot him a look, he started to come my way. I held up a hand and shook my head. He stopped, hands crossed in front of him. But he didn’t back off and he didn’t make any attempt to look like he wasn’t watching us both very carefully. I briefly wondered if Ryan had

suspected this would happen. I turned back to Dale, my face blank. “Detective.” “I just can’t figure it out, Bobby. How in the hell do you do it? You got some of the finest cops I know fooled into thinking you’re not a waste of space. You had your warden fooled into supporting your release. And now, you wrapped that Hollywood chick right around your finger. Look at you. You landed yourself in quite the bed of roses, didn’t you?” A smirk crossed his face. “You must be really good at something she likes. I wonder what it might be.” I wanted to hit him so hard it’d knock that smirk into next year and his ass into the next century. Instead, I just shrugged. I couldn’t, however, resist a smart-ass comment. “Maybe she just likes my pretty face.” “She likes something. There’s no denying that.” He came closer and nodded at the suitcase in my hand. “What’s in there, Bobby?” “Clothes.” “Drop it. I want to see.” The driver again started toward me again. Shooting him a dark look, I said, “I got this. Stay out of it or I’ll call Ryan right now and tell him he can shove the job up his slick lawyer ass.”

When the man lifted his hands and backed away, I knew I’d guessed right. That wasn’t just some rent-adriver from a car service. He was too watchful; too...on. If this wasn’t one of the crew, then I’d eat the damn suitcase in my hand. Looking back at Dale, I set the suitcase on the ground. I didn’t kneel down, though. Like a well-trained ex-con, I waited for further instruction. A bit of a smug smile curled Dale’s lips, and his eyes gleamed with the light of what he saw as a victory. “Open it.” Now, crouching down, I did just that, and then stood up, folding my arms over my chest. “Turn around.” I resisted the urge to say something ugly, but when I started to turn, I saw something that made me stop halfway. The driver hadn’t come any closer, but he had his phone out. I stared at him. “What are you doing?” Dale looked up, slowly straightening from the semikneeling position he’d been dropping into as he caught sight of what the driver was doing. “What’re you doing?” he asked, annoyance evident in his voice. “Just trying to make sure there’s an objective record of what’s going on here, Detective. It’s for your benefit as much as it is for Mr. Cantrell’s.” He gave a slow, easy

smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “There’s nothing going on here. Why don’t you put the phone away?” Dale’s voice was polite, but I could hear the edge underneath. “If there’s nothing going on, then there’s no reason why I can’t record these events, is there?” the driver responded smoothly, the phone in his hand not wavering. “As I’m sure you are aware, Detective, it’s perfectly legal to record activities by the police in the state of Kentucky, providing I’m not interfering with your ability to carry out your job.” Then he looked down, frowned a bit, and stepped so that he was standing by the trunk of the slick, shining Escalade that held my other suitcase and my duffel bag. “Is this a reasonable enough distance, Detective?” The driver ’s tone was polite, but cool. “What’s your name?” Dale demanded. “When you’re finished there, I’ll be happy to give you the name and number of my attorney as well as my card. I’ll be emailing him the file as soon as this is over.” Five long seconds dragged out, and then Dale turned back to me. He glared at me as though imagining all the ways he’d like to tear me apart. I suspected blood, guts and dull, rusty objects were involved. Finally, he

snapped, “Didn’t I tell you to turn your miserable ass around, Cantrell?” Slowly, I did. I was facing the phone now, but I didn’t look at it. My face was burning with humiliation. As glad as I was to have things being recorded so Dale couldn’t do something like make me miss my plane, I was thoroughly disgusted with myself for needing it. I held still as he dug through my clothes, and then I heard him moving around me and braced myself. The flat, hard glare he fired at me as he stepped in front of me yielded no response on my part. “Get that shit up.” He practically spit the words at me. “Get out of this state. If you ever come back...” He didn’t finish the sentence, just let it trail off. After one more hard glare, he turned around and strode off. I watched until he got back into his car, not trusting that this was over. If this was the last I ever saw of him, it was still too much. Shoes scraped against busted concrete and I turned my head, watched as the driver slash whatever the hell he was moved back onto the pitted sidewalk. “Is it safe to move yet?” he asked, a black eyebrow winging up as he tugged his sunglasses off and studied me with eyes the color of steel. “You’re one of Ryan’s.” I made it a statement, not a

question. He ran his tongue over his teeth and then shrugged. “More or less. Jake’s the one in charge, but yeah, Ryan brought me in.” He stowed the phone back in his pocket. “So. Robert Cantrell.” “Name’s Bobby,” I said, correcting him. “You?” “Thomas Sinclair, but everybody calls me Ace.” “And why’s that?” The only response I got was a slight smile. Then he nodded at the suitcase. “You want to straighten that up or just deal with it later?” I glanced down at the mess Dale had made of my suitcase, all the neatly folded clothes now twisted and tangled. I crouched down and just grabbed everything, throwing it back in. I was just glad it hadn’t been my bag with my books and my mom’s picture. I could only imagine the joy Dale would’ve taken in trashing that stuff. Ace joined me. “That’s one pissed off cop, Bobby.” “Yeah.” I had to force the zipper on the suitcase this time and Ace grabbed it, applying pressure with hands the size of dinner plates. The man was massive. “He hate everybody or just you?” I thought about it, then shrugged. “He hates me,

probably dislikes anybody who doesn’t hate me. Other than that, I can’t say.” “Why does he hate you?” I looked up into Ace’s gray eyes. If Ryan hadn’t already told them, they’d figure it out sooner or later. Might as well get it over with. “I killed his brother.” Ace regarded me with a cool gaze and then nodded once. “That’d do it.” I stared at him as he picked up my suitcase and put it with the rest of my luggage. How in the world had I found these people who didn’t react normally when I told them who I was or what I’d done? If life hadn’t taught me better already, I might’ve actually let myself feel hopeful about the future. All I let myself have though was the fact that I actually had a future that, at least for a while, didn’t involve me starving or freezing my ass off. That was enough.

Chapter 10 One month had made one hell of a difference in my life. One month ago, I’d been jobless and freezing my ass off while I walked around in my home state of Kentucky. Now, I was standing outside in the warm, soft air of a California spring day, my head tipped back to take in the sun as my mind tried to process everything at once. Carly lived in a house a little north of Los Angeles. Actually, the word house didn’t quite fit the building I was currently staring up at. Mansion was more accurate...maybe. It was more a modern-day version of a castle, fit for a modern-day version of a princess. And here I was, expected to be one of her knights. I heard somebody moving up behind me on the cobbled stone path, and I turned my head. Jake, clad in a polo and khaki shorts, came to a stop behind me. It was edging up on late afternoon, and while his clothes spoke of a man who looked ready to settle down and relax for the rest of the day, it was pretty clear that relaxation wasn’t something that was going to come to him any time soon. Fine lines of pain and strain stretched out from his eyes, and even though it had been less than a month since I’d last seen him, I could see he’d already

lost weight. “Am I going to sound rude if I tell you that you look like shit?” I asked, turning my head back to the small lake. It was the focal point of what I guessed Carly considered her backyard. It was more like a small park, complete with several gardens, a running path, a swimming pool and an outdoor kitchen. I wondered if the lake was stocked. I hadn’t gone fishing in years. “You might sound rude, but at least you’re honest.” His laugh was quick and easy. “I’ve got plenty of people telling me how good I look, how strong. They keep telling me I’m going to beat this.” His smile was fond, but sad. “Bunch of liars.” “Truth is often very ugly.” I thought of my mother ’s end. She’d asked me to be honest with her, even at the end. “It makes them feel better to think I might get better, that I might pull through.” He paused. His voice was rougher when he spoke again. “Especially Carly.” Neither of us spoke after that, not for several minutes. He was an easy guy to be quiet around, I thought. Easy and calming, kind of like standing there and staring out over the lake. I bet that was part of why he and Carly clicked so well. She needed that calming influence in her life, that steadying presence.

Now she was going to lose him. “So what’s next?” I asked after a while. I bent down and grabbed a handful of the small, flat stones lining the edge of the path. Hurling one into the water, I counted three skips before it finally sank. “You got me out here. Now what?” Jake glanced at the stones in my hand and then held out his own, palm up. I dropped a rock into it. He threw it into the water. Five skips. “Not bad,” I said, looking over at him. “I grew up in Montana. Dad had a ranch. Spent a lot of time skipping stones on our pond.” He accepted another stone as he considered my question. “What’s next is, we start getting you settled in and then up to speed. There’s a lot more to this job than what you did in Kentucky. You’ll be getting a hardcore crash course over the next couple weeks.” Then he grinned over at me. “Not to mention some other things we need to address.” “Like what?” He just shook his head. “Enjoy the night, Bobby. We’ll deal with everything else tomorrow.” That smirk of his should’ve warned me. ***



My internal clock was all out of whack, and while the clock on my nightstand might’ve said seven, my head and body thought it was eleven, so the good news was that I was already up. The bad news was that I hadn’t slept worth shit. Not surprising. Even before I’d gone to prison, I hadn’t slept well, and being there hadn’t done me any good. Plus there was the fact that this wasn’t anything like any other place I’d slept before. The soft bed back at the Seelbach didn’t have anything on this place. And the bed wasn’t the only thing about this place that wasn’t usual for me. I had my own little cottage, set back on the far side of the lake, a few hundred yards from Carly’s place. They’d told me that five of the sixmember team lived on the estate. The sixth member was married, so he worked two days on, two days off. He was the one who’d been away for his daughter ’s birth when Carly had been in Louisville, and he didn’t take night shifts. I wouldn’t be taking them yet either. Once I was trained, I’d join in the rotation and take my turn bunking in the house at night. But first...training and other prep. The other prep? I stared at the needle and shoved past the doctor. “No

fucking way.” “You’re getting a physical.” Ryan said as he and Ace blocked the door. If I wasn’t mistaken, Ace looked like he was holding back a laugh. I glared at him. “Fine. He can check my blood pressure. I’ll piss in a cup, the whole nine yards. I don’t need that fucking needle jabbed into my arm.” There was a reason I didn’t have any tattoos. Ace looked over at Ryan. “I thought ex-cons were tougher than this.” “Kiss my ass,” I suggested and tried to shove through them. I was shoved back. Not too roughly, but not exactly gently either. “Sit down,” Ryan said. Amusement lurked in his eyes, but he was nice enough not to outright laugh in my face. “Come on, it won’t take long.” I was about ready to tell him to move, or I’d shove his teeth down his throat when I heard a woman’s voice. A voice I would’ve known anywhere. “Hey, Ryan, have you...” Carly’s words trailed off, and I backed away as I caught sight of her coming up behind Ryan and Ace, going up on her toes to peer at me over their shoulders.

Now I really felt trapped. “What’s up?” she asked. Ryan studied me for a moment, and then stepped aside and let her enter. “Bobby’s getting his physical done for the insurance package and it seems he’s not that fond of needles.” Narrowing my eyes at him, I tried to ignore the doctor who was inching closer to me, cautious, but clearly determined. Sweat broke out across the nape of my neck and forehead. That needle. Aw, fuck... I tensed. The bite of alcohol stung my nose and I flinched. My face was burning, but I couldn’t stop the involuntary reaction. I’d always hated needles, ever since I was a kid. “Look at me.” At the sound of Carly’s voice, I swallowed hard and tried to find the steel that had gotten me through nearly a decade behind bars. “You know, I had to have one of these things done after I got out. It’s only been a year. Why not just get those records?” She smiled. “You only had the basics done, Bobby.” Her hands cupped my face. “Don’t look at the doctor. Don’t think about the needle. It’s going to be over with before you know it. Just don’t think about it.” “Easier said than...” I hissed in a breath as I felt a

pinch and started to jerk away, but Ryan and Ace were already there. The thought of having to be held down in front of any woman was humiliating, but having Carly see it happen would’ve been so much worse. I managed to keep myself still. “See?” She flashed her dimples at me. “That wasn’t so bad.” “You’re not the one who got stuck with a giant-ass needle.” Still, I kept my eyes on hers and worked on breathing. Because I was so focused on that, I was only vaguely aware of what the doctor was saying. When Carly nodded at me, I nodded stupidly in response without even realizing what I was nodding about. Then it happened. Something wet swiped down my right arm. Alcohol. I tensed. They were going to stick me again. My eyes slid down to look. “Hey, Bobby?” Instinctively, I looked up as Carly leaned toward me. “What do you think about my shirt?” I blinked at her. Her shirt? Dropping my gaze to it, I found myself staring down at the swell of her breasts. Her shirt was just a tank top, worn over a sports bra. She’d been working out. I could smell the scent of sweat on her, warm and clean. I didn’t know why some women

got freaked out by the idea of sweating. I found myself thinking about leaning in, licking right down... Something jabbed me in the arm. Again. “Son of a bitch!” Shouting, I tried to jerk away. Ryan and Ace grabbed my arm as Carly ducked away. It was over in less than ten seconds and I jumped up as soon as I was let go. I glared over at the nurse who was calmly disposing of the syringe. Ace coughed politely as he took a step back, but Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and didn’t even blink. The doctor was busy with the little vials of blood he’d collected. “What the fuck was that shit!” I gestured at the doctor, ignoring the way Carly leaned up against a wall, her hands tucked behind her back. She looked on with wideeyed interest. Without giving Ryan a chance to answer my rhetorical question, I directed my attention toward the doctor and nurse. “Aren’t y’all supposed to get my consent before you jab me with needles?” “We did.” The nurse looked from me to Carly and Ryan, a slightly amused smile playing across her lips. “I asked if you had an allergies to vaccines and if you wanted to receive the tetanus shot. Your record indicated you hadn’t had one in well over a decade, so you’re certainly due. You nodded yes to indicate your agreement when I explained.”

My mouth fell open and I looked at her for a long moment before swinging my gaze over to Carly. She shrugged. “You told her yes.” “I nodded.” I scowled at her. “That usually signifies yes.” I couldn’t exactly argue without looking more stupid than I already felt. I was a grown man. I’d done hard time. I’d done things that I wasn’t proud of. Things that would have made my mother roll over in her grave. There had been men in prison who’d backed up when they’d seen me coming, and plenty of men outside of prison who went out of their way to stay out of mine. And I was scared shitless of needles. “Y’all suck,” I said, moving to the door. “All y’all. You just suck.” “Ahem.” That came from the doctor. I stopped. “We’re not exactly...done.” “I’m not getting jabbed with any more needles,” I bit off. “No.”

Slowly, I turned my head and looked at him. He smiled, but I knew that sort of smile. It was the kind of smile that came with knowing what he said next wouldn’t be welcome. “We’re done with that, but we have a bit more we need to talk about.” ***

Two hours later, I was locked up in the little house that was supposed to be my new home. Except if it had been my home, I’d have had liquor available. And I already would’ve been shit-faced drunk. When the knock came, I ignored it. It came again and I continued to ignore it. After three minutes, it stopped and I closed my eyes. But then I heard the door swinging open a few minutes later and I came off the chair, pressing my back against the wall as I circled around the edge of the room. Old habits die hard and all that. I caught a glimpse of him and bit back something ugly just as he came in through the doorway. As Ryan stood there with his back to me, I considered doing something really stupid. It’d be easy...

“If you’re going to do something, do it now.” His voice was level. Running my tongue across my teeth, I thought about it for two more seconds, and then shrugged the idea off. Mad as I was, fighting was a bad idea. Even if it might feel good. I’d ended up caught up in the mess that was my life all because I’d realized just how good it felt to swing a few punches all those years ago. Besides, Ryan didn’t deserve it. “Get the fuck out of here, Ryan.” I shouldered around him and threw myself back into the chair. It faced out over the wide, placid lake, reflecting the deepening blue of the coming twilight. If I stared at it long enough, hard enough, I could make myself forget what the doctor had made me remember. I could do it. “Now why would I leave when I came all the way down here just to talk to you?” He took the chair in front of me and placed a bottle in front of me, then set two tumblers down next to the bottle. The green of the bottle glinted at me. He cocked an eyebrow. “Sorry. It’s not bourbon. But I imagine you’re a man who could appreciate a nice scotch.” “How about I make you eat that nice scotch?” “Tastes better if you drink it.” He shrugged and

cracked the seal. I watched him, rage bubbling inside me as he splashed some of the amber liquid into the two glasses. After nudging one my way, he sat back in the seat and lifted his own to his lips. “Get. Out.” I enunciated each word clearly, hoping he’d take the point. “Nobody else would understand what’s wrong,” he said, ignoring me yet again. “But I get it. It’s been a while, but I’ve been where you are.” He took a sip of his drink. “Well, I can’t say juvie is the same thing as prison, but neither of them are a walk in the park.” He stretched out his legs and took another slow sip from his glass. Over the rim, he watched me, eyes glittering. “You know, when I went in, I was about five-eight, skinny as a rail. Probably didn’t weigh one-twenty soaking wet. I thought I was a tough little shit.” “Stop.” My gut started to twist. I knew where this was going, and it wasn’t any place good. “I don’t want to hear this.” He kept going. “I didn’t know anything. I was there a week before I got jumped the first time. A couple of the guards got in there, stopped it before anything really bad happened. Ended up having to go to the hospital,

overnight stay.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal. In prison there were degrees of injury. Injuries that one could mostly ignore and walk off, injuries that required a day or two of medical care. I’d had more than a few trips to the infirmary myself. “A few days went by and then the same kids got me again.” His voice was softer now. “Except no guards came. I couldn’t stop them.” Shoving upright, I grabbed the scotch and moved away. I stopped once I reached the door that opened out to a small, private deck, but I didn’t go outside. I just stood there and said nothing. There were things I didn’t want to know, but at the same time, I knew what it was like to have something ugly inside, a poison. And I knew how horrible it was to have to share it. So how could I tell Ryan to shut up when I knew how hard it was for him to say it. “During those six months, it happened two more times. Same kids each time. One ringleader. Would have happened a third time, but I’d gotten my hands on a shiv. When he came at me again, I...” His voice trailed off. I looked over my shoulder at him. He was staring outside too, but as he felt my gaze, he looked back at me. “They pressed charges, found me not guilty. Said it was self-defense. Bruises, broken bones...worse. All of it went back for months. But I’d

killed a seventeen year-old boy.” “What do you want me to say?” I asked, my voice rough. “You don’t need to say anything.” Ryan tossed back the rest of his whiskey and then refilled the glass. He started to put the bottle back down, then shrugged and tipped some more in. “But I knew what the doctor would ask. I was asked the same thing. And when you came out of there...shit, Bobby. I felt like I was looking at an older, meaner version of myself.” “Fuck.” I looked down at the glass, staring into the pure amber of the liquor like I’d find all the answers I needed at the bottom. That was a laugh. I didn’t even know what questions to ask. Slowly, I brought the whiskey to my lips and took a sip. Then, without pause, I drained it. It slid down my throat like silken fire. I let the glass fall to the carpeted floor and stood there, staring up at the sky. “I knew it was coming. The...hell. My boss, he told me it was coming. The day the trial closed, he said he’d have some friends visit me. I told him I’d be waiting. Happened the third night in. Big, mean mother-fucker. Took four of his friends to take me down.” Taut silence stretched out. Outside, I could hear the

call of birds and I wanted to just focus on them and ignore everything else. Instead, I lowered my head and focused on Ryan. “I spent a week in the infirmary. Hurt more than I ever had in my life.” Moving back to the chair, I lowered myself into it and stared at him, eye to eye. “The day after I got out, I let them know that they were all gonna die. They laughed. Everybody in the yard heard me and they laughed too.” Ryan said nothing. He just waited for me to finish. “They didn’t laugh long.” I shrugged and then sighed, slumping down in the chair and focusing on the ceiling. “You know how they ask you about your skills when you go in? Always been good with my hands. Not just at beating on people, but fixing stuff. Building shit. Got it from my dad, my mama used to say. His temper too, fuck me to hell. They put me to work in the kitchen. Bad idea. Especially seeing as how one of the men who’d jumped me was in there.” It was a memory that was burned into my mind, mostly because it was the first time I’d killed a man in cold blood. Maybe it should’ve weighed heavier on my conscious. It didn’t. Not after what they’d done to me.

I looked up at Ryan. “You know how they say you gotta join a gang in prison? It’s mostly true. It didn’t take long for me to have a whole bunch of guys getting in my face, and the more I beat them down, the more they came after me. I went with the ones who told me they could help me get my own back from the son of a bitch who...” I still couldn’t say it, so I just shrugged. I knew Ryan would understand though. He might’ve been in juvie instead of prison, but there was a common unspoken language. “Anyway, I had what I needed in my cell that morning. Skinny little thing. Looked like somebody had broken the handle off an awl. I put it inside my waistband. I was still limping so it made it easy to hide it. He was busy adding water to the shit they called soup.” Half-lost in the memory, I twitched my shoulders out of reflex. “The cameras, they covered almost the entire room. One of the guys came up, stood between me and this piece of shit. He stood there, laughing at me. I remember that. Ain’t so fucking tough now, are ya, Bobby?” For a moment, it was like I was back there again. Seeing him, hearing that obnoxious, nasal voice. I gave myself a mental shake and refocused my gaze on Ryan. “I took that piece of steel and shoved it into his heart through his back. He crashed, straight down. A couple of

the others had caused a...diversion. Picking a fight up front. The whole thing took all of fifteen seconds, and I was back at my station before the guards even noticed I’d moved. Took them almost a minute to realize this guy was dead on the floor.” Ryan’s lids flickered. “You want to fire me now?” I asked caustically. “After all, you took on a guy who you knew killed a man to protect his family. Not a cold-blooded murderer.” “I don’t think the man we wanted changed.” Ryan stood, his gaze pensive. “I don’t buy into an eye for an eye. I think it breeds ugliness. But I also think there are some sickness that just can’t be cured. I don’t know the people who came after you, not by name. But I know their type. Some might call them animals, but that’s an insult to animals.” Ryan tossed back the rest of his whiskey and put the glass down with the decisive clink. His gaze slid back up to mine and held me captive. “Animals, see, they don’t prey on others for the pleasure of it, or for money. They hunt to survive. You took down a sick sort of monster. Maybe a couple of them.” He shrugged. “I can’t fault you for that. You leave that kind of sickness alive…it just infects others.” He nodded at the bottle. “Think of that as your housewarming gift. Look me up if you need to talk, kid.”

Chapter 11 Ace was proving to be the biggest pain in my ass. I spat blood on the mat, eyed him from the corner of my eye, and moved to shove upright. He held out a hand. I almost ignored it. He waited patiently. Finally, I accepted, but when he went to help pull up, I shifted and hooked my foot behind his. He reacted almost as quickly, and we ended up in a twisted snarl on the ground. Except this time, I was on top. Driving the heel of my hand into his block of a head, I panted and tried to catch my breath. It had taken a week, but I’d finally managed to take him down. And he was laughing about it. A pained laugh, but there was no mistaking the whoop coming out of him. After a few seconds of it, I let him go. Because I’d made the mistake of turning my back on him – once – I backed out of his range before he could make a grab for me. “What, you’re not going to help me up, country

boy?” “Kiss my ass.” I grabbed a bottle of water and twisted off the cap. I grimaced at the metallic taste. Nothing like the taste of my own blood in my mouth. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Someone was watching me. I glanced up, saw Carly lingering in the doorway to the gym. My stomach tightened. Her eyes lingered on my mouth and I reached up to wipe away the blood only to wince. “Lip’s split.” Ace leaped to his feet with ridiculous ease. “Thanks.” I picked up the towel, trying not to think about the woman who was now pretending not to watch us. Seemed fair, really. I pretended not to watch her a lot myself. “I hadn’t noticed.” “It won’t take long to whip you into shape.” He glanced over at Carly and then back at me. A glint appeared in his eyes. Don’t. I tried to communicate the warning with mine. The grin on his face looked decidedly smug. He came hard, low and fast. Maybe it was the fact that she was watching. Maybe it was the fact that I was finally picking up on his weird style of fighting. I didn’t know. But this time, I managed to counter, and I watched, halfbreathless as he flew through the air and landed on his

back a few feet away. The next few seconds passed in utter silence, and then Carly started to laugh. Ace just lay there, motionless. I wasn’t taking any chances though. I circled around, eying him cautiously. Those arms and legs of his were dangerous. I spent so much time on my back around him, I should’ve been charging by the minute. Dazed eyes blinked, then rolled sideways to meet mine. He sucked in a pained breath while Carly continued to whoop and laugh, clearly delighted. “You...” His voice came out weak, barely a wheeze. He waited a few seconds, focused on breathing, and then tried again. “Son of a bitch. You going to help me up or what?” Running my tongue across my teeth, I eyed him as he lay there. Then, slowly, I took a step back. “Hell, no.” “Smart man.” He groaned and rolled over, pushing upright onto his hands and knees. A few more seconds passed before he shot Carly a look. “You keep laughing, princess. Remember, you and me have a session this afternoon.” “Maybe I should have Bobby take over.” She said it between giggles. “I don’t think...” She stopped and wiped her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you fly so high, Ace.”

***

She was the only one in the gym when I came out of the shower. Sweat gleamed on her skin as she pulled the bar toward her chest, going through a series of lat pulldowns that had her muscles flexing. There was something damn sexy about seeing a woman like that. She clearly wasn’t worried about getting mussed up or about letting anybody see her sweat. Not that she should be. She was gorgeous no matter what. When she sensed me looking at her, she raised her head and shot me an easy smile, one that hit me straight in the dick. The blood that had cooled somewhat after the shower started to heat right back up, albeit for different reasons. I was starting to think I should’ve gone for an ice-cold shower instead of merely lukewarm. Metal clanged as she finished her set and I glanced toward the door as she came off the seat. “I wasn’t kidding, you know,” she said as she walked toward me. Form-fitting black outlined curves that were

probably outlawed in some country or another. She was so fucking sexy, my mouth watered just looking at her. All woman, so outrageously female, and my hands were itching to touch her again, to learn that body in full-on detail. I hadn’t taken the chance to explore the one night we’d had together. It hadn’t been all that long ago, which should have explained why I remembered it so vividly, but I knew it was more than that. There had been other women in my life. Not scores of them, but enough that I knew Carly was different. None of them had ever stood out in my mind in such sharp contrast, with such clarity, that I could remember the feel of their skin hours, days, weeks after I’d held them against me, remember their scent, their taste. But with her...I couldn’t forget a single thing about her. And I didn’t want to. Now she stood in front of me, smiling that slow, sexy smile, and all I wanted to do was kiss her again. Kiss her...and more. Dragging a hand down my face, I tried to solve the puzzle she’d placed before me, but I wasn’t having much luck. It might’ve been because I was oxygen deprived at the moment. All that precious, oxygen-laden blood had left my brain to go visit my cock. “You weren’t kidding about what?” “Ace.” She shrugged. “I’ve never seen anybody

throw him like that. How’d you do it?” “It’s what he’s been doing to me the past few days. I just finally figured out how.” When she grinned at me, something inside me swelled up. I’d never thought of myself as the kind of guy who’d strut around just because a pretty lady seemed impressed, but if that was the case, why in the hell did I want to drag Ace back in here and see if I couldn’t toss him around some more? Especially since I knew most of it had been luck and sheer hard-headedness. The story of my life. A bead of sweat trickled down from her hairline, down along her cheek and jawline. I followed it with my eyes until it dripped from her face. When it slid beneath her loose tank top, I forced myself to look up and saw that she was staring at me. The air had turned hot and heavy. Strangely enough, my cock had done the same damn thing. I remembered the way she tasted. The way she moved. The way she moaned. The way her pussy had felt closing around my cock. I moved closer at the exact second she did. “Didn’t we decide we weren’t doing this?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“If we did, we were stupid.” She reached up to push her hands into my hair as I caught her hips and pulled her to me, bending my head to capture her mouth. The form-fitting pants she’d put on for her workout offered little barrier, while the denim of my blue jeans was suddenly an insufferable one. Cupping her breasts through the sturdy material of her sports bra, I squeezed lightly. She responded by sucking on my tongue and I had a sudden vision of her doing that same thing to my cock. Sliding a hand between us, I stroked her through the thin material of her workout pants. I pulled my mouth away long enough to speak. “I want you naked. Thirty seconds ago.” Carly laughed against my lips. I started to shove my hands under the waistband of her pants while she fumbled with the button and zipper of mine. My head was pounding, throbbing. Banging... “Carly!” We broke apart, staring at each other, our breath sawing in and out like we’d just run a marathon. Her nipples stabbed into the material of her bra and my cock felt like it was trying to tear its way out of my jeans. The door burst open and Ace looked back and forth

between us, his gaze grim. “Guess it’s a good thing I knocked.” He shoved a hand into his thick black hair and a shudder went him. “Fuck, Carly. It’s Jake.” The next few moments seemed to wind down and play themselves over in slow motion. Color drained from Carly’s face and she swayed. I caught her in my arms, steadied her. The heavy fringe of her lashes fell over her eyes and she shook her head. “He’s...no. Jake’s fine. He just had his labs. He’s fine.” “He fell,” Ace said gently, moving toward us now. The wiry, tensile energy that usually radiated through him was gone, and he moved like he was approaching a wild animal, slow and easy. “The meds he’s on, you know some of them make him dizzy. He was heading upstairs to grab some papers and he fell down the steps. He tried to break his fall, but with his arm...Ryan’s with him now. The ambulance is on the way. It’s...it’s bad.” ***

The one glimpse I had of Jake before they loaded him into the back of the ambulance was of a man who seemed far too pale and small to be the Jake I knew. I hadn’t known him that long. At least I knew it hadn’t been that long, but he’d taken up a huge space in my life

already. The kind of space that had made him seem larger than life. Too large to take up such a small space on the stretcher being rammed into the ambulance. Carly shoved her way inside after the paramedic and I caught a glimpse of the woman who could make Hollywood – and the world – tremble. She wasn’t merely a princess. She was a fucking queen and damn anybody who got in her way. I staggered a little and a big hand came up to steady me. Ryan stood there. “Easy, kid,” he said, his deep voice more than a little rough. It was clear he was trying to be strong. “He’ll pull through this.” The bitter, ugly laugh that escaped me was so hard and jagged, it hurt my own ears. “Pull through?” I shrugged off Ryan’s hand and spun away. “Just how much is he expected to pull through? Cancer? A fall down more than a flight of stairs? Hell, why don’t we just saw off an arm while we’re at it? Yank out his kidneys, a few other organs?” I saw Ryan wince, but I didn’t apologize. I couldn’t. I was too pissed off. Not at Ryan, no matter how it had come across. I was pissed off at a life that was taking a man like Jake away from people who needed him and

left a bastard like me alive. I would’ve traded my life for his in a minute. But things didn’t work that way. And it fucking sucked. ***

It was almost twenty-two hours before they let anybody but Carly and Ryan in to see him. I was the last to make it in and at that point, it had been well over twenty-four hours since he’d fallen. He was exhausted and the medical staff kept making us take breaks between visits so he could sleep. According to the others, he’d argued with the staff about it, which had made Carly smile. When I shuffled in, hands in my pockets, I thought he’d fallen asleep, and I was about ready to duck back out – and happy with it too – when his eyes opened. “Bobby.” His voice was weaker. Hollow, almost. My heart twisted as I remembered my mom sounding like that. “Hey, Jake.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to lie like all the others and tell me how good I’m looking?”

“Why?” I frowned. “You look like shit.” He laughed and for a moment, the pain left his face and he looked like the man I’d first met. “You know, that’s something I like about you, kid. You don’t pull punches. Nothing fake about you.” I didn’t know about that, but I also didn’t see the point in lying and telling him he looked like roses, either. Why it would make anybody feel better to be told they look great when they’re obviously in pain? He knew the truth and I respected him too much to act like he didn’t. “Have you heard?” Jake asked, his voice steadier now. “Heard what?” Scowling, I moved deeper into the room. He blew out a breath and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. That just pissed me off. Everybody had come out of the room eyes downcast or faces set in a way that told me it would be asking for a fight to get in their way. But no one had said anything to me. A solid fist of ice settled in my gut. “What in the hell is going on?” Jake’s eyes came back to mine. “You want the good news first, or the bad news?” “How about you just tell me?”

I nearly shouted it and, a moment later, a nurse appeared in the doorway. Jake held up a hand when she approached me, the look on her face clearly saying she was going to throw me out on my ass. “It’s okay,” he said, his voice falling into a soothing tone that seemed to work on just about everybody. Everybody but me and Carly. A part of me wished it worked on me. “The kid’s just upset.” He gave her a crooked smile and the nurse’s face softened, but when she looked at me, her eyes hardened. “You’ll have to keep it down or leave. You can’t be upsetting my patient.” After she left, I turned to glare at her patient. “How come the patients always get away with upsetting others?” “Well, we’re the ones stuck here. You can leave.” No, I couldn’t, actually, but I wasn’t about to explain that. Jake had managed to inspire something only a few others before him had ever gotten from me. Loyalty. It was that loyalty that made me ask again, softer this time. “What’s going on?” “I’m paralyzed.” He gestured to the middle of his chest. “About mid-way down.”

All the air was suddenly sucked out of the room, and it was all I could do to stay on my feet. Jake continued, “The good news? Turns out that paralysis is a decent pain-killer when it comes to terminal cancer.” My eyes started to blur and I turned away. “You dumb fuck.” “Bobby...” I shook my head, staring at the wall. I couldn’t look at him. I’d lose it if I did. “This wasn’t exactly how I planned on going out, kid. Stuck in a wheelchair, somebody having to help me in and out of bed, help me to the bathroom. I was already getting weaker, and I know I don’t have the strength to be able to do anything for myself now.” I nodded, but still didn’t turn around. “That’s gotta suck for you, Superman. You’re not exactly the kind of man who likes other people doing stuff for him.” “Yeah. I was already envisioning winning one of those wheelchair derby things.” I couldn’t stop the words from coming out. “Dumb fuck.” “You already said that.” I turned and looked at him this time, a miserable ache

in my chest. “I need you to do me a favor.” Nodding, I moved over toward the bed and grabbed a chair, hauling it closer before I sat down. “Anything, man. Well, within reason.” I finally managed a game smile. “I don’t think I can get Beyonce to come dance for you or anything. Carly might be able to swing that, though.” Jake snorted. “No, thanks. I had drinks with her, once. Nice girl, but I’m good.” I gaped at him. “Listen...” He fumbled with the remote for the bed and adjusted it so that he was sitting upright, staring me right in the eye. He still seemed terribly frail, but his gaze was as strong as ever. “I’ve seen how you look at Carly. I’ve seen how she looks at you. You feel something for her, don’t you?” Blood rushed up to stain my cheeks red. I was supposed to be this tough, scary bastard, and I blushed because he asked me about Carly. I really hoped Ace hadn’t told Jake how he’d found us yesterday. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Don’t give me that shit,” Jake said, shaking his head. “Just answer the question. It’s either yes or no. And FYI, if it’s no, I’m going to get out of this bed and kick your

ass, because I know you two had your tongues down each other ’s throats when I...fell.” Shit. Ace. “Carly’s a big girl.” I stared at a point on the wall as I forced the words out. “She is. And she’s got a heart that’s even bigger. But now...” He shook his head, closing his eyes. “She’s not in a good place, and this is going to twist her up even more. So, answer my question. Do you feel something for her?” “I don’t know what I feel.” Shoving upright, I started to pace. “Women are easy for me, Jake. Or at least they were before. Carly’s...” I stopped at the window and stared out over the jewel-bright blanket that was Los Angeles at night. I sighed. “Carly’s different. Nothing about her is easy. Even the things that I want to be easy aren’t.” “Good. It shouldn’t be.” I looked at him over my shoulder and saw that he still had his eyes closed. But he was smiling. “Glad to know you’re amused by this,” I said dryly. He cracked an eye open. “Oh, I’m not amused. But...well...” He shrugged with his good shoulder.

It was an odd gesture and I realized the movement was somewhat inhibited by the muscles he could no longer control. Fuck. I clenched my jaw. I hated seeing him like this. Guilt flooded me. If I hadn’t broken his arm, he might’ve been able to stop himself before...I swallowed hard, my eyes burning. I couldn’t think like that, not around him. He’d tell me it wasn’t my fault, but it wouldn’t make me feel any better. “She’s not supposed to be like every other girl you’ve encountered. She’s unique. I want her to matter.” “She does.” That, at least, I knew. He nodded. “Good. Then you’ll understand why I’m asking this.” My heart skipped a beat when he turned his head and stared at me. “I want you to wait.” I frowned, not understanding. “Wait for what?” His gaze moved back to the ceiling. “A few weeks after I’m six feet under, at least. Let her get through this. Let her mourn.” There was a noise at the door. I whipped my head around and saw Ryan standing there. “Hell, Jake,” he said, sounding irritated.

“What the fuck do you want me to do?” I demanded, ignoring Ryan and moving back toward Jake. I swore, unable to even think of the right way to describe what was happening between Carly and me. “You want me to act like it’s not there? Until, what? You die?” “Yeah, that’s what I want. Because I am dying.” Jake struggled to sit up, shoving at Ryan when he came to offer assistance. His square jaw hard, he glared at me. “I’m the closest thing she has to a father, to a family, and I’m about to go toes up, kid. That’s going to gut her. If she matters to you, it would be nice if you were there for her and not just to fuck her. If you care–” Now his voice broke and he looked away. Moments passed before he spoke again. “She’s going to need people around her, people who care, and I’m not just talking about her bodyguards or the girls she occasionally lets herself hang out with. You got to her from the first, Bobby. I think you could matter more than anybody. But right now, she’s going to need a friend, not a fuck buddy.” His eyes narrowed and he added, “And I get the feeling you’re going to need the same.” “You owe him,” Ryan said quietly. “You owe him that much.” I owed Jake more than any promise I could make, but this one, this one was almost more than I could take. Almost.

It was knowing that it’d be best for Carly that made me nod my head, that made me promise to do as Jake had asked. I would wait. ***

Carly straightened up and gave me her wickedest smile. “You make me hot too. You really think I want to give all of that up?” I hoped she didn’t. I knew I didn’t. But I had to do it. Jake and Ryan were right. “We’re going to wait six months,” I said gruffly. She blinked, and then her smile turned into a scowl and a glare. “What?” “If you really want me on this job, if...fuck.” I walked over to stand in front of the window, for once not seeing the magnificent view. “Things are going to be rough for a while. With Jake. How much I’ve got to learn. Everything. Once things settle down, if we’re still...” “Crazy to fuck?” she suggested sweetly when I continued to fumble for words. “I don’t just want to fuck you!” I snarled, turning to

glare at her. She blinked, looking caught off guard. “You think you’re the only one who has trouble connecting to people?” Frustrated and getting embarrassed, I rubbed at the back of my neck. A headache had been brewing all day, and it had just exploded to massive proportions. “I don’t like people. I don’t want to like people, either. But you...you’re different. I don’t want to mess this up. If this...” I waved a hand between us. “If what we have is something that matters, then will six months make that big of difference?”

Chapter 12 She’s going to need a friend, not a fuck buddy. That was what Jake had said to me. Except, after I’d made it clear that I was going to stick with my decision, Carly had made it equally clear she didn’t want me for a friend, and I was relegated to nothing more than a bodyguard, one she spoke to only when she had to, which wasn’t often. It hurt, but I didn’t let it show. All of us were in enough pain as it was. Jake had died three months – to the day – after he’d fallen. Pneumonia had settled in and after a couple weeks of fighting to breathe, he was just gone. He’d held on an extra day until he’d had a chance to tell Carly goodbye. She’d been gone on a short trip to a kid’s hospital in San Francisco, trying to keep busy, but when she’d heard he wasn’t doing well, she’d cut it short. He’d smiled the moment she’d walked into his room. She’d sat with him for hours that night, and the next morning, I found him still. He’d had a smile on his face then too. At that moment, I finally understood some fraction

of the agony I’d put Dale through when I’d killed his brother. When I realized Jake was gone, I’d sunk to the floor and cried. One of the other bodyguards had come in a few minutes later. Ridley had turned out to be as much of an asshole as I’d originally thought, so much so that he’d actually started to make a snide remark, but then he’d seen Jake and raised the alarm. I’d gotten myself upright and mostly in control by the time everybody else had gotten into the room. But the ache hadn’t gone away. It still wasn’t gone, and it had been more than a month since it had happened. And Carly wasn’t helping things. She’d disappeared a week after the funeral, taking half the team with her. A half I wasn’t included in. She seemed even more determined to ignore me and I was getting fed up. Five days before Carly was due back, Ryan hunted me down, finding me outside my little cabin. I could see the warm, gold glow spilling out of the windows of her house from where I stood at the water ’s edge, throwing rocks into the water and trying not to think. Any time I let my mind kick into gear, I found myself standing at the side of the bed, staring down at Jake’s

lifeless face. Cancer was a mean bitch. She shouldn’t have taken Jake. A guy like that, he should have lived until he was a hundred and eight. Should have gotten married, had a dozen kids, two dozen grandkids. Should’ve been there for Carly. She should’ve taken me. “You going to look at me or keep throwing rocks?” Ryan asked. I threw another rock and then glanced at him. “I looked.” Then I grabbed up another handful from the ground. “The way you’re going, Carly will need to have another truckload of those things brought out here,” Ryan said. I just shrugged and listened to the splash. “Jake’s will is being read next week. Right after Carly gets back in town.” Splash. “So?” “You’re going.” “Figured. I assumed Carly has to go, and the guys who’d gone with her would need a bit of a break when they got back.” I shrugged. “Ah. Well.” He shrugged. “Yeah. It’s just...aw, hell.”

He blew out a breath. “Jake would’ve kicked my ass for this, but I figure you’ll do better if you’re prepared. You’re in it, kid.” I’d had a rock left in my hand. My arm fell limp at my side at his words, the small stone falling to the ground. It hit my bare toe but I hardly noticed. “What?” “You heard me.” Ryan rocked back on his heels, hands tucked into the back of the khakis he wore when he wasn’t officially working. Ryan, even when he wasn’t on the job, he looked like he was ready to be caught on camera. He wore a pair of khakis with a knife sharp crease and a linen shirt that opened at the throat. Clean, perfectly pressed, and presentable. I was in a threadbare t-shirt I’d brought with me from Kentucky and a pair of jeans that already had a hole in the knee. You can take the boy out of Kentucky, but you can’t take Kentucky out of the boy. Even in my most expensive suit, I knew I didn’t belong with the rest of them. Hands on my hips, I glared at him. “Whatever it is, I don’t want it.” “What if he left you the solution to world peace?” “Then give it to the world.” Ryan stared at me for a long moment and then turned his head, staring out over the lake. “Bobby, you’re a

stubborn son of a bitch, you know that?” “Kiss my ass.” I grabbed another rock and threw it. It skipped four times. Ryan picked up a rock and tried to make it skip. It sank instead. Scowling, he tried again. After he had another roaring failure, I picked up another small, flat stone and sent it skipping. Ryan tried again. After yet another flop, he looked at me. I ignored him. “You know you meant a lot to him.” I went to throw another rock, then stopped. “I know that. He...” I cleared my throat, unable to say the words that would have been the whole truth. I stuck for the best I could do. “He was a good guy. One of the best.” Ryan studied me for a moment, and then nodded. “It would be a kick in the face not to take the gift he wanted you to have. Don’t insult his memory, Bobby.” Then he turned and walked away. Deflated, I sank to the ground. Was there any way to even argue with that? I stayed there until the sun was near the horizon, and only then did I force myself to my feet. I couldn’t, however, make my mind obey as easily as my body. My brain refused to let go of any of the chaos swirling around inside.

I was already living a life I didn’t think I had a right to. In the past six months, I’d made more money than I’d made in a few years before, and the clothes I had hanging in the closet in my place cost more than all of my previous wardrobe combined. Jake had actually apologized to me when he told me what I’d make a year. It won’t average out to five grand a week, kid. I probably would’ve had a heart attack if it had. All that money, just to be at Carly’s side, and I was getting more and more stupid over her. None of them knew that I would have given up what little I had just to be with her in the first place. But she’d still given me everything. What did I have that hadn’t come from her? Now I had something else to figure out how to handle. What in the hell had Jake decided to give me anyway and why? Hopefully it was something small, something easy for me to accept. One of the books he was always giving me to read. That would be nice. I could get behind even several of his books. Hell, I’d seen the library in his house once. He’d had a lot. Jake had a house, a nice one up in the mountains. When Carly hadn’t been traveling, Jake had off Fridays through Sundays and he’d always gone there. I’d gone to see him a couple times and we’d gone hiking and fishing. Before. After, he hadn’t been able to

go back. The house hadn’t been designed for somebody in a wheelchair, and he’d refused to have it updated, agreeing instead to let Carly set him up at the main house. No reason to tear up the house when I’ll only be around a few more months. I knew he’d just wanted a legit reason to spend as much time with Carly as he could. I’d never go hiking with him again, never go fishing. Never discuss Mark Twain or Charles Dickens. Never argue over which was better, the movie or the book. That knowledge slammed into me, and I stumbled right there in the middle of the wide path that led up to my house. The visceral pain all but cut me off right at the knees. I’d never handled emotional pain well. Give me a hit to the face over this any day. Feeling like I was going to be sick, I bent over, hands on my knees and tried to breathe through it. The sound of a shoe scuffing over pavement had me jerking my head up, and I saw Ridley just as he came around the bend. Curling my lip, I sneered at him. “What the fuck do you want?” His block-like face had some sort of smug set to it that I already didn’t like, and without even thinking about

it, I mentally braced myself. I’d gotten to know Ridley better in the past few months, and nothing had changed about my opinion of him. He was a genius at electronics and could juggle schedules, work with outside security when we had to take Carly to all the events she attended, her various charities, functions and causes. Lately, that had also included a lot of visits to a publisher because she was writing a biography about her dad. There were tons of them out there, of course, but nobody could write it from her point of view, because nobody had her view. The daughter who’d never known him, and the daughter he’d loved so much, he’d already written five songs about her before she’d even been born. Songs that ended up being her only real connection with him. She was mostly writing it herself, although she had the help of a popular biographer who’d come in a couple times a month to help. Carly had visited a few publishers, had dinner meetings, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings, more meetings than I would’ve thought a simple biography could’ve needed. Ridley was the one who basically handled Carly’s scheduling and coordinated all of the security who went with her. Despite the fact that he was essentially an asshole who watched Carly a little too closely for my

taste, I knew he had to be doing a good job, or Ryan would have fired his sour ass. As he continued to just stare at me, I lifted an eyebrow. “Did you hear me? I asked what in the hell you wanted.” That smug smirk spread into a smile and then he held something out. Letters I reached for the letters, but he jerked them back and said, “These were in Carly’s mail. You need to get this freak of yours under control, pretty boy. It’s annoying.” “Suck my dick,” I suggested as I grabbed the packet of envelopes. This time, he didn’t try to stop me. He knew better. The two of us had come to blows once. Only once. Ridley’s face hadn’t been any prettier for it, but he’d learned not to let it get to that point. Cutting around him, I waited until I was almost to my house before I let myself look down. There were only three sheets of paper. “She’s gotten some herself!” Ridley shouted as I slammed my door shut behind me. Written in block letters, all capitals, were two sentences. YOU’RE A KILLER. YOU DON’T FOOL ANYBODY. Shit.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen letters like this. I’d gotten the first one about two months after the pictures of Carly and me first hit the internet. The gossips had all but glued themselves to our asses, and rarely more than a few days went by when somebody didn’t dig up or make up something to post about us. The letter sender had taken longer to get started, but it wasn’t that easy to figure out how to get in touch with Carly Prince. It wasn’t like her address was listed in the white pages. They’d tracked down her publicist instead. Her publicist had advised firing me. Strongly. Carly had fired her publicist instead. She liked her new publicist more anyway. I did, too. The guy was flamboyant, flirting with anything and everything – me included – but I’d gotten used to it once I realized that was just him. A few days after that realization, I’d met Max’s husband – who just happened to be a pro wrestler who could’ve turned me inside out without breaking a sweat. I didn’t play that side, and both Max and his husband knew it. Max’s husband also knew what a flirt Max was, so we didn’t have any issues there. At the moment, however, I felt like kicking the hound-dog’s skinny ass. I’d told him to let me know if more letters came. I didn’t want Carly knowing about them. She’d worry, and that was the last thing she needed

right now. The second letter was more of the same. Is she next? Will you kill her like you killed Derrell? Disgusted, I flipped to the next one, and then stopped in the middle of the hall. The message was simple, but to the point. Do you believe in a life for a life? Blood started to roar in my ears and my heart jumped up into my throat. It wasn’t fear for myself that did it to me. It really wasn’t. I’d looked death in the face more than once, and I’d figured out a long time ago that there were worse things. That was what worried me, that this was one of those worse things. Whose life was this talking about? Mind made up, I left my cabin and headed up to the big house. I was going to hunt Ryan down and figure out what in the hell was going on. I found him in the security room. He took a look at my face and shook his head. “Nothing I can do about the will, Bobby. You can’t argue with a dead man.”

I just stared at him, my breathing ragged. After a few more seconds, he turned his head and looked at me, caution bleeding into his eyes. “Bobby? You in there?” “Yeah.” I looked down at the letter and read it again. Then I shoved it in Ryan’s direction. He came out of his seat and approached, taking the letter, still watching me warily. His breath hissed out between his teeth after he’d read it. “When did you get this?” He shot me a look. “Are there more?” “Yeah. Two of them.” I bared my teeth at him. “Ridley brought them to me. He said Carly is getting them. What the fuck, Ryan?” “It’s procedure.” Ryan’s voice was flat. “You know that. Max gets everything that’s sent to this address and to Carly’s fan club. He then sorts it out.” “Procedure, yeah, that it go to his office, but not that he open my fucking mail!” I bellowed at him. Ryan took a step toward me. “Would you have told us about the letters if you’d gotten them directly?” The expression on my face answered for me. “Exactly.” It hit me then. “You told him to do it.”

“Damn right I did. I’m not letting your ego get someone hurt.” “Fuck you,” I snapped. “Don’t like it,” he said, voice smooth. “Then quit.” “What’s going on?” Both of us turned as Carly moved into the hall. The sight of her was like a dull knife cutting into me, sawing through the half-dead meat that was my heart. Gruesome, yeah, but what I was feeling wasn’t pretty. And judging by how she looked, she wasn’t in the best shape either. Her eyes looked bruised, tired from crying. She was pale, her curls restrained in a simple braid. And she was still beautiful. Maybe the media frenzy that followed her wouldn’t think so, but to me, she was always beautiful. “Carly,” I whispered. I cleared my throat and tried again. “You’re back early.” She gave me a polite, blank look and I wanted to shake her. “I was tired,” she said. Then she looked at Ryan. “What’s going on?” Before he could respond though, she glanced at the letters and her mouth went tight. “Let me see.” She held out a hand. Fuck.

I tried to snatch the letters away, but Ryan held them out of my reach. “I want to see,” she said, forcing the words through clenched teeth. “It’s my problem!” I snapped. “Oh, of course.” She rolled her eyes and for the first time in months, the façade she wore around me cracked. “Everything is somebody else’s problem. Let’s not bother poor Carly with anything! She might not be able to handle it because she’s so fucking fragile!” Temper sparked in her eyes and she took a step closer to me. My head started to spin because this was the closest she’d been to me in weeks – no, longer. Probably in over a month. Up until Jake had started going downhill, I’d been the one who’d been on personal detail, but after, she went back to having Ace at her side for the most part. It had hurt like hell, but it had also made it easier to keep my hands to myself. Now, with her standing so close, it made it a lot harder not to reach out and touch her, grab her. Hold her. Kiss her. My gaze dropped to her mouth. Her lips parted and she sucked in a breath. A second later, my head snapped to the side. My cheek flamed where she slapped me.

Hard. “Alright. That’s it.” Ryan muscled between us and shoved me back. I went willingly, not bothering to reach up and touch my stinging cheek. I just stared at Carly, unable to believe what she’d done. Not that I thought she hadn’t been capable of it, but that it finally happened. “You want to tell me what that was about?” Ryan asked. She sniffed. “Yes.” Her voice cracked. “It’s because...” The words were more sobs than anything else now. “He’s a...he’s...a...a...fucking ass!” She took off as soon as she shouted the last two words. Ryan blew out a breath and looked up at the ceiling for a moment before glancing at me. “Are you going after her? Or am I?” “Yeah, it really looks like she wants to talk to me.” I gestured to my cheek. Ryan sighed and shook his head. “You don’t know shit about women.”

Chapter 13 “If I may point your attention...” The voice droned on and on. I was pretty sure that if I had to continue sitting here listening to him for much longer, I’d fall asleep. And then... “This particular clause affects one Robert E. Cantrell.” “Bobby,” I corrected automatically, jerking my head up. The lawyer didn’t look happy to have been interrupted and I grinned at him. It wasn’t a nice grin though. I wasn’t happy he’d interrupted my near nap. Mr. Theodore S. Edelson cleared his throat. “Yes, shall we?” And then he continued on to the clause that affected me, Robert E. Cantrell. “I bequeath my house, located at...” My head started to roar. “And the entirety of its contents, including the library, the shed and its contents, and my car, a 1964 Mustang.” The weird banging noise I heard had to be my jaw as it hit the floor.

The lawyer droned on. Or he would have, but I finally stuttered out, “Stop.” “Mr. Cantrell, that’s your bequest, in its entirety.” “He can’t,” I said, shaking my head. “He couldn’t have left me all of that. His house? His car? I just wanted a couple of books!” “Sir, I assure you, there is nothing else–” Next to me, Ryan started to chuckle. Carly, after a second, giggled. It was the first time I’d heard her laugh in ages. “I think you got the books, man,” Ryan said, and then he started to laugh. I glared at all of them. “This isn’t funny! He left me a house! What am I going to do with a house? And his car? Was he crazy?” Carly laughed harder. Ryan struggled to get it under control. “This isn’t funny.” My face burned. Everyone was staring at me, their expressions ranged from amused to pissed. Carly was the former, Ridley the latter. Cameo – the newest addition to the crew, and the only woman – rolled her eyes at me. “Robert, you’d think he’d given you a case of syphilis, not a house and an awesome car.”

“Bobby,” I said. She lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. It was clear she was still feeling everyone out. “I don’t see what the problem is. If I’d been left a house, I’d be doing backflips.” Carly was almost crying now. No...check that. She was crying. Ryan started toward her, but I beat him there. I didn’t know what drove me – or at least didn’t want to admit what it was – but I caught her in my arms just as her legs gave out. I sat and eased her into my lap. We ended up on the couch, and at first she pushed me away, shoved at me. I didn’t move, knowing that if she’d truly wanted me away, Ryan would’ve intervened. Then, finally, she clung to me. My chest tightened as she pressed her face into it, her sobs tearing at my heart. “He’s gone, Bobby. He’s really gone.” I stroked her hair and murmured her name. I didn’t say anything else though. What could I say? She’d lost a man who’d essentially been her only parent, and I knew all too well the hole that left behind. The best I could offer her wasn’t much, but it was all I had. ***

“I understand you’ve recently come into a sizable, well, inheritance?” I met the dark, sharp eyes of Julia Espinosa. When I’d moved to California, the first order of business had been meeting with my new parole officer. An ex-convict out on parole has a shitload of rules to follow to keep from being sent back to prison. Detoine had been fine with the request to move, but I knew a lot of that had been thanks to Carly, Ryan and Jake. I didn’t, however, get to go without a PO at all. So, I’d ended up with the slightly scary Espinosa tugging my leash. As she waited for my answer, I resisted the urge to slump in the chair and act like a horse’s ass. Instead, I jerked a shoulder and said, “Jake left me his house.” “And a car, if I understand right.” She folded her hands on her desk, pinning me with a look. “Why would he do that?” That was easy to answer. “I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure that out myself.” Something that might have been a smile flickered across her eyes for the briefest moment. It was gone just as fast as it came. She flipped open a folder and withdrew something, studying it with pursed lips before turning it face down on her military neat desk. “Tell me about the letters.”

I was going to kill Max. Or possibly Ryan. “Don’t lie, either,” she warned. “That will get you in some serious trouble, Bobby. I find myself liking you. Don’t make me not like you by lying to me, and causing us both grief.” “I don’t see why the letters are any concern of yours,” I said. Even I heard the fuck off in my voice. Not the best idea, but I couldn’t seem to stop it. “Your general well-being is a concern of mine.” She picked up the top paper and held it out to me. It was a copy of the letters I’d shown Ryan the other day. “This sounds like a threat to me. Can you say otherwise?” A life for a life... The words mocked me. “Somebody is just being an asshole,” I said. “It’s possible,” Julia said after a moment. She picked up a pen and started to tap it on the arm of her chair as she studied me. “You know, a few years ago, people could probably say you were an asshole. Then you went and did something decent, and another asshole came after you. The two of you fought, and you killed him. Probably before he could kill you–” “Probably?” I cut her off. Sweat gathered at the base of my spine and neck while my hands bunched into fists, but I managed not to growl. “I can guarantee you that

Derrell Mitchell wasn’t looking to discuss the merits of our continued employment with a drug dealer, Ms. Espinosa.” “I imagine he wasn’t.” She tapped the pen harder. “As I was saying, the two of you fought. He’s dead. You’re not. While there were extenuating circumstances, a lot of this started because you were an asshole. Since then, it seems like you decided there were other things you could be besides an asshole, but if anybody knows what things a person is capable of, it should be you.” A dull, heavy weight formed in the pit of my stomach. When I didn’t say anything, she tossed the pen on her desk and leaned forward. “I’m not going to claim any major insight on these notes, Bobby, but I don’t like them. They make me itchy. I know your boss doesn’t like them either, does he?” Technically, I could argue that Carly was my boss, but in the end, it was Ryan who handled everything now that Jake was gone. And both of us didn’t like anything about this. It had taken determination to track me down, even if it had only been done via Carly’s agent. And whoever this was hadn’t done it just once. He kept sending the notes. There weren’t any prints. The postmarks all varied. Lexington, DC, Nashville, Detroit. He wasn’t

stupid, which meant he was even more dangerous. “What exactly do you want me to say?” Instead of looking at her, I stared at one of the framed prints on Espinosa’s wall. Her office was a lot nicer than Detoine’s had been. “You want to hear that whoever this asshole is has gotten under my skin? All right. He has.” “I hope he has. He’s sending notes to Ms. Prince, too, if I recall correctly.” I sighed. I really didn’t like the polite dance she did. Even though I appreciated her not treating me like shit, I preferred people just coming out and saying what they meant. Especially when I already had enough shit to deal with. “Why don’t you just get to whatever point you’re trying to make?” Julia sighed this time. Then, catching me completely by surprise, she tugged her glasses off and put them on the desk. She looked younger without them, and I realized, with a start, that she was pretty. Not that it mattered. Even if I wasn’t already lost over Carly, and even if I was stupid enough to feel some tug of attraction to a woman who held that much control over me, I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to even attempt to flirt with Julia. She’d slice my balls off and hand them to me.

Of course, I thought, so could Carly. Maybe I was more of an idiot than I realized. She glanced up at me, and as though she’d followed my line of thinking, she frowned. “You’re enough to give a woman a headache, you know that?” I managed not to smile. “I’ve been told that.” “Hmmm.” She nodded slowly. “I bet you have.” I shrugged. I could bullshit over this a lot easier than I could bullshit over other things, at least with Julia. “You don’t really see Carly as somebody who stands with a lot of formality, do you?” “I couldn’t say.” She lifted a shoulder. “I’ve never met her, and I grew up in this town. I’m not dazzled by the stars. And I don’t follow any of the gossip rags either.” Normally, I would’ve agreed with her on all points. It wasn’t any kind of star that dazzled me. It was just Carly. But there was nothing ‘just’ about Carly. “Well, trust me. She’s not big on formality. If I called her anything but Carly, she wouldn’t much like it.” I couldn’t tell if Julia bought the casual routine or not. “There’s a lot of speculation about the two of you.” Giving her a partial smile, I asked, “How would you

know about any of that bullshit if you don’t follow that sort of thing?” “Because I’ve got plenty of co-workers who do follow that sort of thing,” she replied, her tone wry. “Any of the bullshit out there on the money?” “Well, PEOPLE reported that Carly Prince has a convicted killer working for her. I cannot tell a lie. They are right.” I paused and then added in a deadpan voice, “It’s a shame about Ryan, really.” She rolled her eyes, but didn’t seem to be truly annoyed. “You’re cute, Bobby.” “So they tell me.” A look at the clock on her wall told me I still had a good ten minutes in here. “What else do you need to know, Ms. Espinosa? I’m being a good boy. I’ve kept my nose clean, and even if people try to pick a fight with me, I keep out of trouble. I’m taking online college courses.” Then I snorted and added, “For all the good they’ll do me. I’ll end up with a masters in business in a year or two and still, people won’t want anything to do with me.” “Apparently Carly Prince does. Ryan Harmon has nothing but praise for you. Most of your co-workers couldn’t speak any more highly of you.” She paused and then added, “Although it seems a Mr. Ridley doesn’t care for you. He claims we should ship you back to Kentucky so they can lock your ‘redneck ass back up.’”

She managed to get Ridley’s Bronx accent right on key. Smirking, I asked, “Is that all he had to say?” “My point is, you have a number of people who think you have a lot to offer society. You’re working in personal security, and that’s a fair amount of trust for a man with your background.” Julia watched me. She had an unnerving way about her. Worse than a lawyer, just as bad as a cop. Since I didn’t know what she wanted me to say, I said nothing. A faint exhalation escaped her. She was pushing for something, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. A few more seconds passed, and then she placed something in front of me. The words made sense in a disjointed sort of way. I recognized the font, the style of writing. Except this one wasn’t directed at me. You know his secrets. You still support him. That makes you equally guilty.

Chapter 14 I spent the time driving back to the estate to pull my temper under control. While I’d been behind bars, I’d been required to take all kinds of anger management courses, one of which had been about healthy ways of expressing anger. When I got home, I knew I had to use one of those healthy ways while Carly was at one of her spa things, or I’d be expressing myself in a decidedly unhealthy manner by the time she got back. Fortunately for me, I didn’t encounter any of the other guys on my way to the gym, or I might’ve done something stupid. A hundred laps in the pool didn’t do a thing, so I tried for two hundred, trying to lose myself in the rhythm of my arms cutting through the water. By the time I finished, I was a worn-out, exhausted mess, but still the fury and fear had me in knots, so I leaned against the side of the pool and let my muscles rest for a while before dragging myself to my feet. I toweled off and switched to a pair of dry shorts. I didn’t bother with a shower, not when I planned on sweating off the chlorine in the state-of-the-art weight room Carly had put in. I’d never seen anything like it until I’d come here, but I’d almost gotten used to it.

Forty-five minutes on the weights didn’t wash that note from my mind, and I had to accept that nothing was going to do it. After wiping down the station, I went to the sauna where I sat down and put my face in my hands, my heart a heavy, black knot. Whoever he was, he was threatening Carly now, and I no longer cared whether or not they were empty words or a true threat. I could blow off whatever this asshole sent toward me. Bringing Carly into it...that was unforgivable. I wanted to break something. Tear something. Destroy something. Except I’d already done that, and it was the reason Carly was in danger to begin with. Leave. The answer was a soft, gentle voice in the back of my mind. I didn’t want to, but I thought maybe that was exactly what I needed to do. I even had a place to go now. I could go to the house Jake left me and figure out what to do next. I had money now. Since I didn’t really have a lot of bills to pay or anything, I could get by okay as I tried to find something new. Here, hopefully. I didn’t want to go back to Kentucky. There was nothing waiting for me there, nothing to go

back to. If I was lucky, I could get a job as a mechanic out here. That might pay halfway decent, and since I had a car of my own, and a place, my cost of living wouldn’t have to be sky-high. I knew how to live on a small budget, despite how damn expensive it was to live here. A noise caught my attention and I looked up. The sight of Ridley moving across the gym, just beyond the sauna doors, had my lip curling. Something about him just rubbed me the wrong way. I started to stand up and the room spun. Slapping a hand against the heated wood, I steadied myself. How long had I been in there? No telling. I’d lost track of time. I opened the door and stepped out, taking my time with it as Ridley’s gaze swung toward me. I gave him a level look as I moved over to the nearby refrigerator. He said nothing. Neither did I. I grabbed a bottle of water and downed it. I was still thirsty, and my head was starting to pound. The lightheaded feeling hadn’t gone away either, but I’d gone hungry more than once in my life. I knew how to handle being dizzy. I’d just spent too much time in the dry heat, so as long as I moved slow, I’d be fine. I was nearly to the door when Ridley finally spoke, “Your parole officer has been talking to everybody. Guess she doesn’t like how your meetings are going if

she’s checking up on you. How much longer until she sends your hillbilly ass back to Kentucky, Bobby-boy?” In response, I flipped him off over my shoulder. Not exactly mature, I knew, but it was better than what I really wanted to do. He chuckled. “I guess today didn’t go that well for you, did it? Not surprising though. You may’ve had Jake fooled, but I knew the rest of us would start to see through you soon enough.” Ignoring him, I moved through the door. I needed to get some food in my belly, and I needed to think. One thing was certain. The exertion and the overlong stint in the sauna had done precisely what I’d wanted. The temper had drained out of me. Yeah, Carly had kept her letters from me and I was still pissed about that, but maybe what I needed to do was clear out. Get some space. ***

The knock at my door came late. I couldn’t say I was surprised by it. Normally, most of us gathered in the estate’s kitchen to eat dinner, but that time had come and gone, and I hadn’t left my little house. My suitcases were spread out across my room.

The clothes I’d paid for with my own money were packed. The rest of them – and that was the majority – were neatly folded or left hanging in the closet. The knock came a second time, and I ignored it a second time. But after the third knock, I moved through the maze of suitcases and boxes I’d accumulated over the past few months, and made my way to the living room. I yanked the door open just as Ryan started to knock a fourth time. “What?” “You know,” he said, speaking with deliberate slowness. “When you’re home, it’s considered polite to answer the door.” “I’m not polite. Deal with it.” I tried to shut the door, but Ryan slammed a hand against it. I sighed and stepped aside. I didn’t see the point in fighting with him. It would save me the trouble of hunting him down tomorrow. I’d rather tell him than Carly anyway. He looked surprised at my easy capitulation, his expression wary as he came inside. “She had no right telling you like that.” I turned away. “Like what?” “Julia called me after you left and told me what she’d done. It wasn’t from me. She called a detective she knew on the force, was able to find out that Carly had been

getting letters too. Got a copy. She had no right dropping it on you like that.” There was a funny slapping sound, and saw that he’d set a file folder down on a nearby table. I stared at it, felt a funny little twist in my gut. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was in there, but it didn’t matter. Grabbing the envelope from my desk, I held it out. “Here.” He barely spared the envelope a look. “Look, Bobby. You didn’t want...” His voice trailed off as he suddenly realized he was holding something important. “What the fuck is this?” “You’re a smart man, Ry. If you put your brain to it, I think you can figure out what’s going on in here,” I said. I kicked one of the boxes I’d torn apart out of the way and grabbed another one. I figured four boxes – no, make that six – boxes should hold most of the books I’d bought. I just hoped Jake’s library would have enough room for them. “Why are you packing?” he asked, his voice rough. “If you’d read the letter I gave you, you’d already have that answer.” I heard a ripping sound as I picked up a stack of books. It was silent behind me for a minute, and then I heard another ripping sound.

“No.” I didn’t look up. How did I end up with two copies of City of Ghosts? I tossed both inside. “Did you hear what I said, hard-ass? I said no!” I looked back at Ryan. The minute I did, he threw a wadded-up ball of paper at me. I batted it aside before it could smack me in the face. “I’m pretty sure it’s still a free country, hard-ass.” His lip curled. “Free country, sure. But you’re a contract employee. You’re required to give a thirty-day notice, pretty boy. Remember that paperwork we went over?” Shit. Now that he mentioned it, I did remember. “You don’t need me around here for another thirty fucking days,” I said. “You signed the contract.” He closed the distance and jabbed me in the chest, hard. “You’ll work the damn thirty fucking days.” Then, while I was trying to figure out what else to say, he bent and grabbed the paper from the floor, then slammed it against my chest. “And guess what, Bobby. I’m not going to do your dirty work. You want to break Carly’s heart like this? Then you tell her.” “It’s not gonna break her damn heart. She hardly even talks to me anymore.” The words came out far

more sulky than I liked. I sounded more like some kid mooning over his first crush than an adult trying to be practical. “Yeah? I noticed. Funny, though. She sure as hell still stares at you. The same way you stare at her when you don’t think she’s looking.” I shot him a look, but he was already on his way out the door. ***

Two days later, I still hadn’t figured out how to tell Carly. Ryan left the file of letters in my house, and I’d combed through them over and over while telling myself, over and over, that leaving was the best thing to do. On the third day, Carly broke the wide circle we usually gave each other and stopped in the middle of the hall. “Okay,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “That’s it. I’m done. This stops.” I jammed my hands in my pockets and went with my usual go-to response. “What...you’re actually going to talk to me now?”

“I don’t know.” She smiled sweetly at me. “Are you going to stop pretending that I’m a leper?” “I never–” “Oh, kiss my ass, Cantrell,” she snapped. “I was there for your whole six month speech and I know you’re telling yourself that you’re honoring Jake’s wishes, but you’re just being a fucking bastard. So when you’re finally ready to man up and admit what you want, let me know.” As I tried to pick my jaw up off the ground, she shifted her attention to a shocked-looking Ryan. “You. Talk.” That tone might have worked on Ridley or Cameo. Probably even Ace. But it didn’t work on Ryan. When she slid her narrowed eyes my way, I just jerked a shoulder in a shrug and looked away. “What’s the matter?” She fluttered her lashes at me. “Are you two breaking up?” I half-choked on my water. “What?” “Carly...” Ryan sounded exasperated, but not surprised. She snorted, ignoring him as she smirked at me. “Oh, didn’t you hear? That’s the latest rumor going around. I’m keeping you on hand because you’re having an affair with my head of security.”

Running my tongue over my teeth, I moved over to the sidebar and grabbed a bottle of water. “I guess there’s no point in pointing out that both of us are straight, right?” “Nah. They don’t care about the truth.” Carly shrugged and headed for the kitchen. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her ass as I followed her. It was just after her morning workout, so she was still wearing a pair of form-fitting pants that made all of the blood in my body run straight south. “Tell me what’s going on,” she said quietly. Ryan shook his head and shot me a not-so-friendly look. “It’s not up to me, Carly. You’ll have to wait for pretty-boy to tell you.” I glared at his back as he left the two of us in the kitchen. I could feel Carly watching me, but took my time looking back at her. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter. “Well?” I can’t stay here. I quit. I... The words stuck in my throat. I...

I couldn’t imagine being somewhere I couldn’t see her every day. Fuck. I’d gone and done the stupidest damn thing. I’d fallen in love with her. The best thing to do would be to leave. It would keep her safe. It was also now the hardest thing imaginable. “Tell me about the letters,” I said, my voice rusty. I had to get myself under control. Carly’s eyes widened, and then fell away from my face. “I...” She pushed a few damp strands of hair from her face. “Bobby, you don’t need to worry about any of that. It’s just...hell, it’s bullshit. I get threats all the time. This is just some loon out there. This one’s fixated on both of us this time. That’s all.” “That’s all?” She gave me a nervous smile. “What else could it be?” Instead of saying anything, I just stood up and left. I needed to think, and I couldn’t do that with her around. ***



Just like the other night, when the knock came, I ignored it. I hadn’t unpacked. The only thing I’d done was push boxes and suitcases out of the way so I didn’t trip over them if I had to get up in the middle of the night to take a leak. Then I’d sprawled on top of my bed and stared at the ceiling. The knock came again and I shot a look at the clock. It was nearly eleven. If Ryan was here to chew my ass again, I just might pound on his. Kicking my legs over the edge of the bed, I moved through the house without hitting the lights. I’d spent a lot of years making do in poor lighting, and my eyes adjusted to the faint lights that streamed in through the blinds. There was another knock, softer...hesitant. I frowned. That wouldn’t be Ryan. Instinct told me to be careful, so I glanced through the blinds. Light fell on pale hair, turning it silver. I jerked open the door just as Carly started to turn away. She spun around, staring at me. I opened my mouth to talk, but she beat me to it.

“You hid stuff from me too!” I’d spent half a year with Carly at this point, and I knew almost all of her moods. If I was being honest though, I could spend a hundred years with her and not know all of them. That both awed and aggravated me. Sometimes it felt like she invented a new mood just to fuck with me. But this wasn’t one of her new moods. This was an old one. The first one of hers I’d gotten to know. Pure, pissed-off woman. There was only one way to handle this sort of thing. I snapped my mouth shut and shoved my hands into my pockets. In the dim light, she advanced on me and drilled a finger into my chest. “What...don’t you have anything to say about that?” I looked down at her index finger. Her nail was painted white with little black flowers on it. I didn’t understand how women could do that, or why they’d want to. But she was about ready to splatter that little black flower with red if she drilled that finger any deeper into my chest. I didn’t touch her though. “Are you trying to poke a hole in me?” She made a growling noise deep in her throat. “You are such an ass, Bobby Cantrell!”

“I know.” “Don’t agree with me, dammit!” she shouted. She shoved me. I let her. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have because it ended up with us both inside my house. “Are you going to argue with me or not?” Her eyes were snapping, brilliant. “It seems to me like you’re perfectly happy to handle all the arguing yourself,” I pointed out. Her eyes narrowed and I almost took a step back. “You bastard!” Her breasts rose and fell as she stood there, glaring at me. It was insanely distracting because all I wanted to do was cup those sweet curves in my hand and taste her, feel her, push her up against the wall and fill her with my cock. Comfort her. Fuck her. All I knew for sure is that I wanted her. “You pushed me away as soon as Jake got hurt and then he...and I needed somebody...” Her voice cracked, and my heart did too. “I didn’t push you away.” Helpless to stop myself, I lifted a hand. She smacked it away. “The hell you didn’t. Any time I tried to touch you, you backed away.”

I gritted my teeth and gave her the truth. “That’s because I can’t have you touching me without wanting you naked.” “I don’t have a problem with that!” She jabbed me with her finger again, or tried to. This time, I caught her wrist. “I made a promise to Jake. And he wasn’t wrong to ask me.” She jerked on her hand. I could’ve said that the devil made me do it, but in reality, it was just plain need. I jerked back and she ended up sprawled against my chest. I didn’t know which one of us moved first, but in the next second, our mouths were fused together, and it was like the past six months hadn’t happened. Or maybe they had. Those months had served to make me want her more, need her more, and if the way she was tearing at my jeans was any indication, the same could be said for her. Her passion fueled mine and I had her naked in no time. My clothes quickly followed, and then it was skin against skin. Even as my tongue explored her mouth, her hand closed around my dick, dragging it up and down in a fast, heavy rhythm. My sac drew tight up against me. I tore my mouth away from hers. My voice was hoarse, rough with need. “If you keep that up, I’m going

to come all over you.” “Do it,” she said, the words low and husky. “I don’t care.” I all but went to my knees, whimpering. Some day I’d take her up on that, but there was something else I wanted more. I crowded her up against the back of the couch until she ended up sprawled over the long flat surface. Grabbing her knees, I pushed them high and wide. “I’d rather have you come all over me,” I said, kissing my way down her torso. Her voice tripped as she said, “Bobby...no.” I looked up. Memory hit me. She’d stopped me before. I looked up, but didn’t move. “Why?” “I don’t...I don’t like that.” Her entire body flushed. I kissed her navel. “Why not?” “I just...” Her breath skittered out of her when I traced my finger around the wet entrance of her pussy. “I’ve never liked...” I smiled at her. “But you’ve never had me do it.” Her lashes fluttered when I pushed my finger inside. “No.” “Let me try?” I asked. I kissed her hipbone. Part of me needed to try. I didn’t know who had given her the

bad experience, but I mentally cursed him. Even if he hadn’t known what he was doing, if he’d loved her, he would’ve made it right. “If you don’t like it, just tell me to stop and I will.” The hands she’d fisted against my shoulders relaxed, just a little. “Promise?” I turned my head and kissed her knuckles. “Cross my heart.” When her hands fell to the curved back of the couch, I nuzzled her belly and then kissed my way down to the place I’d wanted to be from the moment I first met her. I took my time. Kissed the insides of her thighs, lightly kissed the sensitive skin between her legs. When I took my first tentative lick, she whimpered. I smiled. Damn every other man she’d been with who hadn’t done this for her. Screwing two fingers in and out of the slick wet heat, I listened as she gasped and whimpered. She lifted her hips beseechingly, and then cried out when I blew a puff of air against her clitoris. Damn, she was responsive. This time, I flicked my tongue across her clit. She climaxed, hard and fast. It should have made me feel like the biggest damn man on the planet, making her come from something

she said she didn’t like. How could I feel humbled instead? Why did the feel of her clutching me closer send a shudder through me? Why did the sound of her voice breaking as she gasped out my name make me feel like I was going to break? Emotions, too messy to think about, tried to well up inside me, and I shoved them all down. Sex, bringing a woman pleasure, that was one thing I understood, something I was good at. So I focused on it and made her come again. She was salty against my tongue as I licked and nuzzled her, dipping inside her. Used my teeth on her clitoris, tugging on her gently until she was so sensitive, even the lightest brush made her shiver. Her hands slid from my shoulders and I crawled up her body, staring down into her flushed face. “You’re a liar, Miss Carly.” I drawled her name, reaching for my defensive sarcastic humor. Her lashes barely fluttered. A weak smiled curled her lips as she murmured, “Um?” I kissed the corner of her mouth. “You said you didn’t like it. I’ve got scratches all up and down my back that say otherwise.”

Carly curled her arms around my back and brushed her lips across mine. I was prepared for her to turn away as soon as she realized why my mouth was wet. Not every woman liked to be kissed after a man had gone down on her. If she didn’t want me to kiss her, that was fine. But when I licked at the entrance to her mouth, she let me in with a sighing little hum. After a moment, she started to rock against me, her nipples hard points against my chest. The only thing separated us now was a wish and a prayer and when she lifted her hips, either the wish or the prayer slid away. Fuck. I had to stop us. “Carly, I don’t have a rubber with me.” She bit my lower lip. “Do you need one?” I groaned and closed my eyes. “Current medical opinion says yes.” She arched against me again, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. Slick, wet satin slid along my cock, and I clenched my hands in the cushions to keep from saying the hell with it and driving into her. “I’m on the pill.” She pulled her head back, and in the dim light coming from the kitchen in the back of the house, she stared up at me. Her eyes were wide, dark.

I was staring into the face of temptation. The face of seduction. I was lost, found, and lost again. Then she lifted a knee and pressed it to my hip. “You’re clean.” She grinned at me, a grin that was all wicked heat and wild promises. My surprise must’ve shown on my face because she looked slightly embarrassed as she continued. “See, well, when you started working for me, you did a physical. There was blood work...and I’m nosy enough to check.” Blood rushed up my cheeks. Maybe if it had been anybody else, I’d have been aggravated at the invasion of my privacy. The physical had been for insurance reasons, not to make sure I was clean for sex. I knew I should’ve been aggravated, but something inside me was pleased that she’d wanted me enough to check. Sliding one hand into her hair, I tangled my fingers in her curls. “You frequently check out the health status of your employees like that, Carly?” I whispered, pressing my mouth against her ear. “No.” The word came out breathless. “Only for you. Are you going to yell at me?” She did that thing with her hips again, and I swore.

Fuck it. “Can we just pretend I was pissed?” “Yes. And I’ll pretend I’m sorry. Now damn it, Bobby...I need–” The rest of her words were lost in a wail as I thrust into her, hard, deep, not stopping until I was buried in the welcoming wet heat of her pussy. Even as her wail faded into a whimper, I flexed my hips and rocked, felt the knot of her clit. Her nails sank into my shoulders as I pulled out. I hissed at the sharp bite of pain. I drove back into her again, flexed and rocked. She clenched down around me as I withdrew again, and I had to force myself past the tightening grip of her pussy. She shoved her hands into my hair and dragged my mouth down toward hers. We were greedy, desperate, our bodies taking, needing... I was fucking crazy to think I could live without her. Everything else seemed to disappear. Nothing mattered but her body beneath mine, the wet glide of my cock inside her, the way she moaned as we drove each other straight into madness. She orgasmed, and as she twisted and bucked beneath me, I turned my face into her hair and gave in to the primal need inside me. My entire body felt like it

exploded as I emptied myself into her. While we clung to each other, I mouth the words I knew I had to hide from her. I love you. In the moments that followed, I shifted on the couch and pulled her until she was cuddling with her back to my front. As we settled, I had to acknowledge the truth of it. I didn’t think I could just walk away. I’d leave if I had to. If I knew there was no other way. But until I knew that was the only choice, leaving Carly Prince just wasn’t an option. I’d only been half-alive before I met her. Leaving her would probably be the end of me.

Chapter 15 If I’d been smart, I would’ve gotten up in the middle of the night and done something about the boxes and suitcases, especially since I’d come to the brilliant revelation that I was a dumbass. I wouldn’t have been able to unpack completely, but I could’ve at least gotten things out of sight and avoided a whole mess of issues. But I wasn’t smart. Not even a little bit. And my wake-up call didn’t help my brain function at all. I went from semi-erect to dying in the blink of an eye as the wet heat of Carly’s mouth closed around my cock. Within seconds, I was awake and gasping for air. I opened my eyes to see her dragging her head back up, taking her time circling the tip of her tongue around the crown of my throbbing cock. She stopped long enough to shoot me an impish grin, and then she returned to the business at hand. When she slid her way back down, I closed my eyes and grabbed the cushion beneath me. This was one morning I had no intention of rushing. ***

We moved from the couch to the shower, and while I was done far sooner than she was, I still wasn’t fast enough. She walked in while I was still scrambling to shove boxes and shit into the closet. “What’s...?” She stopped in the middle of the floor, the words dying in her throat as she took in the empty suitcases. I could only watch as everything fell apart. Her gaze slid to me and I readied myself to see anything there – pain, surprise, shock, anger. I saw nothing. “You’re leaving.” The words were flat, emotionless. Shit. “No,” I said, moving toward her. She backed away before I could touch her, her hand held up as if she intended to slap mine away. I would’ve deserved it if she had. “You’ve got suitcases out, boxes packed. That’s usually a sign of somebody leaving.” “I’m not.” Dragging a hand through my hair, I fumbled for something to say. Bullshit and sarcasm just weren’t going to cut it this time. If I didn’t want to lose her, I had to be real. “Look, I thought for a while it was the best thing to do. Me being here...there’s some crazy fuck after you because of me and–”

She laughed. The sound was brittle, cold. It reminded me of chunks of ice breaking after a freezing winter. “Has it dawned on you, you bastard, that maybe some crazy fuck is after you because of me?” I came up short. No. Actually, no. That hadn’t dawned on. She smirked, reading my answer in my silence. But as that silence stretched out, I knew she was wrong. Knew that whole idea was wrong. I’d been getting by on my wits and instinct for as long as I could remember. I’d had to. Living with a mean drunk, I’d learned to gauge things fast. After my mom died and I ended up out on my ass, alone in the streets, I’d had nothing else but my wits and instinct to survive on. I trusted them, even when I trusted nothing and nobody else. She was wrong. She didn’t want to hear it and maybe she didn’t need to, but this was about me. “I’m not leaving,” I said softly. “Like I said, I was going to, but I changed my mind.” Carly sneered at me as she strode by, clutching a towel to her breasts. I watched as she shoved my closet open and grabbed the closest shirt. I got a little weak in the knees watching as she pulled the black dress shirt on and let the towel fall. Fuck. My shirt, over her naked

body. “Yeah, I wonder what changed your mind,” she said scathingly as she turned toward me. I jerked my gaze away from the sight of her fingers slipping buttons through the narrow little holes. Never let it be said that there’s nothing sexy about watching a woman get dressed. It makes a man think about taking the clothes right back off. Especially when it’s his clothes she’s putting on. “Tell me.” She pulled her wet curls out from under the collar. “Since it seems like this was a recent development, just when, exactly, did you change your mind?” She crossed her arms over her breasts and glared at me, waiting for an answer. “I...” Licking my lips, I floundered for an answer. Finally, I just shoved my hands into my pockets and risked the truth. “Last night.” The disdain on her face deepened and she took a step to move past me. I caught her arm, needing to explain, needing her to understand. She whirled around, her hand flying out. I let it come. The slap sent my head snapping to the side. I didn’t let go of her arm, though. I deserved her anger, but I was still going to make sure she knew the

whole truth. No matter how much it scared the shit out of me. “Feel better?” I asked. Tears gleamed in her eyes. “No!” I pulled her closer. She didn’t want to come, but I wasn’t about to let her walk out like this. My heart twisted with the knowledge that I was responsible for her tears. I’d thought leaving would keep me from hurting her, but, as usual, I fucked it up. “My decision had nothing to do with making love to you,” I whispered. It wasn’t until the words were out that I realized what I’d said. Making love. Not having sex. Not sleeping with her. I was in too deep and I knew it. “You’re such a fucking liar.” She practically spat the words at me. I cradled the side of her face with my hand, and when she pulled away to avoid my touch, I contented myself with toying with the ends of her hair. If she truly wanted me to let her go, I would, but I had to tell her this first. She had to know what she’d done for me, to me. “I’d been arguing with myself about it for a while, but the minute you showed up on the front porch, Carly, I knew I couldn’t do it. That’s when I...” My voice cracked.

Carly’s eyes darted toward me, then bounced away. Slowly, I went to my knees, my hands moving to her hips. I pressed my face to her belly, breathing in the scent of her. My soap, the fabric softener I used...and her. Just her. “That’s when I figured it out, Carly,” I whispered, my voice low and soft. I closed my eyes as I said the words I hadn’t said to a woman in a very long time. “I love you.” Any answer she might have made was interrupted by the blaring ring from my phone. I wanted to ignore it, would have ignored it, but this was a special ring, one programmed into the phone by Ryan, and it was the one ring I wasn’t allowed to ignore. Shit. Perfect timing. With a sigh, I got to my feet and picked up the phone. “What?” “Is she there?” Double shit. “Yes.” I didn’t bother with an explanation. He wasn’t stupid. “Cameo’s coming to get you both. Neither one of you leave.” The call ended and I turned toward Carly. I set the phone down on the table. “Cameo’s on her way to pick

us up. Ryan wants to see us.” She nodded, her jaw clenched tight. We both knew we had to talk, but we didn’t have time now. This wasn’t the sort of thing we could get part-way into and then pause it to have a discussion with Ryan. “I need to get dressed.” Carly didn’t look at me as she walked out to the living room where we’d left her clothes from last night. I took a few minutes to gather myself and then went out into the living room to wait for Cameo. Carly was wearing her own jeans, but had kept on my shirt. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I hoped it was a good sign. Except she didn’t speak to me as we waited. Or when we came out of my house to meet Cameo on one of the carts people used to get around the estate. She didn’t say anything during the ride, despite the looks Cameo was throwing at us both. Even when we walked into the security office and Ryan gestured to the seats across from his desk, she was silent. “Next time,” Ryan said, his voice calm despite the hard glint in his eyes. “Let somebody know where you are.” The words were directed at Carly, but the anger was directed primarily at me. Shit. We already had a meeting scheduled this

morning, and I was sure he planned on handing me my ass as soon as Carly was out of the room. “Carly.” His voice softened. She looked up from her pensive study of her nails to meet his gaze. “You know we were just worried.” She shrugged. “I was on the grounds, Ry. I’m a big girl. If I want to take a midnight walk, I can.” “But you didn’t come back,” he pointed out. She gave him a saccharine smile and I braced myself for what I knew was coming. That smile was dangerous. “That’s because I was getting fucked six different ways to Sunday,” she said, batting her lashes at him innocently. Oh shit. Behind us, Cameo choked. Dave, the only one of us with a family, was standing a few feet behind Ryan, and he hid a smile behind a quick cough. Ryan rubbed his face and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. I had a feeling he was praying for patience. Or maybe a blunt object to beat me with. My neck prickled, and I shifted casually, taking advantage of the movement to put Ridley into my peripheral vision. He stood by the window, pure,

undiluted loathing in his gaze. No, it was even more than that. Whatever it was that had made him instantly dislike me had ratcheted up to full-out hatred. I’d already known never to give that man my back, but that look made me start to wonder if it was safe for me to be alone with him at all. He would try to take me down at some point, I knew it for certain now. But he wouldn’t try a fair fight. He’d go for weaknesses, exposed points. He’d fight ugly, dirty. Abruptly aware that others were staring at me, I jerked a shoulder in a shrug, but didn’t look at any of them. “What?” I demanded. “If you want a step-by-step replay of the night, you’ll have to see if Carly will help you. I don’t kiss and tell.” This time, neither Cameo or Dave attempted to hide their amusement. Ryan, however, was fed up. “Everybody, get out.” He pointed a finger at me and Carly. “Stay. Just you two, stay.” Carly crossed her legs, one leg swinging quick and flat. Her foot was bare, her toe nails painted lipstick red. Her eyes flashed as Dave moved past her toward the door. “Ryan, this is probably going to escape your notice, but I pay you, not the other way around.” “This has got nothing to do with money, sweetheart.” He came around the desk and crossed his arms, staying quiet until the door shut behind Dave. “Carly...” His gaze

slid from her to me, then back. “Look, sweetheart. You’re going through a really rough time right now...” “Spare me.” Her voice was cold. So cold, I jerked my head to stare at her, but she only had eyes for Ryan. He blinked, caught off guard. She’d gotten short with me before, of course, but she’d never spoken that way to Ryan. “Yes, I’m going through a rough time. And it was worse than it had to be because somebody I wanted to lean on wasn’t there because of you and Jake.” She slid me a look and then jerked her head away. “I...shit. And now these letters. He was planning to quit. That’s why you were so pissed, wasn’t it? He found out about the letters I was getting. I told you we needed to sit down and talk this out, but you insisted you knew best.” “That’s my nature, Carly.” Ryan didn’t look the least bit sorry, either. He slanted a look toward me, and the expression was flat, hard as stone. “Just like when things get hard, it’s Bobby’s nature to run.” I bolted out of my chair and got into his face. He didn’t even try to move. “You think this shit is scaring me off?” I snarled. My hand curled into a fist. Temper sparked in his eyes, but his voice was calm and easy. “Well, you’re the one who had your bags packed. What happened earlier? You decided you needed a quick fuck before you hit the road?”

Carly’s sound of outrage didn’t even penetrate. Ryan took the first punch, but when I swung again, he caught my arm, trapped it and spun, slamming me face first against the desk. “You still let that temper of yours control you, kid,” Ryan said tonelessly. “Now I’m going to let you up and we’re going to talk.” He let me go, and I would have gone after him again, except Carly caught my arm. “Bobby.” I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t care that my shoulder joint was on fire from where he’d wrenched it, and I didn’t care that my face felt bruised from where he’d slammed me into the polished stone surface of his desk. I cared about the shit he’d been insinuating about how I’d treated Carly. But she was tugging on my hand, so I let her pull me back. I didn’t want to look at her though. I couldn’t see on her face that she believed what he’d said. It would kill me. No sooner had she gotten me away than she stepped between us, her cheeks flushed and her eyes snapping. “You are not going to nose around my private life, you ass!” she shouted. Ryan was on the receiving end of her sharp fingernail, and he took it without comment. “What I do and who I do it with is none of your fucking business! You and Jake acted like you always knew what was best for me, but I’m not some fucking princess in a

tower! I’m going to have the life I want, whether you like it or not!” After a moment of silence following her proclamation, he asked mildly, “Are you done?” “No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m tired and hungry and pissed, but I’m sure I’ll figure out something else to yell at you about in a few minutes.” She glanced at me. My heart squeezed in my chest as I moved to her, cupping her face in my hands. “It wasn’t...he’s wrong, Carly. It wasn’t like that, I swear.” I kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. “Don’t stay mad at me, please baby.” “You deserve to have me mad at you,” she said, a mulish note threading into her voice. But she turned her face into my neck and I breathed a silent sigh of relief. I curled my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer. She snuggled against me, and I marveled for a moment at how perfectly her body fit against mine. From the corner of my eye, I could see Ryan settle his hips against his desk. He reached up to touch his eye. A glorious bruise was already spreading, and it gave me more than a little pleasure to see it. I liked the guy, but what he’d said about me and Carly...he deserved a black

eye. As soon as he was aware that I was looking, he lowered his hand. Carly pulled away, studied Ryan for a minute, and then reached down, lifting my right hand. “You hit him pretty hard,” she said after a second. “Your knuckles are bruising.” “My eye’s going to be swollen shut, and you’re worried about his hand?” Ryan asked. He almost sounded amused. “You were being an asshole.” Carly gave him a dirty look, and then brushed her lips across my knuckles. Suddenly, I didn’t feel any pain. “And lover-boy wasn’t being an asshole, sleeping with you when he plans on quitting?” “I’m not quitting,” I said before Carly could respond. “I already told her that. I changed my mind.” I sighed. “Hell, I probably couldn’t leave even if I tried.” I stared at Ryan, daring him to say anything else. But he smiled. A slow, cocky smile that made me want to punch him again. “It looks like you actually do have a functioning brainstem somewhere among all those hormones after all, Bobby.” He shoved off the desk and moved toward the door. “You two need to talk. Use my office.” His eyes narrowed. “But if you two have sex in here, I’m going to make you both clean the entire

place. With bleach.” Then he paused and looked back at us, watching as I stroked my hand down Carly’s cheek. “We’re going to have to let it slip to the media.” We both turned to look at him. I could feel Carly tensing and I reached for her again, sliding my arm around her waist. He held up his hands. “Nothing to be done for it. You two couldn’t hide this if you tried.” He shrugged and reached for the doorknob. “To be honest, it’s a miracle nobody’s figured it out before now. Since the two of you hadn’t been seen in public much since that kiss in Kentucky, people have been speculating, a bit, but it’s gone way off track. Now...well, one look at the two of you and it will be clear to everyone that something’s going on.” Before he could go, I had to know one thing. “What are we going to do about the letters, Ryan?” “Same thing we’ve been doing.” He met my gaze, his grim. “Keep waiting for the shit-head to mess up so we can nail his ass.” Then he was gone and it was just Carly and me, alone. To be fair, we did talk. Or rather Carly talked, and I argued. Then I argued, and Carly talked. We talked about

the letters, and about how I almost left. We didn’t, however, talk about what I’d said to her, and the words hovered between us, unmentioned, like a ghost. I could almost pretend she hadn’t heard what I said, but I knew she had. But I didn’t push the subject. Instead, I let other matters take precedence. “If I let fear control my life, Bobby, I would have locked myself behind a stone wall when I was eight. Hell, six. I never would have come out from behind that wall, and I never would have met Ryan. I never would have learned to ride a horse, had a dog or even taken a walk down the beach.” She threw a leg over my thighs and straddled me so that our faces were level. “I don’t live a life where I can just be ignored. I wish I did, but it’s not going to happen.” She was right. I knew she was. Didn’t mean I had to like it. I rested my head on her chest, breathing in the warm, soft scent of her. “I can’t change who I am. You can’t change who you are, and I wouldn’t want you to,” she said quietly, her breath tickling my ear. There was a pause, and then she spoke again, her voice strangely vulnerable. “Do you want me to change?” I answered immediately, “Not for anything.” She laced her hands together behind my neck. “Then we make it work. Okay?”

“Okay,” I agreed. She shivered a little and I could see her skin roughening as goosebumps broke out. She ran her fingers through my hair, tugging on it as whatever blood I’d had left in my head rushed south. “I like your hair like this,” she murmured. “It’s longer than it was...before.” “I was just thinking of getting it cut.” “Oh.” I met her eyes. “I’ll grow it out longer than Samson’s if that’s what you want.” A smile bowed her lips. “Maybe not that long. So...we talked. Now what...?” “We leave this room.” “Why?” I looked up at her as I slid my hands under the shirt she wore. My shirt. Mine. The possessiveness I felt took me by surprise. My fingers flexed against the small of her back. The depth of emotion I felt for this woman unnerved me, but I was through fighting it. The alternative was too bleak to even consider. I leaned forward and kissed her chin. If I’d gone for her mouth, I wouldn’t have cared what Ryan said about having sex in his office. “I want you naked and I don’t

really want to have to clean the office after.” A laugh bubbled out of her. “Let’s go.” She climbed off my lap and held out a hand. I took it and let her pull me after her. I didn’t know where we were going and I didn’t care. As long as she was with me, it didn’t matter. After a minute, I recognized where I was. The one time I’d been in the section of the house that was hers and hers alone, I’d almost staggered in shock. Right then, I was too busy dealing with the ache in my balls to care. I hadn’t seen the entire wing and I doubted I’d remember much of the route we took to get there, but the one thing I knew I would remember was her personal pool. It wasn’t big by any standard. Probably ten by ten feet and square, inlaid with some sort of tile that made it look a surreal shade of blue. The lights danced off her body as she stripped and I vaguely wondered how they made me look. Then she was in the water, her skin glistening, and I followed her in. I would go slow with her later, take the time to explore every inch of her, let her know that she was mine. Right now, I just needed to be inside her. I caught her around the waist and pressed her back

against the wall, my eyes locking with hers. Neither of us spoke as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I slid my hand between us, stroking her clit until she began to writhe, sweet little mewling sounds falling from her lips. Once I felt her start to come, I slid into her. We both moaned as our bodies came together. I hadn’t stretched her and she was tight, even tighter still as the friction gave her that last little nudge she needed to fall over the edge. I didn’t wait for her to come down, instead taking deep, hard strokes that took me to the end of her. She clung to me, crying out my name even as her nails dug into my back and shoulders. I pressed my face against her neck as her body convulsed around me, drawing out her orgasm so that when I came only moments later, she was still with me. We stayed together for several minutes, our bodies still joined. And when I finally slid from her, I knew I’d never walk away. I’d give my life for hers if that’s what I had to do to keep her safe, but I’d never leave her. A few minutes later, we were wedged on the fat, padded lounge chair, wrapped in thick cotton robes. Although the chair was oversized, it hadn’t been designed for two, but that was fine. It meant we were snug up against each other. There was no other place I’d rather be. Her fingers stroked over my lips. That light stroke

made my spent dick twitch and I caught her wrist. “Stop it,” I said. “Why?” “It tickles.” It was the truth. Also, I was exhausted. If she kept touching me, I might try to work up the energy to do something about it, but I had a feeling if I tried, I’d collapse, like I was made of nothing but noodles and jelly. I felt her smile against my arm and tightened my hold on her. We might not have talked about it yet, but there was no doubt in my mind I loved this woman. “Do you ever wonder about...?” Her voice faded away. I lifted my head to study her, or what I could see of her at least. That was the crown of her head, nothing else. “Wonder about what?” She sat up, squirming. She shot me a look as she pushed her wet hair back from her face. “I was...” She sighed as she folded her hands in her lap. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her look so uncomfortable, or so at a loss for words. “What is it?” I asked her, shifting around until I could pull her in closer. She draped her thighs over mine and rested her head on my shoulder. “You have a child.”

Those words knocked the breath right out of me and I closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I was able to squeeze an answer out of my tight throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. Leah was seven months along when I went in. They, um, they did an ultrasound, but it wasn’t clear. They thought it might be a girl though. No one bothered to tell me for sure, and I didn’t ask when they had me sign the papers for her adoption.” Carly lifted her head and stared at me. She was so close, I could see the dark striations of blue in her eyes. “Do you think about her?” “About the baby...or, well, she isn’t a baby any more, is she?” I almost lied, but I knew Carly deserved the truth. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I think about her. Hope she’s happy. That she’s got parents who love her.” “Don’t you...” She hesitated and then asked, “Don’t you want more, though? I mean, you’re out now. You could take care of her and–” “No.” Carefully, I eased Carly off my lap and stood up. I paced to the edge of the small pool and stared down into the water. “It wouldn’t be right. Before I got arrested, I would’ve made it work, but after...Leah told me she couldn’t do it by herself, and I think she wanted a new start after everything that happened. I don’t blame her. In fact, I’m glad. Our kid deserved to be raised by good people, not me and Leah.”

“You’re good people–” “No, I’m not!” I snapped, spinning around to glare at her. “I’m trying to be better, but I’ve got no business taking a little girl away from the people who’ve raised her all her life.” Carly looked away. Her eyes closed. After a silence that seemed to last forever, she spoke, her voice soft, “Sometimes the people who raise you aren’t the good people they should be, though.” I’d thought about that more than once. Hollister – he’d been a detective then, but he was a lieutenant now – he’d been the one who’d gone to bat for me and helped make the deal after I’d killed Dale. Part of it hadn’t had anything to do with my prison time. Hollister had made me a promise. A father himself, he’d understood. I’d seen it in his eyes. He’d promised. He’d made sure both the baby and Leah had been taken care of. That had been the day I told myself to start putting faith in something. I couldn’t go back on that now, and I had to believe my little girl was being raised by somebody more – somebody better – than an ex-con, a convicted killer. “No, Carly,” I said, shaking my head. “It wouldn’t be right.” Seconds ticked by into minutes, and then I heard her feet padding across the tile floor moments before she wrapped her arms around me. “Are you mad at me?”

I covered her hands with mine. “No.” Slowly, I turned back to her and stared down at her, watching as the light flickering off the water danced along her face. We didn’t kiss or do anything else. We just held each other, and bit by bit, I felt the sadness easing from her, and as hers faded, the tension fell away from me. She smoothed her finger up along my jaw, down my cheekbone, up my nose. I felt like she was trying to learn my face, line by line. I liked it. Of course, I’d spent the past six months memorizing everything I could about her, from the lines of her face to the freckles scattered across her nose – there were three right across the tip with two more higher up – to the blow-my-mind sexy fullness of her mouth, all the way down the powerhouse curves of her body. But it wasn’t just physical. I’d learned the kind of music she liked, even though it’d have been easier to list what she didn’t like, and so far, the only thing I’d figured out was bluegrass. She was hit or miss on a lot of alternative stuff and pop, but her phone was crammed full of everything from Christian rap to hard rock to heavy metal to Beethoven. I knew she liked to cook, but hated to bake. She could get lost in a parking lot, but put her in a mall, and it was like she had a GPS hard-wired inside her skull, even if she’d never been there before. She drove me crazy in the best kind of way, and even if she didn’t know it, she had to power to break me.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, her voice oddly hushed. “You.” I twisted my hands in her hair. “It’s always you.” She curled her arms around my neck and sniffled. “You talk like that and you’re going to make me cry, Bobby.” “Can’t have that.” I tugged on her hair until she was looking up at me, and then I made her forget all about her tears.

Chapter 16 The ‘leak’ about the change in the relationship between us happened right outside Carly’s front gates. It was carefully orchestrated, I had to give Ryan credit for how much thought he put into it. But it did make me wonder about how many ‘relationships’ in the gossip rags between big-time Hollywood couples were real. And I wondered how many people would think that Carly and I were staging everything, not just the reveal. Except, what Carly and I had going was real. I’d never had anything more real in my life, and I knew it with every fiber of my being. I knew Carly felt it too. I could see it shining in her eyes every time she looked at me, feel it in her touch. But I knew that, no matter how real it was, revealing it to people had to be orchestrated, controlled. As he went over everything for the hundredth time that day, I tuned him out. When he jabbed me hard in the shoulder and told me to pay attention, I just rolled my eyes at him. “Ry, if you tell me one more time to kiss her, I’m going to pop you in the mouth, I shit you not.” He studied me for a minute, and then cracked a grin. “I guess you’ve gotten the kissing her thing down,

considering how often you two have been ‘practicing’ the past two weeks, huh?” “Practicing,” Carly echoed, her eyes wide. She gave me an innocent look. “Exactly what we’ve been doing, right, Bobby?” “You were practicing?” I lifted a brow. “I thought you were trying to memorize the feel of my tonsils.” She blushed, her cheeks going a shade of pink that almost matched her top. It was strapless and snug, tucked into a skirt that showcased her butt to perfection. I would have a hard time keeping my hands off that butt when the car door opened, but Ryan had been specific. A solid but passionate kiss. No groping. Carly started to respond, but Ryan cut her off. “Okay, you two need to get moving. Remember, Dave will stop the car at the gates, get out, look under the hood, then tell you two to get out while he calls up to the house. Cameo will bring the Range Rover down and, while you’re waiting, you two start getting...familiar with each other...” “They’ve already done that.” The hostile voice came from across the hall and one by one, we all looked at Ridley. I’d suspected it before, but these last two weeks had just solidified my suspicion that Ridley’s problem with

me was that he had a crush on Carly. Maybe it was just physical, or maybe his emotions were involved, but whatever he felt for her, he didn’t like that she’d chosen me. I made the wise decision to keep my mouth shut. One of these days, that boy and I were going to come to blows. It was fast approaching too. Personally, I would have very much preferred to just get it over with, but Ryan had put a lot of work behind staging whatever this was. This ‘expose’ of our relationship. Why it mattered so much how the public found out about it, I didn’t know, but I hadn’t lived and breathed Hollywood for more than half my life. Both Carly and Ryan said it mattered, that they needed to stay in control. Since it wasn’t going to speed the time table along to get into it with Ridley, I focused on running my knuckles up and down Carly’s half-naked back. That served several purposes – I enjoyed it and so did she. If it pissed Ridley off, then so much the better. I could sympathize with Ridley’s unrequited feelings, but that didn’t mean I had to like him being an asshole. “Ridley, do you have a problem?” Ryan asked, moving between us. The other man took a moment to answer. “I just don’t see why we’re playing this fucking game.” “Several reasons and none of them concern you,”

Ryan said easily. “Since I’m a part of this security team, I’d feel better about it if I understood those reasons,” Ridley snapped. “Ridley, lighten up,” Carly said. She was getting aggravated. She caught my hand and tugged me along toward the door. “Come on. I’m getting hungry.” As she strode toward the door, she shot an annoyed look at Ridley. “The VMAs are coming up and everybody is already talking about how I’m supposed to be mending things with that jerk-off, Mendoza. We all know that’s so not happening. This kills two birds with one stone. The news about Bobby and I will come out sooner or later, and I don’t want to hide it. Plus, we can plan on him being with me at the VMAs now.” I shot Ryan a questioning look, and he gave a slight shrug. I didn’t know who Mendoza was. I barely knew what the VMAs were – music awards of some kind, I thought. Then I processed what she’d said and gaped at her. “You plan on taking me?” “Who else would I take?” She kissed my cheek. “Come on. We’re supposed to meet Max in ninety minutes.” The drive from her front door to the elegant wrought-iron gates seemed to take ten times longer than normal. My stomach churned. The thought of putting

myself in harm’s way for her didn’t even make me blink. This, however, was freaking me out. Even though I knew the media had been tipped off, it was still something of a surprise to realize there were photographers hiding. Some of them poorly, some of them fairly well. I’d already counted four of them when the car came to a stop and Dave made a very good impression of a frustrated driver. Even though it was just us in the car, I got the impression he wasn’t acting solely for us. “Sorry, guys. Something’s not running right.” He opened the door and climbed out. “That’s fine,” Carly said, leaning against me. She grinned up at me. The look on her face was adorable. She was clearly having fun. I felt half-sick. She smoothed a hand up my arm in a soothing gesture. “Relax,” she whispered, her breath soft against my neck. Ridley leaned against the seat across from us, although leaned wasn’t really the right word. His body was rigid. He looked about as uncomfortable as I felt, really. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. I knew what it felt like to want her and not have her. Knuckles rapped on the window and that was our cue

to open the door. Except Ridley didn’t move. Knuckles rapped again. I looked away from Carly’s smiling face to look at Ridley. He was staring at me with pure loathing on his face. We had a stare-down that lasted maybe ten seconds, and then he opened the window, had a terse conversation with Dave before looking at us. “Go do your thing.” The words were sharp, brittle. “Put on your show.” Carly frowned, but by the time we got out of the car, she was smiling. I tugged her up against me, determined I wasn’t going to be the reason behind her next frown. I’d do whatever it took to make her smile. She came to me and curled her arms around my waist. “Smile pretty, handsome,” she said, her voice almost inaudible. I knew I couldn’t, but in my head, I heard the clicks of a hundred, a thousand cameras as the shutters clicked. I brushed a kiss across her lips instead and she pressed her hand to my cheek. It felt like a lover ’s caress, but I followed the gentle pressure she applied. Angling my head for the cameras, I assumed. Then she pulled back slightly to smile up at me, I returned her smile, mechanically at first, but it didn’t take long for the

warmth she always filled me with to spread through me. Without thinking about it, I reached up and brushed a flyaway curl from her face. I forgot about everyone watching us and thought only of her. I cupped her cheek, wondering again what I’d done to deserve her. She covered my hand with hers and said quietly, “Nobody has ever looked at me like you do.” “Yeah?” I rubbed my thumb across her skin. She was so soft. “And how’s that?” “Like all you see is me. Like I’m all that matters to you.” I frowned. Didn’t she understand? She was all that mattered. But I didn’t ask her that. “What else am I supposed to see?” She sank against my chest. “Maybe that’s why it’s so special, Bobby. Because that’s the only way you’ve ever thought to look at me.” Dave’s voice cut into our personal moment. “Head’s up, folks. Cameo’s almost here with the Range Rover.” I’d almost forgotten that we were doing this on purpose. As one, Carly and I looked up, watching the big SUV eating up the distance left between us. When the car came to a stop, Carly glanced over at Dave. “Give the keys to Ridley. He can take the car back and make sure it gets fixed.”

Ridley opened his mouth, an expression of shock on his face. Carly gave him a cool look. “You heard me. Go.” “I’m assigned to escort you today,” Ridley said, the pulse of fury in his voice undeniable. “Dave can cover for you,” Carly said smoothly. “Since you obviously don’t want to be a part of the team today, you can stay here.” I caught a glimpse of the hurt on his face, and then it was gone, hidden behind his usual mask of hostility. I had a fleeting moment where I thought I might want to talk to Ryan about it, and then Carly was leading me over to the Range Rover and all I could think about was getting into that backseat and getting my arms around her. ***

We didn’t even make it to the restaurant before some of the pictures hit the internet. Carly laughed as she regaled me with some of the headlines. “Check it out! The PRINCEss has found herself a new boy-toy!” She wagged her eyebrows at me. “Are you my boy-toy, Bobby?” Blood rushed to my cheeks. “That’s not funny,” I

muttered. “It’s just people being stupid,” she said, her voice soft. “I don’t care what they say about me,” I said. “I’ve been called worse.” She gave me a confused look. “I don’t like them thinking it about you.” She leaned up and kissed my cheek before snuggling back down against me. “You should take a look. A lot of them are really quite amusing.” Curious now, I tugged out my phone with my free hand and started to search. “Oh, please,” Carly said, her voice scathing. “Seriously? Listen to what Hollywood Steam is going with: ‘Like Mother, Like Daughter. The Scion of Music Legend Phoenix isn’t following her father ’s footsteps like many had hoped. Instead, she’s taking a page from her mother ’s book and playing fast and loose with any man she can get her hands on, including her sexy, but shadowy bodyguard, former inmate Bobby Cantrell.’” “Carly...” I looked up at her, swallowing around the shame in my throat. She shot me a look, her eyes spitting fire. “My mom only wishes she could get her hands on a man like you. Her last boyfriend tried to take her for everything she

had, and I warned her it would happen.” I started to shake my head, but she reached up and caught me behind the neck, pulling me down to press a kiss to my lips, fast and hard. “Stop it,” she whispered, her voice fierce. “This is going to get ugly, we knew that. But they don’t matter. We do.” From the other side of the limo, Cameo snorted. Dave was driving, so she was in the back with us. We both looked at her. “Man, some of these people aren’t pulling any punches.” “What, someone else comparing me to my mother?” Carly asked, her voice thick with scorn. Cameo glanced up, wincing as her gaze slid to me for the briefest moment. “Not...exactly. This is from the 360: A Hollywood Princess has Fallen to an All-Time Low Carousing with a Con.” Carly wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes. “You’re right. Dating a guy who served his time is the absolute worst thing a woman can do. Never mind that A-list movie star from last week who started dating the producer who’s a known child molester. And the woman has a kid, for the love of all things decent!” “Yeah.” Cameo sighed, toying with a pendant on her

blazer. “I saw that too. The crazy chick keeps saying he wasn’t found guilty, so people should give him a chance, even if everyone knew it was just because his lawyer had gotten evidence thrown out on a technicality.” I stared down at the carpet. I was guilty. And not just because a jury said so. I’d done the crime I’d gone to jail for. Was there really a difference between that other guy and me? Carly took my hand. “It’s not the same thing, you know.” I looked up at her, startled. “You read minds now?” “Just faces. Especially yours.” She laced our fingers together and brought our hands up so she could kiss the back of mine. “I know your face almost as well as my own sometimes. And it’s not the same. You admitted to what you did, and you served your time. You didn’t do it for some selfish reason, or because you wanted to hurt someone. You’re trying to change your life. And I think you’re doing a damn fine job of it or you wouldn’t be here. It’s not the same thing.” “I agree.” I looked up at Cameo, surprised by the defense. She gave me a shrug and went back to flipping through whatever sites she’d found on her tablet. “I’m not even into your pretty bedroom eyes or

broody good looks.” She flashed a quick look at Carly and winked. “If I was going to be into anybody, it would be the Hollywood princess, but she’s not quite my type, either.” Carly had been in the middle of taking a drink from her juice and she choked, mid-swallow. “Nice,” I said, glaring at Cameo. “Sorry.” She grinned, and then shrugged. “It’s the truth. Carly knows. Ryan knows. I play both sides, and I don’t lie about who’s my type and who isn’t. So know I’m not saying this because I’m attracted to you. You did your time, Bobby. I read your case. If I hadn’t known you before, I think I probably would have been predisposed to dislike you on the spot, because you sound like you were a thug. But you’re not.” “I was, and some part of that guy still lives in me, too.” “Good,” Cameo said firmly. “That dangerous part of you is what makes it possible for you to protect her and still be...” She waved a hand between us. “Like that. I’ve known too many people who tried to have a relationship like this, and it never worked. I think you two have a chance, but it’s because you still have that edge to you.” I didn’t know what to say to that. I was still mulling over it when we arrived at the

restaurant to meet Max. “The two of you have something you need to tell me?” Max asked as we approached his table. Ryan and Max had carefully staged the pictures, just as they’d carefully staged this lunch. We were meeting in one of the busier restaurants in downtown. There were movie executives, musicians and movie stars, from the A-list on down. There were people there to see and be seen. Carly liked coming here to see. She loved sitting around and watching people. She’d spent more than a few afternoons telling me stories that I still didn’t entirely believe. She only came here to be seen when Max or Ryan told her it was time, like today. No matter why she came here, she loved the food. She told me more than once that she didn’t waste her time going to a restaurant where the food sucked, although she said that more than a few people did. That, I didn’t get. She was right though. The food here was good. The booze was even better, and I desperately needed a drink as I let Carly nudge me closer to a seat. My head was still spinning. There had been cameras outside when the Range Rover came to a stop. Ryan, Ace and a temp named Mike were already there, waiting for us. Even though this was about the growing relationship between me and Carly, I

still had an earbud in and I heard everyone check in. Ryan was up front, Ace in the back, and Mike stayed with the second vehicle. Now, as Carly and I sat down, Cameo and Dave were both near the bar less than two dozen feet away. This place was considered low-risk security-wise, but with what we were doing, we wanted to have people available, just in case. No media was allowed inside and the restaurant was damn good at maintaining that rule. We’d witnessed them hustle would-be rule breakers out more than once. Outside was a different story. Even though inside was safe, out of habit, I skimmed the interior even as my mind tried to come to terms with what had happened outside. Bobby! Bobby Cantrell! Are you and Carly Prince having an affair? What would the family of the man you killed think about this–? “Well?” Carly none too subtly jabbed me with her elbow and I looked up as a couple was seated at the next table over. The maître d walked stiffly away without looking at either party. No media was allowed...except when it was pre-arranged and tightly controlled. The gorgeous redhead at the table next to ours looked nothing like the sharp-featured brunette who ran the biggest entertainment blog online, but those

cheekbones were pretty much unmistakable. They should be. She’d paid enough for them. She casually placed her purse on the table, pointed it toward us, and then focused on her companion. Max lifted his eyebrow the faintest bit and I took that to mean it was time. “I’m still waiting for an explanation.” He pushed his phone across the table toward me. The image on display showed me with my back up against the car, one hand low on Carly’s hip, while the other gripped her back. She had her hands fisted on my chest and we looked pretty much like nothing else mattered. So, that was what we looked like together. “Ah...” I looked over at Carly. I knew Max already knew what was happening, so I felt sort of stupid telling him what he already knew. She pressed her lips together, and I realized I wasn’t going to get any help from her. I looked back at Max and he raised an eyebrow. I gave him a sheepish smile. “Oops?” A smile jerked at his lips, but he got it under control quickly. “Oops?” he repeated. “That’s the best you can do? Just how long have you two been involved?”

Carly pursed her lips. “Do we count the six months we were keeping it cool because Ryan and Jake asked us to?” Max made a show of dragging his hands down his face. “Six months?” “We haven’t been involved for six months,” I said, shrugging. “Not really.” He perked up a little. “Well. We had a thing,” Carly said. She smiled a little sadly as some truth came into the story. “Then, after Jake fell, he asked Bobby to wait a while. He figured it wasn’t the best time for me to get involved with anybody. So Bobby waited. Now?” She looked over at me, and the moment our eyes met, it was clear to me that I’d never stood a chance. She possessed me, body, mind and soul. ***

“Did you mean it?” It had been two weeks to the day since I said those three words to Carly, and this was the first time she’d brought it up. I hadn’t said anything about it, but I had a good reason. Sometimes, I was chickenshit.

But I couldn’t avoid it now. I didn’t even have to ask what she meant. Carly lay with her head on my chest, staring up at me. Her skin was still slick with sweat and so was mine. My heart hadn’t even come close to returning to normal, and I was happy to say neither had hers. I could feel it beating in a mad rhythm as she continued to watch me with calm eyes. Did she feel calm? I sure as hell didn’t. “If I didn’t mean it, I wouldn’t have said it.” It would’ve been easier to tell her that if I’d been staring up at the ceiling when I said it, but I wasn’t a complete coward. “When?” I didn’t pretend to not understand that either, but that was an easier one to answer. A stupid kind of smile started to spread across my face. “I think it might’ve started when you hit me in the head with that damn purse of yours and yelled at me. You almost got run over by a car, but were you worried about that? No. You were too busy being put out because I had the nerve to get in your way.” She sniffed, but then a grin spread out across her face. “I couldn’t believe you had the nerve to yell at me

and call me stupid. Nobody’s ever yelled at me.” “You probably thought I was an idiot,” I said. “No.” Her voice softened. “I liked it. People never take the time to get to know me for me. They just decide on who they think I am, who they want me to be, based on what they think they know about me. You didn’t do that.” I slid my hands down her back and caught her hips, tugging her close. “Who everyone else says you are doesn’t matter to me. It never has.” “I know.” She leaned up and kissed me lightly. “I might have loved you for that alone, Bobby. But then you had to go and be so wonderful. I had no choice but to fall in love with you, you know.”

Chapter 17 Ever since that ‘oops’ bit of mine, the media had been on my ass like fleas on a dog. The stories ranged from laughable to lousy, from stupid to sickening, and everything in between. There had been days when it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed and face the people I worked with, the woman I love, hell, strangers on the street. Then there was the whole surreal aspect of things, like I’d fallen through some weird sci-fi thing and ended up in an alternate reality or something. Like the one day I’d gone to a local gym. Carly had a great one, but she didn’t have a rock wall and that was one thing I’d discovered I loved – rock climbing. I’d just been coming out of the gym, and these two girls, probably barely out of high school, had come up to me. The blonde had been all giggly and red-faced as she asked if I’d give her and her friend an autograph. I’d been asked before, something I knew I’d never get used to. But then they’d asked me, What’s it like to kill somebody? What’s it like...being in prison? I’d stopped, halfway through the scrawl of my name. If I’d been smart, I would have just finished up, ignored

the questions and gone on. If I’d noticed the paps hanging around, I would have. But it hadn’t been until after that I’d noticed them at all. “You serious?” I’d asked, staring at the girl who asked. She looked like she’d been trying to make herself out as some sort of street tough, a hoop through her right nostril, the start of what might be a tattoo sleeve on her right arm. To me, she looked like a little girl trying on her bigger, meaner sister ’s clothes. A child playing dress-up. “Yeah.” She fluttered her lashes, black and thick with too much mascara. “What’s it like...Bobby?” “It hurts,” I said bluntly, too freaked out to give her anything but the truth. “It tears out a piece that makes you human, and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to fix yourself, you can never get that piece back. No matter what you do, you can’t fix the hole you tore in another family when you ended somebody’s life. You’re broken. They’re broken. That’s it.” She blinked then, caught off-guard, and looked at her friend. “But...” “No.” I shook my head. “You wanted to know what it’s like and I told you. No buts. Prison? Hell, that’s a bucket of laughs. If you like having to guard your food

and bolt it down so nobody steals it from you before you can eat it. Ever had somebody try to shank you while you were eating?” I half-turned, dragging up my shirt and displaying the long, thin jagged scar that tore up my right side. Carly had gotten the story out of me one night when she’d been tracing all of my scars. It was still the most impressive. “It barely missed my kidney. Spent some time in the infirmary over that one, and that was just one of my easier stays there. Want to hear about the other times?” “Um.” She blinked again, her eyes watering. I should’ve felt bad, and some part of me had, but her questions had been insane. Wanting my autograph because I was dating someone famous was one thing. Wanting it because of what I’d done...no way in hell would I ever be one of those assholes who wore their crime or time like a badge of honor. Her friend had reached up and wrapped an arm around the blonde’s narrow shoulders. “Don’t you want to know?” I’d asked softly, not quite done yet. “The first time I went to the infirmary was after I’d been on the inside less than four days. I’m a decent looking guy, and I was still pretty young. You know what that means?”

She had, the quiet one. I’d seen it in her eyes. Her eyes had been a darker shade of blue than Carly’s, but they’d had that same tough look to them. It hadn’t been her idea to come up and talk to me, I’d realized. She’d just decided to come with the blonde. I’d looked back at the blonde then. “A couple of the bigger guys, the cons who’d been in there a while, they figured I’d make a nice little bitch for them.” She flinched. “Does that really sound like some sort of bad boy fantasy?” “Okay.” Her friend had hugged her tighter. “She gets the point.” We’d stared at each other for a few more seconds. Then I’d nodded. “Good.” As they’d walked off, I’d grabbed the gym bag I’d dropped and looked up. That had been when I’d seen the vultures hovering. Son of a bitch. The media and all the paparazzi were something I still couldn’t get used to. Some days they didn’t pay any attention to me at all, but other days... Sadly, that had been one of those days where my own personal flock of nuisance photographers had decided to zero in on me. After dealing with the hassle on a personal level for

a couple of months now, I’d developed a new appreciation for Carly’s patience with them. Now, as I sat with the rest of the main security detail, trying to pin down a schedule of sorts for the tour, I found myself with a deeper appreciation of the trouble Ryan went through planning everything. While everyone else was listing places they wanted to go in various cities, I was trying to see what new shit the media had cooked. I skimmed a caption, and then moved on before it hit me. When it did, I went back to it. I read the caption again and then stared at the thumbnail of Carly and me. Hollywood’s Most Romantic Couples! “They’ve got to be kidding me.” We’d been together for nearly four months and the media hadn’t gotten tired of us yet. The VMAs had long since come and gone, as had Christmas. The best Christmas I’d had since my mother had died. Now, Carly and I were looking at our first Valentine’s Day together as a couple and it seemed we were being subjected to several of these inane lists. If I had my way about it, I’d never look at another of these things again, but while they annoyed the hell out of me, I also couldn’t seem to stop reading them. Hollywood’s version of a train wreck, I supposed.

Besides, it was easier to brood over this than my media mis-steps. Or the letter I’d had waiting for me this morning. Don’t say you weren’t warned, Cantrell. Now see how she suffers. After nearly two months without anything, why in the hell had it come now? Right before we left on her book tour? It was the fifth letter I’d received. She’d just received a fourth. It seemed to echo the sentiment in the one I’d gotten. You were warned, Ms. Prince. Sometimes the innocent must suffer the consequences of the guilty. Neither Ryan nor the cops’d had any more luck in tracking down the source. I suspected Ryan was now trying to talk them into getting the FBI involved. A headache pulsed at the base of my skull and I fought the urge to drag Carly out of the room and up to our bedroom. I’d moved in with her a few weeks back. I still worked my shifts, and nobody seemed to think anything of my relationship with Carly. Well, except Ridley. But Ridley was an asshole. Correction. Ridley was actually a lot worse than an asshole. After Carly publicly sent him away, he’d gotten a lot

more subtle with his jabs, and he kept most of them to when the two of us weren’t likely to be overheard, but I knew he was getting into more and more trouble with Ryan and he was being sent out with Carly less and less. Cameo had mentioned a few days earlier that she’d overheard Ryan giving Ridley a warning. Ridley was down to his last chance and that’s all there was to it. I didn’t know what he’d done to piss Ryan off, but I found myself wishing he’d do it again. Preferably before we left at the end of the week so he didn’t go with us on tour. I knew that would complicate Ryan’s job a lot, but Ridley pissed me off that much. Having Ridley breathing his rage down my neck was only adding to how on edge I was lately. I could hold it together, and being with Carly made it easier in some ways, but in others, it made it harder. Knowing the letterwriter was still out there, knowing that, no matter what I did, I might not be able to protect the most important person in my life...It was a different kind of stress than I’d known before. Even Ace had said I’d been a bit on the scary side during training sessions. “I was wondering when you’d see that,” Carly said, interrupting my thoughts as she leaned over to study the Top Ten countdown on my screen. “We only made number seven.”

“Why the hell are we on it at all?” Even as I said it, I wanted to punch myself in the head. Hard. Cameo narrowed her eyes at me as I floundered for a way to pull my foot out of my mouth. “Look...um...I just…” I shot Ryan a desperate look. “You’re on your own, kid,” he said, shaking his head. Carly ignored him. “What’s wrong with us?” “It’s not us that I can’t figure out.” I should have kept my damn mouth shut. Now I had to fix it. “It’s me. Why does anybody want me on a list?” “Oh, baby,” Carly said, her voice falling to a soft, husky croon. “Oh for fuck’s sake,” Ridley muttered. Cameo gave him a dirty look, and grabbed the remote, turning up the sound on the TV as Carly leaned in to kiss me. “You’re on all of my lists,” she said against my mouth. “The best kisser, the best boyfriend, the best...” “The best dumbass?” I suggested, trying to lighten the mood. I didn’t mind a little PDA, but sometimes when Carly kissed me, I had a tendency to forget things...like the fact that we had four other people in the room. She laughed.

“...visitations for rock music icon Cindel will be limited to friends and family only...” Carly looked up and, immediately, I wrapped an arm around her. Ryan had told me last night that Carly was attending a funeral visitation tomorrow. Cindel – just the one name – had been an opening act for Carly’s dad back in the day, and the lady had been one of the few who’d continued to come around and visit Carly after her dad died. She’d probably been the closest thing to a real mom Carly had for a long time. They’d grown apart over the last couple years, but Cindel had been there for Carly when a lot of others hadn’t. As an image of the woman from her hey-day splashed across the screen, I pressed a kiss to Carly’s temple. “Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” she said, her voice sad. “I just wish I’d known she was sick. We hadn’t talked in years, though. I guess there was no way I could have known, but I wish I would have kept in touch better.” She kissed my cheek and then pushed up, pacing the wide, open room. Stillness never sat well with Carly. Instead of following her, I stayed where I was. The TV continued to play on, the volume too loud, but when Cameo went to change it, Carly said, “Leave it. I need the distraction.”

“...scandal involving drag racing down a suburban street in Anchorage, Alaska. Keown is on location in Anchorage while filming his upcoming action thriller. It is unknown if he’ll face charges.” Carly snorted. “He won’t face charges. Again. He’ll end up dead or killing somebody and then everybody will be oh, how did this happen?” The news continued to play, with Carly offering biting commentary from time to time. Dave suggested a BBQ joint for the stop in Memphis. As almost all of us were fairly fond of BBQ, that was a definite yes. Cameo was the only exception, being a vegetarian, and she shrugged. “As long as I can get a salad, I’ll tolerate you all imbibing dead pig.” “I’m eating cow,” I volunteered. “I might try chicken,” Carly offered. The discussion moved to Savannah and some sort of pirate house. Carly continued to pace, and I continued to watch her. “It looks like the Hershel family will be adding to their family again. This makes number five in just as many years. We have to wonder just how Amber will ever get back in shape to go back to the silver screen...” “Yeah, because that is of the utmost importance in

life.” Carly stopped in front of the TV, her toes tapping out a beat on the thick carpet. The gossip gave way to local news and we waited for her to change the channel, but she just stood there, staring at nothing as one, then two stories went by. “In grimmer news, a young minister faces yet another tragedy.” I focused on Carly as the group deliberated on stopping at some kind of cemetery in Savannah. A cemetery? Not that I cared. Wherever I was, as long as she was there, would be fine. I glanced at the TV as a man’s image came across the screen. He was probably a few years older than me, and he had a tired, worn look to him. He looked like a man who’d seen some hard times, but still had a friendly sort of smile. “Pastor Eric Haskell of Monterey, California, lost his wife to breast cancer late last year and now his daughter is missing.” Ridley snorted. “Reap what you sow, Reverend.” “Hey, you prick–” I snapped. But even as I started to say more, the remote hit him square in the forehead. The TV abruptly went silent. I glanced at it and saw ‘mute’ in green print flare across the screen before I

turned to look at Carly. She was rigid, her entire body shaking as she glared at Ridley. “What did you say?” He rubbed his head, astonishment written on his face. “What was that for?” She pointed a finger at him, “Are you fucking kidding me?” There was an edge to her voice that I didn’t like. Slowly, I rose. “Carly...” She ignored me, turning to look at the TV. The news was still rolling. It looked like the dad was giving an interview now. “Sound on,” Carly said. Nothing happened. The system was set up to respond to voice as well as the remote, but she’d probably accidentally turned that off when she’d smacked Ridley’s hard skull with the remote. Cameo scooped up the remote and held it towards Carly. “Here.” Carly’s hands were shaking. I saw the tremor as she grabbed the remote. “Ridley,” she said. Her voice was calmer now. Barely. “I’m asking again, what did you say?” Ridley opened his mouth, then closed it. The dick

finally realized he’d done something wrong, but clearly didn’t know what. Shrugging, he said, “Look, everybody knows those preachers are always crooked–” “You think I care about a preacher?” Apparently, she was too frustrated to mess with the voice control, because she punched a button on the remote and we all watched as the screen rewound. “A kid,” she said, her voice flat as the newscast went in reverse. “This is about a kid who is missing.” Instinct had me moving closer. I slid my arm around her waist. “Carly.” I didn’t know if she even heard me. Her fingers slipped off the remote and a shudder ran through her. Carefully, I tugged it away from her and hit the button until the news began to play at regular speed. “Pause it, Bobby. Look at the damn screen and tell me what you see, Ridley,” Carly said, her voice odd. Tight. I looked up, stared at the image of the little girl. She had golden blonde hair. Big blue eyes. She looked like a little doll. A solemn-eyed little doll, and like her dad, she looked like a person who’d seen too much. “Nine year-old Haley was last seen yesterday morning, riding her bike...” the newscaster said.

“She’s just a baby,” Cameo said softly. I glanced at Ridley, but he was looking outside. “Ridley. Carly wanted to know what you saw on the screen,” I said, my voice hard. “There were reports of a dark gray late model Dodge Caravan...” The voice droned on as Ridley swung his head around, his sullen glare bouncing off me before it landed on the TV. It skipped away, and then returned. “If anybody has information that can lead to location of nine-year-old Haley Haskell, please notify the Monterey Police Department or call...” Carly jerked away from me and started to walk. Ridley took a step as if to go after her. Hell no. I put myself in front of him, and this time, when he rammed into me, I rammed him back. With my fist.

Chapter 18 “I’m not apologizing.” Dave just lifted his eyebrow. He’d gotten a promotion a few days after Jake’s fall. He’d been part-time for a while after his daughter had been born, but now he worked a full week. He didn’t live on the estate or work nights, but he’d been the obvious choice for the promotion. The team had teased him about it, called him Ryan, Jr. Which, I guessed, was fitting, since he’d taken Ryan’s former position. Ryan had taken over Jake’s. Not that anybody called Ryan Jake, Jr. There would never be another Jake. Ryan had kept his old office though, so I was in Jake’s former office, cooling off, or so I was told. I was here because Ridley was in Ryan’s office. “Is Ridley cooling off too?” I asked mockingly as I studied my knuckles. “No.” Dave stretched out his long legs, his hands flat on his belly. “I believe the house staff is assisting–” He stopped talking and straightened up, one finger to his right ear. He had his earpiece in. Ryan and Dave wore them almost all the time. The rest of us typically only

wore them when we were on the clock, but Ryan was always on the clock and Dave took a radio with him when he went home at night. Me...well, the crew had asked that I always take my earpiece out as soon as I was done. I forgot one time during a make-out session... Dave flicked a look at me and stood up, turning his back. That had my gut drawing tight. Dave clearly didn’t want me to see his face. “You’re certain?” As their discussion continued, Dave’s side in mostly murmurs and single word replies or terse questions, my unease grew. When his phone started to blare a minute later, I grabbed it. He tried to beat me to it, but I was faster. Before he could try to wrestle the phone away, I backed up and answered it. “Yeah?” “Ah...is this Mr. Bobby?” It was Laureen, the petite, middle-aged woman who ran Carly’s house with an iron fist. “Yeah. What’s up, Laureen?” “There are police on the phone. They need to speak

with you–” The door crashed open, drowning out the rest of her words. Ryan came striding in and he shoved me back, hard and fast, catching me off-guard. In my momentary surprise, he managed to get the phone from me. “Hi, Laureen, it’s Ryan.” He paused a moment to take a step back as I glared at him. “Yes, yes...I know. Tell the investigating officer he’s on his way. They...I know. He’ll be there within a few hours.” The first thought I had was that this was just great timing. My PO wanted a surprise visit, right after I finished pounding Ridley’s face through the other side of his skull, or at least, given it my best shot. Then Ryan’s words clicked. Investigating officer? Shit. “If cops want to talk to me, I have to go in,” I said slowly, straightening away from the desk. “You will.” Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. That was when I realized he didn’t look quite as GQ as normal. His suit was wrinkled, his hair was messed up and...damn. “Man, you got blood on your shirt.” It was Ridley’s, I assumed. He hadn’t gotten in a

single shot at me. “Not enough,” Ryan said, giving me a sharp smile. “Go get packed.” “I want to know what’s going on,” I said. He sighed. “Look, you will. We’re taking the plane, and I’ll explain on the way. We have to move, though. It’s important, okay?” He moved in and rested a hand on my shoulder. “Bobby, please. Trust me.” There were only a few people, less than five in my whole life, who deserved to make that request, but Ryan was one of them. “You better make that explanation fast,” I advised. ***

I didn’t see Carly, not while I was hurriedly throwing jeans, sweaters, and a leather jacket into my duffel bag. I’d have to call her, because I had a feeling she wasn’t coming with me. If she were, she’d have been up here packing too. I met Ryan at the front door. “Who’s staying with her?” “Dave’s keeping watch.” We were out the door in the next few minutes and, far

sooner than I liked, we were in the air, Carly’s small private jet speeding through the air, powering us north. There were plenty of things I didn’t like, a few things I hated. And even fewer that I was outright afraid of. Flying was one of them, especially when it was in something that looked like an oversized child’s toy. Usually, I had Carly to help me through it. Holding my hand, whispering things in my ear to keep me distracted. I really didn’t want Ryan to do any of that, so I suffered through it. Finally, I managed to convince myself we weren’t going to plunge down to the earth in a fiery burning ball and I unclamped my hands from the armrests. I opened one eye. Then the other. Ryan was watching me. “Less than fifteen minutes that time. You’re getting better.” Hoarsely, I said, “Suck my dick.” He didn’t smile. Instead, he reached into the seat next to him and picked up the folder there. He placed it in my lap. “You wanted an explanation. Read it.” ***



I managed to hold it in until we landed and disembarked, but the second my feet were on solid ground, I stumbled a few feet away and went to my knees. There, I puked up everything I’d eaten that day. And then it felt like I puked up everything I’d eaten in the last six months. “How?” I asked finally. I spit once, then twice. “I don’t know if there’s a simple answer to that,” Ryan said. A bottle of water appeared in front of me. My stomach heaved at the sight of it, but the taste in my mouth was threatening to send me into revolt again, so I took a chance. Slowly, I pushed back onto my heels and accepted the bottle. I rinsed out my mouth, and then spat out the water. I hated flying, but I hated throwing up more. I could count the number of times I’d done it on one hand, and two of those had been when I’d had the stomach flu. “They’re certain it’s him?” I asked. “The guy who wrote the letters?” Ryan clarified and then nodded without even waiting for me to answer. “Pretty certain. There was a letter left at the house. They were keeping it quiet, but they ran it through the databases. The match came in pretty fast. We...” He

hesitated. I asked the next question I needed an answer to. “How do they know she’s mine?” “We’d already done the legwork on that one.” We? I looked at the file he was holding now. The file that held a picture of nine year-old Haley Haskell. My daughter. She hadn’t been born when I’d gone to jail almost ten years ago. Her birthday was in a couple months. “Who is we?” I asked even though I already knew the answer. “Carly asked me to do it,” he said after a moment. I turned away, staring out across the airport. It was small and private, but we weren’t alone. The crew was bustling around, but giving us an illusion of privacy. That wouldn’t last much longer. Already, off in the distance, I could see a couple of cars winding their way toward us. Unmarked cop cars. They practically gave off their own scent. “If you were able to find her–” “It wasn’t easy.” Ryan cut in. I turned to look at him. He was watching the two cars drawing closer and closer to us. “It was a closed proceeding, as you know. It took greasing some palms

and digging to get her name.” “Why’d you do it?” I demanded, advancing on him. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt as a thought hit me. “Did Ridley know? Was Ridley involved in this?” “Easy, Bobby,” Ryan said. He caught my wrists and squeezed. “Calm down. I did it because Carly needed to know.” “Why!?” “Because she loves you.” His voice was quiet. “She needed to know your daughter was safe.” That sucked the air out of me, and I all but sagged, barely able to support my own weight. Ryan continued to hold my wrists, but now he was holding me up too. His gaze was level. “Her own mother raised her – if you could even call it that – and her life sucked. She had to know the girl was with people who loved her.” My mind spun back. “Do you think about her?” “Don’t you want more, though? I mean, you’re out now. You can take care of her.” “You’re good people.” “Sometimes the people who raise you aren’t the good people they should be, though.” Swallowing, I let go of his shirt and he released me

as I turned away. “You did this right after Carly and I got together, didn’t you?” “No. I started looking right after we hired you fulltime.” I turned to stare at him but he just shrugged. “It took me about six weeks to get the information. Carly hinted that you might want to know, so I started the search. But she didn’t ask again until you got together. I showed it to her then, letting her decide, and she let it go. She said you only wanted to know she was happy.” “She is...” Fuck, I shoved the heels of my hands against my eyes. “She was, wasn’t she?” “Yeah. Her mother – her adopted mother, I mean...” “That was her real mom. He’s her real dad. I’m just a...sperm donor,” I said, feeling more bitter than I could remember feeling in a long time. Bitter for the life I’d lost. The child I’d never known. “But they love – loved her.” “We’ll find her, Bobby,” he assured me. “This bastard, he’s just fucking with you. He’s doing this to get you here.” I lowered my hands and stared at Ryan, anger burning away the bitterness. “Yeah? Well, he got his wish.” And if I had anything to say about it, it might just be

his last one. ***

It was the same guy. Had to be. The type of paper was generic as hell. Even the font was nothing special, the default for pretty much every PC word-processing program. But the message...yeah. That was sort of unique. Tell Bobby a child’s life for a child’s life. The words echoed in my head. “Mitchell.” At the sound of Ryan’s voice, I looked up. Two cops were sitting across from us. It was a familiar set up, almost as familiar to me as my own name at this point. Ryan sat next to me, so that was something new. Lawyer he might be, but he wasn’t here because he was being paid. He was here because he had my back. That was also a new thing for me. Unsettling, in a way. I wasn’t sure if I deserved that unwavering support. Not from him, not from Carly. Not from any of them. But I had it nonetheless. And with my daughter ’s life on the line, I wasn’t

about to turn it away. As Ryan’s resolved gaze connected with mine, I pushed everything out of my head and tried to focus. He’d help. He was a smart bastard and a resourceful one. Everything he could do, every string he could pull, he’d do it. I’d need that. My daughter...my throat tried to lock up on me. Clearing the blockage away, I asked, “What about him?” “I’ve done some digging. It looks like his parents split up a few years after he died.” I frowned. “After I killed him.” Ryan’s shoulders tensed slightly under the polo he wore. “Yes. They split up. His mother, Lois, she still lives in Louisville near her surviving son, Dale. The father, though, he sort of fell off the grid.” “The grid?” I shook my head. “It means nobody can find a lot of information about him.” The words were low and raspy and it was the first thing I’d heard from Detective Tuite. He was a broad, solid-looking bastard, his thick brush of reddish hair a scrub across his stumpy head. His watchful eyes didn’t reveal much of anything going on inside his head. He’d make one mean-ass bad cop. As that thought rolled through my head, he braced

his elbows on the table. I wasn’t what anybody could call scrawny, but his arms looked like they might be the size of my thighs. I vaguely wondered if he had a lot of guys resisting arrest. I didn’t think it would’ve been on the top of my list. “Did you ever have much contact with Derrell Mitchell, Sr., Mr. Cantrell?” Him? Not Dale? Dale and Darrell’s father? My head spun and I struggled to find the answer to the question. I shook my head. “That I’m aware of, no. He barely looked at me during the sentencing. Barely looked at anybody. He came in late, left early.” “Excuse me?” Looking at Tuite’s partner, the long, lean Detective John Witter, I said, “I’m sorry?” John was a tall, skinny black guy. He was as skinny as his partner was broad and he had an affable face, the kind of face you expected to always see smiling. Except he wasn’t smiling now. Echoing Tuite’s posture, he leaned closer to me and shook his head. “I’m just not following. You killed his son, but he was late for the trial...?” I ran my tongue across my teeth as I shot Ryan a glance. I guessed they hadn’t had much time to read up on things. Ryan shrugged and I looked back at the two

cops. Of course, they’d been busy trying to find a missing kid...my kid. “There wasn’t a trial,” I said, locking everything I felt behind a steel door. I’d think about her later. Haley. Her name was Haley. Suddenly, I had their entire attention. “You made a deal,” Tuite said. I heard the disgust in his voice and forced myself not to react. “Yeah.” “What kind of deal?” “Do we really have time for this?” I demanded. “My daughter–” “She’s not your daughter,” Witter said, cutting me off. He curled his lip. How I’d thought that face could be a friendly one, I didn’t know. He’d probably make one hell of a bad cop himself. “She’s the daughter of a preacher. A good guy. He volunteers at a homeless shelter two days a week. Put himself and his wife through college working the night shift at a shitty plastics plant. Lost his wife and has been raising that little girl on his own.” He stood up as he spoke, glaring at me. “I’ll be damned if I let him lose his daughter because somebody has a vendetta against a punk-ass boy who knocked up some two-bit–” Ryan caught me before I could hit him. I might not

have loved Leah, but no one talked about a woman like that. “Easy,” Ryan said, his arms wrapped around me. Tuite stepped between Witter and me, trusting Ryan enough to turn his back on us. “That’s enough, John,” he said, his voice low. I barely heard it over the roaring of blood in my ears. The door opened, cutting off Witter ’s response. A tall, slim woman stood there. Ryan’s arms fell away but not before he bit off, “Behave.” I always behaved. I just didn’t always behave well. But I gave him a terse nod and sat down, deliberately turning my chair so I was angled toward Tuite. If I looked at Witter any time in the next few seconds, I’d hurt him. And I wouldn’t be sorry. Maybe I’d be sorry for the consequences, but not for my actions. “Well, it looks like I showed up just in time,” the woman said, her mouth smiling, but the amusement didn’t reach her eyes. She shut the door behind her and moved deeper into the room. My phone vibrated as the blonde walked further into

the room, and I glanced at it. Carly’s image flashed across the screen. I turned it upside down. Too tempting. “Are we interrupting your busy day, Cantrell?” Witter asked, his voice silky. Without looking at him, I flipped him off. The woman chuckled. “I don’t think he likes you, John.” “Captain, that hurts me so much,” he said. She didn’t respond. She stood at the table, and although Tuite offered her a seat, she refused, opting to stand. I had to fight the urge to squirm as she studied me. Her eyes felt like they were cutting through me. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you, Mr. Cantrell.” “Don’t believe half of it,” I said without thinking. “So I’m okay to believe the other half?” She smiled, and this time, it showed in her eyes. I wisely kept silent. She looked over at Tuite. “You know how my daughter is with the celeb gossip, right?” Oh shit. I glanced at Ryan, but he wasn’t even looking at me. Tuite angled his head to the side. “Yeah. I keep thinking Adele will grow out of it. She’s a smart cookie,

that girl of yours, captain.” “Well, we’ve all got our weaknesses.” She blew out a breath and then caught the chair Tuite had previously offered. “You and me? We’re hooked at the inane Bachelor and Bachelorette, even though we know it’s bullshit.” “It’s entertaining bullshit.” This back and forth shit was starting to get on my nerves. My hands curled into fists. The captain nodded and looked back at me. “So my daughter follows celeb gossip. I don’t like it, and when she starts spouting stuff as fact, I make her start actually looking up the facts. That was the case when she got hooked on that pop singer...you know, that Canadian kid? Anyway, she used to be one of his believers or whatever they called themselves a few years ago. She was whining about how unfair it was that he got in trouble for one of his DUIs? So I made her write a report about drunk driving.” She gave me a slightly smug look. “It had to include images. She was fifteen, a cop’s daughter, so it’s not like she wasn’t aware of certain things.” I really hoped she was going somewhere with this. My patience was about gone. Her expression sobered and she looked out the window. “A week later, a friend of hers was killed by a drunk driver. She got rid of all of his music, tore up his

posters, trashed it all. To this day, she gets hot if his name is even mentioned. We still have these discussions, though. If she goes on and on about how much she likes somebody, I ask her why.” She looked back at me and my skin felt about two sizes to small now. Maybe I was slow, but I’d just figured where she was going with this. “Which is why I was kind of surprised when she told me she was kind of rooting for this Cabby thing.” Confused, I looked over at Ryan. He coughed. It didn’t do much to cover his laugh, though. Getting irritated, I looked back at the captain. “I don’t know what in the hell this Cabby thing is and I don’t care. I want to know what we need to do to find my–” I stopped and blew out a breath. “How do we find Haley?” “We’re working on it. This is just part of the team. We have a meeting in thirty minutes with the rest. Work with me, okay?” She glanced at Ryan. “Are you going to explain so I can finish?” Ryan shrugged as he glanced at me. “Cabby is a mash-up of you and Carly. Bobby and Carly. It’s a…” He grimaced and smacked his hands together. “When people like a couple together, they say things like ‘we ship Cabby’… that means they like you and Carly together.” “Fu–” I snapped my jaws together and looked at the

captain. “Excuse me, ma’am.” Tuite made an odd strangled sound, but I ignored him. “Okay, I get that. Now, Haley?” “In a few minutes.” She’d come in with a folder, and now she laid it down, flipping it open. “You impressed a Lieutenant Todd Hollister quite a bit, I must say, Bobby...may I call you Bobby?” I jerked a shoulder. She’d done her homework. “As I was saying, Bobby. Hollister had some interesting things to say about you. Granted, he solved a number of cases with the evidence you gave over the months following your arrest, so perhaps he had reason to be partial, but he said if any of the kids he brought in had a chance at turning it around, he’d bet on you.” She was watching me now. I could feel it, but I stared at the table top. It was some cheap kind of fake wood, typical cop shop décor. Maybe I’d start comparing all the cop shops I ended up in. I had Indiana under my belt – long story – Kentucky, and now California. Three out of fifty states. “Why didn’t you just grab the kid?” she asked softly. “What kid?” Witter asked. Paper rustled. I stared harder at the table. As the tension in the air grew thick and heavy, I scraped my nail over a minuscule indentation in the fake

wood. Some sort of chip. A few minutes passed and then I heard Tuite’s voice. “I’m already familiar with the basics too, John. My, um, well, my wife’s sort of into the whole Carly and Bobby thing too.” He cleared his throat. I glanced up as the heat spread up my face and he was staring pointedly at the ceiling. Now John was eying me with narrowed eyes. Because he was there and I still didn’t like him, I shot him the bird. Again. Ryan blew out an exasperated breath. “Bobby.” I spun my chair to face the captain. “I want to know what we have to do to find Haley.” She simply drew another piece of paper from the file she’d brought in. “Is he familiar at all?” All the oxygen rushed from my lungs and my heart sank as I found myself staring at a skinnier, older, harder version of the man I killed. “That’s...” I had to clear my throat twice to finish. “That’s Derrell’s father. Derrell Mitchell, Sr.” She simply nodded and then leaned over, tapped the time stamp. “The photo was taken two days ago at a gas station about three hours south of here. A lot closer to your neck of the woods. The make and model of the van fits with what was seen near the missing child’s home.” She gestured to the front end of the van. “It looks like he

was working his way north.”

Chapter 19 Eric Haskell should have been her dad, her birth dad. He was Haley’s real dad and I knew that. In all the ways that counted, he was her real dad. He’d been there for her first word, her first step, losing her first tooth. He’d put band-aids on her scrapes and wiped away her tears. He would be the one to teach her how to drive, and shoot hoops, and glare at her prom date and all of that. I wanted to promise him we’d find her so he could do all of those things, things it seemed to me that a good dad would do. But what did I know about good dads? Even as I tried to find the words to tell him that, the fair-haired man came across the room to me, his hand held out. “We’re going to find her,” he said softly. I looked down at his hand, confused by it. He continued to wait. Slowly, I reached out and folded my hand around his. He squeezed lightly and shook. A good grip. He had a good grip, the kind of hand that told me he wasn’t afraid of work, either. If I could’ve hand-picked a man to be my daughter ’s father, I was pretty sure I would’ve picked him.

“We’ll find her,” he said again. “Shouldn’t I be telling you that?” I said, my voice hoarse. “We can tell each other.” He smiled then. His hair was a few shades paler than mine, and instead of green eyes, his were blue. His features were broad and square and his nose looked like it had been broken once. Mine had too, but it had healed fairly straight. Still, we looked enough alike that somebody could mistake us for family. Haley would never have to worry about people commenting that she didn’t look like her parents. My phone buzzed again and I tugged it out, checking the message from Carly. I have to talk to you. Urgent. Glancing behind me, I counted all the cops, eyed Ryan talking with Captain Grace Bauer. “People!” Witter and another cop – Lieutenant Rossini – were clearing the way toward the front, two techs behind them. They were adding to the wire taps on the phone and when we left, Witter and Rossini would stay here. I’d been told Tuite would be coming with me to my hotel.

Fuck that. I wasn’t going to a damn hotel. Hunching my shoulders, I hurriedly tapped in a response. Don’t have much time. Cops here. Some sort of meeting. I’m supposed to go to a hotel with one of them in case I get contacted. They’re pretty sure they know who it is. There was only the briefest pause before Carly’s reply came up. That cache be right. Inn follows. I scowled at the gibberish, but before I could ask what the hell she was talking about, the next message came up. FUCKING AUTOCORRECT. That can’t be right. You need to call me. I’m following Ridley. He knows something about this, Bobby! “WHAT!” At the sound of my bellow, the entire room went quiet, but they could’ve been invisible for all I cared. I half-knocked one of the techs over in my rush to get to Ryan. One of the cops had a hand on his gun. I did notice that, the same way I saw Tuite stilling him with a hand on his arm. I grabbed Ryan by the lapels of his suit, shaking him. “Call the house! Carly...” My head was spinning.

“Carly...she said...” What the fuck was I doing, talking to him? I dropped him and called the house. “You’ve reached–” I cut Laureen off before she could finish. “Get Carly! I have to talk to her.” My stomach twisted even as I spoke. “Bobby?” Laureen’s voice had a bad, quavering vibe. “Is that you?” “Get her, Laureen.” Voices were starting to rumble around me. “She’s not feeling well, sir. She had...she had one of her migraines and I...um, well, I had her lie down. Nobody is to disturb her–” I lowered the phone, staring at Ryan. “She left the house, Ry.” ***

If ever I’d wished to be able to split myself in two, it was now. Part of me needed to be able to focus on what was going on here and now with Haley Haskell, the blonde-haired child who had my mouth and my nose, and apparently hated lima beans with the same passion I

did. Her real father was full of stories that made my chest ache. “Okay, now if anybody calls...” I listened with half an ear to everything the techs were saying. More than ever, I appreciated the fact that I had been born with a halfway decent brain. It also made me wish I’d appreciated it sooner, that I’d done something better with my life, something that would have kept me from ending up in a place that endangered my daughter. My phone buzzed and I grabbed for it. Carly had hung up on me after I told her to haul her ass back to the house. Haley wasn’t the only one who was in danger thanks to me. I couldn’t imagine my life without Carly, but if I’d just gone a different way that day, she wouldn’t be out there on the road, in harm’s way because of me. I swiped my thumb across the screen, the image of Carly’s face already burned across the surface of my memory. “Go back home,” I said, my voice ragged. “If you’d done that from the beginning, pretty boy, none of this would have happened.” Ice spilled through my veins at the sound of Ridley’s voice.

Ridley. Motherfucker. Slowly, I stood up. “Where’s Carly?” “What the fuck is she doing away from the house, Bobby? Why’d you guys let her leave?” he demanded. It scared me shitless, that question. Because he wasn’t angry. His voice was shaking. “Where is Carly?” “She’s...” His voice trailed off. Then, after a couple seconds, he cleared his throat. “She’s in the back of my SUV. She’s fine. But...I had...I had to knock her out, Cantrell. Why’d you guys let her leave?” “We didn’t let her do shit,” I growled, turning my head to see Ryan moving closer. Automatically, I angled the phone so he could listen in. They were supposed to be tapping my phone now, but I wasn’t about to take any chances that they hadn’t started recording yet. “She left. And for the fucking record, Ridley, it’s your fault. Something you did made her think you needed to be followed,” I said. Even as the words left my mouth I realized it was the wrong thing to say. I knew Ridley had a thing for Carly, that his reason for hating me was because she’d chosen me and not him.

He would never think anyone was worthy of her. Up until this moment, however, I’d thought he’d be more the type to throw me in front of a bullet instead of kidnapping Carly. Now I saw his attraction was really obsession, and that meant Carly had gone from being protected by him to needing protection from him. Ryan closed his eyes and shook his head. On the other end of the line, Ridley shouted, “It’s your fault, you lousy fucking con! If you hadn’t gone sniffing after her like she was some bitch in heat...she’s always falling for pathetic, miserable pieces of shit like you!” His voice hitched and he swore. “But that doesn’t matter now. This got out of hand. Listen to me. You fucked up and now you have to fix it.” If I could have reached through the phone and strangled him, I would’ve done it without a second thought. Since that wasn’t an option, I closed my hand into a fist, squeezed it until my knuckles popped. “And how do I do that, Ridley?” “Go to your house.” That word was filled with bitterness. “You took off to Monterey, and you saw the news report. I guess Ryan finally decided to fill you in. I asked Carly, but she was too busy yelling at me...you...” He hesitated and then in what sounded like sheer bravado, he demanded, “You know about your kid, right? That girl Carly was so pissed off about? It’s your

own precious little girl, Cantrell. Seems like somebody decided to make you pay for killing that guy and he grabbed your little girl. You want to make it right? Here’s your chance.” “I already know about Derrell Mitchell, Ridley. He was caught on a gas station security camera.” Three hours south... With a grim realization, it hit me that the gas station was probably one of the ones on the highway leading up to the turn-off to the house Jake had left me. Somebody held up a piece of paper in front of me. Keep him talking. I lifted my gaze up and met Tuite’s eyes. His gaze was hard as stone. He didn’t like me, but he wanted to get Haley back, so he’d work with me. I nodded my understanding. “A couple hours away from Monterey, Ridley. You know what’s a couple hours away from here, man? The house. That’s where I’m supposed to be going now. Why don’t you tell me where the hell you are, where you’re taking Carly?” “She’s...” He stopped and cleared his throat again. “Look, man. He doesn’t want them. I know that. He just wants you. He wants you to hurt, like he’s hurt. Just get to the house. You have to do it fast too. Don’t go letting

the cops know or anything.” I rolled my eyes at that. I was surrounded by cops. “You hear me?” Ridley demanded. “He even gets a glimpse of a cop, anybody other than you, and he’ll hurt the kid. I...look, man. I never wanted the kid to get hurt. He just...he wanted something that would get to you, and I knew when I heard Carly talking to Ryan about your girl that you cared about her. I figured that would...” I was going to kill him. It didn’t matter what happened to me after. I was going to kill him. “He isn’t going to hurt her,” Ridley kept going. “You trying to convince me of that?” I asked him softly. “Or yourself?” “Just get there, okay?” “And what are you going to be doing?” I asked, turning back to look at the room. My gaze lingered on Tuite and then Ryan. Getting away from this many cops wouldn’t be easy. Getting to the house that was nearly three hours away from here without a car, without getting arrested...yeah. That was a problem. But I’d do it. To save Haley, I’d do anything. I owed her that. “I’m meeting up with him.” “You...” I sucked in a breath. “Carly’s with you!”

“I know. But if I don’t show up...look. I have to go. Carly isn’t going to wake up for a while and I...just get there.” He ended the call. The phone fell from my numb hand to bounce off the carpet as I looked up at Ryan. My entire world was going to be at that house, at the mercy of two men who wanted to see me hurt. My eyes met Ryan’s. “What am I supposed to do?” ***

It was a quiet, tense ride back in the plane. Another larger plane was flying the rest of the team down, or so I’d been told. Some of them were probably already on the road, driving. The trip could be made in three hours. If you obeyed the speed limit. Cops didn’t have to worry about that so much, so I was thinking they could get there in almost two. We’d gone over everything three times now and Tuite was going over it with me a fourth when I turned my back on him and stared out the window. I was ready for him to bust my ass, but to my surprise, he lapsed into silence. A moment later, Ryan came to sit across from me.

“You can do this.” I looked up at him. He had a look of complete confidence on his face, and I both hated and appreciated it. “I’m a huge fuck-up,” I said bluntly. “And two of the people who mean the most to me are...” I couldn’t finish it. We’d heard from Ridley again. He hadn’t had much to say though. Just wanted me to confirm that I was on my way to the house. He hadn’t let us talk to Carly, said she was still unconscious. I made a silent vow to make sure he ended up with permanent unconsciousness. When I asked about Derrell Sr, Ridley had hung up. I’d taken that to mean Mitchell was unequivocally in charge. Part of me wanted to feel pity for Mitchell. I’d driven him to this, in a way. It was the same way I’d felt about Dale harassing me, that I deserved it. Except Dale’s dad had crossed the line. Mitchell had put his hands on my daughter, and if he found out Carly was there, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her. “His son wasn’t some innocent kid, Bobby.” I looked up at Ryan. “Be a human for once,” I griped. “This annoying habit you have of reading people’s

minds? I hate it.” “It’s too easy with you. Besides, I’d be thinking the same thing if I was in your position.” Ryan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “You keep going back to what you did. You can’t undo it. But if his son hadn’t come after you and your family, you wouldn’t have killed him. You did the right thing. What were you supposed to do, let him kill you? You and I both know that he would’ve killed your girlfriend anyway, and Haley never would’ve been born. And then he would’ve gone after the woman and kid you saved to begin with. You made the right choice in defending yourself.” I looked back at the window. The height made my stomach pitch and twist, but it was better than thinking about everything that could go wrong on the ground. For once, the flight itself wasn’t scaring me. “You’re right,” I agreed. And I knew it too. I knew all of it. But that didn’t make it all right in my head. “Okay then. You were a thug who grew a backbone, Bobby. Don’t go losing it now.” He stood up and smacked the back of my head before turning to leave. The deliberate taunt had probably been an attempt to get me aggravated, but I was too scared to be aggravated. Except he was right, again. I hadn’t laid down ten years ago. I wasn’t about to do it now. I was older. Smarter. And I wanted to think I was a

better man too. No. I sure as hell wasn’t going to lay down. Not with Haley and Carly counting on me. I’d die before I let something else happen to either of them. ***

The cooler weather justified the heavier coat and the sweater, which was good. The Kevlar vest felt awkward and bulky, although it was a lot thinner than I would have expected. “What do I do if he pats me down and finds this? The wire?” “Let him.” The tech was fiddling with something so small I could barely see it, and then he grabbed my head, tugging me down. “Hey!” “Be still,” he snapped as he jammed something in my ear. “They told you they’d be hooking you up with a double wire, didn’t they? This is the back-up. It’s short range, but we’re already set up less than two hundred yards away. He won’t think to check your ear.” He had a point. I sure as hell wouldn’t have thought to check my damn ear. Gingerly, I probed it, but the tech smacked my hand again. I gave him an incredulous look.

“Don’t mess with it.” Then he marched away and Tuite and Ryan took his place. Ryan looked as grim as I’d ever seen him. I wanted to reassure him that I’d get Carly back safe, that this would be one thing I wouldn’t fuck up. I just couldn’t form the words. Instead, I asked a question. “Anything more from Ridley?” “No.” He flicked a look up the hill. “Helicopter pilot caught a glimpse of the car.” “And?” He just shook his head. “No and.” He was lying to me. I didn’t know how I knew it, but I did. I wanted to argue, and I might have, but there was no time. Haley and Carly needed me. Sick inside, I turned to look up the hill. “What am I doing?” I muttered. “I’m not a fucking cop.” “No.” Ryan rested a hand on my shoulder. “This guy won’t trust cops. His son’s a cop. He knows how they act, how they work. Just buy us time, Bobby. And don’t be a hero.” No chance of that since I knew I’d never be the hero of anyone’s story. The best I could hope for was to not be the villain anymore. Ryan lapsed into silence and Tuite took over. He

tapped his ear. “That mic is sensitive. It will pick up any word you say, no matter how quiet. If a mouse farts, it’s going to hear it.” “I’ll be sure to advise the mice of that then,” I said tightly. He snorted. “Don’t let him take you out of there. We’re working on putting a tracker on the car he took, but–” “If he tries to go anywhere, I’ll get into mine,” I said abruptly. “I mean, the car Jake left me. It’s got a lo-jack on it, right Ryan?” Ryan nodded. Tuite grunted. “Still. Try to keep him there. It gets dicey anytime people try to move and this is already ugly enough. Don’t let him make it uglier. And like your buddy here is telling you, don’t be a hero.” I didn’t bother to answer. I was pretty sure everyone had figured out what role I really played here, and it wasn’t the white knight.

Chapter 20 I pulled up in the SUV they’d told me to take. I didn’t know who it belonged to, nor did I care. It was a Chevy and that was about all I knew, only because I hated Chevys. Somebody had been smoking inside it, and the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to the interior made my already aching head feel like it was going to come apart. Don’t be a hero. I wasn’t going to be a hero. I was going to do what I did best: cause somebody a lot of pain. I’d done it all too well from an all too young age. Younger than anyone in the FBI or on the security team realized. Younger than anyone alive knew. Derrell Mitchell, Jr. hadn’t been the first man I’d killed. The first man I’d killed had been my father. I walked in one day after school and found him standing over my mother, who’d been huddled into a ball on the floor, trying to protect her stomach while he kicked her. She was pregnant at the time. To this day, I still couldn’t remember exactly what happened. I could remember turning and grabbing for

something. Anything. The first thing that had come to my hand had been my mama’s iron skillet. I could still feel it in my hands, gripping it the way I’d gripped a bat. I hadn’t made a sound, just walked up behind him. He hadn’t heard me until it’d been too late. I’d been already swinging. And I hadn’t stopped swinging until my mama had dragged herself upright and caught my arm. Enough, Bobby. Enough. He can’t hurt me no more. She’d lied, though. Three days later, after we’d dumped his body in the quarry, after we’d filed a report saying he’d up and left, after we’d answered so many questions, no, sir…we don’t know where he is; yes, sir…he did hit Mama again…Mama had started to bleed. She lost the baby she’d been carrying. She told me on her deathbed that it had been a girl. Even after he was gone, he hurt her again. The police, I thought, knew, at least part of it. They’d looked at her face, seen the bruises. They’d looked at me, seen something in my eyes. And they’d seen the hospital reports, the filed and dropped assault charges over the years. They hadn’t looked too hard for him. A few months later, we’d left.

I hadn’t been a hero when I’d killed him for hitting my mama. I’d just been a boy who’d hated that old son of a bitch. It was hate and fear that drove me closer to my house now, just like it had been hate and fear and anger that drove me to pick up that iron skillet and beat my father to death. This time, though, I wouldn’t lie about whatever happened. I wouldn’t run away. I would do whatever was necessary to make Haley and Carly safe, even if it meant being sent back to prison for the rest of my life. I hadn’t even made it halfway up the stone path when the door opened. The pit of my stomach dropped out at the sight of the blonde child standing there. For one moment, so beautiful it almost hurt, all I could see was her. I could see me and Leah there, see that all of the shit we’d gone through had been worth it just to bring this beautiful, perfect child into the world. And then her lower lip trembled as Derrell Mitchell, Sr. reached out to stroke a hand down her hair. He held a gun in his hand. That gun touched my daughter. I was going to kill him. Him and Ridley. Consequences be damned. “Nice to see you decided to join us, Bobby.” He smiled, his lips peeling back to display teeth stained by

too much tobacco. His face had whittled down to angles and hollows. He looked like he’d been living on cigarettes and hate and nothing else. When I didn’t say anything, he bent down and spoke to Haley. “You know who that guy is, sweetheart?” Haley blinked at me and then scowled. “You said I’d see my dad soon.” He laughed. It was a strong, booming laugh. It sounded wrong coming from his all but desiccated husk. He pointed a finger in my direction. “Girl, that is your dad.” Her mouth fell open. She blinked, hard and fast, three times. Then she sucked in a breath and jerked up her chin, eyes sparkling. “Okay. So?” A surge of pride went through me. Not pride for anything she’d gotten from me. No, that was pure nurture. Her real parents had taught her that, and I was proud of her for it. Mitchell’s eyes narrowed. Then he grabbed her shoulder and jerked her inside by the arm, squeezing tight enough that it had to hurt, but she didn’t make a sound. It took everything I had not to attack him right there. “Get in here.” I started toward him.

Before I could clear the door, he jabbed the gun he held at me. It was a Sig P229 and he held it in a rock steady grip. I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t want to end this before it started. “Take off your clothes.” The smile on his face stopped at his mouth. His eyes were dead. “What?” My heart thudded against my chest. I wasn’t scared of him killing me. I was scare that, without the protection, I wouldn’t be able to protect Haley. “Yeah.” He smiled, displaying his tobacco-enhanced smile once more. “If you’re wired, we’re taking care of it here and now.” I shot a look past him into the house. “If you think I’m stripping down with that kid watching, then your head isn’t screwed on right.” His eyes narrowed. Then he waved the gun in a vague gesture. “Shirt. Jeans. Shoes. Jacket. Leave them outside. You can keep your...” He hesitated, looking back into the house. “Your shorts can stay on.” “Considerate of you,” I said, baring my teeth. My mind was racing, trying to decide if I should attempt to hide the wire or let him see it. Remembering that I still had a back-up, I decided to take the chance. Once I’d stripped off the sweater and t-

shirt, I grabbed the wire and ripped it off, holding it out for him to see. His eyes flared hot, and he lunged forward, grabbing it and throwing it down, driving his heel down on the mic until it shattered. “Did you think you could fuck with me like that?” I held out my hands. “Hey, I’m doing what I’m told. The cops wired me up and told me to get my ass up here. I did what they said so I could get here.” I curled my lip and derisively added, “Not like I can say no, now can I?” “That’s right.” He glared at me. “You’re just a waste of space, an ex-con. You never should have gotten out of jail to begin with.” A cold wind whipped across the mountain side and I couldn’t keep from shivering. “Did you bring me up to make me freeze my ass off? If not...” I gestured at the clothes. He shrugged. I grabbed them, but as I came inside, he pointed to the fireplace. “Burn them. We’ll see if we can’t find something else for you to wear in front of the kid.” I was still shivering as I hunkered down by the fire, but I took my time as I fed one thing after another in. That had been what Ryan had said they needed. Time. Haley sat in a chair nearby, looking small and scared.

Her eyes met mine and I wanted to tell her it would be okay. But I didn’t. I couldn’t show any more interest in her than I had to. Not in front of Mitchell. He had to think that she wasn’t as important to me as he’d thought. “You never knew about your other daddy, did you?” Mitchell asked, sitting down on the table close to her, positioned so he could see us both. Haley ignored him, so he slammed a fist down on the table. She jumped, her eyes going wide. “Leave the kid alone,” I said, straightening up from my crouch. “You don’t get to give the orders here.” Mitchell stayed where he was, smiling up at me. “You wanted me here. I’m here. Now let her go.” Once Haley was safe, I’d find Carly. “Let her go? But the fun’s just getting started!” He stood, moving with an uneasy, jerky sort of energy. He spread his arms wide as he spun around the room. “Ridley, bring in our other guest.” As he turned away, I looked at Haley. She was staring at me. Her lips moved. “Is it...?” The door on the far side of the room opened, cutting her off, and I felt a small measure of relief. I hated that she had to know at all, hated even more that it had happened this way. Carly came stumbling out, crashing

into the doorframe before going to her knees. “Get her fat ass over here,” Mitchell said. I wanted to curl my hands around his neck and squeeze. Then Ridley emerged from the darkened room, and my knuckles went white as I made fists. His face was a mask. “Did you hear me?” Mitchell took a step toward me. If I hadn’t known Ridley so well, I would have missed the flinch. His voice was caustic, rude as ever when he said, “Give me a break, Mitchell. She’s still fighting off the drugs I had to give her to make her be quiet.” Drugs. I’d never enjoyed killing, never did it for pleasure or fun, but I was seriously considering making the two of them suffer before I ended them. “Well, if you hadn’t let your dick do your thinking for you and brought her along, then it wouldn’t be an issue.” Mitchell gave Carly a look of acute disgust before he turned back to me. In the next moment, Ridley took Carly’s arm. She tried to jerk away, but she was off-balance. Shit, yes. He had drugged her. I could see it in the overly-clumsy way she moved and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see it in her fogged gaze too.

“I wasn’t about to leave her behind,” he said. There was something almost pleading in his eyes when he looked at her, even though his voice stayed cold. “I set all this up to get rid of him. Why would I get him out of the way just to walk away from her?” “Why would you want her after he touched her?” Mitchell pointed to the couch. “Put her by the kid. I want to see all three of them. In...” He went silent, head cocked. I heard it in the next moment too, and my gut froze. Cars. He whirled around, pointing the gun at Haley’s head for a moment before shifting it to Carly. “I told you no cops!” “I didn’t bring any!” I shouted. I meant it too. I hadn’t brought any – to the fucking door. The gun pivoted between the two of them and I knew I couldn’t get to him fast enough to stop him. Couldn’t cover both of them. Ridley shifted, ever so slightly. His eyes moved to Haley and then back to me. I struggled to breathe. It might kill me, but I knew Carly would understand me choosing Haley over her. I could get to her in time. She was all of two feet away. I could–

“Dad.” The voice was as loud as a bullhorn and Mitchell froze. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “Dad, it’s me. It’s...it’s Dale, Dad. I need to talk to you. Don’t do anything stupid now. I’m coming up.” ***

It had been nearly a year since I’d seen Dale and time hadn’t been kind to him. When he came through the door, he looked at me, at Ridley, then at Carly and the young girl who was still sitting on the chair, clutching at the cushion with fingers that had long since gone white. When Mitchell looked away from us to his son, I dared to take one small step closer to Haley. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ridley doing the same, moving the smallest itch closer to Carly. But she was inching closer to me. Shit. I turned my head and glared at her. Stay, I mouthed. It twisted my heart to do it, but I knew I couldn’t protect them both. I could only hope that what I’d seen in Ridley’s eyes was real, that he would protect Carly. She narrowed her eyes.

Please. Her shoulders slumped, but she stopped moving. “What are you doing here, boy?” Mitchell asked. Dale spread out his hands. “You’re here and you’re acting crazy. Where else would I be?” “Crazy!” Mitchell spat on the ground. “I’m doing what should have already been done. I’m making that piece of shit pay. He should pay for what he did and you know it! If you hadn’t been so chickenshit, you would’ve done it yourself!” “He should pay.” Dale didn’t even look at me as he leaned closer to his dad. “Matter of fact, I heard talk that he’s going back in, Dad. They’re revoking his parole.” I knew Dale was lying but I had no problem playing along with it. Mitchell wheeled his head around and stared at me for a second before looking back at his son. He shook his head. “You’re just saying that. They went and got soft on criminals. All this reform bullshit. They let him make a deal and now he’s out here fucking movie stars and getting rich–” “Dad.” Dale put a hand on his chest. “On my honor. He’s going back in.” “That’s a damn lie!” I shouted, hoping Mitchell would take my argument as proof.

Dale shot me a dark look. His eyes were full of hate, but I could see a glimmer of something else there. Fear. Fear of losing his father because of this. “You wish it was, you...” He glanced at the kid and then grimaced. “I can’t say what you are with a kid around. And Dad, come on, she’s a kid. Let me take her out of here. Or let the woman leave with her. You don’t need them.” Mitchell went to rub at his mouth. “I grabbed the girl because she’s his. You know he had a kid?” “Yeah.” He nodded. “I knew.” “You knew?!” Mitchell grabbed his son’s arm. “All that talk you had about making him suffer, and you knew he had a kid? I had to find out through that son of a bitch!” He jerked a finger back at Ridley. “She’s just a kid, Dad,” Dale said quietly. He looked at her then. “It doesn’t matter what he did, not when it comes to her. She’s a little girl.” “She’s his kid!” Dale stepped between them, cutting off his father ’s view of Haley. “She’s not. The woman who gave birth to that kid dumped him, took off, wouldn’t have anything to do with him. Hell, the little girl won’t even look at him. I bet he doesn’t even know her name. Come on, Dad. Don’t do this. Let’s get the girls out of here. That ditz

over there, the little kid. Then we can figure out how to handle Cantrell.” I never thought I’d be grateful to Dale Mitchell, but I was. I knew he wanted to save his father, not me, but I didn’t care. As long as Haley and Carly were safe, I’d take whatever came next. “Fine.” Mitchell scowled. “But after that, we’re going to make him pay.” Dale nodded and I wondered if he was finally going to cross that line from harassment into violence. I didn’t let myself think about it though. I picked up Haley as Carly got to her feet. If it was the only chance I’d ever have to hold my daughter, I’d make sure I remembered it. I breathed in the scent of her hair – she smelled like bubble gum – and I fought the urge to cuddle her close, keeping the contact as impersonal as I could. “Take her,” I said, keeping my voice brusque as I pushed her into Carly’s arms. “I’m not leaving you.” Carly’s voice shook and I could see she was still unsteady, fighting off the effect of the drugs. “You are.” I practically growled it. Then lower, I whispered, “Please. Get her safe.” I chanced a glance up the hill, with my eyes only.

She swallowed, then managed a nod, and even a halfsmile for me as she lowered Haley to the ground. “You have to walk, honey. I can’t carry you unless we both want to fall down.” I didn’t think I’d ever loved her more than I did at that moment. And I didn’t dare tell her, either. Better Mitchell think Carly was just some crush or fling. He couldn’t know how much she meant to me. “Shut the door.” The cold, hard muzzle of the gun nudged hard against my ribs and I took my time closing the door, keeping my body between him and them, hoping to keep him from seeing even a single strand of blonde hair. A split second before the door was aligned with the door jam, a hand slammed my face against the solid oak and I tasted blood. It took all my self-control not to spin around and try to beat the shit out of Mitchell. “You got any idea how many times I’ve thought about getting my hands on you, boy?” Mitchell snarled in my ear. “How many times I’ve thought about beating you bloody? Tearing you apart, piece by piece, by piece?” “Dad.” “Shut up!” Mitchell’s voice was a bellow in my ear, one I had no problem hearing despite the roar of blood

in my ears and the pounding that had taken up residence. I grunted, or tried to, as he slammed the gun against the back of my neck. Pain shot up my skull and down my spine. I forced myself to think, to use my head instead of my fists. “Those stupid bitches are gone now, right? That’s all you were...” The gun wedged against the back of my neck eased and I sucked in air. The heavy weight of Mitchell’s body pinning me to the door fell away and I half-turned, halfstaggered away, falling against the corner as I took in the scene in front of me. Blood splattered hot down my chest. My nose was probably broken again, but that was the least of my concerns. Detective Dale Mitchell was holding a baby Glock on his dad. Fuck me. I spit some blood onto the floor, but didn’t say anything as I watched the scene play out in front of me. “You need to put that thing down, son,” Mitchell said softly. “You know you ain’t going to use that on me.” “Two civilians in here, Dad.” Dale shook his head. “And you had a kid in here, Dad. You kidnapped a little girl, for fuck’s sake. You think I can just let that slide?” “Kid’s gone. It’s just us now. Civilians, right?” He

snorted and threw a glance at Ridley. “You think that man there is some injured party here? He’s the one who helped me find that...” Ridley looked away. “He isn’t going to side with you here, Dad. He’s out.” “I say when he’s out!” Mitchell spun, his eyes landing on me. There I was, wearing nothing more than the damn boxer briefs I’d pulled on that morning, and the damn microphone they’d shoved in my ear, and I had a gun pointed at me. There wasn’t anybody in the world who had more reason to hate me than these three men, and two of them had guns. I wasn’t sure things could’ve gotten any worse. But I shouldn’t have thought that. Because things could always get worse.

Chapter 21 “He thinks I should just let you go,” Mitchell said. The gun in his hand had finally started to shake. As I watched, he reached up and dashed his free hand across his eyes. The old man was crying. Stupid son of a bitch that I was, I almost felt sorry for him. “Dad...” “Don’t move!” Mitchell shouted, his voice cracking. The gun came back to me and he shouted, “Get over there. With them. You sorry son of a bitch. Get over there, where I can see all of you.” I did what he said, keeping a wide distance. As I moved, I was absently aware of the fact that I was cold. The fire had died down, half-smothered by the Kevlar vest I’d had to throw in with the rest of my clothes. Not that it would matter much in a little while. Mitchell wanted me dead, and I didn’t think Ridley was going to argue with that. For reasons I hadn’t quite yet worked out in my head, though, Detective Dale Mitchell seemed to have taken an opposing view. “Where are his clothes, Dad?”

“Burned them.” Mitchell smiled, despite the tears that continued to track down his face. “The dumb-ass cops sent him in here with a wire, thought I wouldn’t check. My son’s a cop.” His lip curled as he said it and the way he spat the words my son made it clear just what he thought of that connection just then. If Dale was bothered by it, he didn’t let it show. He just nodded and looked around. “This place is probably heated by the fireplace and a generator. It’s cold in here. You plan on letting him get hypothermia before you kill him or what? Let him get some clothes on.” “I don’t care if he turns to ice in front of me,” Mitchell sneered. “I do.” Dale glanced over at Ridley. “Get him a shirt, some pants.” “Don’t,” Mitchell warned. “Do it,” Dale snapped. When his father rounded on him, Dale strode forward, his eyes blazing. “You going to shoot me because I don’t want a man freezing his ass off in front of me? Then do it. Go on! Do it!” He was close enough now to grab the muzzle of his father ’s gun. For a second, I waited, motionless. I was afraid to breathe, afraid to move, afraid to even blink.

Then Mitchell swore and lowered the gun, backing away. “How did I raise such a fucking pussy?” He turned his head and spat on the floor, the disgust coming from him in waves. If he thought Dale putting himself in front of a loaded gun made his son a pussy, we had very different definitions of what that term meant. A muscle pulsed in Dale’s cheek and he shot me a look. I couldn’t quite decipher it. If he hated me, fine. If he let his father shoot me right there, I would go to my grave thankful. He’d gotten Haley out. He’d gotten Carly out. The two things in my world that really mattered and he’d taken care of them. I’d be indebted to him for the rest of my life, however long that ended up being. A moment later, a bundle of clothes were shoved into my arms and I looked up just in time to see Ridley shuffle around me. He slid me a look then glanced down at the clothes. Then away. At the clothes, then away. The clothes... I tightened my hold on them. They were a damn sight heavier than they needed to be for a sweatshirt and jeans. What in the hell? Casually, I managed to turn slightly. It took more fumbling than I liked, and then my entire world froze

down to nothing as I awkwardly shove the palm-sized pistol inside the front of my jockeys one-handed as I pretended to fumble with the sweatshirt. They were apparently Ridley’s clothes and too big. Ridley wasn’t much taller than I was, but he was massive, broad as a damn barn. The sweatshirt went past my hips, and the sweats weren’t much better. I felt like a kid trying to fit into his big brother ’s clothes...with a gun lodged next to my unprotected cock. “Hurry your miserable ass up, Cantrell,” Mitchell said. “I am, I am,” I said as my teeth started to chatter. He’d kept Haley in this place for who knew how long. No heat on or anything, just that miserable little fire that hadn’t done shit to dispel the chill in the air. I wanted to strip Mitchell naked and leave him up in the mountains to freeze to death. “Why did you let Carly leave?” Ridley asked. His voice was wrong somehow. Flat. Almost...well, if I had to make a stab at it, I’d say he sounded the exact way most people would assume he sounded. He was big and solid, and until you had to deal with him, Ridley struck most people as some all-brawn-and-no-brains type. He didn’t look like he had a near genius IQ. He was a mean bastard, and he sure as hell looked like he could be, but he was smart. Now, though, he sounded like the

grown-up version of some high school bully who had fought and blustered his way through life. “She wasn’t necessary,” Mitchell said. “The only reason I even helped you–” “Shut up.” “Don’t tell me to shut up.” I chanced a glance in the mirror, and saw that Ridley had moved to stand between Mitchell and me. Taking the brief chance he’d given me, I palmed the gun and shoved it into the slash-styled pocket of the pants. I took a minute to tie the waistband as tight as I could and pull the sweatshirt back into place. The oversized shirt was baggy enough to hide the lump and I wondered if Ridley had picked his biggest clothes for that reason. Of course, hiding it there would hinder my chance to go for it, but there was no way to secure it anywhere else. “You need to move your dumb ass out of my face,” Mitchell said when Ridley tried to push again about Carly. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re pissed your little whore’s gone.” Ridley tensed and I imagined plunging my hand into the old man’s face, pummeling until blood flowed. Dale’s gaze moved to mine, and I saw his eyes drift down, rest on my right hip. Shit.

Then he looked back at his father, slid a casual glance toward the back door. He was trying to tell me something, and I had a feeling he knew about the gun. How, I didn’t know. I didn’t think he’d had a chance to chat with Ridley, and I was almost positive there was no way he’d seen me palm it. I might have been out of practice, but I was still pretty damn good. As Ridley and Mitchell continued to snarl and snap at each other, Dale gave a lazy nod to the back door. I looked at my bare feet and thought about hauling ass down the mountain. It wasn’t far and I’d made it through worse. But then I looked at Ridley. What happened if he messed up and– “I swear I should have just killed that cunt and the kid!” Mitchell said, shoving past Ridley and moving closer to the spot where his son and I waited. So much for that silent conversation we’d been sharing. “You.” Mitchell’s lip curled at me, while behind him, Ridley’s face went red and his eyes narrowed down to dangerous slits. With his temper, I’d known better than to turn my back on him, but I wasn’t the one standing that way right now.

“You, your little cunt, that bitch kid–” Ridley’s nostrils flared, his jaw clenching shut. Dale lifted the gun he had yet to holster. “Dad.” “You ain’t shot me yet, you ain’t gonna do it now,” Mitchell said, mockery in his voice. “Told you that you was a pussy. Came from living with your mama all those years. Why don’t you just get on out of here now?” But Dale wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were focused behind his father and I knew he’d seen the true danger in the room. “Ridley. Don’t. Okay?” Mitchell glanced over his shoulder. The next moments were a blur of noise and screams and bellows of rage. Ridley grabbed Mitchell, one big arm snaking around his neck. Dale pulled the trigger on his gun. His father got a shot off too, and glass shattered somewhere in the cabin. Then, it was over and Ridley was on the ground. I grabbed the suede blanket from the back of the couch, and shoved it against his shoulder. His face was pale, his eyes glossy with pain. In front of me, father and son faced off, guns raised. They were just a few feet apart, so almost any shot fired

would hit its target. The only difference was, Derrell Mitchell, Sr didn’t look at all disturbed by the idea of killing his son. Dale, however, looked more torn than anybody I’d ever seen in my life. “Kill the fucker,” Ridley whispered. I looked down at him. He reached up with his good hand, panting. I’d been thinking the same thing until the moment Ridley had spoken it out loud. If Dale hadn’t been there, maybe things would’ve been different, but I’d watched Dale save Carly and Haley’s life. He’d tried to save mine. I might have still wanted to kill Mitchell, but I wasn’t sure I could do that to Dale. Not again. I’d taken his brother from him. Could I take his father too? And right in front of him? Could I be that kind of monster? But... Haley’s face flashed into my mind. Carly’s. Then I looked down at Ridley. No, I didn’t like the son of a bitch, and if he hadn’t been bleeding out from a gunshot, I might’ve tried beating the shit out of him, but he hadn’t been the mastermind here. Mitchell had used him to get to my daughter. Mitchell had been ready to kill anybody he could just to get to me. Now it looked like anybody included his own son.

The least I could do for Dale was save his life, no matter what it meant for me. Slowly, I slid my hand into the pocket of the borrowed pants, closed it around the grip of the gun. It felt heavier than I knew it was. I’d taken lives before and they each came with a weight. Like before, though, this was something I had to do. “Put that toy down, Dale, or use it. Because I ain’t gonna wait much longer.” As he threatened his son, he smiled. “Dad, don’t do this,” Dale pleaded. I had no doubt Dale could do it. He was a cop and if the man in front of him hadn’t been his father, he’d probably already be dead. But Dale didn’t have much family left. He was being forced to choose between his dad, and the man who’d killed his brother. I couldn’t let him make that choice. I took a step forward. “Why are you pointing that at him, Mitchell?” I said softly. “I’m the one you want dead.” “Bobby, shut up!” Dale shouted. “Come on, Mitchell,” I said, ignoring Dale as I continued to walk. They hadn’t looked away from the other, and I could see the tension they had on their

respective triggers. “Put the guns down. Mitchell, you and I can leave here, get in my car and just leave. You get the keys, you decide where we go.” “I’m not looking to take you on a Sunday cruise, boy.” “The cops are going to be swarming this place soon.” I shrugged, layering on the bullshit as fast as I could. “They weren’t too concerned about sending an ex-con up here, but you had a kid. You had Carly. Once she gets to the cops and tells them that it’s just us, well, you screwed yourself right there.” He swung the gun in my direction. “You think I don’t know what’s going to happen? I’m a dead man already! I just plan on taking you with me!” Dale lunged. Mitchell swung the gun back and pulled the trigger. The impact stopped Dale in his tracks. He went to his knees, his hands going to his chest. Mitchell let out a sound that was part roar, part denial and then he spun around to face me. “You see what you made me do! You see!” He stormed toward me and grabbed my left arm. He half-dragged me toward Dale’s body as I struggled to keep my grip on the gun with my right hand. I stared down at Dale, at his slack face, his closed

eyes – at his moving chest. There was no blood. No blood. My eyes caught the tear in his shirt and I almost choked, trying to keep quiet as I saw the dark fibers of a Kevlar vest. But Mitchell didn’t see any of that. He swung back to face me and I didn’t move in time to dodge the butt of his gun. Pain exploded across my face and I fell, unable to catch myself and still keep the gun hidden in my pocket. “You stupid, stupid...” Dully, I saw him move to kick Dale and I crawled, placing my body between them. “Don’t,” I muttered. Blood filled my mouth and I choked, gagged. I spit out a mouthful and then another. “Your fault.” Mitchell stumbled a few feet away. “I lost it all because of you. My wife. My boys. It’s all you.” He turned and stared at me. I saw the gun lifting. I dragged mine free, but I already knew I was too late. The crashing noise mingled with white-hot pain.

The last thing I remembered was the look of surprise on his face, and then he was falling, right down on top of me.

Chapter 22 So that’s it. That’s my story. Eighteen months ago, I was shot, point-blank, in the head. I’ve gotten bits and pieces of what happened since there’s no memory of anything after Mitchell falling. The cops rushed in, apparently, and started CPR, but Mitchell died en route to the hospital. Dale survived the bullet he took in the chest with only a bruise. I found out he left the police department and took up working with troubled kids. He and his wife are expecting their first child in a couple months. Ridley lived too. He confessed everything, from what he’d told Mitchell to how Carly had ended up in the house. There had been some questionable involvement with the letters, but since Carly had spoken to the prosecutor on his behalf, he’d been let off with probation and a shitload of community service. Of course, Ryan fired his ass, so Ridley had to move out and find a new job. I didn’t know any of this for quite a while after it happened because I spent the next few months in a coma. Then I had to learn...well, pretty much everything all

over again. I had to learn how to talk, walk, feed myself, take a fucking shower and tie my shoes. I was like some giant fucking toddler. The one thing I hadn’t needed to re-learn was her. The day I woke up, the first thing I saw was Carly, sitting at the side of my bed, reading to me. She had a copy of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry had been sitting in Snape’s class for the first time. I don’t remember which line she’d been reading. Those memories of the first few days are still kind of weird. I do remember sitting there and staring at her and just...waiting. She looked up and didn’t even seem surprised to see that I was awake. It was like she’d been waiting too. Just waiting for me to wake up. I had to spend months in rehab, and then more months yet going to outpatient rehab, and I still have a few more appointments before everybody thinks I’ll be as good as new, or at least as good as I’ll ever be. I’ll never think I’m good enough to go back to guarding Carly. I couldn’t trust myself to be strong enough to save her. Ryan had immediately understood when I’d told him. Carly had taken a bit more

convincing, but when she realized I wasn’t trying to quit us, just the job, she’d relented. Like I’d ever give her up. Even at my darkest moments, Carly had been the one thing that had kept me going. And there had been some pretty shitty moments. The walking part came pretty easy. Feeding myself? Even easier. I always liked to eat. Even if I did make a mess of myself for a while. Certain more personal things took a bit longer, and those were humiliating enough. The worst part though was not being able to talk. I couldn’t even say the simplest things. Hell, Dave’s daughter was talking better than I was. I’d go to say hello and the word just wouldn’t come out. It had taken weeks before I could make my mouth form words. It had been almost two months before I could even say Carly’s name. We’d both cried when it finally happened, and I hadn’t even cared that there were people around. The speech therapist told me all of this was normal. Even when I could say simple things, or when I could look at a comb and say, comb – and I could remember what to do with it – I couldn’t remember other things. Like my mom’s name. I could remember the way she’d

looked when my father had been beating her. I could remember how she’d held me. And I could remember how she’d looked the officer in the eye as she’d lied and said he was gone, that he’d left and she didn’t know where he went But I couldn’t remember her name. Except…even when I couldn’t speak, I was able to write it down. It had been pure accident that I’d discovered it, in the middle of a therapy session. It wasn’t the speech therapist, though. It had been my shrink. I wouldn’t have gone, but Carly had asked. I couldn’t tell her no, so I went. And I ended up being glad I did. The therapist had been asking me to explain how I felt about something. I’d been talking fine that day, but then the words hadn’t wanted to come. Frustrated, I shoved off the couch and paced. Movement still didn’t want to come easy. Sometimes it felt like some puppet master was in control of my legs while I had to deal with the rest of me, and make sure everything still moved in tandem. I’d still been falling a lot then. I’d tripped, and couldn’t right myself. I’d fallen down, ended up on the floor for what had felt like the hundredth time. The doctor hadn’t offered to help. Some people did. Most people, really. But I’d fumbled my way up without

a word from her. I’d also tried to fumble with the cuss words that filled my head. I could see them, I just couldn’t say them. When I’d fallen, I’d knocked a pen and a notepad from her desk so, without even thinking, I’d grabbed it and started to write. Every damn cuss word I could think of. Then I’d started writing all the words that had been trapped inside my head. The words seemed to tangle on my tongue, but if I wrote? They came out easier and once I wrote them, I was able to speak them...sometimes. I’d been almost laughing by the time I finished, and when the doctor had come to sit beside me, she’d been smiling. A week later, she gave me a journal. “Write down what you remember, Bobby.” “Why?” “Because you’re not dealing with everything like you want to think you are. You’re just hiding from it.” It took me a while to get around to accepting the fact that she was right, but in the end, I started to play around with it. I started and stopped probably half a dozen times, and I kept having to hide the thing from Carly. She kept finding it anyway. Finally, I just started writing it on the computer, and

sometimes I left dirty stories for her in the journal. Sometimes, she wrote dirty suggestions back, but she seemed happy that I was working through things. I’m still not quite sure when it turned into a book. For the past six months, I’ve been able to speak just fine without having to resort to writing anything complicated out first. Right up until last night, that is. Last night, Carly stunned me speechless. I listen and my heart begins to beat faster. She’s coming up the stairs now. I can hear her, and I’m about to finish this up, but I need to get this down first. That bombshell she dropped on me last night? I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it, but I’m not quite so speechless anymore. A baby. Carly’s pregnant. I’m going to be a dad. And this time, I can actually be there. The door opens. I can see her in the mirror now, leaning against the door and smiling at me. “Eric is here with Haley, baby.” I nod at her as I finish wrapping things up.

Haley is the other bright and beautiful spot in my life. Eric, the man who adopted my little girl all those years ago, is a great guy. He’s her dad and there’s no denying that. When, after I woke up, she asked if she could meet me, he told her absolutely. Now we see each other twice a month. One Saturday here, one Saturday up in Monterey. Yeah, some people might not think it’s a lot, but it’s more than I ever expected to have. She was there when Carly and I got married. Impatient as always, Carly asked me before I even got out of the hospital. I made her wait until I could stand up and watch her walk down the aisle. And Haley held the flowers for her. In a few minutes, we’re going to tell the kid about the baby we’ll be having in a few months. Haley is going to tease me again, about some stupid article or other that she cut out of the paper about me. It’s her thing. She collects them and teases me about being her hero. Sometimes I wonder just how long the media is going to milk it. I’m no hero. I’m just a lucky son of a bitch. “You coming, Bobby?” I study the screen a minute longer. Then I nod. “Yeah.”

The past is recorded and it’s time for it to stay in the past. I’ve got the rest of my life to think about now. My life with Carly and our child. With my daughter. With all of the people who care about me. With the one thing I’d never thought I’d have. My family.

THE END

If you enjoyed this story, you’ll also enjoy the other stories from M.S. Parker and Shiloh Walker, including 8 complete Box Sets currently on sale. CLICK HERE for a list of all books by M.S. Parker CLICK HERE for a list of all books by Shiloh Walker

About The Authors MS Parker M.S. Parker is a USA Today Bestselling author and the author of the Erotic Romance series, Club Privè and Chasing Perfection. Living in Las Vegas, she enjoys sitting by the pool with her laptop writing on her next spicy romance. Growing up all she wanted to be was a dancer, actor or author. So far only the latter has come true but M.S. Parker hasn’t retired her dancing shoes just yet. She is still waiting for the call for her to appear on Dancing With The Stars. When M.S. isn’t writing, she can usually be found

reading – oops, scratch that! She is always writing.

Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula, and has worked her way up to the more…ah…serious works of fiction. Once upon a time, she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance, and urban fantasy under her penname, J.C. Daniels. You can find her at Twitter or Facebook. Read more about her work at her website. Sign up for her newsletter and have a chance to win a monthly giveaway.

Acknowledgement First, we would like to thank all of our readers. Without you, our books would not exist. We truly appreciate each and every one of you. A big “thanks” goes out to all the Facebook fans, street team, beta readers, and advanced reviewers. You are a HUGE part of the success of the books. We have to thank our PA, Shannon Hunt. Without you, our lives would be a complete and utter mess. Also, a big thank you goes out to our editor Lynette and our wonderful cover designer, Sinisa. You make our ideas and writing look so good.