My body was on fire, but his flames burned just as bright, threatening to overcome me within seconds. His hand hooked between our bodies, pressing against my clit, and it was like he’d just flicked on a light switch because he set me off for a second time, his groans mixing in with mine.
His rhythm became erratic, and then his body tensed as he let out a growl. “Fuckkk.” He stretched out the word, and all I could think was how he looked. His pleasure had me wanting to view it a thousand times over. There was nothing sexier than watching as a man succumbed to you, and at that moment, I knew I wouldn’t ever be the same again.
Brody had changed a piece of me. He’d knocked a chink in my armor and burrowed in the space I’d kept off-limits to anyone else. I hadn’t thought it was possible, but as he stared down at me, his eyes full of earnest hope and his lips spread into a wide smile, I knew there was no coming back from this.
BRODY
I didn’t want to think about the last time I’d woken up in bed next to a woman, not while Lola was pressed against me, her soft snores ringing out in the otherwise silent room. If I went there and thought about it, there’d be no coming back. I denied it, and that was the most dangerous of all, because if I couldn’t be honest with myself, then what was the point?
I’d lived the last fifteen years of my life being the good guy. I was there whenever anyone needed me. I was present for every little thing that cropped up, all the while building my career and becoming one of the best DEA agents.
But none of that mattered when I stared down at Lola.
She was an innocent in all of this, an innocent who shouldn’t have been involved, but now she was—deeper than planned. If there was one thing I could be honest about, it was that she tied me up in knots. She had my stomach twisting and turning, my head off in another land that only she and I resided in.
I was so fucked.
She didn’t know me, at least not fully. I’d tried to stay away from her and keep my mind on the job, but it was im-fucking-possible. A new plan was needed, one where she would be safe when everything went down, but I didn’t even know where to start. Maybe I could get her away from Hut, make her see sense and set her up in an apartment, but that would mean I’d have to tell her what I was doing here, which could possibly mean the end of seeing her and the end of the operation. That wouldn’t work.
And after? I thought to myself. What would happen if she did agree to it? Because nothing could happen, not when I went back to my old life—the one I’d spent years building. She didn’t belong there, but the longer I stared at her, the more I doubted whether I did either. I was away on jobs more often than not, so wherever the assignment took me became my home. My thoughts were running rampant, but the moment her eyes opened sleepily, it all faded away.
“Morning,” she whispered, her cheeks flushed.
“Mornin',” I greeted back, dipping down to her lips, not able to resist for a second longer.
She was tentative, as was I. When I asked her back here, I hadn’t intended for this to happen, but waking up next to her…
I didn’t regret it.
Sometimes, the stars aligned and fate set in. But fate was a funny thing that worked in twisted ways. I just hoped this ended well because the thought of her getting hurt—emotionally or physically—had me wanting to rip apart anyone who’d ever tried.
I pulled back, grinning down at her. “I’ll make some breakfast, and then we can talk.” She nodded in reply, so I jumped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats. We could pussyfoot around everything that was going on, but I’d never been that kind of man. I was straight to the point, preferring to get the awkwardness out of the way.
I brewed some coffee and got some eggs on the stove. Just as I was plating it all up with some toast, her footsteps padded through the apartment and stopped just inside the living room.
My gaze met hers, and I wasn’t sure what she was thinking. I could see she was nervous from the way she clutched her hands in front of her and worried her bottom lip. She stepped forward, a small smile on her face. I wanted to tell her something, anything, but the words were stuck in my throat as she sat down, pulling my T-shirt over her legs to cover her more.
“So…” I started when my plate was empty and my coffee half drank. “We should talk.”
Her audible breath flowed through me, and the slump of her shoulders had a frown forming. “Yeah.” She moved the eggs around on her plate and glanced at me. “We probably shouldn’t have done that last night, huh?” The sadness in her voice had me moving out of my seat and crouching next to her.
“Lola.” My palm cupped her knee, her soft skin hitting every nerve ending in my body. She was vulnerable, in a position I shouldn’t have taken advantage of, but fuck if I could walk away now. The right thing to do would be to tell her she was right, to abandon what we did, and just do my fuckin' job. But even as I thought it, I knew I couldn’t. There was no way I could turn my back on her, especially after last night. “We probably shouldn’t have.”
Her eyes glazed over, and it just about tore me apart. I’d watched her take Hut’s bullshit, witnessed people at parties sneer at her or try to be her best friend, but I’d never seen her look utterly heartbroken.
“I know, it’s my fa—”
I gripped her knee harder and shook my head. “No, let me finish.” She dropped her fork on the plate, the clang echoing around us. “I said we probably shouldn’t have, but fuck if I can be around you and not touch you again.” I pulled in a deep breath, trying to get control of my words in case I spat out a load of random shit. “I don’t regret what we did last night.”
“You don’t?” Her smile started out small and became bigger when I shook my head. “But what about Hut?”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her we had bigger problems than him, but I couldn’t voice them—not yet anyway. “What about him?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“He’ll kill you,” she whispered. “He won’t let us…” She cringed, but I could guess the words that would have come after. She was doubting herself. Me. Us. I couldn’t blame her.
“Look.” I spread my fingers over her knee, the tips stroking her thigh. “I know there’s probably a long list of why we shouldn’t do this. I’m sixteen years older than you for starters.” She pursed her lips, but I could tell it was to hold in her grin. “But fuck, darlin', I can’t walk away. I want to see where this thing goes.” I held my breath and expelled it. “What about you?”
She moved her arm and placed her hand on my face, her fingers rubbing through the scruff that was lined there. “I’ve never had this feeling before.”
“What feeling?” I croaked out. She was bringing me to my knees, and there wasn’t a thing I wanted to do to stop it.
“Like I can’t breathe without you.” Her chest lifted, and she stuttered out a breath. “I don’t understand what is happening between us, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe, for once in my life, I should listen to my heart and not my head.”
“What’s your head telling you?” I asked, trailing my fingers higher on her thigh and dipping them under the edge of my boxer briefs she wore.
“To walk away. You’re going to destroy my plans.” She looked over my shoulder and stared. “Plans I’ve had for years.” I tilted my head, wondering what she was saying, but I didn’t have to wait long. She met my stare again, her hand dropping from my face. “I’ve been trying to get out. Shit, I shouldn’t be telling you this.” She stood so quick that I almost lost my balance. “You’re one of his guys.” She threw her hands up in the air and paced the length of the living room as I stood. “Forget I said anything,” she stammered. “Just...forget it.”
I stepped toward her, not giving her the space she wanted, and cupped her face. My fingers wove into her hair, but I wouldn’t let her look away. “No.” I shook my head. “You don’t do that, not with me.” I waited until she looked at me. “If we do this—figure out what is happening between us—then you don’t have t
o hide from me. I may be in Hut’s crew, but you come first.”
“I don’t believe you. I can’t let myself break apart.” She closed her eyes, her voice lowering. “And you have the power to do that, Brody. You can tear me apart more than anyone else.” She opened her eyes and tried to step back, but I followed, not willing to let her go. “Why did you have to come here? Why do you have to be...you? Shit!”
“I won’t apologize for being here, darlin'.” I shrugged and stepped closer, bringing our bodies flush. “And I won’t apologize for feeling the way I do. You’re not the only one thinking these things, trust me. I shouldn’t be touching you, I really shouldn’t, but nothing is gonna stop me.”
She leaned her forehead against my chest, her breath fanning along my skin. “I need to get out of that house.” I didn’t say anything. Instead, I let her work through her thoughts. “I’ve been trying for so long.” She pulled back, laying her palms on my chest, one covering my thumping heart at being so close to her. “I go to college and work all the hours I can. I'm...I’m saving up to get out of there.”
“Why?” One word, one lonely word, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy for her to answer. At least, I didn’t think it would be.
“Because he’s a dick.” Her lips quirked. “For real, he’s not the same Emerson I met when my dad moved us in. He’s changed. He’s angrier, and frankly, he’s starting to scare the shit out of me. And don’t even get me started on his business.” She raised her brow, silently telling me what I knew she was thinking. The drugs. The violence. The parties.
“So you want out of the house?” I asked carefully.
“I don’t just want it.” Her stare met mine. “I need it. If I don’t get out now, I’ll still be there in ten years.”
“I can help,” I told her, knowing I’d do anything to get her away from Hut and his crew, no matter what it’ll do for the investigation.
She shook her head. “I don’t need you to come along and save me, Brody.” She stood straighter. “I’m doing this on my own.”
I nodded, just once, to show her I understood. She wanted to rely on herself, and there was nothing wrong with that. I’d pulled myself from the gutter when I was eighteen, and she was trying to do the same.
“And us?” I asked, already regretting it. I sounded like a teen with a crush.
“We can figure out what is happening.” She paused. “If you want to?”
Nothing could have stopped the grin spreading across my lips, and splitting my face in half. “Damn straight I want to.” If I was going to hell for the things I’d done in my life, then I was going to make damn sure I enjoyed every single second of it.
Chapter Thirteen
LOLA
It had been two days since I’d told Brody I planned to leave the house and get away from Hut and his crew. When I’d first opened my mouth to tell him, I wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Sure, we’d slept together, had touches and kisses here and there, but at that stage, he didn’t owe me a thing.
It didn’t matter that I was falling for him because I hadn’t a clue if he felt the same. At least, not at first. His body and eyes screamed at me to believe he felt the same way, even though he was adamant that he shouldn’t, but he wasn’t denying it.
I’d stayed at his place again last night, and he dropped me at the station this morning so I could make it to my morning classes on time. It didn’t matter how much the teacher droned on about something I’d most likely have to look up later, or how busy the diner got with the influx of kids coming out of school, he was never far from my mind. He’d burrowed his way into my heart, and there wasn’t a thing I wanted to do to stop it.
The age difference was one thing, but keeping it from Hut was another. He wouldn’t be happy—that was an understatement, he’d be fuming. The few times I’d had a boyfriend, and he found out, the guy either mysteriously disappeared, or he broke it off with me while nursing black eyes and a broken nose. And I didn’t want to remember the things Hut had said and done to me when he’d found out.
But Brody wasn’t those guys. He was strong—so freaking strong—and he didn’t take any shit. He knew what he wanted and took it without a second thought.
I huffed out a breath and walked down the darkening street. I’d had an earlier shift today, which meant I’d be home before the darkness really settled in. However much I craved to be back in Brody’s apartment, his body against mine, his lips fluttering against my skin, I knew I had to show my face at home. If Hut hadn’t noticed I wasn’t home the first night, then he would the second, and there was no way I’d be giving him the upper hand, not this soon anyway.
There was a lone light on in the house as I walked past the car, and the closer I got to the door, the more silence greeted me. Hut’s SUV was parked out front, so I knew he was there. The door creaked as I opened it, but I didn’t look up until it was closed behind me.
Hut sat on the sofa, his face a mask I couldn’t interpret as he stared at me. “Where have you been?”
“Work,” I answered, trying to keep my voice even. “Where is everyone?” I stepped forward, my palms starting to sweat at being the center of his attention. It was bad enough when other people were around, but when it was just him and me, it was a thousand times worse.
“I need your help.” He didn’t expand on it as he stood, not making a move to come closer to me.
“Okay.” I dragged the word out and raised a brow. “What do you need?” I wasn’t stupid, I knew outright refusing wouldn’t do me any favors.
“I need you to come with me to a meeting.”
My head reeled back, and my bag dropped off my shoulder and to the floor, the thud not registering. “Wh-what?” He’d never asked me to attend a meeting, and I’d never wanted to. I didn’t want to be involved in his business, and all this would do was drag me farther into his world. I wanted out, not in.
His jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together. “Some shit has gone down, and Carson isn’t happy. I need you to be a buffer.”
I pointed at my chest and blinked rapidly. “Me? You need me to be a buffer?”
“Jesus fuckin' Christ, Lola. Just get your shit and come with me.”
I couldn’t move, afraid I’d say or do something he wouldn’t like. I didn’t understand why I needed to come with him, and Creepy Carson? I shuddered at the thought. That was his nickname for a reason, and Hut knew that. We’d joked about it when he first met Carson all those years ago, but as time went on, Hut and I talked less and less, and now we were here. Him telling me what to do and me feeling like I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“I don’t understand—”
“Fuck’s sake!” Hut exploded, stomping toward me and only stopping when he was a foot away. “Just do what I fuckin' say for a change!”
I raised a brow, feeling my fight waning, but I had to hold on to that last little bit. “I don’t want to.” I sounded like a sulky six-year-old who didn’t want to go to school.
“Tough fuckin' shit.” Hut’s hand wrapped around my bicep, squeezing over the thin jacket I was wearing. “You’re gonna help me out of a tight spot. God knows you don’t do anything else to help around here.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to go fuck himself, but I managed to bite it back. I’d never been fully involved in Hut’s business. Sure, I ran for him to begin with, knew what he did, and who he surrounded himself with, but once I’d realized what was happening, I stopped. Since then, I’d never been knowingly there. I was about to cross a line, and I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do about it.
Hut pulled me to his SUV, and I wondered where Ford was. Hut barely left the house without Ford at his back, but he was nowhere to be seen, much like the other guys.
He shoved me into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind me. I’d barely gotten my seatbelt clipped in when he jumped into the car, started the engine, and squealed out of there like a bat out of hell.
“Where are we going?” I asked, m
y shaking hands running down my thighs. I needed to get ahold of myself and think this through logically. Hut wanted me to go with him to see Carson, which meant this was a meeting. The guys weren’t here, so were they already there? Had Carson asked to see me?
My heart stomped an erratic beat in my chest the longer Hut stayed silent, and I realized he wasn’t going to answer me. Just because he needed me there, didn’t mean he’d communicate where there was.
Hut’s movements were jerky, clearly showcasing he didn’t drive often. I nearly scoffed at my own thoughts. Of course he didn’t drive. He liked to pretend he was president with his own personal driver and bodyguard.
We pulled into a parking lot in front of a bar, and I searched around us, trying to take everything in. I’d never been in this part of town before, and I had no idea what waited for me behind those doors.
Hut still didn’t talk as he dragged me out of the car and to the bar, but he halted just outside the doors. “You play nice, and maybe you won’t end up dead by the end of the night.”
I could see how much he meant those words by the burning in his eyes, so I nodded and pulled up to my full height, pushing my shoulders back as I did. There was a time to refuse, and a time to preserve. This was the latter. I didn’t want my life to be taken away by these men who thought they controlled everything. I’d sit in this meeting, do what I had to do, and bide my time.
Hut’s hand gripped my forearm, and he pulled me through the doors, but this time it was softer, like he was trying to show people I was here of my own free will. He made his way past the bar, not stopping until we were in a back corner on our own.
The door to the bar opened again, and a couple of guys came in, obviously having had a few beers already from the way they stumbled and laughed. I kept my eyes on them until they were at the bar, and just as I went to look away, one of them caught my gaze. His lips were in a flat line, and something flashed, but it was gone a second later, almost as if I’d imagined it.
Fallen Duet: Brody & Lola: Free Fall & Down Fall (Easton Family Duet Boxsets Book 1) Page 15
