by Katie Reus
“I’m going to fucking kill him.” There was such rage in Hayden’s voice that Sierra stepped back. He was always in such tight control of his emotions, even when dealing with would-be thieves and criminals at the casino. Nothing ever ruffled him so to hear his voice practically shaking was a shock.
He wouldn’t fully let her go though, sliding his hands lower and keeping them firmly on her hips. “Hayden, no, the police are on their way. They’ll handle this. But I don’t understand how anyone got in here. Unless…” Oh God, why hadn’t she thought of that? It had to be an employee. “Someone from the casino did this?” An uncontrollable shudder snaked through her.
“Not necessarily,” Iris said as she strode up. Sierra had seen her arrive with Hayden but the head of hotel security had been talking on her phone in hurried, but hushed tones. “I just got off the phone with one of the tech guys. Turns out there was a glitch in the system. Two of the doors down here were unlocked because of it and…the video feed was off too.”
Sierra’s blood chilled at the words. Next to her, Hayden stiffened, so she knew she wasn’t crazy. The locks in the garage were electric so she could see a mistake happening if there was a computer error, but for the video feed to malfunction too… “The video just in this garage or everywhere?”
Iris cleared her throat. “Just this section of the garage.”
Which meant this had been somewhat planned. Maybe she hadn’t been the specific target, but the security at the Serafina was vigilant about having eyes everywhere, especially when it concerned the safety of their employees. It was one of the reasons Sierra loved working at the casino.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Hayden said.
Iris and Jay murmured an agreement as Sierra tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. It still seemed too surreal and she was just so damn grateful to be relatively unharmed. Things could have been a hell of a lot worse. Over the last month Sierra had fired multiple employees. Some for stealing, others for using drugs on the premises. It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities that someone had targeted her because of that. While she wanted to believe the best of people, she’d seen people do stupid stuff when they were desperate or felt wronged.
“I’m having a full systems check and analysis run on our security right now to figure out why we had a glitch with the locks. And you better believe I’ll find out what happened to that feed. This kind of thing won’t happen again,” Iris said.
“I want all the names of the people Sierra fired since the opening of the Serafina. We’ll focus on them first, and if we can’t narrow it down we might expand our suspect pool.” There was no denying the underlying rage in Hayden’s voice. If anything, he seemed even angrier than a few moments before.
The sound of sirens getting near made Sierra wince, but she kept her focus on Hayden. “What about the police?”
“Tell them everything you know. They’ll investigate but so will we. That fucker better hope the cops get to him first.” He didn’t look away from her as he spoke, a silent promise in his eyes that slightly terrified her.
Not because she was afraid of him. Sierra had always known Hayden was a badass. His military record was enough to prove that, but right now she felt like she was seeing him for the first time. Or at least the true warrior lurking beneath the surface. Before she could respond, Jay cut in.
“Shut it, Hayden. Don’t let the cops hear you saying that shit,” his brother muttered at the sound of screeching tires and slamming doors. Sierra looked toward the end of the row of nearest line of cars.
There were three marked and two unmarked police cars. A man she recognized as a detective from another problem they’d had at the casino strode toward them wearing a stony expression. Sierra wanted to bury her face against Hayden’s chest and block everything out, but knew it was impossible. So she stepped back, ready to get the questioning and paperwork over with, but Hayden snagged an arm around her waist and pulled her close. His fingers dug into her hips, urging her to stay near.
Okay, then. She wasn’t inclined to fight him, but she was surprised by his actions. Usually he was careful about not touching her too much. She sighed and sidled up next to him. The man was a complete rock, all hardness and muscles and raw strength. She could really feel it now too. Once all this insanity was ironed out she’d be going home alone so she wanted to take advantage of the support he was offering now.
* * *
“You finally going to make your move?” Jay asked quietly as he and Hayden stood near a concrete pillar out of the way of the police and the paramedics who were talking to Sierra.
Hayden crossed his arms over his chest, hating the helpless sensation he experienced as he watched Sierra shaking her head at something one of the paramedics said. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle and her shoulders were hunched, making her look even more fragile than normal. Her long midnight black hair was pulled up into a ponytail and after a long day of work she didn’t have much makeup left. Even pale, tired and practically shaking, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever known. It wasn’t just her looks—though there was no arguing she was beautiful, even if she didn’t seem to realize it—she had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever met.
When he’d started work at the Serafina, he’d had a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. He’d been surly, not liking the direction his life had taken him. His brother Jay had left the Navy because a team of his men had died. Then Jay had gotten a job working directly for Wyatt Christiansen.
Hayden had left the Navy because he’d had to. And he’d been fucking pissed about it, even after he’d gotten such a prime position. He hadn’t been grateful to find such a well-paying job close to his only family. No, he’d focused on the negative. Until he’d met Sierra. She’d told him to stop acting like a dick about something he’d said or done, and he hadn’t been able to tell her to fuck off. He was a Southern boy through and through and never would have said that to a woman anyway, but Sierra had made him feel like shit. And he’d deserved it.
Everything had changed from that first meeting with her. It had been subtle at first, but now he was so damn grateful to be able to do another job he enjoyed. Working in the same vicinity of the woman he…damn, he couldn’t even admit the words to himself. Rubbing the middle of this chest, Hayden realized Jay was staring at him.
“What?” he snapped.
“I asked you a question. You gonna make a move on her or what? There’s a pool going on how long it’s going to take you and if you wait another week, I’ll win.”
“Man, fuck you,” he muttered, not missing the good-natured smile Jay gave him.
Hayden wasn’t sure if his brother was joking about the pool or not, but there was one thing he knew for sure. He wasn’t waiting any longer. After what had just happened to Sierra, he was letting her know how he felt.
“I’m not coming in tomorrow and neither is she. Probably not the day after either,” Hayden said quietly, making sure no one overheard them. He knew it would take some convincing, but there was no way he was letting Sierra go home alone tonight. And forget about coming in to work tomorrow.
“You taking her back to your place?”
“Yeah…if she’ll go.”
“She will.” There was a certainty in his brother’s voice that Hayden didn’t feel. “I know you want to be hands on with this, but Iris and the rest of the team have this covered. They’ll find out what the hell is going on. In the meantime, Sierra doesn’t need to be here. If this was a targeted attack on her…” Jay trailed off, not bothering to fill in what Hayden already knew.
Keeping her far away from the Serafina and under his roof was the smartest thing they could do for her.
When the detective and paramedics let Sierra go, he watched as she scanned the garage. She stopped when she saw him, relief lighting up her pale face. His body tensed with all her focus on him. “We’ll leave her car here, but keep it under surveillance. I’ve got my phone. Call me for anything.”<
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Jay grunted, likely because he or Iris had already planned to do just that. Hayden hurried toward Sierra, his shoes silent against the concrete. She still had her arms wrapped around her middle when she stopped in front of him.
“They’re not making me go down to the station,” she said, even though Hayden already knew they wouldn’t. Normally it was protocol but Iris had called in a favor for Sierra. Something he greatly appreciated. “And I’m not going to the hospital. They can’t do anything for me.” The way she said it sounded as if she expected him to argue.
Hayden nodded because he understood. It was unlikely she had anything more than a mild concussion—and he didn’t think she even had that. The bruising and swelling would heal on their own. “I don’t blame you. Do you have everything you need to leave?”
Frowning, she nodded and patted her purse. “Uh, yeah.”
“Good, you’re coming home with me. We can stop by your place and grab a bag of clothes, but I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight. You car will be safe here. Iris is going to keep it under surveillance.”
Now Sierra’s eyebrows rose. “Going home with you?”
“Yes.”
She visibly swallowed, her expression confused. “Hayden, I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine going home by myself. I have a security system, so don’t feel obligated or anything.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He had to rein his temper in at her words. She’d just had a traumatic experience, but still. Obligated? He didn’t think he’d done a good job of hiding his anger because she paled, making him feel like utter scum. Hayden scrubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath. “Shit, Sierra, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I just…damn it, you were attacked. I need you safe.”
To his surprise, she let out a low laugh.
“What?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this. Or heard you curse like, well, a sailor. Pun intended.” The edginess that had been surrounding her seemed to fade a little. “So you’re sure you don’t feel obligated? Because I—”
He growled under his breath and palmed his keys. “Come on. We’re leaving.” Not caring what she thought, he took her hand in his. Those green eyes of hers widened, but she didn’t struggle. Just linked fingers with him and silently let him lead her to the elevators. He was parked on another floor and couldn’t get out of here soon enough. Part of him wanted to take over and lead the internal investigation, but being with Sierra right now was more important than anything.
It was beyond time he told her how he felt about her. If he lost her as a friend…no, he couldn’t even go there. He wouldn’t. He’d seen flashes of lust in her eyes before but the woman was so damn innocent. He was pretty sure she was a virgin even though she’d never come out and said it. He knew he wasn’t remotely good enough for her, especially not if she was actually that innocent, but he wasn’t waiting any longer. If she rejected him, he’d deal. If not…he was going to give her the most intense pleasure of her life. And make sure she enjoyed it so much she never wanted to walk away from him.
Chapter 4
Hayden tensed as he heard Sierra’s light footsteps on the stairs. After stopping by her place and letting her grab enough clothes for a few days, they’d come back to his home. He lived in a two-story place next door to his brother in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. He loved where he worked but he enjoyed being close to the desert at night. Everything out there was quiet, settled…the exact opposite of how he was feeling at the moment.
Sierra had wanted to take a shower so he’d decided to cook for her while she was upstairs. He’d had to grab chicken from his brother’s house next door because he’d had nothing thawed out. He didn’t remember making the simple rice and chicken mash up, though—because he’d been fantasizing about what she looked like in the shower. Naked, with hot water rushing over her delicious body. A body he’d fantasized about far too often. He imagined her nipples were—
“Hey, you cooked?”
He turned to find her stepping tentatively into his kitchen wearing green and blue striped pajama pants and a fitted green tank top. Unable to stop himself, his gaze zeroed in on her breasts. She definitely wasn’t wearing a bra and he was at the end of his rope pretending he didn’t feel anything for her. He simply couldn’t do it anymore.
“Uh, Hayden?” Sierra’s nervous voice drew his gaze up to meet hers.
She’d asked a question… “Yeah, I thought you’d be hungry.” He turned back around and tried to will his body under control. Too bad it wasn’t working. His cock was insistently pushing against the zipper of his pants, and he just prayed Sierra hadn’t noticed.
“Thanks. Whatever it is smells amazing.” She leaned against the counter next to him looking a lot better than a couple hours ago. Except that fucking bruise on her temple that made him want to hunt down her attacker and inflict serious damage. At least her ivory cheeks had color in them again and she didn’t have that terrified look. She’d left her jet black hair down so that it fell in damp waves over her left shoulder, covering one breast. God, what he wouldn’t give to taste her nipples. To suck on them until they were tight little buds, shiny from his kisses and—
Sierra laid a reassuring hand on his forearm and he realized he’d just been staring. “I’m okay. I hate that worried look on your face.”
Hayden cleared his throat and turned off the stove, glad she’d mistaken his expression for worry. Ignoring her statement, he said, “I’ve got beer and water in the fridge—but you probably shouldn’t have anything alcoholic tonight. It doesn’t seem like you have a concussion but it would make me feel better. If I’d known you were coming I’d have picked something up. Luckily Jay had a few things at his place.” His girlfriend Ellie’s influence no doubt.
Sierra just smiled and pushed away from the counter. “I don’t think I have a concussion either, but water is totally fine.”
As Hayden pulled out plates he looked over his shoulder to find her bent over slightly as she peered into his refrigerator, that pert ass sticking up. The sight evoked way too many hot fantasies and he tore his gaze away with difficulty.
“Oh my god, pretty much all you have is beer and water. This is horrible, Hayden.” Her sweet voice was chastising. “I would go crazy with a fridge like this. No wonder you’re always eating at Cloud 9.”
Grinning, he started to set the table. “They’ve got the best chef in town.”
A beer and water bottle in her hands, she nudged the door shut with her hip. “Whatever. You can’t live on just dinners of veal forestiere or roasted rack of lamb all the time.”
“Yes I can. I already do.”
She shook her head, but her lips curved up into a soft smile. “That’s just sad. You need to take better care of yourself with meals like breakfast and lunch.”
“How about I just take care of you tonight?” he murmured, watching her carefully.
Her cheeks flushed a delicious shade of pink as she sat at the table. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
He grunted, not wanting her appreciation.
“So have you heard anything from Jay or Iris? I know it hasn’t been that long, but I thought they might have found something.” She shivered lightly and Hayden resisted the urge to drag her into his arms and comfort her. He needed to show restraint when she was so vulnerable.
He shook his head as he set a plate of food in front of her. “Unfortunately, no. But give them time.”
Compared to the masterpieces she created, chicken and rice was nothing, but it would fill her up and warm her body. So far she’d been handling everything well, but he was waiting for her adrenaline to crash. Before she fell asleep, he wanted her fed. So when she took a few bites but only pushed her food around with a fork, he frowned.
“Is it that bad or are you not hungry?” he asked before taking a sip of his beer.
“It’s great, I’m just…I don’t know what I am but I’m not really hungry. It’s so sweet that you cooke
d for me. I’m sorry I screwed up your plans tonight though.” She said the last part in a rush and he didn’t miss the flash of…hurt in her eyes before she masked it.
But that didn’t make sense. “Plans?” He’d only had plans with her. Like every other Thursday for practically the past year.
“Your date.” She set her fork down now, not even pretending to eat.
Hayden blinked at her. What was she talking about? “I didn’t have a date—except with you. It’s Thursday.”
Now she looked confused. “Oh.”
A few things suddenly clicked into place. “You thought I had a date tonight? Is that why you left the security floor upset earlier?” He’d planned to ask her about it, but then the shit had hit the fan and that had been the least of his concerns.
“I wasn’t upset. I was mad you didn’t just tell me. I wouldn’t have wasted a trip up to the fiftieth floor if I’d known you had plans. But…you really didn’t?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
The thought that he might have had a date upset her no matter what she said. He could see it written all over her pretty face. Putting his own fork down, he scooted his chair closer and turned her so that she was facing him directly. He was going to set the record straight. “I don’t know who told you I had a date, but they were mistaken.” Casino gossip was notoriously wrong so he wasn’t surprised someone had come up with that bullshit. Practically everything got twisted out of proportion there. Hell, he’d heard that Sierra had hooked up with two of his security guys and he knew for a fact that wasn’t true. “I haven’t been on a date or fucked anyone since the week I met you.”
Her eyes widened, probably because of his crude language, but he could tell the news pleased her. “Really?”
He nodded.
“Oh.” She bit her bottom lip nervously.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why?” He intentionally dropped his voice, willing her to take the verbal bait.
“Why?” It came out as a whisper.
