That Killer Smile

by Juliet Lyons

  “Ma. It’s not just that.”

  She stared at her son and waited. When he didn’t continue, she crossed her arms. “Then elaborate!”

  Gabe was saved by his older brother—the groom—excusing himself from a dance with their aunt to come over and drape his arms around Gabe and Parker. “Why the serious expressions? This is a celebration. You’re all supposed to be happy…for me!”

  Mrs. Fierro broke into a grin and cupped Jayce’s cheek. “We’re very happy for you, darling. I’m just telling Gabe he should be next. I want grandchildren!”

  “Oh, Christ.” Jayce rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you wait until one son is on his honeymoon before you start hounding the others?”

  “You’re right, darling. Now get back to that beautiful wife of yours and give her a hug for me.”

  Jayce looked over his shoulder and spotted Kristine talking with her mother and new stepfather. He grinned. “I think I’ll do that.”

  Gabriella narrowed her gaze at her younger son. “I gave you an out, but I want more detail,” she demanded. “Not that I don’t want you to have a wife and children, but that’s not what this is about. We’ll have that discussion another day.”

  Gabe groaned.

  “Will you excuse us for a moment, Parker?”

  “Of course.”

  “Come, Gabriel. Dance with your mother. And smile!”

  Gabe muttered under his breath. He knew he was in for it now. At least on the dance floor, she wouldn’t smack him upside the head. She took one look at the Joker grin he had plastered on his face and said, “Dear God. That smile is frightening. Never mind. Just wear a neutral expression.”

  When he obliged, her voice took on a sympathetic quality. “Talk to me, honey. What’s really bothering you?”

  When she used that tone of voice, he had to open up. She was nothing if not the most understanding woman on earth. She might not like whatever he told her, but she’d put herself in his shoes before reacting.

  He sighed. “You’re right that I’m a firefighter and I can be responsible for strangers for a few minutes. But this is different. I can’t handle taking care of someone long-term—especially someone special to us, like Misty.”

  “Why not?”

  He hung his head. “You know. I’m just not good at taking care of…things.”

  “Is this about the dog?”

  Gabe bit his lip and nodded.

  “Oh, honey. That was years ago. You were a kid. Don’t tell me you’ve been holding on to that all these years.”

  “Mom. That dog was my responsibility, and while you guys went skiing, I made up an excuse to stay home and lose my virginity.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I remember. You were fifteen, and you paid the price long ago. As I recall, we grounded you for a month, and you grounded yourself for another one.”

  “Nothing you and Dad could have done to me would have been worse than my own guilt over leaving Buddy outside where anyone could untie him.” He felt a burning behind his eyes. Before tears could leak out, he straightened and took a deep breath, steeling himself against the emotional threat.

  His mother squeezed the hand she held. “I recognize that reaction. Your father would do that occasionally when he told me about some horrific thing that happened on the job.”

  He couldn’t speak. He just let his throat close up, staring off into the distance over the happy crowd. Fortunately, his mother didn’t press him. This wasn’t a stranger they were talking about. It would devastate him if he let something happen to Misty.

  His mother was right. She was almost part of their family. She’d followed Parker everywhere after their parents died. When she wasn’t occupied with dance class or school, she wanted to be part of whatever he was doing.

  Parker had never treated her like a tagalong kid. She wasn’t underfoot, so Gabe hadn’t really noticed. The elderly Carlisle grandparents tried to keep everything as normal as they could, but eventually, they couldn’t pay the taxes on a pricey South End town house and support all of them on a fixed income. So they moved to the suburbs.

  Recently, Parker and Misty had lost their grandparents. Now his friend was trusting him to take care of the only family member he had left—while he was halfway around the world serving their country. He had to do it.

  * * *

  Gabe had tried to come up with a plan that wouldn’t look suspicious. Nothing like opening a new bank account at a branch about as far away from his place of work as he could get…

  Misty worked in the financial district as a bank teller. He understood why she’d moved from Saugus back to Boston. Once this city was in your blood, it almost never left. The suburbs must’ve been pretty dull for a fun-loving twenty-two-year-old. According to Parker, she’d spent the last few years taking care of their elderly grandparents. The girl deserved some fun.

  Parker had given him her address before he returned to Camp Lejeune for additional training. She couldn’t afford the pricey financial district, so she had found an apartment in an old building in the North End. Gabe worried about her living there. He had heard about some rapes in that neighborhood, and as much as she claimed to be an adult, from Parker’s description she was still an idealistic kid.

  Gabe had taken the subway to North Station. Before continuing on, he surfaced and tromped around the old Italian neighborhood, looking for her address. Sandwiched between other old buildings, it wasn’t the worst place on the block, but it wasn’t the best either. He hoped there was a way to figure out which floor she was on. She’d be safer on an upper floor.

  He quietly crept up the stairs to the small porch and saw two mailboxes. One said Carlisle. At least she was smart enough not to use her first name, indicating a female living alone.

  Gabe was in the mood for a walk. It wasn’t that far to the financial district, and he needed to clear his head. He had racked his brain trying to think of some other way to casually keep an eye on her. He came up empty, so he walked to the bank to open a new checking account.

  He’d just tell her he was being transferred to the nearby fire station soon and wanted to have a handy place to do his banking. If that didn’t tip her off, his coming in person to deposit his paycheck probably would. He’d just have to worry about that later.

  When he finally made it to the bank, he tried to look casual as he scanned the tellers, looking for a little girl with long brown braids. Naturally, she’d look a little different by now, but that’s how he remembered her.

  When he didn’t see anyone who could have been that girl, he was afraid he might have come on her day off. He checked the tellers’ nameplates and was shocked to realize the gorgeous brunette with long wavy tresses and a slammin’ body was in fact Misty.

  Whoa. His dick twitched. This can’t be happening. His best friend’s little sister was a grown woman. The first woman in a long time to rev up his libido. Shit. Now what?

  He got in her line, despite it being the longest, and waited his turn. He could probably have approached one of the offices and asked for the manager, but doing it this way would give him a chance to “accidentally” discover she was there.

  Oh my. What a surprise. Who knew you were working here? It sounded stupid, but it was all he had.

  When it was finally his turn, he did his best acting job—not that it was very good. “Hello, miss. I’m here to… Wait a minute. I know you…” Then he made it look like he was staring at her name tag, but he was actually staring at her full breasts. His breath caught, and he had to get ahold of himself in order to speak without squeaking like his fourteen-year-old self. “Misty? Misty Carlisle?”

  Recognition lit up her hazel-brown eyes. “Gabe? Oh my God. What are you doing here?” Then she laughed. “Well, obviously, you’re doing your banking, but I didn’t realize you lived around here.”

  “Oh, I don’t. I was just…thinking of moving to
the area, because it looks like I’m going to be transferred to your local firehouse.”

  “I guess you’re following in the family tradition, then?”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said proudly.

  “Well, now I feel even safer, knowing you’re on the job.” Her grin could melt the polar ice cap, or whatever was left of it after global warming and his inner heat had done its work.

  The fact that she always felt safe in a city this size and volunteered at a homeless shelter suggested that she might still be a little idealistic or naive. The guys in the shelter were sometimes hardened criminals. Some of his cop buddies had told him stories that raised the hair on the back of his neck.

  Dammit. No wonder Parker wanted someone to keep an eye on her. And yet she wanted to be independent. This was no easy assignment.

  “That’s sweet. I take it you live around here?”

  “Not really. I live in the North End. It’s a short walk, and I enjoy it on pleasant days.”

  “There aren’t many of those at this time of year.”

  “If anyone would know that, it’s you firefighters. I can’t imagine working in some of the conditions you have to go out in.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, there are times I kind of wish I could sit behind a desk, but most of the time, I love my job.”

  She smiled shyly. “I like what you do too.”

  Someone behind him cleared his throat.

  Gabe realized he’d better get down to business. “So, how do I go about setting up an account here?”

  “I’ll get the manager for you.” She left her window and exited through a side door, coming around to the customer area. “Just follow me.”

  Her black pencil skirt hugged her perfectly formed bottom, and her hips swished as she walked. He could almost feel himself salivating. Good God. I hate you, Parker.

  Misty poked her head into an office marked ADAM FORSYTH, MANAGER. “Hi, Adam. My friend here would like to open a new account.”

  The manager frowned at Gabe. That didn’t seem like a very friendly reaction to a new customer.

  “Friend?”

  “Yes,” Misty said. “This is Gabe Fierro. I’ve known him forever.” She smiled at Gabe, and he couldn’t help smiling back.

  The manager sat up straight and said, “Well, come in.”

  During their chitchat, when Gabe revealed the fact that he was a firefighter, the man’s demeanor softened. Yup, Gabe thought. Everyone loves a firefighter. And yet his youngest brother, Luca, wanted to be a cop. He knew of at least fifteen cops who had become firefighters just because they were tired of being hated.

  It only took about twenty minutes and his most recent paycheck before he was all set and ready to be on his way. He glanced back at Misty before leaving and saw a terrified expression on her face.

  “What the hell is happening?” he asked the manager.

  “Huh?” He followed Gabe’s nod in Misty’s direction. “Oh my God. We’re being robbed!”

  * * *

  Gabe had learned through his firefighting career to assess a situation before charging in. The security guard had been disarmed by a tall, heavyset man. Hands raised, the other tellers had backed away from their windows by about three feet.

  Misty was the only one frozen in place, and a bald, wiry guy in front of her seemed to be holding a weapon. He was left-handed, so Gabe couldn’t see it, but Misty probably had.

  Gabe turned to the manager and said, “Shit, dude. You’re the manager. Help her.” The manager was hesitating, so Gabe stepped in. He strode over toward the guy threatening Misty. “What’s going on here?”

  “Like I said, hands in the air!” As soon as Misty raised her hands, the criminal gave Gabe an evil smile and turned the gun on him. “You sound like the manager, except that you’re dressed too casually for that. Don’t be a heroic customer.”

  Beyond Gabe, the manager was just disappearing back into his office until the guy yelled to his accomplice, “Go get him, dumbass, before he calls the cops.”

  The manager tried to slam the door closed before the big guy got there. But the guy stuck his foot in the door and pushed it open. Grabbing the manager, he hauled him out to the customer area.

  “What do you want me to do with him, boss?”

  “Make him lock the front door, then bring him here. Get the other two on the ground with their hands behind their heads first.”

  “You heard him,” he said to Gabe and the security guard.

  The security guard lay down, but Gabe didn’t.

  “I told you not to be a hero,” the robber said through gritted teeth.

  Gabe didn’t move.

  “What’s the matter? Do you want proof that the gun is loaded?” The guy fired a shot into the air, and everyone jumped. The noise reverberated around the high ceilings.

  Gabe was filled with a cold chill, but this was no time to lose his head. “If you let the employees go, I’ll cooperate.”

  The guy laughed. “Nobody’s going anywhere, except you. You’re going to meet your maker if you don’t lie down, now.”

  Gabe reluctantly kneeled and put his hands behind his head.

  “What are you, stupid? I said lie down.”

  Gabe had hoped that if he distracted the robbers, Misty would be able to hit whatever emergency button would call the cops. So far, she hadn’t lowered her hands, so he doubted his plan had worked.

  He sighed and lay down with his head to one side so he could keep an eye on Misty’s window. If this guy went after her…

  “Now, Mr. Manager, lock the door, then come back here and tell me how to open the vault.”

  “It’s on a timer. I can’t open it unless it’s eight a.m. or four p.m.”

  “Yup. We already knew that, so it’s a good thing you didn’t lie. It’s almost four o’clock now. Lock the damn door!”

  The manager scurried off to do as the guy demanded.

  The scrawny, bald robber waved his gun toward the other employees. “All of you get on the floor too. I’d say get comfortable, folks, but I doubt that’s possible on the cold, hard floor. Oh well, too bad for you.”

  When Misty didn’t move, he pointed the gun at her again. “What’s your problem, sweetheart? Are you deaf?”

  “Can’t you see she’s frozen in fear?” Gabe shouted. He hoped he hadn’t just put Misty in danger. Visions of his dead dog, bloody, broken, and lying against the curb, crossed his mind at that moment. Oh God, if this guy hurts her…I couldn’t live with myself.

  “Okay, sweetheart. You’re going to be the one opening the vault. Back away.”

  Misty’s voice shook as she answered, “B-but I don’t know the combination.”

  “That’s okay. Your manager does. Now get over to it and wait there.” The guy muttered under his breath, but Gabe heard him say, “I want to see that spectacular ass,” and then he licked his lips.

  Misty was finally able to move, but Gabe couldn’t see her. He started to get up.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the heavyset one asked.

  “I’m an EMT. I want to keep an eye on the tellers to make sure everyone’s all right.”

  “Sometimes you don’t get what you want.”

  Then the boss criminal looked as if he were thinking something over. “You know what? It’s your lucky day, hero. I changed my mind. In case anyone comes to the door, I want it to look like the bank is closed. Mr. Manager, turn out the lights. I want everyone behind the counter on the floor, facing the back wall. Don’t even think about getting near an emergency button. As you saw, the gun is loaded.”

  Acknowledgments

  A big thank-you to the team at Sourcebooks for their support and hard work. Special mentions go to Laura Costello, Cat Clyne, Stephany Daniel, and Heather Hall. As a debut author writing her first seri
es, the publishing world can be an intimidating place, but I’ve never once felt out of my depth or alone. Thank you.

  Thanks to my support network: James, Mum, Richard, and Aunty Sue. My friends: Maria, Ellen, Zillah, Mack, Mim, Lucinda, Liz, and Claire for their encouragement and enthusiasm, and Maeve, who may be far away geographically but is never far in spirit. Thanks also to my writing buddies: Leila Adams, RK Close, May Freighter, CJ Laurence, Sally Mason, Joanne Weaver, and Elicia Hyder. In the topsy-turvy world of the pen, it’s good to know you have my back.

  Lastly, I’d like to thank the readers, both on Wattpad and in the real world, who have made the hard work worthwhile by welcoming these characters into their lives and hearts.

  About the Author

  Juliet Lyons is a paranormal romance author from the UK. She holds a degree in Spanish and Latin American studies and works part-time in a local primary school, where she spends far too much time discussing Harry Potter. Since joining global storytelling site Wattpad in 2014, her work has received millions of hits online and gained a legion of fans from all over the world. When she is not writing, Juliet enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Visit julietlyons.co.uk.

  Also by Juliet Lyons

  Bite Nights

  Dating the Undead

  Drop Dead Gorgeous

  That Killer Smile

  Thank you for reading!

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