“Miles James.”
She was silent and her heart felt like it was lodged in her throat.
“Who?” She pretended to not know.
“He’s connected to Liam Russell and they’re supposedly planning this small event in a week. Word is he’s going to call you to ask you to help out.”
“Still not knowing why you’re calling me.” She worried now. Miles was such a lowlife creep. Did her mom tell him she worked for Paulano? She had to have. Now she hoped Paulano didn’t tell him where she was working now and she couldn’t ask. She just denied knowing Miles. Shit.
“Because this Miles James called here last week looking for you. Said he was a close friend of the family. I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me you had connections to Liam already.”
She felt the pain in her stomach.
“Nope, not me, I have no more family left. I need to go.”
“Listen to me. They are going to ask you to coordinate this event. Don’t say no. I’m trying to help you out.”
“You have no bargaining rights, Paulano.”
“Come on, Louisa, for old times’ sake.”
“Never. Never will I help you with anything. Lose my number or I call the cops.” She ended the call and tossed her cell phone into her bag. She drove down her street, a couple of blocks from the beach, and headed to work. Who the hell did Miles James think he was and why would he say he was a close friend of the family?
He might tell Liam that in order to scam him into a business deal. How the hell was she supposed to respond to that? Oh God, what a mess of things. She wanted nothing to do with this stuff and nothing to do with Miles. He was a thief and a crook who looked for the easy hit and easy way out. Her mother was a pawn. If she ever saw Miles again, God knows what she might do to him.
* * * *
Miles sat in the chair in front of Liam’s desk.
“I can have a few guys in and out of the gala in less than ten minutes,” Miles told him.
“Ten minutes is too long, Miles, even with the limited security there. You’re not helping,” Liam said to him.
“You want it done faster, it’s going to cost you for two extra men.”
“That isn’t my problem, it’s yours. I have other men in mind for doing this hit. It’s a fucking warehouse, not an armed event.”
“Liam, come on now. You owe me. I did two years behind bars and didn’t rat anyone out. Two fucking years with no pussy, no sports car, no fucking money, and an inmate I nearly choked to death. Throw me a bone.”
Liam stared at him a moment.
“You’re out three months and already have a sports car, money, and pussy, so what the fuck do you want from me?”
“A real piece of the action like Romo had.”
“Romo screwed up and owes me a lot of money.”
“He’ll get it to you.”
“Maybe.”
“Come on, what can I help with? Maybe getting that woman you’ve been investigating? What will you pay for her?”
Liam stood up and slammed his hands down on the desk.
“You stay away from Louisa. She’s mine.”
Miles smirked.
“I’m doing her old lady. Knew her when she was a teenager, just as fucking hot of a body then. She’s a real woman now, and a looker.”
Liam pointed at him. “You keep your hands off of her. She’s mine.”
“That so?”
Liam stared at Miles and nodded. “Sure is, and she’ll be coordinating the event here. You stay clear and if you play your cards right, I’ll throw you a bone you won’t ever let go of,” he said to him and Miles smirked.
“I want in on a heist like what Romo did,” Miles said to him.
Liam stared at Miles a moment.
“We’ve had bad luck because of the qualified security around the packages.”
“I hear there are some special deliveries going to the hotel for that big event coming up. I know a guy. If I get my hands on the stuff will you give me cash for it and get rid of the item?” Miles asked.
Liam smirked.
“If you actually succeed in a heist and don’t get killed or caught, I’ll give you cash no problem.”
Miles then stood up. “I’ll be in touch,” he said and exited the office.
* * * *
“I can’t stand that fucking guy,” Liam said to Keno when Keno entered the room.
“He’s telling the truth. He’s seeing Louisa’s old lady. He’s a loser though. Fucks anything he can get his hands on,” Keno told him.
“I don’t trust that fucking guy. He’s a problem.”
“What about Louisa? Have you gotten her to commit to the event?”
“Not yet. I’m getting ready to make that call.” He was still pissed off at Miles’s attitude and the way he spoke about Louisa.
“This is risky, Liam, especially with you there.”
“I can’t be responsible if I’m in the public eye. The cops won’t be able to pin a thing on me. Besides. I have a backup plan.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll let you know as we get closer.”
“What about Miles?”
“He’s on his own. If he lives, then I made some money. If he dies, then fuck him, I can’t stand that guy. He’s so creepy.”
“I know exactly what you mean, Liam. Exactly.”
* * * *
Hours later, Louisa ran her fingers through her hair and shuffled through some papers. She had her ear to the phone and was talking, walking, and organizing the caterers for Saturday’s event at the hotel. The first few days were a whirlwind of events. She had to get fingerprinted, get an ID, organize her desk, and handle the immediate tasks at hand. She was thrown right into the shit and she loved it. She felt accomplished as she bartered the pricing on the additional linens for the event, the flowers, and then the waitstaff that would have to be cleared by security. Which was where she was headed right now.
As she came around the corner after exiting the elevator she spotted Gus by the security table. He smiled wide and she nodded and smiled and then heard the woman on the line give a different price for the displays as what she was quoted.
“Oh no, Melinda. There must be some kind of mix-up. Yesterday we discussed the total. I believe you need to go back and recheck that price.”
“Miss Bellino, your event is days away,” she stated and Louisa knew she was trying to force more money out of her.
“Melinda, let me ask you a question. What in God’s name are you going to do with ten extra-large, personalized banners that can’t be changed and have been custom created for this specific event? That would be a major loss to you, not me. Perhaps you need to take another gander at that paperwork you misplaced and call me back.”
“No need to,” she replied immediately and then suddenly found the paperwork and apologized for misquoting.
“A check will be available upon delivery of those banners tomorrow morning and our evaluation of their quality. Thank you.” She disconnected the call.
“So sorry about that, Gus. How are you?” she asked and juggled the folders she had as her phone nearly dropped.
“Need some help?” She heard the deep voice and turned around to see Graham Hunt, Cooper’s brother. He was older, very debonair looking, and apparently ran a private security firm with all of his brothers including Cooper and Daxton, who assisted here for special events. He looked her over and reached for two folders falling from her arms.
“Oh, thank you, Graham,” she said and then fixed the rest of the items in her arms.
“That sounded like a crazy call you got. Is everything okay, Louisa?” Gus asked her, coming around his desk to be closer.
She smiled. “I had it covered, just a little glitch. It’s the glitches that come hours, even minutes, before the big event that are stressful. Is Cooper available now for our meeting?” she asked and reached out for Graham to hand over the folders she had. He did and when their fingers touched she nearly gas
ped from the attraction she felt. It was crazy, but in a matter of days and after meeting Cooper again—and then his brothers Graham and Daxton—she really was interested in them. The thing was, they had a bit of a reputation, and Miss Cortland warned her about the rumors the men never dated but had a supply of women on call for their pleasure. It kind of aggravated her, but they were very appealing.
Plus they were soldiers, and it made for some interesting fantasies in her head. Then she heard from one of the other female staff members that the brothers were very well off.
“We are more than ready, Louisa. Please follow me,” Graham said and guided her down the hallway toward another office. She felt his hand at her lower back and then she thought he sniffed her hair. She turned to look back at him, but he was straight-faced and looking ahead. She wondered if she imagined it, then thought she was losing her mind.
As she entered the office both Cooper and Daxton were there. Cooper wore a brown designer dress suit and Graham and Daxton wore dark gray. Their guns showed when they stood to greet her and she felt that twinkle of attraction to them. They looked her over and she was glad she wore the slim-fitting beige dress today. That was one thing she loved about this job. It required classy business attire and even cocktail dresses when the occasion called for it. In fact, there was an event next week, a fund-raiser, and she needed to dress up for it. She would have to call one of the girls and see who was available for shopping.
“Good to see you, Louisa. Please have a seat,” Cooper said and motioned for her to sit down. When she did she crossed her legs and all three men took position around her. Instead of Cooper sitting behind the desk, he leaned against the front of it, his legs inches from hers. Graham took the seat to her left and Daxton stood up with his arms crossed, watching her.
Daxton and Graham had brown crew-cut hair. They had very distinguished noses and their facial expressions looked chiseled and made her imagine their bodies were the same under those designer suits. She had caught sight of them yesterday when they removed their jackets and stood in the banquet hall with their guns and radios holstered on their hips. The image stood in her mind all night.
“I just finished going over this list of temporary staff for Saturday. I’m going to need more time to do background checks on them,” Cooper explained.
“I think that Deanna already approved them and they’re all coming in on Friday for a meeting,” she said to him.
He narrowed his eyes at her, then looked at his brothers. “She knows this needs to come through me,” he said to her.
“Okay, then discuss it with her.”
“I thought this was part of your responsibilities?” he challenged and she felt like he was insulting her or her capabilities. She replied quickly.
“It is, but considering the type of event it is and who it will be drawing in, I expect you to do your job thoroughly so we aren’t putting our guests at risk. Am I right?” she replied.
“I’ll do my job and you do yours, Louisa, and it will work out fine.”
She knew she angered him but damn, was the man a real hard-ass, and he seemed set on making her feel uncomfortable. As they talked about the other aspects of security for the event and how the guards would be in uniforms she interrupted.
“Perhaps, you could consider limiting the number of uniformed security and change those to plainclothes, undercover security?” she asked.
“What does it matter? People know the price tags on these things being sold and on display. They won’t bat an eye at the uniforms,” Graham said to her. She turned slightly to look at him.
“You don’t think so, but coming from my perspective and how this venue, the surroundings, will be perceived, fewer uniforms make people feel more relaxed, willing to buy, and let people enjoy themselves. Atmosphere is everything. This is a high-priced, beachfront resort. There are very influential, wealthy people staying here for this weekend because of the event. We want them back, and we want them booking up more parties and keeping us all working. Could you please work something out?” she asked.
“I think we can come up with something, Cooper.” Daxton said, but his eyes remained on Louisa.
“You’ll be there, correct?” Graham asked.
“Of course I will be.”
They went over a few more details and she wrote down some things to ask Deanna and get back to them on and then she stood up.
“Well, I think we covered everything. I need to head down to the kitchen to finalize some things with Carl,” she told them.
“We’re heading down there now. We’ll walk with you,” Graham and Daxton told her.
She squinted at them. “You’re going to the kitchen?” she asked.
“To the banquet hall actually, but we’ll walk together,” Daxton said and motioned with his hand for her to go first toward the door as Graham opened it.
She glanced over her shoulder at Cooper and gave a little smile. “Later, Cooper,” she said and he just stared at her with no expression whatsoever. She felt a twinge of embarrassment. Perhaps he really wasn’t a very friendly guy after all.
“So what made you decide on becoming an event coordinator? Just like throwing parties?” Daxton asked her as they headed down the hallway. She was going to reply but they reached Gus’s desk.
She looked at Gus. “Bye, Gus.”
“Hope to see you again real soon, Louisa,” he said and winked. She chuckled. He was so friendly. As she got into the elevator she saw Graham had a pissed-off expression on his face and said something to Gus who now looked shocked and like he was in trouble. She squinted at Graham.
“Something wrong?” she asked as they got into the elevator.
“Nothing. Answer the question,” Daxton snapped at her and she opened her mouth to respond and saw him raise both eyebrows up at her. She closed her mouth and looked away. When she felt the hand on her arm and Daxton caressing her skin, she turned to look up at him and those sexy brown eyes.
He stared at her lips and his hand brushed down her arm to her hip. He gave it a tap. “Ignore Graham, he’s in a grumpy mood. So tell me why an event coordinator?” She got annoyed at the way he looked at her lips, and the fact that he thought he could just touch her and look at her seductively. It was the intensity of his stare, and the instant desire she felt for him that had her pushing his hand off her hip. The elevator door opened.
“Do I look like I was born yesterday?” She went to move, but he grabbed her hand and narrowed his eyes at her as he looked down. He was tall just like his brothers Cooper and Graham. She glanced at Graham who still looked so angry. She was starting to believe it was the guy’s disposition.
“What is that supposed to mean, Louisa?” Daxton asked.
She pulled her hand free. “It means I’m not interested, and definitely not going to be welcomed the way I heard you and your brothers welcome women at this hotel.” She turned around and stormed out of the elevator and toward the banquet hall.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she heard Daxton say, but she ignored them and kept walking. She didn’t know if the rumors around the hotel were true or if a few of the females who worked there just wanted Louisa to stay clear of the Hunt men. None of it mattered to her. She was just glad to have a job again and to not worry about her boss showing up in her office with his pants down and his dick in his hand. She shook her head at the thought of that frightening moment.
She was past Paulano’s shit, and hopefully she just set some boundaries for the Hunt men. Hopefully.
Chapter 3
Daxton and two other guards, Gus and Winter, were providing security for a client supplying some pieces of art and designer jewelry for the event Saturday. Daxton was going over some details with the client when the door to the man’s office slammed closed and then he heard gunfire.
Daxton pulled out his firearm as the man pressed a button on the desk.
“It’s a robbery. Holy shit, someone is robbing me.”
“Don’t worry, my two guards
are out there,” he yelled over his shoulder as he tried to get the door open.
He stepped back and kicked at it several times. The wood frame on the door began to split by the knob.
“We haven’t even left the building. Someone would know that we were here with you. Who?” he asked the owner. The owner shook his head.
There was banging on the door.
“Daxton,” Hunter yelled.
“Yeah, it’s locked and we can’t get out.”
“Stand back.”
The door split open the rest of the way and then Daxton yanked it free.
He saw Hunter with his hand over her arm, which was bleeding.
“You were shot?”
“Yes, three guys in masks broke into the garage and got the van open.”
“No, not my jewels and paintings?” the owner asked.
“We tried to stop them, but they were shooting at us.”
“Where’s Gus?”
“Calling it in,” he said and they could hear the sirens in the distance.
“How the hell could this happen. You told no one about packing that van and leaving for the hotel today?” Daxton asked the client.
“No one. Just your boss,” he said to Daxton, squinting at him like he was accusing Cooper of being responsible.
“I got one guy in the shoulder. Just a flesh wound, but I know I hit him,” Hunter said to him.
He placed his hand on his shoulder.
“You did good, Hunter. This was out of our control. Sit down and wait for the ambulance to arrive,” Daxton said and then pulled out his cell phone and called Cooper. This was a major fuck-up.
* * * *
Jace and Micah Hunt got off the private jet and saw the black SUV with tinted windows waiting for them. They carried their large black duffel bags and the trunk opened automatically. They threw the bags into the back as Vaughn, Cooper, Graham, and Daxton got out and hugged them hello.
“How the hell are you guys?” Cooper asked.
Kamikaze Nights [Love on the Rocks 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5
