Forbidden Touch: A Second Chance Stepbrother Romance

by Rye Hart

  An odd sense of relief raced through me, decimating the lingering fear. Where my father went after terrorists and horrible men in his practice, I wanted to do something totally different. I wanted to help bring justice to those who were hurt by an abusive parent or spouse, or maybe help set up protection for those who couldn’t do it themselves. Being in the legal system with my degree and my father’s last name was going to get me far in life, but not in the way he wanted it to.

  Where he was focused on rising to the top and stomping out crime, I wanted to offer my services to those that needed it the most but rarely had the ability to find it. He was going to shit bricks when the time came for us finally to sit down and talk about my future plans. No matter what though, I was heading in the direction of my heart. Money be damned.

  “Hey. You still with me?” Libby gave me a quirky smile.

  “Hmm? Oh yeah. Just thinking about our trip.” I ran my fingers through my hair and forced myself to focus back on her. “We’re going to go sight seeing right?”

  “Yes. Tons of that as well! I bought a polaroid camera to bring with us since neither one of us plan on using our phones, right?”

  “Right,” I said, nodding. “No Facebook, Twitter, or Instagramming our moments in Madrid. We are there to enjoy it. We’ll create memories in our minds.”

  “You got it,” Libby said. “Now, let’s—”

  My cell phone buzzed on the table between us, interrupting Libby. I glanced down at the caller ID. Groaning at the number, I looked back up at Libby apologetically. “I’m sorry, Libs. I’ve got to take this. You know how my Dad gets if I don’t.”

  “I know. He freaks out.” Libby rolled her eyes with a sigh. “I think he’s where you got all your paranoia.”

  I rose from our table with my phone in hand. “Just give me a minute. Order a chicken salad with no croutons and dressing on the side for me if our waiter comes before I’m back.”

  The small restaurant and patio were packed, but I managed to somehow squeeze my way out past the hostess station. While it was tempting to let my Dad’s call go straight to voicemail, I knew that he’d repeatedly call until I answered, or better yet, he’d send someone to look for me. That was always a fun encounter seeing that I was in my early twenties now. Everything suffered due to my Dad’s overprotective attitude. Especially my pathetic love life.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said, leaning up against a light pole. “What’s up? I’m out eating lunch with Libby right now, so—”

  “I’m glad I caught you both then,” he said, smoothly. “I need you to come into the office today. There is something that we need to talk about.”

  Suspicion filled me as chill bumps raced across my skin. Nothing ever good came from my Dad wanting to see me at his office. “About what?”

  “We’ll talk about it once you are here. Where are you exactly?” His tone was filled with a tension I’d become quite accustomed to.

  I rattled off the furthest restaurant I knew from my Dad’s office in Manhattan to spare myself some time with Libby.

  “I’ll expect you in an hour then,” he said. “See you in an hour.”

  Not phased by his shortness, I slid my phone back into the pocket of my pants. My Dad was never the type of person to waste any time on the phone with chit chat. His job made him curt and cold at times, but I knew my Dad loved both my Mom and I more than anything in the world. The money he spent on our protection was one of the many signs.

  I had no idea what my Dad wanted, but I didn’t plan on rushing over there to find out. I didn’t want to think about the dread growing in my stomach either.

  “What’d your Dad want?” Libby asked when I sat back down across from her.

  “I have no idea.” I shrugged and grabbed my water glass, taking a quick sip before pulling myself back up to the table. “I told him I was across Manhattan, so we have an hour to do some shopping after lunch.”

  Libby grinned at me. “See,” she said, swatting my hand playfully. “You’re going to do fine over in Spain. You know how to keep certain things a secret.”

  “I’ve had a friend to teach me a thing or two,” I replied with a grin on my face.

  We spent the next hour finishing up our lunch before hitting two stores. Libby hugged me goodbye through the shopping bags on her arm before hopping into her own cab. I told the cab driver to take the long way to Carter & Law. I needed the time to prepare for what my Dad wanted to talk to me about in the middle of the afternoon. He never called during the work days unless it was an emergency.

  Whatever it was, it wasn’t good, and I had a gut feeling the conversation wouldn’t end happily either.

  But at least I had my trip to Spain to look forward to, and nothing could get in the way of that.

  CHAPTER TWO - HARLEY

  It still felt fucked up to be in a crowd full of people going about their work days. After four months of retirement, I still couldn’t shake off the surreal feeling that it was over. All of those years being a killer, a death-dealer when needed, and here I was - a free man. Funny enough, being back in the real world left me feeling like a shit-storm was going to smack into me any minute. I felt like I was completely out of place.

  There was a time when I had a purpose and a strategy. Meticulously preparing myself and my men for battle – they were my brothers and I would have done anything for them. Death shadowed me everywhere I turned and it became the norm – but I never expected tragedy to strike from home. Finding out about Mom’s cancer screwed with my head and my mind started to unravel beyond my control. Fucked up dreams plagued my mind day and night - dicking with me as I walked around the dusty streets of the middle east. It was what it was, and I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing about it. My mom meant everything to me, and the decision became easy when I focused on her.

  I stood on the sidewalk in front of Logan’s downtown Queens office, realizing that the voices in my head had once again taken over. It was more like a run-down brick building on the corner of an abandoned lot that needed someone to cut the weeds down.

  I stared at the building with faint skepticism. For as much money Logan told me he made by employing bodyguards for the rich and famous, I expected a better building to conduct business. Cheap bastard.

  The front door opened, and Logan stepped out into the sunny afternoon with a grin. He waved me over from where I stood across the street.

  “Good to see you, bro,” he said, embracing me tightly. “It’s been what… two years now?”

  “Yep. Two long ass years,” I said, grinning. “I’d say nice place, but it’s not exactly what I pictured for a business like yours.”

  Logan glanced up at the cracked red brick building with a grimace. “I know. I’d like to move, but you know Jade is determined to live in Queens for the rest of our lives.”

  “At least fix it up,” I said. “It’s about ready to fall over, or collapse on your head.”

  “Do you have any construction experience you smug son-of-a-bitch?”

  “No,” I said, laughing. “Good point.”

  “All right then. Come inside.” He walked through the door, reaching back to hold it open for me.

  I followed him through the front office that smelled like cinnamon past a young female receptionist who smiled up at me as I passed by. The tight shirt she wore pressed against her tits, outlining beaded nipples. How the fuck Logan got anything done with her sitting up front was beyond me.

  “Who's the receptionist?” I asked when Logan shut the door behind me. I took a seat in front of a neatly organized desk.

  “Jade’s younger cousin,” Logan said.

  “I thought Jade was against the whole working with other women.”

  “It doesn’t count if their family apparently.” Logan grimaced as he took a seat behind his desk. “Don’t point out how bad that is. You don’t have a wife to deal with back home.”

  I held up my hands. “Backing off. What do you need help with exactly?”

  “I have a wealthy clien
t who needs to hire a bodyguard for his daught—”

  “No,” I cut him off sharply. I shook my head when Logan opened his mouth again. “No, bro. I’m not going to chaperone some spoiled rich brat around. I thought you needed help with something serious. I’m not into the babysitting business.”

  “I lied on the phone,” he said, plainly as he lifted his hands in what looked like surrender. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for the guy, but watching some rich twit for any length of time, even a few minutes, was fucking out of the question.

  “I wouldn’t be here if I knew you were going to pull this shit bro.”

  “That hurts. Just listen to the details of the job. It might change your mind.”

  “I doubt it,” I said, wryly. “How did you even end up in this business? Four years in the fucking Special Forces and this is where you ended up?”

  “I’m not happy about it,” Logan said. “Never said that it was sunshine and fucking daisies here, but I had a wife and a child on the way two years ago. I had to do something that wouldn’t risk my head getting shot at.”

  “Not saying that isn’t honorable, but damn, bro.” I sat back in my chair in disbelief as I clasped my hands over my stomach. “How did we end up like this?”

  “Too much death,” he replied, grimly.

  I looked down at my forearms. Four fucking years in the Special Forces meant watching death up close and personal. I couldn’t count how many times I’d watch the life leave someone’s eyes. I also couldn’t count how many times I was relieved to see it too. It seemed morbid, sick now that we were out, but in the heat of battle, it was what we were trained to do.

  Logan had gotten out of it the second he learned Jade was pregnant with their first child. At the time, we had lost two friends in a mission during the middle of the night. Too much death had a tendency to scar the soul in horrible ways. I didn’t blame him for ending up in a position with a business that didn’t involve guns, or terrorists wishing you were dead.

  I studied the names I had tattooed on my arms over the years. Every single one of them had covered my ass in battle. I never wanted to forget them, but the last name on the list had the deepest imprint on my soul.

  Tony Martin.

  Four months ago, I had been surrounded by that God-forsaken country in Iraq. Then, it had taken one well-placed bomb to end Tony’s life within a matter of seconds. He had only been one step ahead of me. I still couldn’t shake those images of his body flying through the air in a spray of sand, blood, and debris.

  “Harley.”

  I looked up sharply at the sound of Logan’s voice. “What?”

  “You’ve been going to get help, right?” he asked, cautiously. “You’ve been home for almost four months, and this is the first time I’ve seen you since Tony’s funeral.”

  “Yah. It was one of the requirements my Mom set up when I came back,” I said, nodding. “I agreed to get help as long as she let me help pay the bills around the house along with treatment.”

  “Then, promise me you’ll consider this job. I know your Mom could use the extra help while she’s in remission. She’s been in our prayers during her treatment,” Logan said.

  “Thank you, that means a lot.”

  “Remember Robert Carter?”

  I frowned at the familiar name. “That’s one of the federal prosecutors who put terrorists behind bars, right?”

  “Correct. He wants to hire a bodyguard for his daughter who recently graduated law school and is going on a trip to Spain.”

  “How old is the daughter?”

  “I believe she is—” Logan picked up the file in front of him to flip through the papers quickly. “—twenty-two. She graduated from Harvard a few weeks ago. Obviously a smart girl, so she can’t be that much trouble. You know Robert doesn’t put up with anything. I can’t imagine how strict the guy was on her – not to mention how much balls he must have busted all these years. In my opinion, this is easy money man.”

  I rubbed at the back of my neck and sighed.

  The last thing I wanted to do was leave my Mom while she received treatment for Stage II breast cancer, but our bills had to be paid. I had been discharged with honor, and a hefty sum to start early retirement, but my Mom struggled enough as it was financially. Growing up, we had no money, but she always made ends meet for us – and now it was my turn to step up.

  The doctor I had arranged her to see was expensive. Damn expensive. Though, she was worth every fucking penny I could scrounge up - and then some. I’ve never imagined taking up a job like this, but maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea if it meant helping out with my Mom’s situation. I could swallow my pride and get through it.

  The appeal to babysit a rich prosecutor’s daughter was not high on my list of things to do now that I had the time to do whatever I wanted. I had respect for Robert Carter though. While Logan and I took the bad guys out on combat through deadly force, Robert Carter put them behind bars for the rest of their lives as a form of punishment.

  “How much is the mission here?” I asked.

  “$500,000,” Logan said and laughed when I nearly choked on air. “That ain’t nothing compared to what some celebrities pay. That’s just your cut too. I’m not including mine.”

  “Shit,” I exclaimed. “You could’ve started with that number.”

  Logan grinned at me. “Good to know. Figured you might like this job since we’ve dealt with Mr. Carter previously from handing his reports for court. He’s a hard hitter, but you knew that, man.”

  I nodded. Hard hitter was putting it nicely.

  “My Mom’s receiving treatment this summer,” I said. “I have a feeling he wants a bodyguard for this summer.”

  “Just for one month. All the travel expenses will be paid for as well along with the hotels.”

  “I’ll make my suggestions about Madrid,” I said, shaking my head. “There is some corrupt bullshit going on over there within that country. I don’t trust any personal guards there.”

  “I take it that means you’re accepting the job then?”

  “As long as I know you and Jade can help my Mom,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “I’m helping you, so you help me here.”

  “Always,” Logan said, nodding. “Brothers are always first. No matter what. Here’s all the information.” He handed over all the papers. “I don’t know the exact dates besides that it’ll be in a week or so. Just sign and leave the contract here. I’ll call Mr. Carter to let him know you’re coming into Manhattan to speak with him this afternoon.”

  I sat back in my chair. A headache pounded in my temples while I flicked through the papers quickly. Libby Armstrong. I glanced down at her photo attached to a piece of paper.

  There was the best friend I’d be protecting too— the tall and leggy blonde with a sultry smile. I snorted. Abigail Carter. A timid woman with shoulder length brown hair and large frame glasses looked up at me from the photograph. She was small too. 5’3. 125 lbs. She could easily be abducted without a fight. It didn’t help her case either that she looked like a sexy book nerd with those glasses and innocent expression.

  I cleared my throat at the last observation. Easy boy, Jordan, if you’re thinking of bangin’ a top US prosecutor’s daughter then you’d better be ready for another kind of war.

  “Okay,” I said. “Call him up. I’ll be there within an hour.”

  CHAPTER THREE - ABIGAIL

  “You have to be kidding me.”

  I stared at my Dad in disbelief as he handed off a case file to his paralegal. She scampered by me, well-aware that an argument was about to ensue. When Robert Carter got angry, all hell broke loose, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Yet, I could match my Dad’s angry voice tone for tone easily without batting an eyelash, and I would.

  How dare he shit all over my plans?

  He stood in front of the row of windows that overlooked the entire city of Manhattan dressed in a sharp navy blue suit with a crisp white button up my Mom had ironed for him this morn
ing. His brown hair was peppered with grays, and a few faint lines covered the corners of his eyes, but he was sharper than ever. Age had never slowed him down.

  “I’m not kidding you, Abi,” he replied, steadily. “I have hired a bodyguard to come with you to Spain. There's no argument about it.”

  “You just want someone to tell you how I’m behaving,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. “You don’t think I know how to defend myself, or how to keep an eye out for trouble?”

  “No, I don’t have any confidence in you for those reasons.” I winced at the harshness of those words. “You are incredibly naive when it comes to foreign places, Abi. You can’t imagine the concern I have for you. Especially with Libby tagging along on this adventure.”

  “Libby is not a bad person,” I said, defensively. “She’s the only friend at Harvard who isn’t afraid of you!”

  “For that,” he said, sitting down at his desk with a sigh, “I admire her for, but it’s already done. The bodyguard will be here any moment now.”

  “You promised to trust me on this one thing,” I pointed out in exasperation. “This is the one time you promised that I could do this without someone hovering over me the entire time.”

  “Things change, Abigail, and if we’re being honest, I do trust you. It’s everyone else in the world that I’m leery of. You’re my daughter, and when I’m concerned, I’m going to take precautionary measures to make sure you’re protected.”

  “Protected against what?”

  “I have taken on a case that involves a high profile terrorist leader who is currently in a US prison,” he said. “This man happens to mean a lot to his group of followers. They will do everything they can to get him back.”

  “And you think that involves me?”