by Tessa Teevan
“What’d you tell him?”
“I changed the subject. It was too soon, and I didn’t want to talk about it. And thinking back, I can’t recall any time he ever asked about it. Why? If it was so important, why didn’t it ever come up again?”
“That’s what we’re going to figure out.”
As Rafe continues to knead my foot, pleasure flows through me. I pull out of his lap and fold my legs under me, wanting some distance for this next part.
“That day we talked… you mentioned you saw the video. The one of him taking me?”
“Yes,” he says slowly, his head tilting to the side as if he’s trying to figure out where I’m going with this.
“What about the person who drugged me? Did you see them?”
He leans forward, puts his elbows on his knees, then looks over at me. “No, Brie. The person who did that was out of the shot of the camera.”
I sigh. Of course. “And the sound?”
“Nothing. There was no audio. Not that I probably would’ve heard it anyway. My blood was boiling and my ears were ringing. All I wanted was to get to you.”
I swallow and give a small laugh as I recall my idiocy. “It was so stupid. I should’ve just called and had you grab the files, but I wasn’t thinking. The moment I heard his voice, I knew something was wrong. It was strained. Hoarse, almost. As if he’d been yelling. Adrian didn’t yell. He barely raised his voice. He didn’t need to, not even when he was angry. He had this imposing tone and it was enough. But that night? Just his voice was an indication that something was off.”
“What do you mean?” he asks even though he heard all of this when I told it to Agent Howard.
“It was almost like he was on something. His eyes were wide and manic, his clothing was disheveled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. That’s not the Adrian I know. I’d never seen him like that. Ever.”
He’s silent as I relay everything I can remember to him. I know he’s looking for clues in the context of what Adrian was saying. All I know is he was contradicting himself on more than one occasion.
“Who was he protecting me from, Rafe? Could he have meant himself? Or did he mean the person contracted to kill my parents? It doesn’t make any sense. And how was he fixing things by shoving me in the trunk of a car? I have so many questions that only he can answer.”
“There’s been no sign of him. Either he’s at the bottom of the river or he’s gone completely off the grid and he’s had help,” he surmises.
“His father?” I question. “I mean, that makes the most logical sense. If he’s the one keeping it out of the news, then it would make sense if he’s given him the means—or at least access to the means—to go on the run. Especially if he was doing his bidding.”
“I don’t know. The last I heard is they were on the outs. It may not have been his father’s bidding he was doing. Word on the street is that Adrian Morningstar was finally rebelling from daddy’s rules. And the word is that Theo isn’t happy about it.”
“So, why would he protect him?” I ask.
“His legacy, I’d guess. And it’s possible he’s not protecting him. He could just be dealing with him his own way.”
My eyes widen. “You don’t think…”
“I don’t know what to think, Brie. All I know is I need to figure out why they went after your father. Why they went after you. And I need to figure it out fast.”
Adrian’s words replay in my mind, as does his interest in the painting. As silly as it seems, I believe that my subconscious was trying to tell me something with the dream I had.
“The painting. It has to be the key to unlocking this. I know it is. We just have to find it.”
“Brie, we don’t even know if it is in the storage unit. And even if it is, this could be dangerous. What if Morningstar’s men are watching you?”
I scoff and give a half laugh, trying to sound more blasé than I actually feel. “Rafe, this isn’t The Godfather. He’s an investment scammer. A money launderer. A thief. Not a mafia don who’s after my blood.”
Even as I say the words, I know I’m completely and utterly wrong. If I weren’t, my parents wouldn’t be dead, I wouldn’t be in fear of my life, and like Rafe said, we probably never would’ve met.
“You have no idea what someone like him would do protect his business. His legacy. Real life is more like fiction than anyone realizes.”
“So, what are you saying? You think he’s keeping tabs on me?”
“Brie, look at that damn file. They’ve been keeping tabs on you since the funeral. Probably even before! You can’t take this lightly. It’s not just about you anymore,” he says, his voice rising.
I let out a deep sigh and look up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to regroup. Still, the tears form in my eyes, and a traitorous one slips out, not escaping Rafe’s attention.
His scowl falls. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just… I’m on edge, and I wish you’d take this seriously. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you again.”
“I know. I’m sorry, too. I know the danger I’m in, but it’s hard to admit. I just want this all to be over,” I tell him, almost ready to burst into tears. “I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. You were supposed to be a rebound!”
It sounds childish and silly. I might have been crazy for jumping into something with him so quickly, but it was apparent not long after we met that he was going to be so much more than a rebound.
He leans across the couch and grasps my waist, eliciting a yelp as lifts me up and sets me on his lap. My knees straddle his strong legs, and my hands rest on his shoulders. His hands settle on top of mine before sliding up my arms and cupping my cheeks. He gazes up at me, a storm swirling in his penetrating eyes.
“We both know that’s not true,” he insists, his voice low, thick with emotion. “Take it back.”
“Technically, it is true.”
“Brie,” he warns.
I bite my lower lip. “But what now? This was a whirlwind. We used protection every time.”
A stern yet teasing expression appears on Rafe’s face. My cheeks flame with heat as I remember the time or two when we didn’t.
“Okay, almost every time. But still, I was on the pill! We aren’t ready to start a family. There’s too much going on. Too much unknown,” I tell him, my heart sinking.
I’m absolutely conflicted. I want this baby more than I ever knew I would, yet, with the way things are with Rafe, I have no idea what our future holds. If we even have a future.
Rafe, however, doesn’t miss a beat. He puts a hand on my belly and gives me a smile. “The universe apparently thinks you’re wrong. Ready or not, Brie, this is happening. And I couldn’t be happier. Yeah, we may have been a whirlwind, but our child was created out of passion and affection. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
He stops just short of saying “love.” But the way his eyes twinkle and the breathtaking, awed look in his eyes say it for him.
“And after all of this is over? What then? What becomes of us?”
“Brie, as far as I’m concerned, we have all the time in the world. My future is tied to yours, and it always will be. Right now, I’m focused on keeping you safe. When this is all said and done, then we can talk. Okay?”
He’s right. The last thing he needs right now is an emotional basket case on his hands. Not to mention I need to worry about my own emotional health for both me and the baby.
The baby.
Those two words perk me up. More than ever, I’m excited to go through the storage unit and see what I kept from my childhood.
We can’t be in Chicago soon enough.
Even though she doesn’t know it, Brie’s one step ahead of me in her wish to go to Chicago. I’ve known about the storage unit for weeks, but I haven’t found a reason to go there. Now that she thinks the painting plays a significant role in uncovering her father’s secrets, I’m beginning to believe her. As much as I want to travel there alone, there’s no
way I’m leaving her. Hell, I can barely stand to let her out of my sight for an hour when we’re on the Morningstar property. Thank fuck we only have two more inspections to go through.
I’m getting so fucking tired of this. All my life, I planned to take Dad’s business over. I didn’t have to, but I went to college to get my business degree so I could oversee an expansion. It wasn’t until I was approached by The Boss that I even considered doing anything else. Still, as my father’s only son, I couldn’t let him down, so I threw myself into both jobs. At first, the agency resisted, but finally, we saw eye to eye. Not to mention that it’s the perfect cover for an agent like me. There’s no record of Rafe Matthews ever having worked for the government, nor will there ever be. I’m fucking golden.
I’ve always had that tiny fear of getting caught though. I’ve never let it haunt me or stop me from doing what needs to be done, but things are different now.
I have Brie to consider. And the baby. After this case is over, I’ll be ready to hang my badge up, build the dream home I’ve been making blueprints for, and start my family with her, somewhere close to my parents. I want to give Brie what was stolen from her—a family.
If only it were that easy.
That’s why, when Brie mentioned the future, I shut that line of conversation down. I refuse to make her promises I can’t keep. So, until I know I can secure the future she deserves, I’m keeping my mouth shut.
It’s the least I can do.
“Rafe?” Brie’s hands massage my shoulders as her timid voice breaks my train of thought.
“Even though I’m not in the position to make any promises right now, as soon as all this is over, I will. And in the meantime, you’re forgetting one thing.”
Her cute nose wrinkles. “What’s that?”
“You were already planning on moving in here before what happened and before we knew about the baby. So, sure, things may be going fast, but that doesn’t change how we feel.” As much as I want to ask exactly how she feels, I refrain.
“But that was temporary.”
I arch an eyebrow and smirk. “You may have thought so, but you’re out of your mind if you think I’d let you move in here only temporarily. There’s nothing temporary about us, Brie. That’s one promise I can make.”
With a satisfied smile, she repositions herself and leans her head against my shoulder. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Just as I think she’s drifting off, she lifts her head.
“Can you clarify one thing for me though?”
“What’s that?”
Her fingers come up to her mouth, where she twists her bottom lip between her thumb and index finger.
I pull her hand away from her mouth and wrap it up in mine. “Brie? What is it?”
She rolls her eyes then sighs. “It’s probably stupid…” she says, trailing off. Then, with a huff, she squares her shoulders and looks into my eyes. “Earlier today, in the car…you said you were playing the role of the grieving boyfriend.”
“Oh, that. Sure, I probably played it up, which worked because the cop let me behind the tape and closer to you. But still, I meant it. I was freaked the fuck out.”
She waves a hand as if she doesn’t care, and it confuses the hell out of me. “I get that. But then, like you just said, you meant it.”
“Okay…” I breathe out, still not sure what she’s getting at.
For a second, she hangs her head then returns her gaze to mine. “You’re going to make me spell it out for you, aren’t you?”
“Since I have no clue what you’re talking about, yes. Spell it out for this idiot. Nobody said Thor was a genius,” I mock, earning a shove to the shoulder, which causes me to laugh.
“You said boyfriend.”
My shoulders rumble as laughter rips through me. She scowls in return, but I just can’t help myself.
“What the hell do you think we’ve been doing all this time? We may have started as a ‘rebound,’” I tell her, using air quotes, “which was all you, not me. But I’d say, after the first week, we were well past that.”
She shrugs. “I know, but we’ve never actually given it a label.”
“You want labels, Brie? Then fine. It seems insignificant to say, but Gabriella Latham, even though I’ve considered you as such already, will you please do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”
“You’re such a jerk,” she says, laughing and leaning forward kiss me. Her brown eyes dance with delight as she pulls back. “Why, Rafe Matthews, I thought you’d never ask. I’d be honored. And since I’m already carrying your child, I’d say girlfriend is a good place to start.”
I shake my head. “You’re insane.”
“Insanely crazy about you.”
“And I’m a fucking lucky son of a bitch.”
Her laughter tapers off, and she sits back, studying me. “You really mean that, don’t you?” she asks softly.
“I’ve never lied about how I felt, and I’m not going to start now. Of course I mean it.”
“I’m lucky, too, you know.” She laughs quietly. “My sexy boyfriend wields a hammer.”
A low growl escapes my throat, and she has the wherewithal to jump off my lap and race down the hall towards the bedroom. Even though I was right on the verge of uncovering something when she interrupted me, I’ve done enough work for the day. It’ll be here in the morning, and hopefully, we’ll start unraveling clues.
But, for now, it’s apparently time to wield the fucking hammer.
Oh yeah. I’m a fucking lucky son of a bitch.
“SO, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?”
Brie’s question jolts me out of my thoughts, and I look up from the paperwork I’ve been going over.
We’re sitting in the Matthews trailer for what should be the last time. Well, at least on this property. If I have my way, and if she’s receptive to it, this will become a common occurrence in our future.
The guest house is complete. The construction side of things, that is. Everything else Theo Morningstar has planned for it is outside my profession, and my work here is just about done. The last inspection is currently underway, and we’re just getting the okay to pack up and haul out. It couldn’t come sooner, either. The longer we work here, the more on edge I’ve become. Even though Brie swears that being here doesn’t bother her, she tenses every time we turn into the driveway. It’s not until we leave that her shoulders relax. Hell, even with how insatiable she’s become at home, we’ve barely touched each other.
It’s almost as if we don’t want to splash that side of our relationship on this property anymore, and even though the days are long as hell, I don’t mind keeping my hands off her. Because, as soon as we get home, her mood completely shifts and she’s the one who can’t keep her hands off me. Again, I don’t mind one freaking bit.
“Rafe?” she repeats, eyeing me curiously.
“Yeah?” I ask, clearing my throat.
“I asked you a question. What happens now?”
“Now what?”
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “Now that the construction is complete. What happens now?” she repeats.
As I run a hand through my hair, I sit back and contemplate her question. “Well, we move to the next site,” I say as if it’s that simple. The truth is that I don’t know what’s next. I haven’t heard from the boss in over a week—something else that’s unsettling.
“Which will be where? And what about your actual receptionist? You know, the one on maternity leave?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. “Am I going to be out of a job?”
“Of course not,” I scoff. “And even if you were, I’m taking care of you now.”
“Rafe, no. Absolutely not,” she says, shaking her head emphatically. “If I need to find a job, tell me now.”
“There was no other receptionist, Brie,” I admit, mentally chastising myself as her mouth opens and closes. “I never had one planned for this site because I’d hoped, with your past, you’d help out.”
“But…
but…” she sputters, clearly confused by my admission. “That doesn’t make any sense. How could you have known what you were going to walk into that day? That I would’ve desperately needed the escape?”
Good fucking going, Matthews. When Brie and I first talked, I left this part out. I should’ve figured it’d come up again.
“I didn’t know that. I had no idea that, when I walked up to that back door, it’d be to witness you trying to leave. That was the last thing I’d expected. I’d figured you’d be happy and want to stay there. That my work would be cut out for me but, hopefully, you’d be bored enough to entertain me,” I admit.
She tilts her head and studies me. I can’t read her expression, so I’m not sure if she’s pissed. She looks more contemplative than anything.
“How much did you know about me before that day, Rafe?”
I squeeze the bridge of my nose, not wanting to make things worse. But I told her I’d never lie, and as long as I don’t have to, I won’t. “The basics, Brie. That’s it. I thought I knew enough, but when I walked up to that door, everything I thought I knew was blown out of the water. You surprised me in the best way, and I’ll be forever thankful for the opportunity to get to know you. I won’t apologize for the fact that this job brought you to me. But I swear to fucking God, baby, I only knew the bare minimum. And one of those things was that you used to be a receptionist. I was hoping I could bank on the fact that you were a bored girlfriend and you might want something to do. I realize now how much of an asshole I sound like.”
“So, you assumed I was just the arm candy of Adrian, and as soon as you flashed those beautiful, blue eyes at me, I’d fall all over myself trying to be close to you?”
