Wicked Ties (Steele Security Series)

by Justice, A. D.

  The heated look Bull gave her revealed he’d intentionally twisted her meaning in his mind. She laughed and corrected her statement, “Okay, let’s try that again. If you need your neck and shoulders massaged, just let me know.”

  Bull laughed heartily, “I think I like my interpretation better.”

  The rest of the ride to Sandy Bay, Alabama was in peaceful silence. Bull continued to hold on to her hand, occasionally pulling it back to his mouth to kiss it. He had a far-away look in his eyes, as if he was remembering his time spent in the area but wasn’t quite ready to share his thoughts.

  The truck stopped outside of a single-story, sprawling ranch-style house with lush green grass and shrubbery in the front yard. Bull sat motionless as he stared at the house. His stoic, emotionless mask was securely in place again.

  “Colton, are you okay?” Chaise softly asked.

  Bull nodded, “Yeah, let’s get this over with.”

  “I can help get the bags,” Chaise offered.

  “We’re not staying here. We’ll stay at my place,” Bull replied.

  “Your place?” Chaise asked, confused.

  “I have a small place here where I stay when I come to visit,” Bull explained.

  “Oh, alright.”

  Bull’s mother, Michelle, met them at the door as they approached. She pulled Bull into her arms for an embrace as she squealed, “My baby boy’s home! I didn’t know you were coming! You should’ve called me!”

  Bull hugged her back but didn’t verbally respond. He pulled away and dropped his arms from around Michelle. Her face instantly changed, sensing something was wrong.

  When her eyes met Chaise’s, she smiled genuinely and extended her hand. “Hello, I’m Michelle Lanier, Colton’s mother.”

  “I’m Chaise. Colton’s….friend,” she said as she cut her eyes to Bull for a second. She wasn’t sure how to label what she was to him and asking him in front of his mom wasn’t an option. She also noticed the tick in Colton’s jaw and immediately knew he was thinking about her last name—or lack thereof. She quickly continued, “It’s nice to meet you. You have a lovely home.”

  “Thank you, dear. Come in, come in!”

  Michelle showed Chaise around her house, including Bull’s old room where she’d kept things much as they were when he last lived there. His pictures from his youth and some that were more recent hung on the walls and sat out on display. It was obvious that Michelle was very proud of her son then and the man he’d become.

  When they finally sat down in the den, Bull cleared his throat and said, “Mom, we need to talk.”

  “Do you want me to leave?” Chaise politely interrupted. The look Bull gave her made her instantly regret asking. From the look in his eyes, it was obvious he wanted her there with him and he was disappointed that she would even ask. Chaise moved closer to him and covered his big hand with her small one. “I’ll stay,” she whispered.

  “What’s this about, Colton?” Michelle asked.

  “It’s about Dad.”

  Michelle’s eyes and mouth simultaneously flew wide open in surprise. She stuttered and stammered, trying to form coherent words, but none came. She quickly averted her eyes from Bull and Chaise. Her face was bright red and her respirations suddenly increased.

  “I saw him, Mom. He was with some really bad guys, who shot at us, and were trying to kidnap Chaise,” Bull continued without remorse. “I saw the letter he left, the one that said we were better off without him. Now, I need to know the truth about him because it’s Chaise’s life in danger now.”

  Michelle stood and walked over to the end table. She stood with her back to Colton and Chaise for several long minutes before opening the base of the table and retrieving the letter.

  “I wish you’d told me you’d seen this a long time ago,” she finally said as she clutched the letter to her chest.

  “What difference would it have made if I had? He abandoned us without a second thought and you just pretended it was all fine instead of facing the truth,” he spat out in anger.

  “No, Colton, that’s not entirely true,” she sighed heavily. “I was wrong to not tell you when you were old enough to understand, but he didn’t want me to say anything. He was afraid it would put you in more danger.”

  Michelle took a deep breath, “He didn’t abandon us, Colton. He had to leave to protect us. But he’s always kept watch over you and me. All these years, he’s never stopped loving us.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” Colton growled.

  “Your dad works undercover with the DEA, Colton. That’s why he traveled so much when you were young. He was deep undercover and his cover was about to be blown. This letter you saw was our secret code, should that day ever come. His case was big and had he been discovered, it would’ve gotten us all killed.

  “That’s why we moved here. That’s why you went to the military boarding school for high school. That’s why I let you, and everyone else, believe he had just left without a word. It was the only way to keep us all alive.”

  Colton stood and started pacing the room. His hands were drawn into fists. The emotionless mask was gone and full fury had replaced it. His muscles were tightly wound, like a rattlesnake ready to strike. He looked lethal and he was only getting started.

  “You really expect me to believe that all this was for our benefit? He could’ve moved with us. He could’ve taken on a new identity and stayed with us. He didn’t have to leave us.”

  “Those were different times, Colton. He had to make it look like we were dead so we’d have a chance at a life without looking over all our shoulders all the time. We both did what we thought was best. That’s all we could do,” her voice rich with grief, regret, and remorse.

  Chaise watched Bull intently to try to gauge his reaction. The whole conversation was a huge bombshell and she felt like she was still running to catch up to them. The silence was uncomfortable and the room felt stuffy.

  “Do you still talk to him?” Bull’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms across his huge chest.

  Michelle drew in a deep breath and Chaise had a very bad feeling about what was about to occur. “Yes, Colton, I still talk to him. He’s still my husband. That’s why I’ve never remarried. It’s always been him for me.”

  “How can you still be married if you never see him?” Bull growled.

  “I do see him but not as often as I’d like at the moment. He’s finishing up this current case and then he’s retiring. He’ll move here to be with me or we’ll move somewhere together,” Michelle explained with a shrug of her shoulder.

  “I don’t fucking believe this! He’s been absent my whole life and you just take him back like what he did is nothing?” Bull’s anger was reaching a scorching hot level.

  “I love him, Colton. I knew what he was when we married and I knew this was a possibility. We did the best we could with what we had. He watched over you your whole life, Colton. You didn’t know, but he’s always watched over you and your career. He’s so proud of you.”

  Bull paced the floor, his hands on his head and threading through his hair in frustration. There were just too many lies, too many things that were kept from him, and a lifetime of regrets caused by an absent father. The same father who had always been proud of him and would be stepping back into the family like nothing happened at all.

  “Chaise and I are going to my place. I need some time to think this through.” He stopped and looked her in the eye, “You shouldn’t have let me find out like this. You should’ve told me.”

  “I know, son. I’m so sorry—we were only trying to protect you. I love you, Colton.”

  Bull nodded but Chaise had the distinct impression that he wasn’t really listening to what his mom was saying. His mind was a million miles away at the moment.

  In the truck after saying their goodbyes, Bull was still very quiet. He answered Chaise when she spoke, but other than that, he was very distant. Chaise reached over and put her hand over his. Without looking at
her, Bull closed his hand around hers and squeezed it lightly. That was his way of thanking her for her silent support.

  Bull pulled into a secluded driveway that was barely visible from the road. The shrubbery and coconut trees partially blocked the view of the drive, giving the illusion that it was an old abandoned road. Obviously, that was just how Bull wanted it to appear to keep unwanted visitors out.

  At the end of the driveway sat a small house. It was immaculately kept and looked like an island oasis. The front yard was covered with lush, green grass and the backyard was the beach and ocean. Bull parked, grabbed their bags, and escorted Chaise into his home away from home.

  The house was small and simple, not nearly as elaborate as his Miami home. But it was the simplicity and the back view that was the true draw. The house consisted of three bedrooms, two baths, a den, dine-in kitchen, and a large wrap-around covered porch. The backyard held the typical manly-man essentials—a grill, a fire pit, and an oversized hammock.

  Chaise had always loved the beach and the ocean. She had grown up living around the water and she loved it. She was good strong swimmer. The sound of the waves and the feel of the breeze was her Zen place. She looked at Bull and quipped, “I call dibs on the hammock tonight.”

  Her attempt at humor at least earned her a smile—the first one she’d seen since they had arrived at his mother’s house. She heard, “humph,” just before she was suddenly picked up and thrown over his shoulder. She squealed with laughter and he playfully swatted her ass.

  “Don’t even think you’re sleeping anywhere without me, woman!”

  “Oh, I do love the ‘demanding Bull’ so much,” Chaise teased.

  “You’re about to get all the ‘demanding Bull’ you can take,” he warned with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

  “Promises, promises,” she replied sardonically. While he couldn’t see the huge grin on her face, she made sure her voice conveyed her playfulness. That was all it took for Bull to want to prove her wrong. Her plan was actually working much better than she had anticipated.

  Bull deposited her across the hammock and softly covered her mouth with his. He was unusually tender in his approach and Chaise felt every ounce of her body melting into the hammock. She felt the thick, rigged length of his shaft bulge against his jeans. The vibrating sensation was new, however.

  “Fuck!” Bull said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he saw Rebel’s name just before he answered. “Yeah, man.”

  A few clipped words later, along with no display of emotion one way or another, Bull ended his call. Chaise looked at him expectantly as he prepared to fill her in.

  “We’ll have to stay here for a few days. That was Rebel. The guy you identified on the surveillance tape is not part of the Tres Sieses. He’s actually part of a much more dangerous organization and they are apparently after you,” Bull explained.

  Chaise gasped audibly and the color drained from her face. “Worse than that gang? What’s worse than having a gang after me?”

  Bull cautiously answered her, “This is an international organized crime group. They are very professional and thorough, Chaise. They have their hands in several different illegal activities, including human trafficking and drugs. They don’t tolerate failure, either. The guy on the video has been found shot—execution style. My guess is he was killed because he failed to get you.”

  The shock and terror that Chaise felt was indescribable and overwhelming. They had killed a man because he failed to kidnap her. He was supposed to kidnap her because she discovered the missing girls. The mere question of what else they could be hiding was equally as frightening as what she’d already uncovered.

  “Colton, what am I supposed to do?”

  His eyes revealed that his response held an intentional double entendre meaning, “Anything I tell you to do, Chaise.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I,” he declared. “Just stick with me, baby. I’ll keep you safe.”

  “Come on. I know this is more serious than what you’re telling me,” Chaise gently chided him. “I know I haven’t been a pillar of stone, but I’m not stupid.”

  Bull smiled gently, “I never thought you were, Chaise. Yes, it’s dangerous but there’s a reason why we’re the best at what we do. You’ll just have to trust me.”

  “I do trust you, Colton,” she replied warmly as she stroked his cheek. Her face took a serious countenance as she continued, “I hope you know you can trust me, too.”

  “I’m learning that,” he said sincerely as he wrapped his hand around hers. Chaise was happy to have earned that much faith from Bull in their short time together.

  “So, what do we do now?”

  “We’ll stay here for the next few days. We’ll keep off their radar and figure out our next move. Rebel and Shadow are gathering more intel on them. No one else even knows where you are.”

  “Let’s just stay here forever, then,” Chaise whispered while gazing deep into his eyes.

  “That’s the best plan I’ve heard in a long time,” Bull replied. “I have all kinds of ideas for you.”

  “It’s a good thing I have nowhere else I have to be then, isn’t it? I don’t even have to worry about going back to work Monday,” she replied with a sultry smile.

  “Come on. It’s time to eat and I’ll show you around,” he said as he stood and helped her up from the hammock.

  Bull took Chaise out to eat at an oceanfront restaurant. Tiny white lights adorned the trellis that covered the intimate patio setting, naturally creating a romantic ambiance. Large, exotic plants were placed strategically to avoid blocking the ocean view but also gave the guests a modicum of privacy.

  Once the maître d’ seated them, Bull emphasized as he leaned over the table, “You are stunning.” His hooded eyes matched the bedroom quality of his voice and Chaise clenched her thighs in response. The low timbre of his voice seemed to have more control over her body than she had herself.

  “You know, you said that when you tried to get me to stay home with you tonight. But, since a lady never tires of hearing how good she looks, I won’t try to stop you from telling me again,” Chaise flirted and teased Bull.

  “I offered to feed you,” Bull responded and laughed when Chaise’s face heated from her blush.

  The waitress appeared and saved Chaise from having to respond to his overt attempt to arouse her. Placing the menus in front of them, she recited the daily specials before taking their drink orders. Once she was gone, Chaise looked back at Bull who was still smirking.

  “So, tell me something I don’t know about Colton Lanier,” Chaise said, trying to change the subject and knowing she was opening herself up to questioning as well.

  “What do you want to know?” Bull leaned back in his chair and put his hands in his lap. His posture was relaxed and open. His face showed his amusement, though she wasn’t sure if that was from her abrupt change in subject or her question.

  “Have you ever been in love?” Chaise asked while trying to hide her hesitancy. While she wasn’t naïve, she didn’t know if she really wanted the answer to this question.

  “Straight for the jugular, huh?” Bull asked with his panty-dropping smile. “I thought I was, once. But while I thought she was a good person, it turns out she was a lying, cheating skank behind my back. After that fiasco, I decided relationships weren’t for me.

  “I think, now, that it wasn’t really love at all. I didn’t know her like I thought I did. I ignored too many signs that were more like huge, blinking billboards. It’s not a mistake I’ve made since.”

  What he didn’t tell Chaise was that he had fast developed feelings for her. He wouldn’t go so far as to say it was love, but he couldn’t deny that he thought he could fall in love with her. She was the first woman who had made him feel that way—protective, possessive, and happy. For the first time in a very long time, he wanted to see how a relationship with Chaise could work.

  “It sounds like you�
�ve already decided that’s not something you want,” Chaise replied. Bull noted that she kept her voice even and unemotional, but her eyes betrayed her and revealed her true feelings.

  “For a long time, yes, it was that way. My mind isn’t so set in stone now,” he replied cryptically. “My turn.” He immediately noticed the rigid tone of Chaise’s posture and the flash of panic that crossed her face.

  “Ask away,” Chaise said, preparing herself for the one question she didn’t want to hear.

  Bull narrowed his eyes and contemplated his question. He had a visceral need to understand her connection to Reaper. He wanted to know why she reacted the way she did when Reaper’s name was brought up in conversation. He wanted to ask her how she could trust him with her life and in his bed, but not with her real last name.

  “Have you ever lied to me?” Bull asked.

  Chaise’s body relaxed and she reached her hand across the table, palm up in request for his hand. Bull complied but didn’t move his gaze from hers.

  “I have—but I tried to tell you I did and you said you knew. Martin isn’t my last name, Colton. My last name is-,” Chaise was cut off by the waitress.

  “Here are your drinks. Now, are you ready to order?”

  Bull squeezed Chaise’s hand and said, “Yes, I think we are.”

  Bull ordered their main entrees and handed the menus back to the waitress. The band started playing and Bull stood, offered his hand to Chaise, and led her to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her as tightly to him as he could, just to feel her body pressed against his as they moved to the slow, melodic music.

  Chaise looked up at him, “Colton, I want to tell you.”

  “I know you do. And for now, that’s enough—it tells me you finally trust me enough. We can talk about it when we get home. Then you can explain why you had to keep it a secret.”

  Chaise stretched up and kissed his lips. Bull tilted his head down to meet her and deepened their kiss. The music played in the background but it was of no consequence. They were in their own world, their own time, and dancing to their own music. Their fully clothed bodies, intertwined and moving as one, was as sensual, erotic, and intimate as anything Chaise had ever experienced.