Rainy Day Lovers (The Rocklyns Book 3)

by Alicia Street

  Leaving the park, she went to what she thought was a schoolyard and scanned the corners, rain drumming on her head and in her ears. Rainy had only worn a string tank top and jeans, and even though it was a warm September night, her bare shoulders were already shivering. She walked near an area where some men who looked homeless were hanging out in a storefront doorway. She ventured close to alleyways, turning on her flashlight, hoping the rain would curb any drug dealer business so she wouldn’t be risking interrupting something that might cost her life.

  After covering all the side streets and alleys on one side, she crossed over and started up the other way. What if this was a fool’s errand? What if Roman was just staying with a friend? Or a new lover?

  Did he care at all about her? He had dumped her in one fell swoop without even giving her a reason, except his guilt and sorrow over not being there for Sydney in the end. Was that enough of a reason to throw away someone you love? But maybe he didn’t love her.

  Despite that painful thought, the horrible gossip rags that were giving voice to Logan Burke’s lies drove her on. She stopped at the entrance of another alley and aimed her flashlight down the narrow space. There was a cardboard crate at the back and she could swear a foot was sticking out. She squinted, trying to see what kind of shoe it was, but the sheets of rain and shadowy space made it impossible. Besides, Rainy had no idea how Roman had dressed when he left the house. Could it be he hadn’t run, but Logan had hired someone to kidnap him? Or murder him?

  Those possibilities made Rainy shudder, but if her first hunch was right, if Roman was out here somewhere, back on the street, then she had to find him.

  Gripping the flashlight but pointing it at the ground, she slowly made her way down the alley toward the cardboard crate. She hoped the person under it wasn’t some crazy paranoid who would attack her for invading his shelter.

  She tried to move silently and was glad for the rain that masked some sound, but her feet scraped on the crumbly pavement and the cardboard roof shifted.

  “Roman!” It had only been three days that he had gone missing, but he was a filthy mess, his body language listless. He looked up when she called him, but remained in a disheveled crouch, seemingly unwilling to move.

  As she got up close, he looked at her with empty desolate eyes. “Well, if it isn’t the girl who likes to save everybody. Why don’t you go do your good deeds somewhere else?”

  Rainy stood in front of him. “Is that all I am to you, Roman?”

  He rose and faced her. “Don’t call me that. Roman Burke doesn’t exist.”

  “How can you do that to Sydney’s memory? He believed in you.”

  “Big mistake. I’m no good. This is where I belong.”

  Rainy’s eyes went wide when she saw what was dangling from his neck. “My amethyst pendant. Where did you get it?”

  “Oh, that.” He looked down at the pendant and hastily shoved it back under his black cotton button-up shirt.

  “Fifteen years ago I gave that to a boy named Robbie Makalo. How did you get it? Tell me, Roman.”

  No answer. He just looked at her with a smirk.

  “I was in your father’s office two days ago,” she said, “helping David Seizman. I saw Robbie’s picture in one of his drawers. Your father operated on him, didn’t he? Did Robbie give the necklace to Sydney in thanks? Is that why you have it?”

  Still no answer.

  “Why are you being so obstinate? It’s cruel. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” Her face toughened as the anger came pouring out. “Tell me what happened to him.” Rainy pounded her fist against Roman’s chest, all her worry and frustration and hurt coming to the fore. “You know—so tell me, dammit! Tell me what happened to Robbie Makalo!”

  “You’re talking to him.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she gaped at him in disbelief. She took a step back, her voice a mere whisper. “It can’t be.”

  “We had burgers and fries and a vanilla shake. You gave me forty dollars.” He placed his fingers around the pendant. “Insisted I keep this for luck since. It’s one reason I chose another name that began with an ‘R’ when Sydney adopted me.”

  “But…”

  “Sydney gave me a new face. Gotta admit, he did a pretty good job. The man was good.”

  “Oh, my God.” Rainy’s head was spinning. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you keep it from me?”

  “I didn’t want you to see me as the freak loser. I never wanted to go back to being Robbie Makalo. But here I am again. Street trash.”

  “Well, I liked him. He was no loser and I saw that back then.” She poked her finger into his chest. “And you have proven me right.”

  He gave her a small grin. “It was your courage and that promise I made to you that made me try to save Sydney. You’re the reason I got the chance to be Roman Burke.”

  “Then be that man for me.” She closed in and touched his face and kissed him.

  Roman’s arms went around her and he held her as if his life depended on it, as if he hadn’t really meant it when he told her to leave him alone. “I fell in love with you that night,” he said. “And I prayed I’d meet up with you some day. And I got my wish.”

  “And I got mine.”

  As they drove back to Southampton, Rainy told him the other reason she had come looking for him. “It’s going to be all right. I called Les Bromer and he said to tell you he installed hidden cameras in Sydney’s bedroom when you went to a conference in San Diego. And he can get his company to send us a digital copy of whatever dates we want. So not only do you have a record of Logan’s crime, but also David came to Sydney’s bedroom to redo the will, so you have their discussion of why Sydney was changing his will and the fact that he was fully alert and lucid when he did it.”

  “They have audio? Is that legal?”

  “Yep. Les said you only need one-party consent in New York.”

  “Why didn’t Sydney tell me there was a camera in the room?” Roman asked. “I hired Ciara’s brother to guard him because he said he didn’t want one.”

  “Apparently he and Les had some kind of bet. Les had seen a lot of situations where the people closest to the sick loved one took advantage of them, and he didn’t trust you. Sydney made a bet with him that you were—as Les quoted him—‘good as gold’ and that the cameras you didn’t know about would prove it.”

  “Holy crap. I remember hearing them having a dispute about something when I heard my dad say that, but I didn’t really know what was going on.”

  “So there is no way Logan can go through with this now. In fact, Sydney spared him from a possible criminal charge.”

  Roman brushed his fingers along her cheek. “How many times are you going save my life?”

  Rainy smiled at him. “As many times as it takes to make you realize how much I love you.”

  THE END

  Excerpt ~ Lovers in Training

  After eight hours of waitressing on her feet, racing back and forth with burgers and beer orders for impatient customers, Shannon Rocklyn stepped out into the bitter cold January night, tugging the collar up on her fleece jacket, visions of her warm, cozy bed in her mind. On the weekends Richie’s Pub in Sag Harbor stayed open until 2:00 a.m. but stopped serving food at midnight, so only the bartenders stayed till closing. Only about five cars dotted the dimly lit parking lot that had been packed a couple hours ago—which it always was on weekends since Richie’s was one of the few pubs that didn’t shut down in the dead of winter here in the resort towns out on the tip of Long Island.

  Shannon heard snickering and squinted into the dark to see two hulking figures strolling toward her.

  Oh no. It was the same two guys who’d been hitting on her all night when they kept ordering more pitchers of beer long after they’d finished their burgers. Were they just fooling around out here or were they waiting for her?

  She told herself not to get paranoid, but just in case, her feet sped up as she made a beeline in the direction of
her car.

  Not fast enough.

  They joined her, one on either side, and the guy with greasy blond hair and shoulders the size of a table slurred out, “Where you going, sweetcheeks? We’ve got some partying to do.”

  “I told you I don’t date customers.”

  “Hey, you’re off work, so we’re not customers anymore.” They both burst into loud guffaws like that was the most brilliant and witty line.

  The dark-haired lanky one said, “You like doing two at a time?”

  That comment brought another round of hysterical laughter from them, but it sent a trickle of dread down her spine.

  Why hadn’t she listened when her cousin suggested she carry pepper spray on the nights she worked late? Shannon had thought he was being overprotective. After living in LA, the small towns and villages of Long Island’s East End seemed like a cute little candyland to her.

  But right now it was clear these two guys weren’t going to back off—and that she was in trouble.

  Shannon glanced right and left but saw only a man and woman at the far end of the lot presumably walking to their car. She thought she heard the door to the bar open and close, but before she could turn her head to see if anyone came out, the burly dude grabbed her by the waist. “You’re in for the best night of your life, sweetcheeks.”

  His buddy ran ahead and opened the back door to a black SUV as Mr. Burly dragged her in that direction.

  “Stop it! Let go of me!” Shannon yelled, hoping someone from the bar might hear, but she knew the rock music blaring inside made it doubtful. She tried to pry the guy’s arm off or wiggle out of it. When that didn’t work she swung her purse with all her might and smacked him on the side of his face.

  That made him let go, but his friend was right there when she tried to run away. He grabbed her arms and pinned them back. “Got her, Jamie.”

  Shannon tried to kick his shins that were right behind her, but he held her off balance and she missed.

  “Oh, you are gonna pay for that one,” Jamie said in a low growl, as he stalked toward her, rubbing his cheek where her purse hit him. He pulled Shannon from his friend’s grasp and shoved her hard against the SUV. She screamed, panic setting in.

  “Leave her alone,” said another man’s voice just behind her tormentor. Was someone here to help her?

  With a hand gripping her upper arm so she couldn’t run, the one called Jamie turned to the side and she saw a guy in a short leather jacket and jeans. He looked fit, but of course her bully towered over him.

  “Who the hell are you?” Jamie said.

  “A gentleman—unlike you,” the man said in a deep, smooth voice.

  “Take a walk, asshole. Before you get hurt.”

  Although the guy in the leather jacket had so far saved her from being tossed into the SUV and driven to who knew where, she wasn’t so sure what the final outcome would be. During the few beats of tense silence that followed, Shannon added up the odds: one enormous linebacker-sized bully plus his rangy pal against one average-sized guy and a 120-pound woman. Not good.

  If Jamie and his sidekick both started beating on this guy who was trying to help her, could she make it to the bar and get someone to stop them before they hurt him?

  “Your friend is plainly drunk,” the man in the leather jacket said, turning to the bully’s smirking pal who stood next to the open passenger door. “I suggest you drive him back to the hole he crawled out of so he can sleep it off.”

  “You’re the one that’s gonna sleep right now,” Jamie said, and lunged at the guy, obviously aiming for a knockout punch. But the stranger stepped to the side, and the punch went into space.

  Her rescuer then countered in the blink of an eye with three quick punches of his own, the difference being—these all landed on the button. Next thing Shannon saw was the woman-abusing dirtbag sprawled out on the ground moaning in pain.

  “Next?” the man asked, looking at Jamie’s drinking buddy, who already had his hands up, palms out.

  “No, I, uh…”

  “Then I suggest you take him to the ER because it looks like I might have accidently broken his jaw.”

  Shannon stood there, stunned, her heart still racing.

  The stranger in the leather jacket grasped her arm and tugged her away from the car and the two men. “Stand over there until they leave.”

  His focus staying on the rangy guy as he maneuvered his friend into the SUV, her rescuer then backed up and picked up her pocketbook where it landed when she’d heaved it at Jamie’s head. She rushed forward as he held it out to her.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, still jittery with the aftereffects of being manhandled. “I won’t even let myself imagine what might have happened if you hadn’t interfered.”

  “That’s okay. We’re good.”

  He smiled and Shannon’s breath caught as she suddenly noticed how devastatingly handsome he was. A sexy mouth in a gem-cut face with a tiny cleft in his chin. Sky-blue eyes that contrasted with olive skin. Dark hair that curled over the collar of his jacket. If this were a movie, they couldn’t have picked a more perfect guy to play the hero. She was tempted to play grateful damsel and throw her arms around him in thanks.

  Shannon heard the sound of the SUV driving off and realized she was staring at her rescuer. Either he misinterpreted her behavior or was kind enough not to show he noticed.

  “Guess you’re pretty shaken up after that,” he said. “Should I walk you back inside so you can chill for a bit?”

  “That’s kind of you, but I really want to get home.”

  “I’d be happy to drive you there.”

  “No, thank you. I have my car here,” she said, hoping she didn’t offend him, but the truth was, savior or not, she didn’t know him at all. “Besides, I live up on the North Fork.”

  He backed off a bit. “Sorry. I should have realized how that offer would sound after what just happened. I can see how you’d be reluctant to take a ride from any man right now.”

  Hmmm. Perceptive. “I’m very lucky you were here. Do you box or something?” she asked, somehow unable to walk away from him yet.

  “A little.” He suddenly appeared shy and it looked gorgeous on him.

  “Well, you’re obviously good at it.”

  A corner of his mouth lifted. “Believe me, it was my pleasure to put that turd away. Any man who tries to force himself on a woman deserves worse than what he got. They’re not friends of yours, are they?”

  “God, no. I’ve never seen them before. They were the rudest and most offensive customers I’ve ever waited on in the pub.”

  They fell into silence again, and Shannon tried to look anywhere but at him.

  She had no idea if it was the vulnerability she felt after being assaulted by two assholes and the safety this man offered—or just her extreme attraction to him, but her body was screaming to have his arms around her.

  “Guess I better get going,” she forced herself to say and reached out her hand to shake his. “Thanks again.”

  “My name is Tate, by the way.” He shook her hand and his eyes held hers for a moment.

  Shannon had to literally hold her breath to keep back the sigh ready to swoon out of her at his touch. As he released her hand she realized he was waiting for her to reply by giving her name. Geeze. She’d never acted this stupid around a guy and wasn’t about to start now.

  Chalking it up to a minor form of PTSD, she said only, “Shannon,” purposely leaving off her last name. Hey, he didn’t give his either.

  “Good night,” she blurted out and forced her feet to start moving to her ancient burgundy Mazda that she still loved because it had gotten her here all the way from California without conking out on her.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said, following her. He seemed to sense that she was edgy now and he stayed at a polite distance while walking close enough to give her a certain amount of protective comfort.

  Shannon scolded herself for wanting that comfor
t. She did not need a man in her life. Although, she had to admit this guy sure did appear at the right time earlier.

  Okay, so her independent nature ate a little humble pie tonight. That didn’t change her goals. Two months ago she’d moved to the East Coast for a new start. And she’d just gotten a new job that could be a real career, not just another go-nowhere job. She was going to get out of debt and buy herself a little house somewhere, maybe even the one she was renting now. And she didn’t need a man to do it for her. Or to complicate her life.

  As Tate closed her driver’s side door and flashed that panty-dropping smile at her again, Shannon tightened her jaw, nodded a good-bye, and drove away.

  Tate finished his morning run on the treadmill in his home gym, but he couldn’t make himself go through his weight training routine. It was so boring. No wonder it was called a “routine.” He’d had so much drive and discipline in his business over the last ten years, but now that he’d sold it, his focus was all over the place.

  He donned his gloves and walked to the heavy bag hanging on the other side of the wide, sunny room and tossed out a few punches. Hitting the bag usually got him going, but lately it just made him think about the guy he’d knocked cold a week ago with a left upper cut, short right, and left hook combination.

  Yeah, seeing that bully go down was real sweet.

  But not as sweet as the face of the woman he’d beat on him for.

  Shannon.

  The expression on her face went from shocked to relieved to grateful.

  He could swear he also saw a touch of admiration—and attraction—in her eyes. Those big brown eyes surrounded by soft chestnut curls. Lips he wanted to taste so badly he had to extend his showers for a little do-it-yourself time.

  Richie’s Pub wasn’t one of Tate’s regular haunts, but that night he was driving back to the East End to his house in the Hamptons after spending the day in Manhattan on business for one of his foundations. He hadn’t eaten dinner and knew he’d be in no mood to cook anything after the long drive back. With so many restaurants closed during the winter off-season months, he’d headed for a place he knew would be open.