Fernando - Bad Boy Love (Bad Boy Love Series Book 1)

by Jessica Gray

  Gwen honestly hoped he would beat the odds. But another part of her toyed with the idea that he would violate his probation sooner rather than later and wind up in jail. That way she wouldn’t have to see him again.

  “God, Gwen. Some probation officer you are. Hoping your clients fail just so you won’t have to deal with your hormones?”

  She closed down her computer and left the office, locking the door behind her. Once she was on the road, she used the hands-free option on her dashboard to call Vivian. As always, she smiled when her friend answered with a loud, “Hi, Gwen!” as if she hadn’t spoken to her in years.

  “Hey, Viv. Got a few minutes?”

  “Always for you. What’s up?”

  “I’m on my way home from work.”

  “That rough of a day?” her friend asked.

  “Not really. I actually had a pretty light load today. This morning I accompanied Fernando to a job interview.”

  “How did that go?”

  “Down in smoke. The woman who interviewed him was a bitch of the first order and didn’t even give him a chance.”

  Vivian made a tsking sound. “He’ll probably get that a lot, given his record and lack of education.”

  “Yeah, I know. I helped him revise his resume, so maybe that will help.”

  “Sounds like you spent quite a bit of time with him.”

  Gwen debated whether to tell Vivian the whole story or not. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her friend completely with this sensitive information, but Vivian wouldn’t like it one bit. Still…she needed to speak to someone about it.

  “We had an incident after his interview.”

  “Incident?”

  “The elevator stopped.” Gwen shuddered at the memory.

  “Oh no! Gwen, are you okay?” Her friend all but shouted into the phone, very familiar with her phobia.

  “It took me a while, but…yes, I’m okay. Fernando was actually very helpful.”

  Vivian chuckled and teased her friend. “I bet he was. Did he hold your hand and assure you everything would be alright?”

  “Yes. And then he kissed me.”

  “Whoa! Back up a minute. You let him kiss you? Gwen, you need to get this guy out of your head. This has disaster written all over it.”

  “I know, but I can’t stop thinking about him.”

  “You’re his probation officer. This could destroy your career. You know that?”

  “Yes. What do I do?” Gwen pleaded with her best friend. She’d racked her brain the entire evening, but nothing remotely viable had come up.

  “Well…apart from ripping him out of your foggy brain?”

  “Don’t you think I’ve tried that?” She’d reached her turn and exited the highway. If Vivian didn’t come up with a better idea, all hope was lost. She might as well lock herself into her house and never resurface again.

  “Hmm…what about transferring him to a colleague of yours? It doesn’t happen often, but I’ve seen it done.”

  “Gosh, I don’t know if that would work. In the year I’ve been in this job nobody has done that.”

  “It might be worth looking into,” Vivian said.

  “Yes. I’ll do some discrete digging around.”

  “That’s my girl. Gotta run. Don’t forget about the barbecue at my parents’ house this weekend.”

  “How could I? It’ll be the highlight of my week.” Apart from kissing the sexiest man alive.

  “Good. Why don’t I ask my brothers to invite some of their cute friends to come with them?” Vivian giggled into the phone.

  Gwen had reached her home and was pulling into her parking space. “Vivian, if you do that, I’ll never speak to you again. You’re supposed to be my best friend and best friends don’t meddle.”

  “Says who? I think that’s part of the definition of best friend in Webster’s. Expert meddler.”

  “Viv, you know I love you and your brothers, but I would die of shame if they knew how far I’ve fallen. They’d never stop teasing me. Promise me you won’t say a word – to anyone.”

  “Promise. See you, sweetie,” Vivian answered and hung up the phone.

  Chapter 11

  Fernando reached his place and opened the door to find his sister sitting on the couch. “Hey, sis. What are you doing home?”

  Amada grinned from ear to ear. “I got the confirmation letter from the college.”

  He hugged her tight and whirled her around the room. “This calls for a celebration.”

  “Ravioli?” Amada suggested, breathless when he sat her down.

  “And wine.” He answered.

  “Wine?” His sister eyed him suspiciously. This was the first time he’d suggested she drink alcohol.

  “Well, this is a very special celebration, isn’t it? One glass is all you get.” He grinned and both of them entered the kitchen, where she started pulling ingredients from the cupboards and the refrigerator. They worked in tandem, and while they waited for the water to boil, he opened a bottle of wine and poured them both a glass.

  “This is to my terrific baby sister who will one day be a famous psychologist,” he toasted.

  Amada laughed. “Don’t set the bar too high. I haven’t even started college yet.” She took a sip from the wine and asked, “How did your day go?”

  Fernando sighed. “It started out horrible and went down from there. On my job interview, I got turned down by this bitch of a woman.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, hugging him briefly.

  Leaving out the exhilarating part of his day with Gwen, he continued, “Yeah, and a few minutes ago I ran into Tito and Carlos.”

  “You need to stay away from them.” Her voice was tense, and he knew she was worried about him. It was the first time he consciously noticed it, and he wondered when their roles had switched, and his baby sister had started worrying about her big brother?

  “I know. I wanted to sidestep them, but they stopped me and…” He hesitated – a mistake as he soon found out.

  Of course she’d picked up on it and asked, “And? What did they want?”

  He sighed, the celebratory mood all but gone. “They want to rob a warehouse over on South Street and expect me to help them disarm the security system.”

  “You can’t do that.” Amada jumped up, almost spilling her wine.

  “I know it violates my parole, but they’ve checked it out, and it’s a big score. Really big. Maybe if I only did it one more time.”

  She pushed her hands through her hair, then pressed her fingertips to her temples. “Fernando, are you listening to your own words? This is crazy. Outright kamikaze. You know there’s never a last time. There will always be another job. Another way to make a big score. Always.”

  “I know. But I could make enough money to last us for at least a year.” Their money was quickly running out, and someone had to pay the rent. And Amada’s college tuition.

  Amada sighed, then inhaled deeply before meeting his gaze again. “Why don’t I postpone college for a year and work full–?”

  “No!”

  She held up a hand, beseeching him to listen. “You’ve been taking care of me for so long now, and I know it hasn’t been easy. Let me take care of you for a while and you can finish high school. Then you could get a well-paying job.”

  “Not gonna happen. You go to college, and I will think of something.” Fernando was too macho to let his little sister take care of him. No way this would happen. Ever.

  “Promise you won’t do anything that might send you to prison,” she demanded. He looked at her, shaking his head, but she put on her best puppy face and continued, “Who’s gonna take care of me when you’re in prison, Nando?”

  Of course she would fight dirty to get what she wanted. How could he leave her to fend for herself? “I promise, but this is the end of the discussion. You are going to college.”

  He didn’t miss the spark of victory in her eyes. While they returned to the kitchen to prepare the ravioli, his chest filled wi
th pride for her. There was no way he would let her sacrifice her career and future for him. No way in hell. He’d been taking care of her since their parents died, and he would continue to do so. Until she’d graduated from college, had a good job, and could take care of herself.

  He’d manage. Somehow.

  Chapter 12

  Gwen spent a restless night and decided in the wee hours of the morning to follow Vivian’s advice. She arrived early at the office and sought out Gerald Peters, a fellow probation officer who’d been working in the department for over twenty years, hoping he’d be able to help her.

  Holding her breath, she wrapped her knuckles on his doorframe and offered him a small smile. “Gerald? Do you have a few minutes?”

  The big, friendly man with greying hair and a beer belly nodded. “Sure, Gwen. Come on in.” He waited until she was seated and then offered, “What’s up?”

  She tried to sound as casual as possible when she got right to the point. “Well, I was wondering what the chances were of transferring one of my probationers to someone else.”

  He raised a brow and sat back in his seat, resting his hands on his protruding belly. “Hmm…it’s not done often, and not something to do lightly. You’d need a valid reason to even make such a request.”

  Gwen nodded, trying to hide her nerves. “I realize that.”

  “Do you mind me asking whose case you want to transfer?”

  “Fernando Garcia.”

  The name got Gerald’s attention, and he sat upright. “The one involved in the armed robbery where they almost shot the guard?”

  “Yes. Him.” She intently studied the blackboard on his wall.

  Gerald’s voice showed concern when he asked, “Are you afraid of him? That he might hurt you, or someone from his gang?”

  “Oh, no. Nothing like that,” she assured him.

  He looked at her suspiciously. “Has he acted inappropriately towards you?”

  Gwen felt blood rushing to her face. Inappropriate would exactly describe the occurrence. Deliciously inappropriate. But, she couldn’t say that. Nor that she longed for a repetition. She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I’m just afraid I’m not the right person for the job. He seems to need someone with more experience.”

  “How so?” Gerald asked, squinting his eyes.

  “He can’t get a job.” She knew it was a lame excuse, as excuses went, but her brain seemed frozen and wouldn’t come up with something better.

  “That’s definitely not a valid reason. You have to dig into it and do your best. This job cannot be learned in a textbook or a seminar. It involves rolling up your sleeves and getting in the trenches sometimes.” Gerald’s expression softened. “Gwen, you’ve been with us for only a year. Trust me when I tell you, if you ask to transfer this case because of your lack of experience, you’ll be out in no time at all.”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  He continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “The only acceptable reason to allow a transfer is if you feel threatened by him.”

  Gwen held back her sigh of resignation. “Okay, I’ll keep working with him. I just want to see him succeed, you know?”

  Gerald nodded sagely. “Isn’t that why we’re here? To help our clients turn around their lives and succeed. You keep working with that man. Don’t let him give up, and don’t give up on him. That mindset is much more important than experience.”

  She faked a grateful smile. “Thanks, Gerald. I’m glad I came and talked to you.”

  “Anytime.”

  She left his office, her stomach tied in knots. There was no way out. She had to suck it up and find a way to ignore her attraction during the next twelve months.

  ***

  On Saturday, she drove to Vivian’s parent’s house on the beach. Annie and Jeff Armstrong greeted her warmly and ushered her into the garden where two of Vivian’s brothers stood near the barbecue.

  Both of them had the same features: tall, broad shoulders, thick, dark hair, and the signature blue Armstrong eyes. They were very handsome men – not as handsome as Fernando, though. There it was, she was thinking about him again, and hadn’t she promised herself not to go down that road?

  Chuck was twenty-nine, worked as a private investigator, and featured even more muscles than the youngest sibling, River. It was a rare occurrence to meet River. Since he owned his own scuba diving company, he usually spent his time taking passionate divers to the most exotic locations on our planet.

  The sun was shining, and as Gwen walked into the backyard, she could already smell the burgers cooking. “Smells good,” she greeted Chuck, who was manning the grill.

  “Hey, Gwen. How’s things?”

  “So, so,” she said, accepting a friendly hug. “Hey, River, how was your trip to Aruba?”

  River smiled and hugged her, “Awesome. We got back a few weeks ago. Caribbean water is so clear, turquoise-blue, and it’s warm. Not like the Pacific, which never warms up.”

  “That’s because we get all of that melted ice from Alaska.”

  “Well, I’ll take diving in the Caribbean over the Pacific any day of the week. You should go one day,” River said.

  She laughed. “As if I could afford your prices.”

  “You know I’d give you a special discount.” He made an exaggerated pout. “For being the woman of my dreams.”

  Gwen boxed him in the ribs. “As far as I remember, you change the woman of your dreams like your underwear. And thankfully I never filled that position.”

  Smiling brightly, he slung a casual arm over her shoulder. “I’m putting together a trip to some of the lesser known Caribbean islands. Phenomenal diving conditions. Pristine waters. Abundant marine life. You should come. I’ll let you know the dates.”

  “It sounds wonderful. I’d love to come if I can get the time off.”

  Vivian came out of the house with her mother, bowls of salad and chips in their hands. “Food’s ready.”

  “Great, I’m starving,” River commented.

  “You’re always starving,” Vivian teased her brother. They all sat around the table, chatting and joking in a relaxed atmosphere, and for once, Gwen’s mind was able to put Fernando on the backburner.

  After cleaning up the remains of their lunch, everyone but Annie and Jeff headed down to the beach. The Armstrong house stood high up on the cliffs, but a small trail led down to a secluded stretch of beach that otherwise was only accessible during low tide or via boat.

  It was the perfect home as far as Gwen was concerned, and she envied the Armstrong siblings having grown up in such surroundings.

  “Brrr. Man, this water is cold,” River complained.

  Vivian giggled and kicked the water at her younger brother, dousing him and then running like mad before he could catch her. It was a fruitless endeavor and moments later, Gwen and Chuck laughed loudly as they watched Vivian flying through the air and landing in the ocean.

  “She never learns,” Gwen commented.

  Chuck laughed. “She does it on purpose. Let’s join them.” Together, they dove head first into the oncoming waves, surfacing on the backside as they veered away from the shore. Life was good! Gwen let out a heartfelt sigh, and Chuck eyed her suspiciously but kept quiet.

  Of the six Armstrong siblings, he was the one who never meddled and barely asked questions. While strangers often complained about his curtness, Gwen knew he cared as much as his siblings, he just didn’t say it. His vigilant eyes always observed carefully, and he had the talent to listen well – especially to what his counterpart did not say. That’s what made him one of the most sought-after private investigators in California.

  River and Vivian interrupted Gwen’s train of thought as they joined them and started a water battle, frolicking and splashing each other until their skin started to prune. Back on the beach, they lay down and let themselves dry by sun and wind.

  Gwen looked at the blue sky scattered with a few white cloudlets. It reminded her of cotton candy. Fernando wou
ld love this place. A twinge of sadness zinged through her as she remembered how she’d promised to show him the ocean. And the sudden longing for the man she couldn’t have ruined an otherwise perfect day.

  Chapter 13

  Fernando presented himself with little hope and even less enthusiasm for an interview at a fitness studio. The duties included helping the clientele with the machines, attending the minibar, giving out towels, and basically acting as a jack of all trades with anything else that might need to be done.

  The owner of the fitness studio, Ben, was a muscular guy with broad shoulders, bulging biceps, a carefully shaved bald head, and tattoos that proclaimed him to be as bad as he looked. There wasn’t a spare ounce of fat on the man’s body. His face featured the deep lines and serious eyes of someone who’d seen and endured too much. Fernando knew that kind of man and wondered how he’d ended up owning a fitness studio.

  After a tour around the facility that catered mostly to male bodybuilders, Ben asked Fernando to demonstrate his abilities to handle some of the weightlifting machines.

  Fernando kept a straight face but inwardly jubilated. That was an experience he could show off. His gang had equipped an old basement room with all kinds of weightlifting equipment – although not the new and shiny ones Ben boasted in his studio – and he’d been a frequent visitor for years.

  “Okay. That’s enough. You got the job,” Ben said, and Fernando stared at him in disbelief. Just when he’d given up, he’d landed a job. Or was he daydreaming?

  Ben must have seen his surprise because he helped Fernando to put the heavy barbell back on the stand and get to his feet before he slapped him on the shoulder. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Man, yeah, wow…” He shook his head to clear it. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

  “Don’t disappoint me,” Ben said. “That’s all the thanks I need. You’ll earn your wages.”

  “I will. I just…I was beginning to think no one would ever to give me a chance to change.”

  Ben might look rough and reckless, but he was also a nice guy. “I understand. Look, I’m an ex-con, and I went through the same stuff many years ago. It’s tough. Excruciating. Many times you’ll think you’ll never make it. That it’s not worth it. The best advice I can give you is to be the man you have hiding inside of you. Be strong. It takes a big man to stand up and do the right thing when the wrong thing is so much easier and feels so much better.”