“That’s Kallan’s brother?”
“Yes. His twin, actually.”
“Oh, right. Identical?”
“Yes. I haven’t met Kerrod yet, but apparently they look very much alike, apart from their hair.” Emma chuckled.
“Right. Well…I was just about to call you, actually.”
Emma’s lashes fluttered. “Really?”
“Yes. I was gonna check if you’re free for lunch. But since you already ate, do you have room for dessert?”
Emma bit her lower lip as if to stop herself from smiling too much. “Yeah, I have room for dessert.”
“Great!” Bryce said, aware of how thrilled he sounded.
“You don’t have to work this afternoon?”
“No. I have the day off.”
“So where should we go?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I did plan to window shop at The Rocks. I know it’s very touristy around there, but I haven’t been in ages.”
“Sure. Lots of coffee shops there to choose from.”
They strolled towards the northern part of George Street, and Bryce thought of reaching for Emma’s hand. He stopped himself. Though time was of the essence, he had to play it cool. The last thing he wanted was to scare Emma off.
Emma pulled out her ringing phone from her handbag. “It’s my dad’s fiancée. I better get this.”
Bryce’s ears pricked up. What an opportunity to eavesdrop. He wasn’t even aware that Addison Fern was getting remarried.
“Hi, Myra,” Emma greeted. “Babysit Jill? Not a problem! I’d love to… Great! See you then. Bye!”
Emma hung up and turned to him. “I get to babysit my little sister for a couple of hours this afternoon.”
“I didn’t know you have a sister. How old is she?”
“She’s three, and she’s absolutely gorgeous.”
Bryce listened as Emma talked about Jill for the rest of the way to The Rocks. Clearly, she was besotted by her sister—Addison’s daughter with his current partner. But how sad that another child was growing up inside a crime syndicate.
They got to The Rocks and Bryce led Emma through a narrow historic cobblestone alleyway towards a trendy café. He remembered she had a sweet tooth, and the place offered the best cakes.
Emma halted in front of a shop selling handcrafted children’s toys. “Oh my gosh, how beautiful is that?”
Bryce checked out the large wooden dollhouse Emma indicated through the window. “Yeah. Cute.”
“Jill will love it,” Emma said wistfully. “It’s mainly blue and pink and those are her favourite colours. Do you mind if we go in?”
“Not at all.”
They entered the shop and Bryce grinned as Emma ooh’d and ahh’d while the assistant showed her all the accessories that went with the dollhouse.
“Are you able to deliver this afternoon?” Emma asked.
“I’m afraid the earliest we’ll be able to deliver is tomorrow afternoon,” the shop assistant said apologetically.
Emma looked crestfallen.
An idea popped into Bryce’s head. “I can carry it to your apartment,” he offered.
Emma turned to him, eyes wide. “You don’t mind? It’s very big and heavy.”
“I don’t think he’ll have a problem,” the shop assistant said, eyeing Bryce’s biceps.
“I don’t mind at all,” Bryce said. “We can have it set up in your living room before Jill gets there. And you and your future stepmother should be able to carry it to her car when she picks up Jill.”
Emma made little claps. “Great! Thank you. I’ll take one, then,” she said to the lady. “But can we come back for it? We want to have coffee first before going home.”
“Of course.”
Bryce hid his grin. This was perfect. If all went well, he could meet Addison Fern’s fiancée and suss her out.
Emma finished her purchase and they made their way to the café.
“Wow, look at all these,” Emma said, her eyes round as she leaned to take a closer look at the yummy creations inside the glass shelving.
“Which ones would you like?”
She elbowed him. “Don’t you dare tempt me to have more than one.”
“We’ll share two of what you want. How’s that?”
“Oh, good idea! How about this and this?” Emma pointed to her choices, sporting a childlike grin.
He chuckled, finding her utterly adorable. “Why don’t you grab us a table out in the courtyard while I order for us. It’s nice out there. They have patio heaters so we won’t be cold.”
“Okay.” Emma opened her bag and took out her wallet.
“Emma,” he said in warning tone. “This is on me.”
“Why?”
“Because!”
Emma raised her brows. “Just because?”
“Yes, just because.”
Emma sent him a sweet smile—one that he’d loved seeing two years ago.
And he returned it with a warm smile of his own.
He found himself staring into Emma’s eyes, drawn to inspect their depths. Something inside him stirred, because all he could see in them were…hope and vulnerability.
His lungs emptied of air. He was stunned by the sudden welling of emotion within him.
“Excuse me, guys? What would you like?” the man behind the counter said.
Emma blinked, smiling shyly. “I’ll find us a table outside.”
Bryce nodded, mentally shaking himself from his mini-stupor and cursing himself. Even though his job was to woo Emma, that didn’t mean he should let her charm the pants off him. He hardly knew her, and whatever he believed she might be feeling towards him could be nothing more than a product of his own misinterpretations.
“What would you like?” the server repeated patiently.
He smiled apologetically and gave their order. Then he went to the courtyard and found Emma sitting in a shaded area next to a lush vertical wall garden, talking on the phone. She smiled at him, so he sat next to her.
“Okay, Dad,” Emma said.
Bryce’s heart banged in his chest.
“Okay, no problem. Thanks for everything. Bye.” Emma hung up and let out a heavy sigh.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Emma hesitated, shaking her head. But she leaned closer to him. “Have you heard of the Indie Rebels?” she asked in a low voice.
His breath shallowed. “Yes.”
“And…have you heard of Edgar Fern?”
He frowned. Was this a trick question? He chose his words carefully. “He’s the guy who got caught with drugs.”
“Yes. He’s my uncle.”
His eyebrows shot up. Nothing in Emma’s expression suggested she was watching his reaction. She simply seemed to be stating a fact.
“Do you know the Indie Rebels are not the heroes they make themselves out to be?”
Bryce cocked his head, still unsure how he should respond. “I’ve heard things about those guys that don’t put them in a good light.”
Emma nodded vigorously. “They set up my uncle.”
“What?” Keep your cool, Bryce.
“Apparently, they got angry at my dad and uncle because they thought they stole some business from them, so they targeted my Uncle Edgar as a form of revenge. They planted false evidence against him, and they did such a good job that it’s hard to defend against it.”
Bryce’s mouth hung open as a picture started forming in his head. Could it be possible that Emma had no idea whatsoever that her father and uncle were the leaders of a powerful crime syndicate?
“Anyway, after what happened to Uncle Edgar, Dad’s worried that his and Uncle Edgar’s immediate family might also get targeted by the IRs—the Indie Rebels. Some of the Ferns already have bodyguards, and now Dad wants me to have one too.”
“Wow.” What else could he say? He hadn’t expected Emma to be so totally unaware of the truth.
“Maybe you can talk to my dad? He believes that
each of us having bodyguards is the way to go. But with your background in security, there might be some other advice you can give him.”
“Yeah, sure. Have you told him about me?”
“Not yet. Wanted to ask you first.”
“I’d be glad to talk to him.” It would be the perfect opportunity.
Emma smiled. “Thank you. I’d really rather not have a bodyguard. I don’t want to underestimate the dangers that might be facing our family, but there’s also the big possibility that Dad’s just being over-the-top. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate my dad, and I’m glad we’re finally reconnecting. But I’m worried that Dad’s being a bit of a dictator when it comes to my security. I just want to discuss other options first.”
Bryce frowned. “What do you mean, you’ve finally reconnected? You had a fight before or something?”
“Not exactly. My parents divorced when I was ten, and Mum got full custody of me because Dad was always away on business. I lost contact with him and my relatives from his side. Then I heard from Dad again recently, when he found out my mum passed away six months ago. We’re still getting to know each other again, but things are going much better than I expected. The whole Fern family has welcomed me with open arms.”
Bryce nodded slowly, riveted by Emma’s revelations.
“Sometimes I feel guilty that I’m so happy being with Dad and his side of the family. My mum wouldn’t have liked it. But my family here…they make me feel so wanted.” Emma’s eyes watered.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother,” he murmured.
“Thanks.” Emma dabbed a corner of her eye. “Sorry. I don’t mean to go all emotional on you.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
Emma gazed at him for a long moment. “Why do I find it hard to keep my walls up around you?”
Bryce’s breath left him, and he could only gape at those incredible eyes that seemed to search for something in his. Her words did more to him than he cared to admit and, unbidden, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek.
Emma smiled, leaning into his touch. “I’m so glad you spotted me in that Chinese restaurant.”
“So am I,” he said softly.
Emma looked around furtively. “I wonder if there are any Indie Rebels right here, right now, watching us.”
Bryce hid a smirk. “Perhaps, but I’m sure they won’t show themselves. In any case, you’re safe from them.”
“You sound so sure about that.”
“You’re with me.”
Emma sighed with what appeared to be contentment. “I do feel safe with you.”
His chest heaved, his emotional armour slowly disintegrating.
Keep it on, you fool, and get your mind back on the job.
He cleared his throat. “How’s your Uncle Edgar doing in jail?”
“I don’t know. Apparently, he doesn’t want anyone visiting him there for our safety. But according to Sharryn, his lawyers and private investigators are doing a good job of gathering evidence against the IRs. It’s a slow process, but Sharryn feels confident that they can mount a successful defence for him.”
“What exactly happened?”
“I don’t know all the details either, just that those IRs made it look like Uncle Edgar was part of a drug cartel. They kidnapped him and tied him up with the crates of drugs, then tipped off the police.”
“Wow.” So these were the lies Addison and his family had been feeding Emma.
“Crazy, huh?” Emma said, shaking her head. “If it hadn’t been my own father showing me how they’d done it, I’d find it hard to believe. They’re sick bastards. That’s why I’m glad Dad’s overseas. He could be next, you know.”
Ah, damn it. So Addison Fern wasn’t in the country. “How exactly did they manage to set up your uncle?”
“It’s rather complicated. Dad’s the person to ask about that.”
“Okay. What business is he in?”
“Wholesale importing and exporting of different goods, like clothes, furniture, household stuff… Then they sell it to retailers for a profit. That’s why he’s out of the country a lot—to source items.”
“Does he have a favourite country to do business in? Where is he right now?”
“Thailand, I think…or is it the Philippines?” Emma shook her head. “I’m not sure. I think he’s visiting more than five countries on this trip.”
“So he’s away for a while.”
“Yup. It’s really disappointing that he couldn’t alter his schedule so he could be here while I’m here. I guess it couldn’t be helped.” Emma shrugged, a bit despondent.
Bryce sat up straighter in his chair. Emma’s tone and expression were so innocent and natural that she couldn’t just be acting. Besides, what would be her purpose for telling him this kind of made-up story and pretending she was still attracted to him? The only thing that made sense at this time was that Emma was being absolutely truthful.
He blinked. Emma truly had no freaking idea about her father, the Fixers, or the Indie Rebels. Wow.
Something akin to relief blossomed in his chest, and he felt so much lighter.
Emma wasn’t an enemy.
He gawked at her, and she stared right back.
Their wordless connection was broken by a server bringing their order.
“Oh, these look great,” Emma gushed. She grabbed her phone and took photos of the cakes. Then she pointed the device at him.
He lifted one of the dishes and held it close to his face as he exaggerated his grin.
Emma laughed. And as a reflection of the changed atmosphere, their conversation turned to light, fun stuff.
After a long while, Emma checked the time on her phone. “Oh my gosh, we have to go. Myra’s dropping off Jill soon.”
“We better hurry, then. Don’t forget, we have to take home Jill’s dollhouse.”
Emma grinned. “As if I’ll forget about that. I’m so excited.”
He laughed, and offered his hand as they left their seats.
Smiling, Emma took it, and they walked hand-in-hand back to the toy store.
It felt good. And this time around, he didn’t berate himself for it.
They hurried back to Emma’s apartment, and Bryce helped Emma set up the dollhouse. When they were done, Bryce searched for an excuse to stick around until Myra and Jill arrived. If they’d allow him to stay for a chat, all the better.
He walked towards the window overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens. “I didn’t notice this view the last time I was here.”
“Well, you weren’t here for that long,” Emma said with a laugh. “I still can’t believe Dad put me up in here. It’s too expensive. I would have been happy with a much smaller apartment somewhere else.”
Bryce didn’t answer.
“You know what’s funny?” Emma asked, joining him by the window.
“What?”
“I have no idea if it’s easy for Dad to afford this or if he’s just trying to impress me. That’s why I’m so disappointed he’s out of the country. I’d been hoping to get to know him better. But at least I was able to meet Jill.”
“You only knew about your sister recently?”
“Yes. She’s the reason why I agreed to reconnect with Dad in the first place.” Emma’s eyes welled up.
“Hey.” He put an arm around her shoulders. He didn’t want to upset her further, but he had to ask more questions. “So your dad didn’t try to contact you after he and your mum divorced?”
“He tried to call me a handful of times in the early days after their split, but Mum wouldn’t give me the phone. I didn’t push to talk to him because I was also mad at him. I thought he never tried to keep the family together. Anyway, it didn’t take long for him to just stop calling and we lost touch from there on. Even after I turned eighteen, it never occurred to me to find him because I was still so angry and hurt. I just believed he abandoned us.
“When I heard from him again last month, I was closed off to hi
m at first. Despite his apologies and grovelling words, I was reluctant to reconcile. To his credit, he kept on trying daily, texting and leaving voice messages. Then when he said I have a three-year-old sister, I finally agreed to meet with them. I don’t have any living relatives from my mother’s side, and I guess that cracked my wall. So here I am and, like I said, they’ve been very welcoming. Sharryn even asked me to be her maid of honour. I’m so deeply honoured by that,” she said with a laugh.
Bryce chuckled with her, but everything about this disturbed him.
What did Addison want from Emma? Why ignore her for years and only contact her now? Had he been scared of Emma’s mother?
Somehow he couldn’t see a powerful man like Addison being afraid of anybody. He could have easily used all sorts of blackmail against Emma’s mother if he’d really wanted to see his daughter. But he hadn’t tried at all when Emma had still been a child. So what had changed?
Regardless of Addison’s reason for wanting Emma to reconcile with the Ferns, it would inevitably lead to a particular repercussion—Emma would have to be tied to the Fixers.
Protectiveness surged within Bryce with such unexpected intensity that his arms tightened around her so he could breathe. He knew what it was like to be forced into a crime syndicate by one’s own father. He wasn’t going to let that happen to Emma.
No fucking way.
Chapter 8
Emma let herself sink into Bryce’s tight hug. God, she should fight against her desire to melt into his embrace, but she lacked the will.
Ah, she might as well admit to herself something she’d ignored and pushed away for so long—that a piece of her heart had stayed with Bryce two years ago. And he still held it, whether he was aware of it or not.
All the excuses meant to protect herself from getting hurt were still valid. She could still see the sense of not entertaining a long-distance relationship. But how could she convince herself that staying away from Bryce was the best thing for her when being held by him felt so good?
She looked up and her breath left her at the tenderness and fierceness in his expression. Her fears quietened—because she felt both safe and wanted. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to his. To her delight, Bryce’s lips were instantly on hers.
Bryce: The Project (Indie Rebels Book 3) Page 7
