“Where do I fit in all that?” Kallan asked. “Why was Addison so keen for me to play bodyguard to Emma?”
“So I’d keep toeing the line,” Kerrod said dryly. “You working for Addison was his way of blackmailing me. He wanted to show how easy it was to get to you, and how he wouldn’t have a problem dragging you into the pit with me. As long as I kept following orders, he promised not to go any further with you.”
Kallan’s face softened, his eyes misting.
“Show me all the work you’ve done for hacking our systems,” Aidan ordered.
Kerrod waved to the computers on his desk. “There it is.”
“Control,” Aidan said through the tiny, wireless microphone on his outfit. “Kerrod will be giving our IT guys access to his programs. They need to wipe out everything he’s done.”
“What?” Kerrod cried out. “You can’t do that.”
“Why not? Do you want us to leave you here to deal with all those criminal groups that want a piece of you?”
Kerrod rubbed his face.
“Don’t be a fool for a second longer, Kerrod,” Kallan said.
Kerrod glanced at his brother, and nodded. “Okay. I’ll give your guys access and they can delete everything themselves. But please help me.”
“Please help him,” Kallan echoed quietly.
“Everything seems to be under control here,” Bryce interjected. “We need to get to Addison.”
Aidan nodded. “Take these two.” He motioned to Xavier and Jaxon.
Bryce left the basement, followed by his brother and their friend.
“Is there a car we can use?” Jaxon asked. “We can’t take the van. They’ll need it.”
“Yes.” Bryce went to the back of the couch.
Ernie was awake, his eyes full of fear.
Bryce reached inside Ernie’s pocket and fished out a key. “Just borrowing your car, dude.”
Ernie groaned.
Bryce led Jaxon and Xavier to Ernie’s car at the back of the property and drove out. Bryce spotted a large vehicle coming from a distance. “Shit. I recognise the size and length of that truck. More Fixers are coming.”
“Shit,” echoed Jaxon and Xavier.
Bryce’s mind whirled. “Guys, you have to stay behind and help. There could be a few of them in there. I’ll go to Emma’s apartment and keep an eye on Addison until you can come back me up.”
“I don’t like that idea,” Jaxon said.
“It’s the best option. He still doesn’t know what’s going on, so I’m safe for a while. But you have to go back and warn the others. And tell Holly to move the van.”
“Fuck,” Jaxon said. “Okay. Good luck, bro. Remember you don’t have an earpiece or a phone. The control team did say Addison should still be in Emma’s apartment.”
“Good. I’ll be fine.”
Jaxon and Xavier got out of the car. Then Bryce took a detour so he wouldn’t be seen by the oncoming Fixers. They’d surely recognise Ernie’s car.
He sped to the city towards Emma’s apartment. He prayed Addison didn’t have any plans to leave yet. He needed this whole thing over and done with so he could concentrate on Emma.
Where was she right now? He hadn’t wanted to ask because he hadn’t wanted to be distracted with thoughts of her in the middle of an important operation. Aidan confirming she was safe was good enough for him for now.
He smiled. She loved him. He couldn’t wait to hear her say it out loud.
Bryce knocked on Emma’s door. “It’s Bryce,” he called out.
Addison opened it. “What are you doing here?”
“Kerrod locked himself in his room so I was bored stiff in the warehouse. I thought I’d come here and help.” He walked in. “Where are Emma and Ernie?”
“They’re not fucking here,” Addison hissed.
“What? Where could they be?”
“Fucking Ernie probably got themselves caught. Either that or they had an accident.”
Bryce spotted the state of Emma’s bedroom and walked in there. Dismay filled him. Emma’s clothes and personal belongings were strewn all over the floor. Fuckwit Addison had been tearing the place like a lunatic. “No luck?” he asked.
“Not yet. I don’t think it’s here,” Addison said in frustration, checking the dresses hanging on the rack one by one.
“Are you worried about your daughter—if they’d been caught?”
“Why should I? She knows nothing. She’ll be fine.”
“How much do you trust Ernie, though? Do you think he’ll spill?”
Addison snickered. “He won’t say a thing. The fear of looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life has been ingrained in him for years. He won’t want to betray us.”
“If they’d been caught, who do you think got them? The police or the Indie Rebels?”
“The fucking Indie Rebels. I’m gonna kill each and every single one of those bastards. They’re responsible for ruining my business reputation. If we don’t get Edgar out of jail, I’ll lose even more contacts. My only hope now is Kerrod doing what I’m paying him to do. Idiot is not as good as I hoped he’d be.” Addison shook his head. “Now help me look for that blasted key, will you?”
Bryce started opening drawers, hating that they were going through Emma’s private stuff. He hoped she wouldn’t get too upset.
The distinctive click of the door opening made them pause.
Bryce crept to the bedroom door to have a look, and his heart went to his throat. What on earth was Emma doing here? And she seemed to be alone.
Bryce jumped as Addison wrapped an arm around his neck from behind, and pressed a gun against his temple.
“Addison,” he said in a low voice. “What’s going on?”
“You better behave, Bryce,” Addison said in his ear. “I’m telling you, I won’t hesitate to shoot you in front of Emma. Then I’ll banish her to one of the islands so she could grow old there.”
Bryce gritted his teeth. Fucking bastard!
Addison released him and pushed him out the door.
“Bryce!” Emma said in surprise.
“Hi. I’ve been waiting for you. Where’s Ernie?” He blinked at her in an obvious fashion, hoping she’d again take his lead like she’d done at the warehouse earlier.
“He’s…He asked me to come up here first. I don’t know why,” Emma murmured.
“Emma!” Addison came out.
“Dad! What are you doing here?”
“We’re looking for the blue box where the key might be. Where is it, darling?”
“It’s…in my bedroom.”
“Well, we already looked there.”
“Why are you looking for it, Dad?”
Addison smiled. “It’s really important. The police want it urgently.”
Emma stared at her father, her eyes welling up. “Apparently, it’s not the police who want it but you. Is that true?”
“What?” Addison’s face went red very quickly. “Who told you that?”
“Guess who?”
“Ernie? Where the fuck is that fucker? He has no business telling you that.”
“I just want to know the truth. I’m your daughter. I’m hurt that you haven’t told me. Am I really that unimportant? Don’t you trust me to keep the Fern secret? Don’t you consider me a Fern?”
Bryce’s eyes widened, shocked at Emma’s words. This had to be a trap for Addison. It had to be. Please, it had to be.
Addison chuckled in disbelief. “Emma, darling. Of course you’re important. Of course you’re a Fern. You’re my daughter.”
“Why do you want the key? What has Mum hidden that you want to find?”
Addison sighed. “Your mother has some things that could hurt our business.”
“The Fixers?” Emma asked nonchalantly.
Addison let out a small gasp. “How much do you know?”
“Not enough, Dad. I need to know everything if you want me to join you. No lies, please.”
“Of course,” Addison
said warily. “First, we need to find the evidence I’m looking for.”
“Why the urgency? Can’t it wait? I’d like to talk about our relationship, Dad. I’m sure you have a good reason for doing what you’re doing, but I need to hear it if I’m to be comfortable with joining the Fixers.”
Addison stared at Emma for a long moment. Then he sighed. “We need to find what your mother has against our syndicate before the Indie Rebels or the police get their hands on it. Otherwise, those fuckers could destroy our whole future.”
“So you want to hide it from the Indie Rebels and the police?”
“Yes. Anyway, I’m sorry I lied. It’s just that there are a lot of things you don’t know yet. I’ll tell you everything, darling. Just tell me where the key is first.”
“Okay, I’ll go get it. But are you just gonna stand there? Could I not get a hug? I’ve been through so much.”
Bryce’s mouth dropped, and his heart hammered as Addison walked to his daughter. What the hell was Emma trying to do?
Addison wrapped his arms around Emma. “I’m sorry for what you went through, Em.”
“I’m sorry too, Dad,” Emma said tearfully.
Bryce’s eyes widened as Emma stuck something on Addison’s back. Addison swayed, then dropped to the ground, seemingly confused.
Bryce let out a breath. Emma was holding a stun gun, not a knife.
“Clear,” Emma called out loudly.
The door opened and three people in black outfits streamed in, scooping up Addison and tying him up.
Bryce wanted to laugh out loud. Thank God he seemed to have been wrong about the truck going to the warehouse, or three Indie Rebels wouldn’t be here.
Two of the IRs—Jaxon and Xavier, by the looks of it—immediately took Addison out of the apartment. No doubt they’d be going down via the fire escape.
Bryce rushed to Emma and took her in his arms.
She was shaking, copious tears streaming down her face.
“Shh.” He kissed her hair and held her tight. It couldn’t have been easy doing what she’d done, especially to her own father. “You were very brave.”
Emma stepped back and crossed her arms.
He frowned at the hurt look she was giving him.
“Anybody else in here?” Aidan’s voice interrupted.
“No,” Bryce said.
“Let’s go before anyone sees us,” Aidan said urgently.
“I’m not leaving Emma here.”
“I’m not going with you,” Emma said coldly.
His breath hitched. “What’s wrong, babe?”
“You lied to me.”
He frowned. Yes, he had. But what exactly could she be talking about?
Emma glared at him. “There I was, hating on the Indie Rebels, and you’re one of them!”
Bryce glanced at Aidan in surprise.
Aidan shook his head and shrugged.
“What made you think that, babe?”
Emma let out a huff. “When I was in van with them, they spoke of you as if it would be a physical pain to each of them if something happened to you. I identified with that. I love you, and I know how they were feeling when we didn’t know what was happening to you. So I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re one of them. You’re an Indie Rebel.”
Bryce’s lips stretched into a wide grin, his heart bursting with love—and so much pride. His girlfriend was one smart cookie. And she’d said the words he’d wanted to hear.
He walked towards her, his heart skipping madly with happiness even though Emma still looked mad, her arms still tight across her chest. “I love you too, babe. So very much. I love you with all of me and with everything I have.”
Emma sniffed, and her lips quirked as if she was trying to hold back a smile. She let out a loud sob—or was that partly a laugh?
And she flew into his arms.
He crushed her to him, feeling her and never wanting to let her go.
“I’m still mad at you,” Emma said against the crook of his neck. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Bryce looked at Aidan, giving his mentor a pleading look.
Aidan sighed. “We have one very important rule in the Indie Rebels, Emma.”
Emma extricated herself from Bryce’s embrace and turned to Aidan, wiping her face. “What’s that?”
“That only an Indie Rebel can know another Indie Rebel. It’s imperative for all our agents’ safety. It’s totally nonnegotiable.”
“Oh,” Emma said with a frown. “Well, I don’t know who you are, but I already know that Bryce is one.”
“It was our fault, I guess. We weren’t careful enough around you and Kallan.”
Emma smiled. “It showed me you love Bryce. And I can’t thank you guys enough for rescuing him. You sound like a close-knit family.”
“We are,” Bryce said. “As an initiate, I’m only allowed to learn the identities of a handful of Indie Rebels. But even the IRs I don’t personally know, I see as family. This isn’t the first time the Indie Rebels rescued me. I owe them my life.” And he couldn’t wait to tell Emma the whole story.
Emma’s eyes filled with tears as she went back into the circle of his arms. “Sounds like my kind of family. How do I join?”
Bryce grinned. He’d love for Emma to be an IR. Then he wouldn’t have to keep secrets from her.
“I really want to help,” Emma said quietly. “I’m assuming there are still lots of Fixers out there?”
Aidan nodded.
“Count me in, then.”
“Okay,” Aidan said. “You’ve already started helping us anyway. We’ll have to explain more rules to you.”
“I’ll do it,” Bryce volunteered happily.
Chapter 24
Seven months later…
“Honey,” Emma moaned, her hand going to her naked breast as she watched Bryce’s head between her legs.
Bryce let out a groan, inserting two fingers in her as his tongue laved her nub.
Cries of ecstasy escaped her throat, her legs starting to tense. “I’m gonna come—Ahh!”
Pleasure pulsed from her core as she breathed ragged breaths.
But Bryce wasn’t done. He crawled up the bed and pushed his velvety erection inside her. “Fuuuck,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Yes,” she gasped, meeting his thrusts and grabbing his ass to encourage him to go deeper.
“Babe…so good,” Bryce panted. “Always so fucking good.”
She could only moan her response as she started building up again.
Bryce not only had the ability to arouse every single cell in her body. He could also make her heart soar so high that she could see things she’d never seen before—like another path when she thought she was stuck, another viewpoint that allowed her to feel free, and possibilities that she’d only dreamt of in the past.
Best of all, he showed her that she could give her whole heart to someone else without fear.
Bryce pressed his thumb against her clit as he drove into her faster, deeper.
“Oh God,” she screeched, shutting her eyes in rapture as her body exploded in another powerful orgasm.
“Oh, fuck, yes,” Bryce said through gritted teeth before he yelled, shuddering as he shot hot jets of come inside her.
Bryce collapsed on top of her, and one of their phones chimed with the distinctive Indie Rebel message tone.
They laughed.
“That’s what I call perfect timing,” Emma said.
Bryce pulled out of her and rolled to his side to pick up the offending device from the bedside table. “We have a job.”
Emma grinned and bolted out of bed to get ready. She loved going out in the field with Bryce.
Emma put on her night vision glasses and got out of the passenger side of the black SUV. She quietly tiptoed towards the driveway where three figures had disappeared into, seemingly following two people who’d gone the same path earlier. She looked behind her.
Bryce was a few steps back, checking something on h
is phone. She wondered if they were being called to a different IR assignment.
She was enjoying being trained by Bryce. He was a good and patient teacher. She had learnt a lot from him.
She still had a very long way to go, though, before she could say she was as competent as Holly and Eve. It was just that she’d only started her training a few weeks ago. She’d been very busy getting on top of things.
First was the biggest news: Bryce and Jaxon were brothers! Emma had learnt about Bryce’s full story and she’d been so touched. She couldn’t believe how much she and Bryce had in common with their fathers. She guessed that was why they understood each other very well.
After her dad’s capture, she’d focused on helping Myra and Jill get comfortable in their new home. Thankfully, with some Indie Rebel magic, the police had decided that Myra wasn’t considered part of the Fixers. Emma was extremely relieved by that.
Then there was her move to Sydney. She’d asked her boss if there was a way she could be transferred to the restaurant here and, lo and behold, he’d agreed. It turned out that the previous Sydney sous chef had been thinking of moving to Brisbane, so they’d merely swapped branches.
They never did find the key Addison had been searching for. Emma doubted it even existed. Her mother had probably mentioned something to Addison to spite him or something. In any case, it wasn’t necessary. The IRs and the police had enough to ensure all the Fixers were kept behind bars.
Admittedly, she’d still done a lot of grieving for her father. It wasn’t easy letting go of the image she’d originally had when Addison had first shown her some love. It turned out Addison had wanted something from her, but he hadn’t really wanted her.
She shrugged. She didn’t want to wallow in that anymore. She’d already cried enough tears over it. She was a lucky girl despite who her father was.
Every single day in the last seven months, Bryce had been by her side through thick and thin. He’d been wonderful. He’d shown her what it was like to love and be loved—truly be loved. Now she’d started to believe she did deserve it.
She stopped at the foot of the driveway to wait for her gorgeous man. They were going to confront five people, and she wasn’t confident yet to do that alone.
Bryce: The Project (Indie Rebels Book 3) Page 19
