by Debra Kayn
They'd all aged, and they'd prospered, but every time they got together, he had to face his past again. Nightmares came back. Anger settled deeper inside him.
Despite building his business and sitting on a gold mine with Stone Lair, it wasn't enough to guarantee his freedom. The others were in the same boat, waiting for the day they'd be turned in for their crimes.
Quint ran a campground twenty minutes away. Will ran a hunting and fishing expedition company over the pass in Idaho. Mark lived thirty minutes away at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains and rented ATVs and snowmobiles to people who traveled to the area to experience mountain life. Two-crow lived halfway between Anders and Missoula, staying close to everyone, as he kept busy as a private investigator.
Opening the door, he stood in the bar waiting until he was assured his private quarters locked behind him as he searched for Iliana. He found her at the back table, her gaze locked on her phone. He inhaled deeply, forcing his heart rate and pulse to slow. It wouldn't help matters for her to suspect anything.
His gaze lowered to under the table. She swung her crossed foot to the beat of the music coming out of the sound system.
She should be singing up on stage. Music was her life. He could see that in her eyes and hear it in her voice. She had a gift, one that needed to be shared.
It infuriated him that his life had touched hers, pushing her away from what she loved.
Striding across the room, he nodded at the customers he recognized and greeted him. He stopped beside Iliana's table. She never looked up from her phone.
He liked that about her. She wasn't prowling. She wasn't checking out the room for men to meet. She was comfortable being by herself. Yet, she'd spent hours talking with him after he had her brought upstairs that first night and she'd fallen asleep in comfort on the floor with him as if she'd known him for years.
Giving her that security made him want to do more for her. He'd never had a woman rely on him for anything besides pleasure. Not that he'd given any of the women in his past a chance to fall into the position of seeking something from him.
Iliana had gone all-in with him from the start. There were no walls around her. She was innocent and had shown him from the first moment she came upstairs that she was open and willing to get to know him better. Trust came naturally to her because nothing bad had ever happened in her life.
Until the fire. And, that was because of him.
"You should be upstairs." He leaned down, getting her attention, and kissed the side of her head. "I didn't expect you to stay in the bar."
She set her phone down. "I felt weird about going up where you live without you. It seemed invasive."
"I'm here now." He pulled her from her chair, fighting the urge to gather her close and assure her that he'd taken care of the problem and everything would be okay.
But, he couldn't share that information with her. There were parts of himself she'd never know.
He took her upstairs. Without asking, he poured her some wine and called downstairs for food to be brought up. Once Iliana made herself comfortable on the couch, he sat down beside her.
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her against him. "Are you hanging in there?"
"I'm okay. Craig and Brad arrived home, safe and sound. My parents promised to come and get me when the investigator lets me know when I can leave. I called and put a claim in with the insurance company—the agent was super nice and talked me through what will happen next." She placed her head against him. "I bet you never thought I'd end up being so much trouble when you hired me to sing at Stone Lair."
"No trouble," he kissed the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent.
"I was scheduled to sing tonight, and now you're left with no entertainment." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."
"No..." He grunted. "Not your fault. While crime happens everywhere, it shouldn't have happened here."
"I hope the police catch the man responsible." Her brows lowered. "It could've ended much differently if Craig or Brad or even myself were inside sleeping, and I could've been if you hadn't invited me here for a drink. So, thank you."
"Everyone is safe. That's all that matters," he said.
"Thanks to you." She kissed his cheek, and it was the sweetest emotion he'd ever received.
Innocent. Sincere. Vulnerable.
He stroked her cheek. His hand possessively wanting to protect those qualities while the next second, he wanted to strip her naked and fuck her on the couch.
The soft beep alerting him to someone opening the door at the bottom of the stairs shut down his desire to take possession of her. He set his glass on the end table and walked down the hallway to let Mac in.
His manager set down a large bag and handed him a sack from the kitchen. "Are you staying in for the night?"
"No, I need to check in with each department. I'll be down after things are settled up here."
"Very good." Mac pivoted and walked back down the stairs.
He carried everything into the kitchen and called Iliana's name. She entered carrying her wine glass.
"Have you eaten today?" He pulled out a Styrofoam tray.
"Yes." She sat down on the bar stool on the other side of the island. "I had my purse on me the night of the fire, so I still have my credit and debit cards. I had the breakfast special. It was perfect, by the way."
"You need to eat more than that during the day." He retrieved a plate, opened the drawer, and slid over a fork and knife. "I hope you like steak."
She smiled. "Absolutely."
He pointed to a bag on the floor. "There are some clothes for you to wear while you're here."
"Clothes?" She ignored the food and stepped over and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt. "These still have tags on them."
"I had one of my female employees drive into Idaho and do some shopping for you. Probably more of an outdoor style than you're used to, but without going into a bigger town, the choices are limited."
She peered at the shirt. "How did you know my size?"
He gazed down her body, over the curves, and back up to her eyes. "I know."
She raised her brows and dropped the shirt back into the bag. "I'm not picky, and I appreciate it. I'll tally up the clothes I wear before I go and pay you for them."
"No." He pointed his fork at her plate of food. "Eat."
"Yes, sir." She grinned and returned to the island. "I do thank you, though. It hit me earlier that I didn't have clothes or even have time to shower this morning after I woke up and the police arrived."
"You can use whatever you need here." He cut his steak. "After I'm done eating, I need to go downstairs, so make yourself at home and use what you need."
She chewed and swallowed. "You have to work?"
He nodded, forking his baked potato apart. "It's Saturday. Our busiest night."
"That makes me feel worse. I should be singing." She used one of the napkins and wiped her mouth.
"Not your fault." He set down his knife and ate the last bite of steak. "I want to talk to you about our contract."
She set her fork down. "I can give you back the deposit you made for today."
He shook his head. "I'd like you to continue singing at the Lair."
"When?"
"As soon as you're ready. Stone Lair can buy your equipment, clothes, whatever you need." He set his empty plate in the sink. "With or without your band. However you want to do it."
As long as she stayed with him, he'd put up with the guys from her band. With her voice, she could sing by herself and blast music from the sound system.
"We would love to play here again." She waited until he turned around and looked at her. "But, I need to go home and deal with the fallout from the fire and figure out how long it'll be until I can afford another motorhome. The insurance will reimburse us for the equipment, eventually. From what I'm being told, it can take time to receive the actual check."
"Then, I'll front you the money until you're reimbursed." He leaned
against the counter and tension rolled over his shoulders when she waited for him to explain. "Listen, I'm not any good at this back and forth shit. You're a damn good singer. The best Stone Lair has had."
Pleasure warmed her eyes.
He gave her all his attention. "You also fascinate me, and I'm not ready for you to leave."
She raised her brows. He swallowed down the tension. Not knowing what she wanted or needed from him, he felt her slipping away.
He could seduce her. He could fuck her.
But, her damn innocence stood in the way. The innocence that had him frustrated on what to do next. Besides holding her hostage, he had no idea how to get what he wanted.
She wasn't the type of woman to let his money and the Lair impress her, he had nothing else to offer her.
"I like you," he whispered.
Her mouth curved and she smiled. "I like you, too."
"Say you'll stay or come back." He held still unsure how to react if she refused.
She stood from the stool and approached him. His body went rock solid.
"You're a good man." She kissed him softly, barely lingering against his lips, and pulled back. "I would like to come back and sing when the time is right."
"And, me?" His stomach hardened. "Will you come back to me?"
She smiled and turned to the side and picked up the mess they'd made with dinner. "It's a date."
A date?
He'd never had a date in his life.
"I need to go downstairs." He needed to get out of here before he fucked everything up and scared her away. "I'll be up later."
"Okay. I'll take a shower while you're gone." She picked up the bag of clothes he'd given her. "Thank you again, for everything."
He walked away because he needed to go over everything she'd said and try to figure out if she wanted him or the gig he offered. Time apart was probably for the best as he remained out of control, almost fierce in his territorial need to keep her. And, he needed to make sure the threat against him and the others was over for the time being.
Chapter 6
The three weeks since Iliana left Stone Lair flew by in a whirlwind of dealing with the insurance company, the police, and managing the band.
Her parents' door shut, echoing in the hollowness of Iliana's chest. She cradled her head, letting her bravado slip. The meeting with Craig and Brad went the opposite way she'd hoped.
"Il?" said her mom, coming into the living room. "The boys left. Did you get everything figured out?"
She raised her head and sniffed. "Yes and no."
Her mom, Gayle Teel, sat down on the couch beside her. "Anything your dad and I can do?"
"Craig's going back to college and Brad is talking with another band so he can play the local bars and stay in Missoula, and out of his family's restaurant." She leaned back and slouched on the couch. "They can't wait for the money from the insurance company to come in. They've got rent to pay and expenses, too."
"They're at a different stage than you." Her mom patted her leg. "You've been singing on your own for a while now and in charge of the band. Maybe they need to spread their wings and gain some responsibility."
She sighed. "I get it, and I only want the best for them. I do."
"Maybe you can dust off your guitar."
She looked at her mom. "I haven't played while singing for over two years."
"I raised you, Iliana. I've sat through years of music lessons with you." Her mom one-arm hugged her. "You have the talent and the drive to succeed on your own. Your dad and I have told you that for a while now. I know you like the idea of having a band and—"
"It's not that." She played with her thumb ring. "Okay, maybe I thought it would be easier with a band."
"You have never shied away from hard work." Her mom studied her. "What's really going on? You've been acting strange since you came home. Is it the fire?"
She shook her head. "The fire inspector is sure it was a random act of arson, and no way was I targeted."
"Trust me, if we thought you were in danger, your dad and I wouldn't let you travel around and sing. There are weird people out in the world and as much as we want to protect you, we can't. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time. If it weren't your motorhome, it would've been someone else's." Her mom gave her a pointed look. "I want to know what is really bothering you since you came home, honey."
She'd left the Lair feeling like Anders wanted to tell her something or she'd left something unsaid. They'd flirted and bonded quickly, but she needed the time away after everything that'd happened to think about how she was feeling about him and his job offer.
"If I go out on my own, I'd need to audition for gigs. All the contracts we had were for a band, not a one-woman performance. It'll take time, and I need practice playing."
"Then, that's what you'll do."
She straightened. "There is a way I can do that while getting paid."
Her mom raised her brows. "How?"
"Anders will..." She stopped, knowing she needed to slow down now that her thoughts were coming clearer and faster. "The owner of Stone Lair will hire me to sing. He wanted me to stay after the fire and be on schedule as a regular singer at his establishment, but I needed to come home. I could practice during the day, perform on the weekends, and in a few weeks feel confident enough to go on auditions for more gigs."
"You need to wait until the insurance money comes in and you can afford another motorhome."
"Maybe not." She wasn't going to tell her mom that she'd stayed with Anders after the fire. "His establishment also has cabins on the property that he rents out."
"Well, there you go." Her mom smiled. "Do you feel better now that you've got something to work toward?"
Her stomach fluttered. "I'll feel better once I make a phone call and see if I'm still welcomed at Stone Lair."
It was foolish to believe she could walk back into Anders' life and expect those wonderful feelings to be circling around them still. Initial meetings were often filled with flirting and attraction. He could've changed his mind about her playing at the Lair or booked another singer or band for the weekends.
Or, he could've met someone new that fascinated him even more than she had. He owned a business that catered to good times, flirting, scandalous meetings, and sex. Not that he sold sex, but he provided the atmosphere for others to hook up.
People celebrated winning money at the casino and went out to dinner for their anniversary at the Lair. Sex was a natural thing to do when spirits were high.
There were a lot of single women who would take one look at Anders and want what he could offer. Women who would do anything.
Anything.
"I need to meet your dad downtown. He's going to drop off the car for an oil change. Do you need anything while I'm out?" Her mom stood.
"No, I'm good." She instantly planned ahead now that she'd made up her mind. "I'm going to call Stone Lair and depending on the answer, pack up and load everything in the car."
"Already?"
"It's Tuesday. I could make it there and settle in before having to sing on Friday." She hugged her mom. "I've been home for three weeks."
"And, I've loved every minute with you." Her mom kissed her cheek. "Don't leave until your father and I can see you off, okay?"
"Of course, not." She followed her mom through the house and went upstairs anxious to call Anders' manager. Hopefully, he could get a message to Anders, and she could talk to him personally.
MAC HURRIED ACROSS the floor of the bar holding the phone to his ear, motioning for Anders. In the middle of handing out paychecks and taking time to touch base with each employee, Anders stayed at the table and waited for his manager to make it to him.
He closed the folder with the last three checks for the blackjack dealers.
Mac leaned down, holding the cell phone to his chest, and said, "It's Ms. Iliana, sir."
If she called to tell him she'd thought over his offer and wanted to turn him down, he wanted nothin
g to do with talking with her. He'd lost more sleep worrying about how she was doing over the last twenty-one days, he couldn't take any more.
To distract him from her absence, he'd gone over and over the background check Two-crow had sent him on Iliana. He knew more about her, her family, and her lifestyle than he needed but it was a way to fill up the empty time since she'd left.
"What does she want?" he asked.
"To talk with you." Mac held out the phone.
"Give her my number and have her call me in a half hour." Anders stood, holding the folder.
His manager spoke into the phone. Anders walked across the room into the casino and approached the dealers separately. His questions were routine, he barely registered their answers as he handed them a check.
Nothing existed for him as he made his way to the door and up to his private quarters. Grabbing an ale out of the fridge, he walked over and stood in front of the windows overlooking the parking lot.
Never one who got his hopes up, he found himself filled with adrenaline. Iliana had reached out to him. That one sign that she wanted him was all he needed.
Chapter 7
Iliana sat in her car behind Stone Lair. When Anders' took back his offer of her staying in one of the cabins and demanded she stay upstairs with him in his private quarters, she'd eagerly agreed. Until that moment when he'd voiced his desire to have her stay with him, she hadn't realized how much her reasons for going back to the Liar had to do with Anders rather than an opportunity to sing.
Her career had always come first in her life. She'd been singing in front of other people since she turned twelve years old. Like all little girls, she'd dreamed of being the next Beyoncé.
It hadn't taken her long to realize the sultriness of her voice, her more introverted personality, and her own pleasure leaned toward seductive, slower songs where her shyness came across flirty and appealing, rather than an R&B/pop show. Only during the last several years had she come into the power behind her voice and understood the draw—and she used that seductive quality to gain a dedicated local following.
