Conned

by Jessica Wilde

  Wanted it bad, with her.

  And wasn't that just delightful.

  The one time I actually want more than meaningless sex with a woman and it happens to be the woman that should be considered off limits.

  "Ah, Conall. The house is yours, my boy." Dad stood with a nod to Emily and gestured for Gus to go with him. "Gus and I are going to get out of your hair so you can get down to business."

  They walked out the garage door and I listened to Dad's car start and the sound of it fading before I finally turned back to see Emily fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. She had changed clothes and the t-shirt she was wearing hid her curves a little more efficiently and I sighed with relief. Not that it would help any. They were burned into my mind already with the few glimpses I took.

  "Where did you want to do it?"

  My eyes shifted back up to hers at the sound of her voice and the blush that filled her cheeks made me want to groan. Why couldn't she have been a greasy, toothless witch?

  "I'm sorry, that came out wrong," she said quietly.

  It sure as hell did. The images of where I wanted to do it had swarmed my mind and I had to turn away before the tightening at the front of my jeans became too noticeable. Luke was absolutely right about everything he had said, but there was one thing that definitely couldn't be argued. Women did have power. They would soon rule the world while the rest of us fell to our knees and begged them to end the ache; and it was an ache. A need to lose ourselves in them and never be found.

  Poetic, Con.

  "I knew what you meant," I croaked then cleared my throat before continuing. "Let's go to the living room."

  I already had her file printed and sitting on the coffee table and I picked it up and started flipping through the pages absently while she took a seat on the couch across from me. I didn't need to read it again. I pretty much had it memorized since I spent most of the night with it in my hands. Aside from her picture, it was her file that had stolen my attention. She was a good person, never got into any trouble, kept her head down. If it hadn't been for her being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she would still be in Denver happily teaching teenagers whatever the hell they are learning these days.

  "What do we need to go over if you have everything there?" she pointed to the papers in my hands.

  I glanced up at her quickly to catch the discomfort in her posture. She was guarded like she had been when I first saw her at the airport with Jules, but this was different. She was nervous and I couldn't understand why. I mean, besides the fact that some lunatic wanted her dead so his brother could stay out of prison.

  But she had no reason to be nervous around me and it was irritating.

  That or I'm just an asshole on the edge right now.

  "I've only got reports, statements, and a background. What I don't have is the reason you are testifying in the first place besides being a witness to murder, of course."

  Yep, an asshole on the edge. I hadn't meant to sound so cruel but my mouth was ahead of my brain right now and her wall was up. I didn't have time to break through that. She needed to trust me.

  She flinched as if my words had been a slap in the face which is pretty much the only way she could take them. Perhaps she just wanted to do the right thing, but experience had shown me that wasn't always the case and by the look of the shadow that crossed over her eyes, that wasn't the case here.

  "I-I… Why wouldn't I testify?"

  I set her file back down on the table between us and leaned forward, my elbows resting on my thighs. I held her green gaze for a few moments before she started to squirm. "Because doing so puts your life in danger and you don't seem to care for that danger too much seeing how you've stayed away from your brother for so long. You have a good life from what I read and have every reason to keep it that way."

  "You don't beat around the bush, do you?" she snapped and looked away as if the tone of her voice was unexpected to her.

  "Not when someone's life is on the line," I replied.

  Her eyes snapped back to me and she was obviously angry and a little hurt. "The man took a life. Why should he deserve his own?"

  "I'm not talking about Stanton Ripley. I was talking about you, Emily. Your life is on the line."

  Her eyes widened and her face drained of color. "Oh, right. I'm sorry, I just…" She dropped her head into her hands and buried her fingers in her hair. I wanted to go to her, to comfort her and apologize for not being more compassionate, but this was the job I had to do. "I didn't stay away from my brother to avoid trouble, he stayed away to avoid me."

  "And why is that?"

  She sighed and picked at a tiny hole in the knee of her jeans, "It doesn't matter why. Do you honestly think I'm not having a hard time with this?"

  I waited for her to look at me again before I could respond, when she did, the mask she hadn't been wearing so well was gone completely. She looked vulnerable. "I know it isn't easy to give up your life just so you can say a few words in court."

  Her lips thinned and her eyes shined with moisture. Yeah, she was having a hard time.

  "That's not what I meant."

  We stared at each other for a few minutes, the tension growing taut and her meaning becoming more and more clear to me. I could see the guilt she was feeling and my chest tightened when I realized there was no way I could fix it for her.

  And why the hell did I want to fix it in the first place?

  I stood and moved over to the couch, sitting down next to her and speaking as softly as I could so she wouldn't feel like I was pushing her too hard. "Tell me what you did mean."

  This wasn't a part of my job. I didn't need to know why she was testifying and I didn't need to know the details about her that would only make me want to dive in deeper. I was only here to watch out for her; babysit her really. I wasn't supposed to ask questions, but something about her forced them out. She didn't belong in a world like the one she was living in. She didn't deserve to be neck deep in Ripley's bullshit with a 50/50 chance of coming out of it alive and well or dead and gone. And even if she did come out of it alive, the rest of her life? Well that was just a big fat question mark now, wasn't it?

  "Have you ever testified against a murderer, Conall?" she asked, her voice broken with emotion and the moisture in her eyes brimming on the edges.

  I wanted to reach out and wipe those tears away, tell her that everything would work out. But that wasn't part of my job either. I was here to protect her at all costs, not comfort her and hold her.

  Period.

  "I have. It's a part of my job."

  She shook her head, "No, not as a detective or a cop. Have you ever been in my position? The only key to putting someone in prison for the rest of their life?"

  I shook my head.

  "Then you don't know what it's like to be responsible for destroying someone's life, even if they deserve it…" she trailed off and her eyes glazed over as if she was recalling a distant memory before they cleared and she looked down at her hands. "I've had more than enough experience with that."

  I didn't know what to say to her. She was right, I had no idea what it was like. Even if the guy killed someone, he still had a family and a life. I wanted to tell her that I get it. It isn't easy and I understand that, but I didn't think that's what she wanted to hear.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out to look at the screen.

  Ash: Need some girl advice. Bring Emily over for a while when you can.

  I sighed in relief. We had only been talking for a few minutes, but I needed some distance again.

  "We'll talk later. Ash needs you." I stood from the couch and gathered her file.

  "What?"

  I gestured for her to follow me, which she did immediately and it made my chest tighten all over again. She did trust me and damn if that didn't make me feel like puffing out my chest. "I'm taking you down the street to Ash. She needs help with something. Maybe it will help to take your mind off of things."

  I dro
pped the file off in the office then led her to the front door and out onto the porch.

  "Are you staying with me?" she asked.

  I turned back to her and thought about that. I shouldn't have to think about it because if I didn't stay with her, then I wasn't doing my job. The job that was actually a favor to my boss, but was still my job. I shouldn't have to think about it at all, but being close to her was driving me crazy and I needed a minute.

  "I won't leave you there, but I'll keep my distance. I promise you will be safe, I'm just not big on girl stuff." We made our way to the sidewalk and headed toward Luke's house, now Ash's house.

  Emily chuckled when she caught up to me, "Girl stuff?"

  I nodded and shoved my hands in my pockets so I wouldn't reach out and grab one of hers like I wanted. What the hell is going on with me? "She said she needs advice so yeah… girl stuff."

  It was silent for the rest of the short walk to Ash and when I glanced over at her, her cheeks were flushed pink and she looked like she was smiling and deep in thought.

  She grew up with a douche for a brother and imbeciles for parents. I don't know what her social life was like, but from the looks of it, she didn't have many girl friends either. Ash and her would get along just fine.

  We climbed up the porch and the door swung open before we could even knock. I'd have to talk to Luke about that shit. Ash should be more careful in the future, especially with Emily around.

  "Yes! Come in, I need your help," my sister all but shouted and dragged Emily through the door and down the hall to her bedroom.

  Luke's bedroom.

  Ugh, just what I needed to think about.

  I went straight to the kitchen and started rooting around for junk food that I knew I wouldn't find.

  Dad had originally said he didn't want Ash involved in this whole situation. Didn't want her to have to stress about me and what I had to do for the next few months after what she'd been through. When she was the one who came up with the plan for Emily to act as my girlfriend so no one would suspect anything about her real identity, it was a moot point. We needed her. Dad hadn't been happy about it, but Ash was smart and Luke wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to her; so now they were all involved. Part of me wished they weren't, but seeing Ash's face at the idea of having a girl to hang out with was enough to get me to stop arguing about it.

  When I opened the fridge and saw the banana cream pie on the shelf, I knew I would feel much better in a few minutes.

  "Con!" Ash shouted from the bedroom.

  "Yeah?"

  "Dinner tonight at Dad's. Don't touch the pie, it's for dessert."

  Damn!

  Chapter 3

  Emily

  Ten minutes after arriving at Ash's house, Emily's stomach was hurting from laughing so hard. Ash needed advice on which bathing suit to take with her on her vacation with Lucas and what lingerie to bring along as well. She only felt uncomfortable about it for a moment, then realized that Ash was honestly the most genuine person she had ever met. Plus, she had a really dirty mind.

  "Thank you so much for your help, Emily. Lucas is going to shit his pants when he sees me in this."

  "Well, I hope not."

  Ash laughed and shook her head, "Yeah, I guess not, but still. I wanted something sexy enough to overshadow this ugly sling and it's been a pain in the ass to keep him from seeing all of this. I'm not a very good liar so he always knows when I'm hiding something. It's those damn dimples that get me every time."

  Emily just watched as Ash carefully folded the lingerie she had picked out and put it in a small bag.

  "So you're going to be at dinner tonight right?"

  Emily shrugged, "I don't know."

  "Well, I'm inviting you. Plus, it's at Dad's so you're going to be there anyway. I want you to meet Lucas."

  From what Emily could tell, Lucas Shade and Ash Brannock were soul mates and very much in love. She had only gotten a tiny version of their story in the short amount of time she had been with Ash, but it was enough to paint a good picture.

  "Con wouldn't make you miss out on my lasagna anyway," Ash continued.

  "Conall and Fergus are good men. Good brothers. Trustworthy."

  Ash stopped what she was doing and studied her for a moment. "They are. Always have been even when I thought they were complete assholes. But I know they love me and I love them. I trust them with my life. They've taken care of me for forever so why wouldn't I?"

  Emily nodded and felt a lump form in her throat. She had no idea if Rayce loved her, but she knew without a doubt she loved him. If she didn't, she wouldn't be risking her life to help him. And trusting him? Well, she hoped the fact that they were family was enough reason to trust him.

  "Do you have any siblings, Emily?"

  "A younger brother."

  Ash waited for more, but Emily wasn't quite sure how to give more. That was the only thing she could say that wouldn't bring down the happy mood they had been sitting in.

  "Do you see him often?" Ash asked and plopped down on the edge of the bed next to Emily.

  She shook her head, then shrugged. "Not really. The last few years we had lost touch."

  "And now?"

  Now? The last time she saw him was the night her life basically ended. How many months had it been? She didn't count. Her mind drifted to their last conversation.

  "Emily, the man was coming to arrest me. If you don't do this, I'll end up being the primary suspect and with a record, no way I'll get out of it. Evidence or no evidence."

  She raked a hand through her hair and tried to push back the tears. "Rayce, I can't lie."

  He clutched her shoulders and shook her gently, "It's not lying. I saw him do it. He shot him right in the head without a second thought. His prints will be all over that gun."

  "Then you go to the police," she objected.

  He shook her again, harder this time and his grip tightened on her shoulders, making her whimper. "You know damn well I can't do that. I'm the one he was arresting. Trust me, they'll just think I'm trying to get out of it. Plus, I work for Lucien Ripley's enemy. I'll be killed within the first week, Em."

  "I'm your sister! You don't think they will suspect something?" she pleaded with him.

  "They'll have no choice."

  It took another five minutes of arguing back and forth, but Emily gave in. Rayce looked frantic and he had come to her. Proof enough that he was desperate.

  She was the only one who could protect him.

  She didn't forget that he was involved with dangerous people, but he was her brother. She had failed him enough. It was time to make up for all of it.

  "And what about his brother? He'll kill me, Rayce."

  He shook his head and narrowed his eyes, "I won't let him. As long as I'm on the outside, I can protect you. You'll be fine, Em."

  "Emily?"

  She shut her eyes and chased the memory away. She had to forget that night altogether. Everything except the fact that she saw the officer's body lying in a pool of his own blood in the same hotel room that Stanton Ripley had been staying in.

  "You okay, Emily?"

  She turned back to Ash who was looking at her worriedly.

  "Sorry, I um, what was the question?"

  Ash hesitated, but gave her head a shake and repeated the question. "You said you had lost touch with your brother. And now? Have you spoken to him since this whole thing went down?"

  She stood from the bed and started around the room, pretending to study the pictures on the dresser and Ash's knick knacks. "No, they haven't let me contact anyone. It's too risky."

  "That makes sense, I guess."

  Emily shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, not wanting to delve any deeper because she had already lied enough.

  Ash got up and moved beside her, "Hey, I know this isn't easy, but are you going to be alright?"

  She nodded and blinked quickly, not letting the tears that had formed fall down her face.

  "You miss your broth
er," Ash stated quietly.

  Emily wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Yeah, she missed her brother, had for years. That wasn't it, though. She was terrified that he would never come back to her, that she would never make up for failing him. For being so selfish and doing whatever it took to keep him out of the system that it ended up destroying the little boy she had loved so deeply.

  "He's all I've got, Ash. Our parents died when I was 18 and he was 13. It was a miracle that they even let me take him. He should have been put in foster care, but I couldn't stand the thought of letting him grow up with strangers."

  Ash listened intently and looked like she wanted to pull her in for a hug. Emily would kill for that kind of connection. Someone to actually take care of her like family should.

  She knew she should stop talking, but couldn't. It was all too much for her and the gates had been opened. "I'd do anything for that boy. He's a jerk and makes all the wrong decisions, but I love him. I'd do anything," she ended on a whisper.

  It was then that Ash wrapped her arms around her and Emily sobbed into her shoulder, letting out all the hurt and desperation she had been feeling over the last several months since her brother persuaded her to act as a witness to murder in his place. Since he convinced her to put a big red target on her forehead for Lucien Ripley to take his aim at. He promised her that his people would keep her from getting killed, but after what happened with Deputy Ross, she wasn't so sure that was possible.

  "Shhh, it will be okay. I would do the same, Emily. It's family. I would kill for Fergus and Conall, no doubt about it."

  Truth. The Brannocks would do whatever it took to keep each other safe and happy. It was just their way. Emily had only spent minutes with them, but it was obvious. Conall Brannock was the one protecting her now and she had the feeling he was the only one that could at this point.

  As if the thought of Conall could conjure him up, he appeared at the door looking dark and dangerous.

  "What the hell is going on here?"

  Ash immediately released her and whirled on him. "Don't take that tone of voice with me Conall William Brannock! This is a girl thing and you don't get to march in here and make us feel bad for being gentle creatures."