“None of this was your fault,” she said soothingly. “All that gear should have been checked before being worn, right?”
“Yeah. Frank swears that everything was fine when he checked it all. However, it seems that Frank was called away and when he got back about twenty minutes later, Rick was already up on the frame in the harness.”
She took in a sharp breath. “So do you think that someone who works for you did this?”
“Looks that way,” he said grimly. “Christ, what a mess. It could be that someone who I employ, who I trust, put another of my men in danger.”
“But how did they know Rick would fall? I mean, they cut the safety harness but how’d they know he would fall?”
“He said he slipped. I went up and had a look around but I couldn’t see anything that would make him slip.”
“Is there any way I can help?”
He wasn’t used to taking help. His family often offered to help him out and he turned them down automatically, intent on doing everything himself.
But he liked being around her. And even though he had pushed her away today, the building site was probably the safest place right now. Ashdown had agreed to pay for a security guard to stay at the site during the evenings.
“Thank you for offering, Holly. I’m sure I will need your help once we get back up and running.” He leaned back, savoring the smile on her face.
“Well, at least you know one thing.”
“What’s that?” Besides the fact that someone wanted to sabotage him, wreck his reputation, and push him into an early grave?
“It wasn’t Mason Philips. Someone would have noticed if he was around.”
He opened his eyes and stared at her. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“So now you don’t have to go talk to him.”
“Oh, I’m still going to have a little chat. He’s been bothering Lucy, his ex-wife, again and I still don’t trust that he isn’t somehow involved. Maybe he bribed one of my men.”
“You’re going there tonight?”
“No, not tonight. I’m too tired. Tell you what, why don’t I meet you back here for breakfast and we’ll go out to the site together?”
“Okay.”
“Climb into bed, I’ll tuck you in.” He pulled the covers over her then placed a kiss on her forehead. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart. Wear that brace tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
“Brax!”
Brax turned from locking up the trailer, waving his hand at the security guard to let him know that the two men walking towards him were okay.
Case Oliver, as always, looked grim and determined while Sloan had a grin on his face. Anyone looking at them would immediately take a step or two back from Case, intimidated by his scowl. They’d then turn to Sloan to give him their life story.
Sloan Marsh had one of those friendly, handsome faces that people instantly trusted. He could have made a fortune as a real estate agent. But his life had taken a different turn. He was ex-FBI. Sloan had more nightmares than the whole town of Lilyvale put together.
Case—well, he was Case. Brax was pretty sure he’d been born with a scowl on his face. He had met them both years ago at Decadence, a BDSM club in Waco. Both of them were Doms. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that they had met up again. Sloan, having left the FBI, had returned to Waco to work for his uncle in construction.
Brax had been working on the same crew. When Sloan’s uncle decided to sell up they bought the company off him. Luckily, Case, who had been best friends with Sloan for years, decided to buy in with them. It was Case who had the most experience, having worked in construction since he was sixteen.
Brax was surprised it had taken them this long to come see him.
“How are things going?” Sloan asked with concern.
“Well OSHA’s finally gone home, after putting me through the wringer,” he said tiredly. Opening the trailer door, he walked in and grabbed two beers and a soda. Sloan didn’t drink. Handing them out, they all sat outside.
“Yeah, they’re real fun, aren’t they?” Case growled.
“Just doing their job,” Sloan said reasonably. “What did they decide?”
“That it was deliberate. Exactly what I’d been telling them. I’m really sorry about this.”
Sloan raised his brows. “You? Why? You slice halfway through the ropes so they’d snap? Did you cause Rick to slip? Spray graffiti everywhere?”
“You know what I’m talking about. If this is personal—”
“Then it’s still someone else’s problem, not yours,” Case told him.
“Did you fire Frank?” Sloan asked.
“Yeah, had that great job to do today.”
Turned out the thing Frank had been called away for was an extended cigarette break and he hadn’t bothered to check all the harnesses before he left.
“Could this have been aimed at Rick?” Sloan asked.
“Don’t know. He’s not that well liked, but is that enough of a reason to attempt to harm him? And how would whoever did this know that he was getting the next harness?” Brax shook his head and ran his hand over his face.
Sloan leaned forward and threw his bottle into the bin. “Well, it’s Saturday tomorrow. You can get some sleep. Unwind.”
“Speaking of unwinding, we’re off to Decadence tonight. Want to come?” Case asked.
Tempting, but not nearly as much as what he had planned tonight.
“Thanks, but no.”
“You haven’t been in a while,” Sloan pointed out.
“I’m going out to dinner tonight and I don’t think Holly would appreciate being taken to a BDSM club.”
No, BDSM clubs weren’t for Holly. And he didn’t feel the need to go to the club to unwind. Just being with Holly made him feel more relaxed, more whole.
God, he was in trouble. So much for keeping away from her, that had lasted all of five minutes. And even though he’d hurt her, she’d still agreed to come out to dinner with him tonight.
“You’re dating someone who isn’t a submissive?” Sloan looked at him in surprise.
“I didn’t say that.” Although he couldn’t put into words what it was. It was more than friendship. “She’s, well, she’s Holly. And it’s not really a date.” It sounded stupid, he knew. But she wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. She was sweet and gentle, yet she had a sharp, savvy side to her. She’d been hurt in the past and it could have turned her into someone bitter and angry and yet, she didn’t seem willing to give up hope.
“So how does this girl fit in with your five-year plan?” Sloan asked with a smirk.
Sloan and Case thought he was nuts. They were all control-freaks but they believed he’d taken it a step too far.
“We’re just friends having a few dates. She lives in Houston; she’s a city girl. It’s perfect—I don’t have to worry about her interfering with my plan.”
He squished the voice inside his head that told him he wanted more than that. That temporary just wasn’t enough.
“Man, you can’t plan everything. Life has a way of interrupting the best laid plans. I mean, this idea that you’re not going to settle down with anyone for five years until you’re more financially stable is crazy. Are you sure this girl knows the full deal?” Sloan asked with concern.
“I made myself perfectly clear. Holly knows I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Just because she knows it, doesn’t mean that she’s not hoping for more,” Sloan warned.
Brax shook his head. “You don’t know, Holly. She’s not secretly hoping I’ll fall in love with her. Eventually she’ll leave and we’ll go back to our own lives.” Pain stabbed his gut at the thought. “I have nothing to offer her right now beyond keeping each other company. She deserves more than that.”
But he’d date her while she was here. Did that make him incredibly selfish? There was no harm in a few dates, right? They were friends more than anything else. Yeah right. He didn’t get a raging hard-on for
his other friends.
“Guess you know what you’re doing.” Case stood and placed his empty beer bottle in the bin. “Call us if you need us.”
“Will do.”
*****
Holly took a sip of wine. She didn’t drink much, finding that it interfered with her pain pills. But every now and then she enjoyed a glass of tart wine or rich scotch.
“Can I ask you something?” she said to Brax.
Brax leaned back in his chair with a small smile. After dinner, they had moved from the dinner table to Macy’s small, quiet bar. There was only one other couple here, and they were well across the room.
The open fireplace sent out a pleasant heat, adding to the intimate atmosphere.
“Go for it, sweetheart.”
She loved the sound of his voice, especially when he was relaxed like this. The last few days had been stressful and Brax had developed a perpetual frown. Now, he looked happier. More laid back.
“How did you get into BDSM?”
He raised a brow. “Well, it was kind of a mistake.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was about twenty-two and a friend of mine was getting married in
Austin. It was his stag night, so we went out on the town. His best man had heard of this new club. It turned out to be a BDSM club and they were having an open night, when anyone could come along. I found myself intrigued, got talking to this older woman. A Domme. And, well, the next night I found myself back there, letting her show me the ropes.
“I kept going back and back until I felt the need for more. She introduced me to a friend of hers—a Dom who worked at a club across town. He became my mentor and I was hooked.”
“Why do you enjoy it?”
He took a sip of his whiskey. “I like the intimacy it creates—the trust. I like control.”
She snorted. Kind of an understatement.
He smiled slightly as though he could read her thoughts.
“A Dom has to read his sub, to understand what she needs. I get pleasure from looking after my sub, from watching them grow. A sub needs to know that their dominant has their safety, both mental and physical, at the top of their agenda. Along with their pleasure. I enjoy the responsibility. I need it.”
She mulled that over for a moment. “So when you go to the club do you just choose a sub?”
He quirked his lips up in a smile. “Like choosing a flavor of ice cream? Not quite. Sometimes a sub and I decide to play together. Most times, I work as a monitor, watching the play, making sure everyone is safe. Other times, I help train subs or I work with new Doms.”
“What about when you have a girlfriend? Do you take them to the club?”
“I might, if that’s what they wanted. Not everyone likes to play in public.”
She swallowed. No, she couldn’t quite see herself stripping in front of others. Although she might for Brax.
“Would you be happy, though, not going to the club?”
“I never said I didn’t go. Just that I wouldn’t take my girlfriend if she didn’t want too.”
“You’d touch other subs?” She gaped at him. He’d cheat?
He chuckled. “You should see your face. You look so shocked. I would never, ever cheat on a girlfriend, but I enjoy being at the club. I wouldn’t necessarily play with any uncollared subs, but I would give my assistance if needed.”
“Uncollared?”
“When a Dom makes a commitment to his sub he collars her as a sign of their relationship.”
“Oh, yes, I read about that.” She just wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“You’re asking a lot of questions about this.”
“Well, I’ve read stories, but I guess there is a lot I don’t understand.”
He nodded, then looked at his watch. “Honey, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to cut this short. I want to go and see Philips tonight.”
“You still think he has something to do with the vandalism and the safety harness being tampered with?”
“I don’t know. But I need to figure it out. Come on, I’ll drop you back at your room. Sorry to cut short our night.”
“No worries,” she said. “I’m feeling kind of tired, anyway.”
*****
Holly turned off her car engine a few houses down from Mason Philips’s place. This was actually in a nice part of town. She hadn’t really noticed the other night but the houses in this area, while not mansions, were large and well kept. The street lighting was bright, allowing her to easily watch as Brax knocked on Mason’s door.
They’d had a really nice dinner, this time at a Macy’s—a smaller, quieter restaurant than O’Reilly’s. It was more expensive, definitely more of a place you’d take a date. And that’s what it had been, right? A date?
He had picked her up, walked her home… And then given her a kiss on the forehead. That wasn’t exactly date-like behavior. Kind of ironic that she’d been complaining about how pushy men had become, how they expected more than she wanted to give. And now, she’d give anything for Brax to take things further. He’d barely kissed her.
Well, he had warned her he couldn’t be more than friends. Except, she thought she’d felt his erection as he’d brushed by her.
Brax turned away from the closed door and turned to look out at the street. She ducked down, feeling foolish. He couldn’t see her from over here. The only reason she could see him so easily was because Mason had one of those security lights that came on with movement.
She heard an engine behind her. She grew tense as she watched a dark truck pass her. Her stomach knotted up as the truck pulled into the driveway next to Brax.
The truck door opened and out stepped Mason Philips.
Oh sugar.
Holly slowly opened her door, hoping not to draw their attention as they began talking. The talking quickly turned to yelling.
Suddenly, Mason swung out at Brax with a huge roar. Brax ducked, and fought back with a punch to Mason’s gut.
Holly stayed back, knowing she’d just get in the way. Nerves jittered in her stomach as she watched on, her breath caught in her throat. She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket, but hesitated. Brax might not welcome the sheriff’s interference.
Although no doubt the neighbors had already taken care of calling him.
So far, Brax seemed to be holding his own. Holly winced as he slammed his fist into Mason’s nose. The other man stumbled back, falling. Brax stood over him, breathing hard, hands on his hips.
Holly’s attention was caught by something to her left. Another man was sneaking alongside the house.
“Brax, behind you!” she yelled, just as one of Mason’s brothers, she didn’t know which, leaped at him. Brax turned and took half a step to the right, not quite enough to avoid contact, but it lessened the other man’s impact as he slammed against him.
Together they went rolling on the ground in a flurry of fists and grunts. A siren sounded and Holly admitted to a deep sense of relief as it grew closer.
“Holly, get out of here!”
She glanced over in surprise to find Brax on his feet, glaring at her. “Get to your hotel room, now.” The Philips brothers were lying on the ground, groaning.
Despite the fury in Brax’s voice, she couldn’t just leave. “But—”
“Now.” The command in his voice had her turning away, despite her misgivings. Climbing into her car, she found she was shaking as she drove away. Her teeth chattered as she put all of her focus into making it back to her hotel room in one piece.
*****
Brax stood outside Holly’s hotel room, and raised his hand to knock. It was three a.m.—she’d be asleep, just like he should be. He wasn’t really fit for company. His temper was short, his body ached from the beating Mason had managed to inflict and he was cursing himself for being a fool.
He’d known going to Philips’ place would end badly, but he’d gone anyway. And he had ended up spending half the night down at the sheriff’s office. In the end Mason ha
dn’t pressed charges. He was probably worried Brax would press charges for the other night. No doubt Mason would want to keep his nose clean after having spent time inside recently.
God, he had accomplished nothing. He was usually smarter than this. Of course, Mason was going to deny everything. He might be a bully but he wasn’t stupid.
Then there was Holly.
What the hell had she been thinking by following him? How had she followed him? He had left her at her hotel and he knew she couldn’t move as quickly as he could. How did she manage to catch up with him?
He should turn away, go home and cool off. Because the way he was feeling right now… Well, he wasn’t too happy with Ms Latham and he certainly intended to let her know it.
Suddenly the door opened and Holly stared out at him from large, gorgeous blue eyes.
“I got tired of waiting for you to knock,” she explained, stepping to the side to let him in.
“I think I should just go home,” he said, tired.
She frowned up at him, her eyes filled with concern. Dark crescents had formed under her eyes, which hadn’t been there a few days ago. Her skin was pale, an almost sickly gray. She’d been waiting up for him. She hadn’t even changed into her pajamas.
Following his gaze, she glanced down at herself. “I thought you might need me to come and get you.”
“I’m sorry, Holly. I should have called.” He hoped she hadn’t been worrying about him this whole time.
She shook her head. “No, no, you had more important things going on. Are you okay? Here, let me go and get some ice for that eye. What did the police say?”
Nervous energy filled the room as she tried to move past him. He grabbed her arm, gently, and tugged her back, sitting her on the bed. “Sit, sweetheart. I need to talk to you.”
She plopped down, running her hand over her face. “Did Mason Philips press charges? Did he say anything about what’s been happening out at the building site?”
“No to both. I think he was scared I’d press charges for the other night if he did and he denied any knowledge of the things going on at the job site. I mean, what did I think? That he was just going to confess? I really wasn’t thinking tonight.” He looked at her sternly. “That seems to be the theme of the night, because I can’t for the life of me understand what you were doing there tonight. What the hell were you thinking, Holly?”
His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series) Page 7
