Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Beauman, Cate

  “Where are you?”

  She heard the tension in his voice as she grabbed her purse and shut her door. “At the office. I’m closing up.”

  “Do you have Lucy with you?”

  “Of course.” She signaled for her puppy to follow and walked outside, locking the main entrance. “We’re just about to head home.”

  “Stay in the building. Lock the doors. Don’t get in your car.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Skylar just called. They found my informant’s body in a dumpster. They know who I am, Bella, which means they might know who you are too.”

  Fear washed over her as her gaze whipped around the empty parking lot. “Oh, God.”

  “I’m coming. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

  She shoved her key back in the door and gave a frantic twist with unsteady fingers. “Shouldn’t I drive away? I’m all alone.”

  “No. Do not get in the car, Bella. Don’t open the doors; don’t turn over the ignition. They could’ve planted it with an explosive device.”

  “An explosive device?” This was real. This was really happening right now. “Come on, Lucy.” She locked them back inside.

  “Go in your office and shut the door. Stay away from the windows.”

  She booked it down the hall, locking them in her treatment room. “We’re in my room.”

  “Stay on the phone with me.”

  She clutched the device in her hand as her eyes darted from the window to the door while her breath heaved in and out. “You couldn’t get me off this thing if you wanted to.”

  “I can see your building. I’m pulling into the parking lot right now. Come on out.”

  “Okay.” She hung up. “Let’s go, Lucy.” She stepped outside and locked up again while Reed waited, parked half on the curb.

  “Get in,” he said to Bella as he opened the gate for Lucy with the phone at his ear again. “Up, Lucy.”

  Lucy jumped in back as Bella closed the passenger door and fought to secure her seat belt with trembling hands.

  Reed shut Lucy in and moved around to his side, taking his seat while he spoke to someone.

  Bella swallowed, half listening to his conversation as she stared at the pistol shoved in the waistband of his jeans. He gunned it out into the busy evening traffic.

  “…take someone with you if you want, but I need you to get my family. The Caparellis are on the radar. To Ethan’s. He and the kids are out of town. Call me when you get there so I can let my mother know you’re legit. Thanks, Jerrod.” He dialed again, weaving his way through the cars, glancing in his mirrors several times. “Mom—Mom, I need you to let me talk. My coworker’s coming to pick you and Aunt Bonnie up. Pack a few things…” He muttered a curse. “Mom, the Caparellis found me. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll explain later. When Jerrod gets there, he’ll call me, and I’ll call you back. Keep the doors locked. Don’t open the door unless I call first. I’ll see you soon.” He tossed his phone down. “Damn it.”

  Bella felt her heart's frantic beat against the side of her hand as she clutched at her seat belt. “How do they know about your family?"

  “Because my guy’s been dead for three to five days. By now, they know everything about me.”

  “But why would they hurt your mom and aunt?”

  “The better question is why wouldn’t they hurt my mom and aunt?”

  She pressed her fingers to her lips, shaking her head, unable to imagine people harming two older women just because they could.

  “Sorry,” he said, tossing her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Bella.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “Stay at Ethan’s until I can figure out exactly what’s going on.” He accelerated through a yellow light. “Have you seen anything funny—noticed anything that’s felt off?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Think harder. Think about the last few days—a solicitor knocking on the door, someone walking in the neighborhood you didn’t recognize.”

  “No. There’s nothing.” Then she remembered the man at the office and something clicked. He’d bumped into her cart. “There was a man at the office a little while ago. I saw him at the grocery store last night.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She nodded. “Mostly. I didn’t get a very good look at him in the market. He was wearing a ball cap, but I remember thinking he sounded like Joey.”

  “Like Joey?”

  “His New York accent.”

  Reed clenched his jaw. “What did he say?”

  “He apologized for bumping my cart.”

  “But what did he say?”

  “That’s what he said. He said, ‘Sorry about that.’”

  “What did he say today?”

  “I didn’t talk to him. He asked Tonya for information about tattoo removal. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder.”

  “Did Tonya see it?”

  “No. Or she didn’t mention it, and she would have. She gave him a new client packet.”

  He turned into the quiet upscale neighborhoods of the Palisades. “What’s in the packet?”

  “Uh, standard forms for treatment, before-and-after pamphlets, a small biography of me. I like my clients to know who’s treating them.”

  “What’s in the biography?”

  “Stuff about where I went to school, my certifications, my goals as a practitioner, a couple of things about Lucy—just fun, friendly mentions.”

  “Is there a picture of you?”

  “Yes. One of me and Lucy together.” She gripped her hands in her lap. “But the picture doesn’t matter because they already know who I am.”

  “I don’t know if they know you’re Nicoli’s, but they certainly know you’re mine.”

  She stared at him, well-aware that neither scenario worked in her favor. “They sent that man here to hurt me.”

  He pulled up in front of Ethan’s gate. “We’re still trying to figure everything out.”

  But he believed so whether he said it out loud or not. “They’re here to kill you.”

  “Let’s figure everything out,” he said again.

  She nodded. What else could she do? “You have the code?”

  “We all have a default code for emergencies.”

  “Is this a good idea?”

  “It’s the only one I’ve got. No one’s getting in this place. Between Bear and Reece, the walls, and Ethan’s sensor panels, it’s not happening—or at least, we’ll know about it if they find a way in.” He pulled through, keeping his eyes trained on the rearview mirror while the gate slid closed. He moved down the long drive and parked.

  Bella got out as Reed did and met him around back, throwing her arms around him.

  “Hey,” he said quietly as he wrapped her up tight, burying his face in her hair. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  She burrowed closer against him, unable to stop her teeth from chattering as her whole body shook. “What about your mom and Aunt Bonnie?”

  He slid his hands up and down her back. “They’ll be here soon.” He eased away. “Let’s go inside.”

  She nodded when all she wanted to do was ask him to hold her in his arms again—where everything felt right despite the madness. “When will you know more?”

  He let Lucy out of the back. “I’m going to call Joey and Skylar as soon as I hear from Jerrod.”

  “Okay.”

  “Later I’ll go to your place and grab some—”

  “No.” She gripped his wrist as she thought of him going home to empty condos and being harmed as the sun sank closer to the horizon. “You can’t leave me. You have to stay here where it’s safe.”

  “We’ll figure it out. Let’s go inside.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the door, using another code to gain entry.

  “Come on, Lucy.” They stepped into Ethan and Sarah’s beautiful home and she took a deep breath, trying to believe that everything was going to be a
ll right.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Bella stared into the dark through the huge panes of glass in the guest room, listening to the ocean’s surf pounding the jagged rocks several hundred feet below. The water called to her, beckoning her to open the doors and step out onto the massive deck, but she was too afraid, even when the moon shined bright and she’d kept her bathroom light on to help brighten the space. Reed had assured her there was no way anyone could get to them here at the Cooke fortress. He’d promised her she was safe. On more than one occasion, she’d seen the state-of-the-art security panels in Ethan’s home office, but she was frightened nonetheless. She glanced over her shoulder, looking across the hall toward Reed’s temporary room, as uneasy with their close quarters as she was everything else going on. This wasn’t how she’d planned to spend tonight or any night ever again. They weren’t supposed to be living in the same space—sleeping under the same roof. Every time she thought she was taking a tiny step toward moving on, fate threw them back together.

  Her new home was just down the road—a mere three blocks away. She craved to be there, pulling stubborn bushes from the earth and making progress—building something that was hers alone. Sighing, she leaned her shoulder against the glass and stared out the window again, jumping when she heard the light tap on the doorframe behind her. She turned her head, meeting Reed’s gaze across the room.

  “Hey.”

  She stood straight and folded her arms across the simple two-piece nighty she borrowed from Sarah’s drawers, well aware that the silky spaghetti-strap top and matching shorts didn’t do much to cover her. “Hey.”

  “How are you?”

  She nodded. “Good.”

  “I brought you a sandwich since you didn’t come down for dinner.” He walked to her, carrying a plate. “It’s just ham on whole grain.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I added carrot sticks too.” He handed her the pretty crockery and stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets.

  “Thanks,” she said again and cleared her throat, swiping her hair behind her ear. The tension was back, choking the room, the moment of their warm embrace by the truck long over. Keeping a cautious distance had taken a back seat to grateful relief when they’d both been okay. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m not hungry right now.”

  He rocked back on his heels. “You should eat anyway.”

  She nodded, setting the plate on the nearby dresser. “I’ll have a couple of bites later.”

  “You should try to eat the whole thing.”

  “I will.” Frowning, she stepped closer and reached out, forgetting that she wasn’t supposed to touch him as she brushed her fingers along his bruised jaw. “You’re swollen. I didn’t see it before, but it catches in the light.”

  “It’s a little sore.” He gave his jaw a testing wiggle as she dropped her hand. “Tink’s got one hell of a right hook.”

  “I have to admit, I haven’t been sure about the whole boxing thing. Then I saw you get punched in the face yesterday, and I’m certain I don’t get it.”

  He grinned. “I guess it takes all kinds.”

  She returned his smile. “I guess it does.” She grabbed the plate and wandered over to the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress as she found herself relaxing in his easy company. “You really should get some ice on that.”

  “In a few minutes.” He sat next to her, snagging one of her baby carrots. “Did you get a chance to talk to Dr. Huberty?”

  She sampled a bite of ham, Dijon, and sweet honey bread and swallowed. “I told her what I could. She and Tonya are going to take care of things for the next few days.”

  “Good.”

  “Want some?” She held the half up to his lips.

  “I made it for you.”

  “I don’t mind sharing. I know you’re always hungry.”

  He bit in and nodded. “It’s good,” he said over his mouthful.

  “You make great sandwiches.”

  “Thanks.” He glanced at his watch. “I didn’t realize it was getting so late.”

  Her eyes wandered to the alarm clock. Almost eleven. “I’m not tired. I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight.”

  “We can take a walk around the property if you want—get some fresh air.”

  The idea was tempting—too tempting. Nothing good could come from spending time with Reed in the moonlight. “I think I’m probably going to stay in.”

  He nodded, chewing another carrot.

  She set down her plate as the room grew quiet again—uncomfortably so.

  He steamed out a breath and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I can’t stop thinking about today.”

  “I know.” She brushed a crumb off her shorts. “It was scary.”

  “It was more than that.” He took her hand, surprising her with the intensity in his voice. “I’ve never been so sick with worry. When I knew you were alone…when I couldn’t get to you fast enough…I thought I was going to go crazy.” He kissed her knuckles—once, twice. “I just needed to get to you.”

  She shuddered out a quiet sigh as heat rushed through her belly at his familiar gesture.

  “I’ve never felt anything like that, Bella.”

  She held his gaze, trying not to be affected by his words and the warmth of his touch—the planes and angles of his gorgeous face in the shadows. “Why are you so easy on the eyes when you’re so hard on the heart?”

  “Bella—”

  She pulled her hand from his and walked to the windows. “You should go. Thank you for the sandwich.”

  He came up behind her, settling his palms on her naked shoulders. “Please talk to me.”

  “There’s nothing we need to say.”

  “We were doing okay a minute ago.”

  She kept silent, realizing she’d been a fool to believe that she and Reed could ever have a simple moment together; everything about them was so complicated.

  “I miss you.” He let his fingers trail down her skin. “I miss our conversations, laughing together, touching you—everything about us.”

  She shivered and her breathing grew unsteady as she laced her fingers with his, helplessly responding when he said all of the things she thought constantly.

  “I want us back—to start over.”

  She closed her eyes before she eased away and faced him. “We can’t.”

  “Yes, we can.” He caressed her jaw as he moved into her space again, where she had no choice but to feel the heat radiating between them and breathe him in. “I love you. You love me.”

  “But I don’t want to love you.” She retreated again, bumping into the glass as tears filled her eyes. “Our relationship is broken. Beyond repair.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t believe that. It can’t be good for months—so damn good, Bella—then just be over.”

  She shoved her way around him, needing some space. “In this case, it can. The moment I walked into the room and saw you with my Dad, Skylar, and Joey… God,” she said as she felt the shocking pain all over again. “You were supposed to be the one. You were supposed to be my normal. I was supposed to be able to depend on you, but you tell lies—damn good lies, Reed. You made me believe so many things that weren’t true. Too many. How do I move past that?” She pressed her hands to her heart, absorbing true despair. “I’m in love with a liar, but I’m not Kelly Colby. I won’t pine over you until I self-destruct. I won’t make one bad decision after another because you were careless with me.”

  “Careless?” He gaped at her. “Careless? I didn’t have a choice!” He paced away and back. “You act like I took pleasure in what I had to do. I lied to you, but I’m not a liar. I haven’t lied to you since I’ve been given the choice not to.”

  “The result is still the same.” Her voice grew louder, matching his. “We have nothing without trust. You broke that in a million different ways every single day. You broke my heart. Every time I see you, it breaks all over again.”

  “I’m sorr
y I hurt you, Bella.” He captured her hands. “I’m so damn sorry.”

  She shook her head adamantly, her only armor against true regret. “It’s not okay.”

  “What about the rest: the fun we had, the walks on the beach, our dinners on the porch, the way we were in bed? That had nothing to do with anyone but you and me. That was just the two of us, moving together, staring into each other’s eyes. We didn’t make that up. We couldn’t.”

  She looked down. “That’s over.”

  “Only because you’ve said so.”

  “That’s right. I’m moving on. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing? Moving on with our lives? I have mine, you have yours? Those are your words.” She pointed at him. “Yours.”

  “What else am I supposed to say?” He kicked the side of the bed as he turned away and whirled back. “You haven’t given me any damn choice.”

  She took her turn to pace as she looked at him, loving him despite everything. “I wish I could hate you. I want so badly to be able to hate you, but I can’t. I’ve tried.”

  “Christ, you can be cold. There’s no forgiveness?”

  “I can’t let you hurt me again.”

  “I’ve apologized,” he shouted. “I’ve explained why I did what I did.”

  “Is that supposed to make it better?” She rushed up to him with a new wave of anger. “You could have kept things platonic. You could have—”

  “I tried.” He yanked her against him. “Don’t you remember our kiss on the couch? I stopped that. But the more time we spent together… I couldn’t resist you. After a while, I didn’t want to. At some point, loving you became more important than hating the bastards that killed my family.”

  Their breath heaved in and out as they stared at each other.

  “God.” He cupped her cheeks as the anger vanished and his voice grew weary. “Do you think it didn’t kill me every fucking time I looked at you and told you something that wasn’t true? Do you think it didn’t make me sick to know I was most likely destroying the one good thing I had in my life? I get that this is hard on you. But don’t think for one damn second that this is any easier on me. It’s not easy at all.” He let her go and walked out, disappearing down the hall.