by C. A. Harms
“Last year he spent the entire weekend eyeing my tits. Openly gawking at my cleavage, Margo. It was fucking weird.” I knew I was being ridiculous, but I couldn’t control my disgust.
“Conrad is harmless.”
“Then you spend four days with him if he’s so harmless,” I fired back as I sagged back in my chair.
“It’s already settled. Your tickets should arrive tomorrow by FedEx, and you each have rooms under your names. I did at least place you on separate floors.”
“Well, that’s just great,” I said sarcastically.
“It’ll be fine, Gabby.”
“Yeah, right.” I groaned. “But just so you know, I cannot guarantee his safety. There may be bloodshed, and if so…” I paused for dramatic effect. “It’ll be on your hands, Margo.”
I hung up to the annoying sound of her laughter. It looked like I would be leaving for a four-day trip to California.
What bothered me most about the whole thing was the idea that Josh may come home while I was gone. We weren’t allowed a lot of time together, so being in California when I could be here wrapped in his arms made me feel sick.
***
The room they had placed me in was impressive. It had the perfect view overlooking the San Diego Bay. After a long day of travel, the king-sized bed looked pretty damn inviting. The light gray comforter with deep red accents and huge, fluffy pillows were all calling out to me. Thoughts of Josh filled my mind as I dropped my bags to the floor and crawled across the covers, wishing he was there with me. I allowed my shoes to slip from my feet, and they each made a thump as they hit the floor.
Now I was stuck in San Diego with the walking boner, and I’d have to walk around sharing skills and tips on striving as a Realtor in today’s economy. But my heart just wasn’t in it. Missing someone so bad it literally made your stomach hurt was crippling. This was going to be one of the longest weekends of my life.
Chapter 21
Josh
“What the hell do you mean she’s in California?” I stood in the doorway of Gabby’s apartment, facing, yet again, an irritated Brook.
“Exactly what I said.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “She is in California and will be for two more days. If you took the time to call her besides the times you want to get laid, you would know this already.”
“I’ve been wrapped up with a heavy case, Brook. Cut me a little slack here. Gabby understands how demanding my job is. I tried calling her three times and she didn’t answer, so I came right over.”
I was exhausted, defeated, and the last thing I needed was Brook and her fucking drama.
I had spent the last four weeks so wrapped up in Leo’s life, I could tell you what he had for breakfast every fucking day, how many cigarettes he smoked in a day’s time, and, hell, even how many times he fucked some random girl in the center of the warehouse where anyone who wanted to could watch. I was shut off from the outside world, since Leo had been up my fucking ass every minute of every day and night. He’d been bound and determined to find the rat within his group, and when we did, all hell broke loose. After Pavel was wrapped in a tarp, tossed in the trunk of the black Lincoln, and driven away by Nicolay and Leo, I was finally able to escape the hold Leo had on me.
“Do you know what hotel she’s staying in? She’s not answering her cell, and I just really need to talk to her.” I felt like I was gonna lose my shit. I missed Gabriella so damn much, and now I was going to have to wait even longer to see her.
“Honestly, Josh, who has a job that keeps them from calling someone for almost four weeks? Do I have ‘dumbass’ written across my forehead?”
I hung my head and let out a calming breath. Brook didn’t deserve my shit, but I was finding it real hard not to blow the fuck up right now. When I was sure I was calm enough to speak, I looked back up and met her questioning stare.
“Please, Brook.” I knew I must sound pathetic, but I no longer gave a shit.
She didn’t answer me. She only turned her back and walked across the room to the kitchen counter. A hopeful feeling washed over me when she lifted her phone and began dialing.
“Gabriella Shannon’s room, please, number 424?” she said after a few seconds, and I couldn’t stop myself from stepping inside the apartment. She lifted her head and glared at me. “Hey, sweets, your man is here, and he’s throwing a hissy fit. Apparently he called your phone and you never answered.”
She paused, and the waiting was too much. I reached her in two long strides and took the phone from her hand. “Gabby, why the hell are you in California?”
“You dickhead, give me the damn phone,” Brook snapped.
I held my arm out to my side to shield myself from her flailing at me and focused on doing whatever it took for Gabby to listen to me. “Fucking sucks showing up here when I can’t even see you.”
“I know,” she whispered, “but the firm sent me and Conrad here, and—”
Thoughts of her being with another man ran through my mind. I was exhausted, and my mind-to-mouth filter was obviously not functioning. “Who the hell is Conrad?” My tone came off a little more accusing than I meant for it to.
“Wow, really?” I could tell I’d pissed her off. “We haven’t seen one another in weeks, and the first thing you want to say when we do get to talk is ‘Who is Conrad?’ I know that tone, Josh, and you need to stop. And you can lose the attitude.”
“I expected to see you when I showed up, not find you clear across the fucking country.” I cussed at myself immediately after the words fell from my mouth. I was just about to apologize when she let me have it.
“I’m working. You of all people should understand that. Remember, work comes first.” She ended the call.
The continuous slapping and shoving at my side no longer affected me. I just held out the phone to Brook, and she yanked it away. Without a word, I turned back around and walked out of the apartment, leaving the door open.
I had really fucked that call up.
***
“Leo has fallen off the grid,” Trevor announced as he tapped the screen in front of him. “The man is smart, I’ll give him that.”
We were sitting in the conference room as we went over the last twenty-four hours of data.
“We have tracers on the three cars they used when visiting the warehouse, but the vehicle Leo and Nicolay left in last night hasn’t moved,” Trevor said. “It arrived at Leo’s home and has remained in that location. The other two vehicles that have tracking devices haven’t moved, either. So that leads us to believe they have changed cars. Which means they’re covering their asses.”
“Meeting up with Roman?” Mike said, and Trevor nodded.
“Now that Leo has found his rat, we assume he is covering his bases,” Connor added.
“Well, if our assumptions are correct, Roman will begin to wonder why his snitch is no longer reporting back to him. His curiosity will be piqued.” Greyson smirked. “Roman will want answers, and he’ll go after Leo to receive them.
“And in turn his need to dig a little deeper may just bring him around,” Frank added with a gleam in his eyes.
Chapter 22
Gabriella
“I just got back in town. The last thing I want to do is go to a bar,” I complained as my sisters dragged me toward my room. “Actually, I was thinking I should call Josh. We need to talk.”
“Come on, Boring Betty. You can call Josh later, or tomorrow even,” Audrey said with a laugh. “How often do I make it to town? You need to take your grumpy ass into your room and put on some club attire. Because we are going out and your ass is gonna enjoy it.”
I groaned in protest. “I just spent four days with a very annoying man who thought his comments laced with sexual innuendo were appealing. I just want to get in my pajamas and sleep for at least two days. Can’t you two just go alone?”
“Nope,” Brook announced.
Audrey pushed me forward and slapped my butt hard. I yelped on contact and rubbed my now-
sore ass cheek.
“Now get a move on,” she ordered.
I knew with the two of them pushing, there was no way out of the plans they had made.
After an hour and entirely too much bitching from both my sisters, we were now at Riot. The bartender lined six shots in front of us with a wink before taking the money Audrey handed him and turning to wait on his next customer.
“I need this tonight,” Audrey announced as she sagged against the bar.
“Why? Designing buildings in the big city of Boston draining you, sis?” I bumped her with my shoulder, and she rolled her eyes.
“I am seriously reconsidering my choice of profession.” She lifted a shot glass in each hand and downed them quickly. Brook and I looked at our sweet, straitlaced sister as if she had just gone mad. She was always so put together. Before either of us could ask what the hell was going on with her, she pointed toward the four drinks that still sat on the bar before us. “Drink up, bitches. I’m ready to get wasted and shake my ass.”
My oldest sister had been abducted. I was now positive the woman that stood before me was not Audrey. There was no fucking way. She gave Brook and me her best “get your asses moving” glare, and we grabbed our shots and downed them quickly. I was worried a demon had possessed her and would show its ugly face right after her head started spinning on her shoulders.
“You are so fucking hot, Bartender Man, you make my thighs quiver.” She faked a shiver. “Line ’em up and keep ’em coming,” Audrey hollered to the good-looking bartender with the faux hawk. He licked his lower lip as he gave her a once-over. I looked back and forth between the two of them, and suddenly my face felt flushed. I felt as if I was interrupting a very intimate moment.
When I shifted my stare to Brook, she widened her eyes, and I knew she was thinking the exact same thing. Our sister was on a mission, and from the looks of it, she had already found the guy that would help her meet her goal.
After the sixth shot, I backed away from the bar. My head was slightly spinning, and I needed to stop. If I didn’t, I knew dancing would be out of the question. I would more than likely fall on my face and get trampled instead.
Brook followed shortly after, but Audrey shocked us again by ordering another round. She had built up one hell of a tolerance for alcohol, and I immediately wondered what she really spent her nights doing back in Boston.
When we finally made it to the dance floor, Brook and Audrey sandwiched me between them, and our display soon caught the attention of a number of men. Lust filled their eyes as they watched us move in sync, and a few of them inched closer to get a better look.
I became so wrapped up in the music and the general flow of the club that everything around me faded away. It had been so long since I allowed myself to just let go without overanalyzing, and the feeling was freeing. As I swayed my hips, I tilted my head toward the ceiling and closed my eyes as I focused only on the music flowing loudly throughout the club.
I was so wrapped up, I barely noticed the strong set of hands that gripped my hips and spun me around. Suddenly I was lifted up and hoisted onto the shoulder of a man.
I twisted to look over my shoulder in an attempt to get my sisters’ attention. Both Brook and Audrey kept dancing, lost to the world and unaware of the fact I was being manhandled. Kicking and flailing my arms, I tried to gain someone else’s attention, but each person that noticed just smiled like this type of behavior was completely normal.
Just as suddenly as I was picked up, I was lowered to my feet in the darkened hallway. I looked up into Josh’s pained expression, and I was at a loss for words.
“Two days,” he said.
I continued to look at him, completely confused.
“It has been two days since you hung up on me. I know I fucked up, baby, and I’m sorry.”
I continued to stare up at him as he took in a deep breath. “I know you wouldn’t cheat. I was just upset that I couldn’t see you. I was tired, and all I wanted was to come straight to you and hold you close.” He lifted his hand and trailed his thumb along my lips. “I was an ass. Will you forgive me?”
“I knew it would happen,” I whispered, and his thumb froze at the base of my neck. “I didn’t want to go to California. I knew the moment I did, you would come home.”
He leaned in and rested his forehead against mine. “I just get scared,” he confessed. “I worry that someday you’ll decide I’m not worth waiting for. I worry this case is going to ruin the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“It is hard, I won’t lie. But I’m not willing to give up on us,” I whispered.
He pressed me back against the wall and covered my mouth with his. I was shocked by the sudden movement and was momentarily frozen in place. He nudged his tongue at my lips, and I blamed it on the alcohol as I gave in and wrapped my arms around his neck.
We stood there in the middle of the dark hallway, his body pushed up firmly against mine, and I took everything he gave without resistance.
“I care about you, Gabby. So much,” he whispered against my lips. He kissed me slower this time. “Staying away from you is the hardest thing I have ever had to do.”
“I hate your job.” I quickly closed my eyes to keep the tears at bay.
“I didn’t until now. This case is so much more than I bargained for. I have to be careful. I’m being watched, and one wrong move could ruin everything me and the guys have worked so hard for. It would make all this time we spent apart useless and wasteful.”
As he talked, I understood how important the case was, but I still struggled to understand what about it would keep him away from me for such long periods of time.
“But just know I never stopped thinking about you, not for even one minute.”
I opened my eyes, and for the first time tonight, I took the time to really look at him. The pain in his eyes quickly broke me, and I found myself slowly giving in to him.
“I hate how much I have gotten used to missing you. No one should have to get used to that feeling.” A lone tear escaped and slowly rolled over my cheek. As it met my jaw, Josh caught it and swiped it away with his thumb before pulling my body against his and pressing his lips to my forehead.
“I’m so sorry, Gabby,” he whispered as yet another tear traveled along my cheek, only to be lost in the material of his shirt.
Chapter 23
Josh
I gathered Gabby in my arms and held her close. The sadness in her eyes fucking broke me, because I was putting it there. We had been together less than five months, and during half that time I’d had to leave her without warning and with no idea of when I would return.
Leaving her was getting harder and harder to do. But the worst part was trying to convince her I would return safely. Damn, if I had things my way, I would walk away from this case and spend every moment with her in my arms. But I was in too deep to do that.
“Will you come home with me?” I asked, then held my breath as I prepared for the rejection.
“Yes,” she whispered, and relief rushed through me. “I think we need some time alone to talk to each other.”
“I think so too,” I replied before kissing her forehead once more.
I stood at the bar as Gabby told her sisters she was leaving. Brook shot me a death glare, and I couldn’t allow myself to feel irritated. I completely deserved it. As I waited, I sent Trevor a text, thanking him. He was at the club and called to tell me Gabby was “having one hell of a good time.” He recognized her from the day she visited me in the office. When I found out where she was, I was pissed off, and that’s what led us to where we were now.
I owed him my gratitude.
I looked up from my phone to see Gabby approaching, and her beauty literally made my chest ache. My heart pounded, and for a moment I felt a little light-headed. I had fallen so fucking hard, and it was time she knew the truth about how deep my feeling were for her. I knew letting her go was the right thing to do. None of this was fair to her. The back-and-forth
, the up-and-down; hell, I was driving myself crazy with all of it too.
But I just wasn’t strong enough to walk away from her.
***
I kept Gabby tucked securely at my side while I unlocked the door to my apartment. I guided her inside and stepped in behind her to flip the lock with my free hand. She walked toward the couch and sat timidly on the left end. Another shot of anger hit when I realized I was the one that made her feel so vulnerable. She was not this meek person; she was strong and confident, the kind of woman that took no shit, yet I was breaking her.
I walked around the end of the couch and knelt before her, taking her hands in mine. Swallowing past the large lump in my throat, I looked into her eyes, and that ache in my chest went just a little deeper. Gabby’s eyes were glossy, and she looked so tired.
“If I was a better man, I would let you go,” I said, and her lower lip trembled. “But I’m not strong enough.” I slid in closer, needing the comfort of her warmth.
She parted her legs and cradled my body between them. Our eyes remained locked, and a burning feeling slowly crept up my throat. “Because I’m in love with you.” My voice cracked with emotion, and the tears she had been fighting back began to fall, streaming quickly down her cheeks.
“I can’t tell you everything, because it’s just better that way. But I will tell you I’m not sitting in the office every day for hours and hours instead of calling you. The case we’re working on—” I toyed with her hand. “—it requires me to be someone I’m not.”
She looked back at me with confusion in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Undercover, babe,” I replied. “I have to live in a world of darkness and pretend to be one of the bad guys so we can catch the real bad guys who are destroying the lives of others. It’s all I can tell you, and that’s actually more than you should know.”
