Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Author Bio
Also By
Reed (Allen Securities #1)
by
Madison Stevens
Olivia Cross left behind her abusive alcoholic mother to move on to a better life, a new job at a library and a chance to actually get ahead. All of that is threatened when her brother drags her back into the seedy world of greed, violence and corruption she’s tried desperately to flee.
Private security contractor Reed Allen isn’t about to let a burning attraction rope him in again. He’s already felt the sting of letting his heart rather than his head lead him. He’s just there to do the job and get paid, even if a certain spunky beautiful librarian has him feeling things he thought long since buried.
Keeping Olivia safe is the easy part. Resisting their passionate urges could prove to be much harder.
They’ll have to mend their broken hearts and move on from their painful pasts for a chance at a future.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents depicted in this work are of the author’s imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, or events is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2013 Madison Stevens
No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author.
Chapter One
It was not shaping up to be a good day. In the course of an hour, Olivia had managed to blow her radiator, break a heel and twist her ankle. Maybe the radiator hadn’t been her fault, but the mechanic certainly chewed her ass over it. So what if the car had been getting a little hot? Up until a month ago, she’d still been in graduate school with no real income. Or at least not one that would pay for anything beyond housing and food.
Olivia looked up her bank account balance for about the millionth time on her phone as she limped home. Yup, first real paycheck was still there. The new job at the library was everything she always wanted. For the first time in her life, she finally had more than she needed.
She sighed as she slipped around the people milling about the sidewalk. At least she had enough to get the car fixed and get Ben out of whatever trouble he’d gotten himself into this time.
Fighting down the nausea, Olivia focused on how best to help her brother. Normally he lived on his own, paid his own way and even stopped by to help with things, but this last week he’d been all but living at her house. Not that she minded the company, but his skulking shadiness made her worry. Ben was no stranger to trouble, and something was brewing. Something big.
She gingerly made her way up the flight of stairs to her apartment, her ankle throbbing, gripping the rail with such strength that her fingers lost feeling at the tips.
When she came to her door, she stopped to take a deep breath.
“Please, please, please,” she whispered.
Olivia turned the knob and walked in. Cans of soda and beer littered the coffee table. Discarded plates stood stacked haphazardly to the side of the couch. Chunks of food were crusted to them like glue.
She rubbed her eyes hard and drew in a deep sigh. It really shouldn’t have been a surprise. She had gotten in late last night from work and then left to run errands early that morning. It was naïve to think Ben would get up and take care of it. After all, she had helped create the mess monster snoring loudly on her couch.
Olivia stomped over to the couch. The pain in her ankle almost seemed to fuel her anger. She yanked the covers off her sleeping brother and slapped him on the ass. The sound cracked though the air.
“What the fuck!” He shot up, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“No.” She crossed her arms. “I think that’s my line.”
“Why?” Ben rubbed the spot she’s smacked. “I didn’t come and abuse you.”
“No.” Olivia gestured to the space around him. “You abuse my apartment instead.”
Ben looked around and then lowered his head, looking sheepish. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I should have picked up.”
Olivia sighed and plopped down on the couch. When she propped her foot up, she could see the nasty swelling already taking place. It wasn’t sprained, though twisted for sure.
“It’s my fault,” she said. “I really didn’t have time to teach you better.” She looked over at Ben. Although the siblings had never known their father well, both were his spitting image, same ruddy brown hair. Both sported their father’s light blue eyes with flecks of yellow.
“You did what you could.” Ben’s face hardened. “Maybe if Mom had stopped drinking long enough to take care of things, we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in.”
Olivia tensed up. “And what situation would that be?”
She held her breath. Whatever it was, it was going to be big.
“The one where you have to live in this little apartment and struggle to pay off student loan debt.” Ben stood and collected the plates on the floor.
Olivia followed him into the kitchen and watched as the plates clattered in the sink.
“And what about you?” Olivia prodded as she sat at the table and placed her foot on a chair.
Ben grabbed a pack of peas from the freezer and carefully placed them on her ankle. He looked up at her from his stooped position, boyish grin in place.
“I’m working on that.” He winked at her and stood. “I’ve got some things to do. I’ll stop in and see you at the library later.”
Olivia sighed inwardly. Whatever was going on with him was almost over. She smiled when he kissed her on the head. He moved off, back to the living room. The sounds of him rummaging about grabbing a few things and then the sound of the door closing followed.
She leaned her head back and let her foot soak up some much needed rest. Her mind was just starting to blank when her eyes shot open.
“Son of a…” Olivia glared at the living room. “Thanks for cleaning up, jerkwad!” She shouted at the empty room. Yes, this day was not going to get any better.
***
Reed didn’t like it. The client said this would be an in and out thing, but they had already been undercover for two weeks with few results. He paced back and forth in his office, sparing an angry look at the file on his desk.
“Today is the day,” Megan said.
Cage nodded. “Neil confirmed it just an hour ago.”
Reed raked his fingers through his dark brown hair. This had to end. Today.
“Where is this happening?” Reed sat loudly in the large chair.
“Over on the west side, just next to the beer laundry place.” Cage leaned forward and pointed on the map.
“West side? Not really the best neighborhood.” Reed looked between the two. “I don’t fucking like this.”
“This is the last chance. We don’t go, and we’re never going to get those documents.”
“I still don’t fucking like this, and I really don’t like using Neil.” He stood up and towered over them. At six foot five, it
wasn’t hard. “Working with him could get one of you killed. I’m not going to let it happen again. Not to mention that most of the guys on the team are on edge, and I’ve still got to explain to Mom and Dad why I’ve been using my baby sister on assignment.”
He fell back into his seat defeated. Out of his fifteen men, nine were family, and the rest were damn near family. The chances of this not making it back to his parents were next to none. Especially since most of his men were pretty pissed.
“I’m hardly a baby.” Meg sat up in her chair.
Cage laughed loudly. “Tell that to dad.”
Meg gave him the finger and rolled her eyes.
“Whatever. I can shoot a gun better than any of you, and this case requires a woman.” She grinned at Cage. “Unless you just have your panties in a twist because you wanted to wear a dress.”
Cage flashed his standard million-dollar smile. “Honey, I wouldn’t need a dress.”
“Enough,” Reed snapped, cutting through the banter. He pointed a finger at his sister. “This is the last night. If we don’t get it, then we do it my way.” Reed turned to his brother. “Try to keep the men rallied.”
Cage raised an eyebrow then sighed. “I’ll do my best.”
“Let’s meet here at five to go over the details. I’m going with you this time.”
Cage and Megan stopped as they made their way to the door.
“Neil will spot you a mile away you know,” Meg said quietly.
“Well I’ll just have to make sure I don’t get spotted,” Reed said. “He’s jerked us around for two weeks. That shit’s got something up his sleeve, and it’s not going to be in our favor. And when it happens, I want to be there to make sure I put a bullet in him.”
Cage coughed loudly and nodded as they shut the door.
Reed leaned back in his chair, his massive frame hardly contained in the little space.
Working with Neil was not what Reed had wanted. That little shit had his own plan, and whatever it was, it would only benefit him. Reed just hoped this time he was wrong.
***
Olivia stood at the counter and watched the dark SUV with tinted windows drive by for the third time. She swore if it came by again, she’d have to volunteer to go reshelve some books. Just because she lived in the area didn’t mean she had gotten used to the rough scene. Between the transients, pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers, she was surprised they got any real traffic at all. Surprisingly, there were plenty in the neighborhood who appreciated the safe haven. It had become the place to hide from all the filth outside.
She liked the idea that they were providing a needed service for the area, but dealing with the riffraff still wasn’t at the top of her to-do list. Oddly though, she seemed to have made a name for herself in a short time, and those sorts of people came in less and less. Olivia frowned slightly. Likely years of dealing with a drunken mother and her freak boyfriends had helped with that. Well, at least there was something positive in it all.
The bell chimed on the door. Two of the largest men she’d ever seen walked in. Sandwiched in between them was a very petite woman. Each had rich dark brown hair that made Olivia wish her own color was less mousy brown and more like the other woman’s.
“Drugs or sex?” Karen, the library page, asked.
Olivia stared at the largest man until he looked directly at her. She had never really been much on the dangerous sexy type, but just looking at him made her nipples hard. He frowned at her and sped up.
“Not drugs, dressed too nice for that. Maybe sex, but I don’t know.” Olivia watched them walk to the back of the library and frowned. It was still twenty minutes before closing time, but those three were up to no good.
Karen fanned herself with a book. “Wonder who’s the pimp and who’s the John.” She grinned and winked. “Not that it would really matter with those two. Did you see the dimples on the one?”
Olivia shook her head. She really couldn’t remember much about the other two at all. Aside from the brown hair, she hadn’t really been paying attention. The menacing man had captivated her and stirred desire she thought long gone.
She shook her head, trying to knock loose the lurid thoughts.
“Well I’m all finished.” Karen slipped the last book onto the shelving cart and glanced at the back of the library. “Want me to stick around until close?”
Olivia shook her head and patted Karen on the arm. “I’ll be fine. I know you’ve got a big history exam coming up.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I feel like all I’ve done for the past week is memorize.”
“Get used to it.” Olivia chuckled. “That’s the bulk of school.”
Karen gathered her things and waved goodbye. A feeling of dread washed over Olivia as she watched the only other worker walk out the door.
It seemed so strange that the silence of the building would bother her so much when most of the time it was where she found peace. But in the stillness of the evening, it was hard not to let the creepiness seep in.
Groaning metal echoed to the front. Olivia turned to the noise and peered through the rows of books. Still not able to see, she leaned over the counter as far as she could go. All she could make out were shadowy movements.
With her feet back on ground, she looked at the clock once again. Five minutes to nine. She sighed. There was no helping it. Something was going on, and she had to check it out. Keys in hand, she locked the front door and pulled out her phone. She might feel silly later, but for now she dialed 9-1-1. All she would need to do is hit call if necessary.
She crept toward the back. If they were up to no good, then she didn’t want to alert them of her presence. Better to just leave and make the call.
As she neared the final rows, she could hear someone talking quietly. The tension slipped slightly. It would all seem like a silly mistake if she caught them all talking over books. When she came to the final row, she frowned. There was no one in sight, but she could still hear their faint murmurings.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she stared at the door to the back room. It had a bold red-lettered sign that said “restricted.” Not even the transients tried to get back there. She stepped closer to the door and listened. The sounds grew a little louder.
Olivia shook her hands, trying to knock out the fear. She took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. This was nothing. She could do this. When she placed her hand on the door, her stomach bottomed out. Sweat rolled down her neck and slipped into the collar of her sweater.
The door made a swoosh sound as she stepped through. Just like that, she was engulfed in darkness. Whoever was back there had shut off all the lights. She flipped open her phone. Not the best tool, but it would work.
Although each step was painful, she had never been so happy to be wearing flats. The echo from her heels would have alerted anyone near.
She slowly moved around the boxes and carts. She spied a broom to the right and debated picking it up as a weapon. Olivia nearly snorted at the idea of her using a broom to fight off people.
As she moved further back, the voices became clearer. Light and sound filtered through a door that had been propped open. She peeked through the opening.
Across the alley, the woman and one of the men stood side by side. Another man, one she’d peg as a shady person, stood near them, his bug-like beady eyes nearly popping out of his head as he leered at the small woman next to him. Deep pits littered his face, likely from years of meth use. Even more surprising was the man next to him.
“Ben?” she whispered.
An arm shot out and clamped over her mouth. Another arm pulled her against a solid wall of flesh. She struggled to pull free. Bile rose up as she dared to look at her captor with the light from the alleyway illuminating him. The same menacing stare from before greeted her. His dark eyebrows were knitted together in a firm line. It was too dark to make out most of his features, but his hazy green eyes searched hers.
He bent down and whispered gruffly in
her ear.
“Stay quiet, or this could go bad.”
Olivia didn’t know if he meant bad for her or bad for everyone. She turned and silently watched her brother through the door.
“Did you bring the documents or what?” the seedy man said to her brother.
Ben patted his pocket at the man. The arms holding her tightened. She wondered what his role in all this was.
“Right here, Neil.” He turned to the man and woman. “You got the money?”
“Right here, babe.” The woman shook her little bag and winked.
The sight made Olivia’s stomach roll. This was just all so wrong.
Neil gave a wide smile and stepped between the two. The man behind Olivia also moved forward slightly. Apparently, he didn’t like what was going down.
“Well ain’t that all grand? But there’s been a minor change to the plans,” Neil said. Everyone outside froze.
The large man with the woman tensed visibly and stood a little taller. “And what the fuck does that mean?” The man towered over Neil, but this seemed to have no effect on the smaller man.
Ben, however, seemed shaken and took several steps back.
“Well, Kevin, it means that we make new negotiations before we move on.” He smiled and winked at the woman. She turned, the revulsion written all over her face.
“Hey, I don’t know what game you’re playing.” Ben slipped his hand in his pocket. “But this isn’t what I wanted.”
Neil narrowed his eyes at Ben. The black pools reflected hate. “I don’t give a shit what you wanted.”
“So what are you asking for?” the woman said.
Neil’s eyes swept over the woman’s body with greed. “What are you offering, Cindy?”
“Cut the crap.” Kevin maneuvered his body between them. “We stick with the original offer.” He leaned forward and jabbed Neil in the chest. “Otherwise we cut you out altogether.”
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll be doing that.” He gestured behind them.
Two very large men silently made their way down the alley.
Reed (Allen Securities) Page 1
