by Ravenna Tate
“Oh my…”
Even the way her expression went all soft and her eyes filled with lust didn’t dim the darkness that had settled over his heart. He might as well enjoy her while he had her, because one day, she’d tire of him.
“You know, all that makes me want to do is ask you again.”
Damn. His dick was rock hard now. At least that hadn’t changed. “Let’s get you inside and settled. I hope you told Russell you wouldn’t be at work in the morning.”
“Oh shit. Fuck! I haven’t even told him what happened!” She ran a hand through her hair and started digging in her bag. “Where the hell is my phone?”
Rahab picked up the suitcases. “Come on. First things first.” His lust would have to wait a while.
“Found it.”
“Call him inside. Let’s go.”
“I feel so damn confused right now.”
“Of course you do. You’re the victim of a crime. Liz, it’s going to be okay. I’ll help you through it.”
Tears spilled over her lashes. He put down the suitcases again and held her once more. “Hey, come on now. Just breathe. One thing at a time, okay?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
Well, shit. He couldn’t very well say so, now could he? A man could only let himself feel like a damn fool so many times in one day. “’Cause you’re so fucking hot.” So he went for humor instead, and it worked.
She laughed, and because he was holding her, it was even sexier. Rahab pulled her tighter. He never wanted to let her go.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I needed that.”
They finally went inside, and Rahab left Liz’s suitcases inside the hallway while they went in search of Gorgon. He was in the office they used for church, and Rahab told him what had happened at Liz’s building.
“I told her she could have one of the rooms here until she figures out what to do.”
“And I want a chore to do. I’m not going to stay here without contributing.”
“Well, okay. I’ll have Chloe put you where we need the most help. She and Rai are in charge of all that now. But aren’t you going to stay in Rahab’s room? Either way is fine with me. We have extra rooms. You’re welcome to have one if you’d rather do it that way.”
“We haven’t talked about that yet,” said Rahab.
Gorgon shrugged. “Suit yourselves. I’ll find Chloe in a bit.” He went back to reading the papers on the table in front of him, and that was their cue they were dismissed.
“Sorry about that,” said Rahab, as soon as they were out in the hallway again. “He made an assumption, and I didn’t know what to say.”
“Do you want me to stay in your room instead?”
Duh. “I figured you’d want your own space.”
The conflicting emotions on her face didn’t surprise him. She was likely trying to find a polite way to tell him she wanted some privacy. “Come on,” he said, picking up her suitcases once more. “We’ll get you set up in your own room. That way you can call Russell, and get your statement loaded online. I’ll find Chloe and ask her to assign you to a chore group so Gorgon can get his work done.”
“Thank you for taking care of the decisions. I feel like I can’t even think straight.”
“I’d be the same way if it had happened to me. It’s a lot to deal with.”
Maybe he was overreacting and making assumptions of his own? Her apartment had been broken into. All her stuff was trashed. She effectively no longer had a home. Of course she’d be disoriented and confused right now. This wasn’t about him. It was about her.
“Fuck. I need to call my insurance agent, too.”
“Yeah. Your stuff they trashed should be covered.”
“It is. It will take me a while to replace everything, but at least I can eventually. Of course, everything is old so none of it is worth much.”
“Hey, whatever they give you for it is less money out of your pocket.”
And when you leave here and move to another place, you’ll have new furniture, towels, and dishes. So much for letting hope build. Enough was enough. He had to stop this shit. It wasn’t like him. He would enjoy her for as long as he had her, and then move on. The same way he’d moved on from other relationships.
She’s not like any other relationship you’ve ever had.
Fuck that. He would treat it like one. He had to, for his own sanity.
****
Rahab left her alone once he showed her the room, and explained their basic schedule each day. He showed her how to use the phone system, and made sure she had the WiFi password.
Her room was on the third floor, whereas his was on the second, but that was all right. She needed a space of her own right now, if only to collect her thoughts and figure out her next move.
Once she unpacked, put her clothes in the closet and dresser, and put her bathroom things away, she called Russell on his personal cell. He was very upset for her, and asked her the question Liz hoped she soon had an answer to.
“Is there any chance this is connected to those contracts being signed today?”
“I don’t see how. It wasn’t only my apartment. They hit dozens of them before anyone realized what was going on. One of the residents pulled the fire alarm and that’s what sent them running. Just the same, Vassago is going to ask Donny to check it out for us.”
“Good idea. But why did one of the residents pull the fire alarm? They should have called 911.”
“She did. To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done. I’m sure the person who discovered them was pretty freaked out. She did get a good look at them, though, so at least the cops have a description.”
“How many were there?”
“Four. The cops said likely two at a time hit each apartment.”
“You would have kept your head if you’d been home, but I’m glad you weren’t. I’m sorry it happened, but relieved it wasn’t only your place that was affected. There’s probably no connection. Where are you now?”
“At the club. Rahab drove back with me. They’re letting me stay here for now.”
“It’s a safe place to be, Liz. I feel better knowing you’re there, even if this was only a coincidence.”
“I feel safe here, too.”
“Do you need some time off? You have things to take care of.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Take a couple of days to get everything settled. You can work from there if you still need extra time.”
“All right. Thank you, Russell.”
“And call me if you need anything, okay?”
“I will.”
After she reported the claim to her insurance agent, she walked to the windows, overlooking the back lot. There was her car, right next to Rahab’s truck. The motorcycles were covered in tarps because there was talk of snow mixed with rain for the next few days. She wondered which bike was his, and whether she’d ever ride on it.
She also couldn’t pretend any longer that she’d been wrong about a subtle change in him well before they got to her apartment building. But what could have tripped it? No one said a thing to her at work between the time she told him she could leave early, and when they actually did. Nothing could have happened. He’d barely been in the room for two hours.
That only left what he’d told her. Something was going on here that was on his mind. And why the hell did she care so damn much? This wasn’t like her at all. She’d never let a guy so far into her head like this. It wasn’t worth it. Even Rahab.
Yet here she was, living here and waiting to be assigned to a chore group. Sure, she could work from here the same way Rai did, but it wasn’t the same thing at all. It didn’t fit in with her plans.
There was also one obvious point she kept pushing aside. Just because he wanted to fuck her, and had offered to let her stay in his room, didn’t mean this was a forever kind of thing. Rahab wasn’t a forever kind of guy. And maybe … just maybe … that was on his mind, too. It could explain
his mood shift.
Perhaps seeing her at the office had been like a slap of reality. He might have realized that’s the kind of thing a boyfriend does for a girlfriend. Show up at work unannounced simply because he wanted to be with her. Maybe it freaked him out, once he was alone in the conference room and had time to really think about it?
She’d made a lot of assumptions of her own where this relationship was concerned. It could hardly be called a relationship. She’d only met him a few days ago. It was time to slow the fuck down and stop over-analyzing every facial expression.
Right now, she had a safe place to stay. She had a job to do. She had plans to see through. This weekend, she’d meet with the insurance adjuster so that person could take photos to document the claim, and then she’d get rid of everything that wasn’t salvageable. Which was pretty much all of it.
After that, she’d take it one step at a time. It was what she’d done for eleven years, after all. No reason to get crazy and change her way of dealing with shit simply because there was a guy in the picture.
A handsome, sexy guy with muscles and tattoos. A guy who wore leather and was rough and tumble in bed. A guy who made her body tingle with excitement it had never experienced. A guy who had come through in a huge way during a crisis, when she couldn’t seem to get her thoughts together. A guy who had taken her in, no questions asked, when she needed a place to stay.
She’d fallen for him in a big way, but that was something she’d have to keep to herself. At least for now. Maybe forever.
Chapter Seventeen
Liz woke up to the sound of a woman’s voice, and at first, had no clue where the fuck she was or who was in the room with her. She sat up, and it came back to her. She was in a room at the MC club, and Rai was there.
“Sorry. I didn’t know you were asleep.”
“Oh. Shit. I didn’t know I was either. I mean, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. What time is it?” The scent of roast beef was faint, but she could definitely smell it. Were they all downstairs eating dinner?
“Almost seven.”
Rai pointed toward a tray on a small table across the room. “I brought you some dinner. Rahab said he wasn’t sure if you were coming down.”
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Don’t worry about it. He told us what happened, and said you probably needed some space and time right now.”
“You didn’t have to bring up food for me. I want to help. I don’t want to stay here on charity.”
“Hey, relax, okay? Want me to sit with you while you eat? You seemed like you wanted to talk last time we spoke.”
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Not right now. I can stay for a while.”
“Is Rahab upset I didn’t come down?”
“Not at all.” Rai closed the door and sat in one of the chairs at the table. Liz rose and joined her across the table, taking the other chair.
“Don’t tell him I told you this,” said Rai, “but he came in here and checked on you while you were sleeping. Told me not to say anything, because I don’t think he wanted you to know he cares that much.” She rolled her eyes. “Men. They’re so afraid to admit to having any emotions.”
Liz pulled the tray over. “Well, I’m not sure he has feelings for me, beyond lust, that is.”
“Oh really? You think he just takes in people all the time, then?”
“I’m only here because my apartment was vandalized.”
“No, you’re here because Rahab wants you close. The apartment getting trashed merely sped up the process. Seriously, Liz. None of us have ever seen him like this.”
She tasted the beef and potatoes. “This is great. Did you make this?”
“I’m not on kitchen duty today. This is Meghan’s creation. Speaking of kitchen duty, although we need more help in other areas, Chloe and I would love it if you’d join that group while you’re here.”
“I’d be delighted to.”
“Great. I’ll add you to the schedule and print it out for you. There’s a board down in the kitchen where we post it each week.”
“Thanks. This is really good.”
“Eat up.”
“What did you mean by you’ve never seen him like this?”
“Over a woman. He’s a one-night stand, quickie in the private room kind of guy.”
So, she was right. It hadn’t been her imagination that Rahab was taken with her. “Is it all right to ask you some questions while I eat?”
“Of course.”
“I guess what I really need to know is why did you decide not to restart another business? You have an MBA. Doesn’t it bother you that you took the time to earn it, and now aren’t even using it?”
“I did what I’d set out to do. I ran that firm successfully for two years and built a decent customer base. Unfortunately, three of those customers turned out to be working for Vito Cinquepalmi. Their organizations were in the news when they got busted. Surely you read about it.”
“Oh, I did. They were Mob fronts.”
“Yeah. They used me, Liz. And then they tried to force me to pull in more clients who were running dummy companies to hide illegal activity. Vito basically told me to partner up with him or I’d be sorry. And when he found out I went to the FBI, he tried to have me killed.”
“But it’s not like that everywhere.”
“No, it’s not. But what I’m trying to explain is that I’ve played that game, and I’m not interested in playing it again. Having an MBA, a BA, or any degree isn’t a talisman. They don’t change who a person is inside, and they don’t automatically guarantee the person who earns them anything special or extraordinary. People have done special and extraordinary things without having graduated from high school.”
Liz chewed her food while she let that statement bounce around in her head. Rai had a good point, and it was one she’d never considered.
“I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here. Tannin is a good man, and he’s good to me. I was married once. Did you know that?”
She shook her head, wishing she’d never asked, because Rai looked and sounded angry.
“Yeah. To a guy I’d known most of my life. We got married after high school, and then he decided he didn’t want me any longer. That was after racking up credit card debt that he and his little girl toy left me with, of course.”
“What do you mean they left you with it?”
“I mean they’re in the Caribbean somewhere, in a country where I can’t legally touch them. I ended up having to file bankruptcy to pay off the debt, and then I worked my ass off to earn my MBA and build up capital to start my company.”
“Rai, that’s impressive as hell.”
“It was what it was. But that’s my point. I did all that, and sacrificed for it, and what I got for my trouble was a hit put on me by a Mob boss. Why would I want to start over and take a chance on getting fucked again?”
There was no good answer to that. Liz understood what Rai was saying, and it made perfect sense.
“I meant what I told you over the weekend, Liz. I’m happy here. I love Tannin. He loves me. I love working for Donny, and I am using all the skills my degree and running a business gave me. It’s not like my education or work experience has gone to waste.”
“I didn’t realize that.”
“It’s not only the work. The Brothers are my family now. They take care of each other, and they take care of the women here. Not that we can’t do that ourselves. I don’t mean it that way. I mean they stick together, and we’re part of that.”
She swallowed hard as she pushed away her plate. “Rahab talks about them like that, too. About them being a family.”
“That’s because they are. You have no idea the shit these guys have dealt with, but they survived because they did it together. Because they’re loyal as heck and would do anything to protect each other.”
“I never had one of those.”
“One of those what?”
/>
Obviously, Rahab hadn’t said anything to the others, not that she’d expected him to. But it was good to have confirmation she could trust him completely. “May I tell you a story?”
“Of course.”
After Liz finished telling Rai about her past, and what she’d done so far to reach her goals, Rai gave her a tight hug. “I’m sorry you went through that. It sucks. And now I understand better why you’re asking me all these questions.”
She released the hug and put her hands on Liz’s shoulders. “But listen to me. Rahab isn’t going to try to force you to abandon your plans. Hell, Tannin asks me all the time whether I want to do something besides work here part-time for Donny.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I don’t tell anyone, because it’s private between me and him. But my point is that just because these guys are bikers and like having everything self-contained in this building, and just because their income is from a strip club, doesn’t mean they expect women to be on their knees giving them blowjobs day and night, or barefoot and pregnant, or cooking their dinner and having no more ambition than not to burn it.”
Liz laughed. It was impossible not to. Rai painted such a clichéd picture, but what she’d said was also funny.
“Sure, they like it when we’re available for sex, but what guy doesn’t want that? And they expect us to let them solve our problems, but that’s another guy thing. When it comes down to it, they also like it that we’re strong and independent. They want someone they can talk to about anything, including problems that need solving.”
“Did any of them go to college?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean they’re stupid.”
“I didn’t mean to imply it did.”
“Okay. Just making sure you understand that. They’re street smart, and that makes them shrewd businessmen. This strip club makes so much money because of them. Donny came on board after it was up and running. He offers us protection, but he’s not involved in the day-to-day running of the business. The guys do all that, and they do it well.”
Liz smiled. “I never looked at it that way.”
