by Kat Kenyon
“That’s just what you think,” I tease.
“Bullshit. And just for that, when you go looking for it again, I may have to deny you.”
Taking in his smug expression, I kick his feet back. “I call BS. There’s no way you would keep that nasty stick of yours away from me if I asked for it.”
And he wouldn’t. He’s likes getting blown too much to tell me no.
“I don’t know,” he says, looking at the ceiling, before dropping his eyes back down, looking entertained “I just might, unless you tell me you love it.” His tongue literally pushes into his cheek.
“Don’t know that I can do that.” I laugh, feeling amazed that I can.
He takes me in for a moment before rolling over onto his hip, pushing onto all fours, and crawling up my legs and over me, the unmistakable weight of his dick hanging down through thin gray shorts he always wears. The sexy grin on his face when his lips hover over mine, keeps any ugly thoughts I had at bay.
“Oh,” he whispers, “I think you will. I think you’ll want to. And I promise, I’ll make it worth it.”
Images of him behind me, of him in me, break through my fear and I launch myself at him, sucking his lip in my mouth and biting down. Legs and arms pull him down, loving the weight of him, enjoying every bit of nastiness that soaks into my clothes and my skin.
He feels right and I want to keep him there, but we get interrupted by a buzz of his phone followed very quickly by a buzz from mine, like the universe is laughing at me.
He’s up and on his feet in a moment, huffing as he laughs. “I hate whoever that is.”
Pulling me from the floor, he pats my ass as I grab my phone that has a message from Bay saying he wants to come over.
Tyler has a disgruntled look on his face when he shows me his phone, with a text from his granddad saying he’ll be here within an hour or two. “Normally, I love him and there isn’t much he could do that would upset me, but right now, not so sure.”
“Not feeling like sharing that with the family?” I say, holding up Bay’s message.
“Not particularly.” He adjusts himself before giving me a dirty look and typing into his phone.
“We would have had to stop anyway,” I say, tapping on the detective’s message and holding it up to him. “We have company coming.”
He rolls his eyes, before giving me a small kiss and heading for the bedroom door, cursing under his breath all the way.
I shoot back a message telling Bay to make it later in the evening to avoid having too many people here at the same time, then follow the trail of shoes, socks, shorts, and briefs into the bathroom.
“You cleaning up?” he asks, turning on the water in the shower and giving me a soft smile.
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “You got me good.”
Thirty minutes later, Gillete walks through the door and shakes Tyler’s hand. When his eyes land on me, he visibly relaxes and comes to shake my hand. “I wasn’t sure you were happy I was coming,” he says, taking the chair I offer him.
“Why? Did you find him?” I ask, hoping against hope they have. When he gives me an apologetic grimace, I know they haven’t.
“No. I want to be able to say we have, but he’s proven to be elusive,” he says, running his hand through lightly peppered dark hair.
Tyler gives me a squeeze before his deep voice rumbles, his discontent rolling in waves across the room. “What do you have?”
Gillete isn’t fazed and pulls out a folder. Quickly unwrapping the string holding it closed, he spreads out a series of pictures, laying them out over the table.
“Your brother’s video has been through analysis, and we’re sure it is your mother going into MercTech.” He points to two pictures of Emily walking into Mr. Stevens’s office building. “She hasn’t been back, so we pulled her phone records and found two calls between his office and her just since we started following her. That’s two calls in three days between her and Gabe’s father. So, to be clear, you know of no reason for them to be in contact.”
It’s laughable they’d have anything to talk about. He wouldn’t have come to our house or talked to Emily in the past. Hell, he hated it when Gabe started dating me, and I tell Gillete so.
“Do you know if they were ever introduced?” he asks.
“No. He thought my mom was trash and that I was just like her.” I look through the different images of Emily going about her life, shopping, smoking, drinking, all of which requires money she shouldn’t have.
“You know of no interaction between them before?”
“Not that I know of.” I think back. “I introduced Gabe once, but that’s as close as she got to the Stevens.”
“That’s what I thought.” He gathers the images up and stuffs them back in the folder, carefully wrapping the string back around the circular catch.
I watch Tyler thrum his fingers on the table; the gears moving in his head. “Did you find out what the contact was about?” Tyler asks.
“Not yet. We pulled her records. We’re pretty sure we can get MercTech’s records now, which means we won’t only know he’s talking with Emily, hopefully, we’ll know when he talks to his son.”
“I thought you were already doing that?” snaps Tyler.
Gillete raises his hands in a silent request to calm down. “We were watching his personal accounts and conversations. We have enough here to get an order for the business. We’ll catch him.”
“When can you get them?” I ask.
His gaze softens. “We’ll have records pulled this week. We’ll have finances pulled within a couple weeks at the latest.”
“Two weeks?” The stop of thrumming fingers against the table is a red flag on Tyler’s mood.
“At the latest.”
His giant hand clenches again, then again. “Why not now?”
Sighing, Gillete shoves the folder in his bag. “It’s going to the judge tomorrow. Then, we have to send it to the financial institutions. They usually take anywhere from a week to two.” He gives me another apologetic look. “I’ll make it faster if I can.”
Before he can say anything, I cover Tyler’s fist with my own. “Thank you for telling us.”
“I know it’s not what you want to hear,” he says, looking at our hands on the table. “But this is good news. It may not feel like it, but we can get things we couldn’t before.” He gives us both a nod. “This is what we needed.”
“Okay.” I give him a smile, gripping Tyler’s hand tight. “Please keep us up to date.”
“Will do.”
When he’s gone, Tyler bolts the door behind him.
“This is a good thing,” I say, as much to reassure myself as anything else.
A tired sigh precedes his answer. “I’m just not happy they weren’t already monitoring the asshole.”
“They’re just obeying the law.”
“Fuck the law.” Stormy eyes meet mine. “The law hasn’t done shit.”
There’s a flash of anger in those depths, then something else, that seems to calm him. There’s still tension when he pulls me into his arms, but it’s not frantic, and while he is poised to strike, I don’t think it’ll be thoughtless. He feels…focused.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” It’s what I fear. That he’ll make decisions that will hurt him.
“I promise.” He kisses the top of my head before adding, “I won’t do anything that’ll take me away from you.”
It’s not the same, but I don’t get a chance to debate it because his phone buzzes again.
“That’ll be Granddad.”
Shit.
“Tyler—”
“It’ll all work out, don’t worry.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tyler Blackman
It’ll work out because I’ll make sure it does. The courts have been weaponized, and the police haven’t done the common sense things necessary to track a criminal. Before she can question me, I’m saved by the rat-a-tat-tat knock Granddad always uses. Grabbi
ng her hand, I pull her to the door.
I’m excited for her to meet him, because Erol Bassie is unique. If I hadn’t been so stupid, I’d have called him last semester. I was so programmed to keep everything with my dad a secret, I just didn’t think I could. Since then, Granddad’s gone far beyond anything I could have expected with his support of not just me but Rayne. She needs to find that out for herself.
As soon as I open the door, Granddad has me in a bear hug. One tight enough to crack my back, even though he’s in his seventies.
Several inches shorter than I am, he is still fit, and bright-eyed. I get my hazel eyes from him and when he pulls back, slamming huge mitts down on my shoulder, they twinkle with happiness and humor. “Ty, you’re too skinny!” He gives my chest a little punch. “How’d you lose all your bulk?”
“Running from guys the size of tanks,” I say, chuckling.
He reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. “You’re not nearly as intimidating as you were a year ago.”
“I’m not playing both sides anymore. Now, my job is to stay away from everyone.”
“Not very good at it,” he says, giving me a grin as he looks past me to Rayne. “I saw you run into people during some of those games.”
Shrugging, I pull my girl forward, wrapping her up in my arms. “Only people who needed to be hit.”
“Is that true?” he asks Rayne.
I can hear the beginning of a grin in her answer. “Nah. He likes hitting people.”
“I bet he does.” Granddad gives us a wink and closes the door behind him. “Now”—he holds out his hand to her—“Rayne, it is my absolute pleasure to meet you.”
She trembles, but doesn’t hesitate. Putting her hand in his, she lets him squeeze it tight. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Bassie.”
“Granddad. I’m only Mr. Bassie to assholes I don’t like.” Looking up at me without releasing her hand, he gives me a grin. “She’s cute.”
“She’s beautiful.”
He gives us both a waggle of his brows.
I smirk and step into her back. “Mine, old man. Hands off.”
He raises their joined hands to his lips and gives her fingers a kiss before releasing her. “Tell him you’re perfectly capable of smacking my face if I get too fresh with you.”
“I could,” she says, smiling back at me, “but I don’t think he’ll listen.”
He guffaws and walks past us, dropping his jacket on the table. “He won’t, and I don’t blame him. I never liked people touching my Rebecca either.”
He and I share a smile.
“You want anything to drink?” I ask.
“Coffee if you have it.”
Rayne pulls away from me, giving us both shy smiles. “I’ll get it.”
“Black, sweetheart.”
Giving us a nod, she walks into the kitchen, and I wave him into the living room where he takes the oversized chair.
“How was your trip?”
“Good. I’ve got enough money to make every trip easy. It’s the assholes at the end of trips I can’t stand.”
Rayne comes up beside him and hands him a mug and saucer. He gives it a sniff and smiles up at her, telling her thank you.
“Did it go well in Hong Kong?”
He gives a snort before setting the saucer on the end table, twirling his hand in the air. “Hong Kong has sucked for almost a decade now. Trying to get anything done in China means dealing with the government.” He snorts again. “And I hate governments. Even our own.”
He hates politics is what he means. He despises things that are layered with bureaucracy. He wants things to be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
“Did you get the deal?”
He gives me a mildly offended look. “Of course, I did.”
“So, it was good.”
He mumbles under his breath about good being a relative thing before taking a long drink. Rayne chuckles as she sits beside me, handing me a bottle of water.
“So, I’m going with you tomorrow to see that dean of yours,” he says, giving me a squint.
“Wait, what?” Rayne shivers, pulling herself up and out of my arms.
“It’s nothing.”
“I thought you’d already met with them.”
Granddad’s cough pulls her attention. “I told him not to.”
She’s practically vibrating when she turns on me. “You said—”
I hold up my hands. “I did, and then he asked me to wait, and things were happening so fast, I forgot to tell you.”
He gives us both a comforting smile. “I’m glad you’re worried about his future, but truthfully, I’m not. I can handle the university. I know their donors.” He raises his mug and points a finger at her. “And since you’re his, you’re mine, and I never let someone mess with my family.”
He takes another drink and winks at me, causing her to flick her eyes between us.
Granddad gives her a soft smile before saying, “Rayne, I know how Ty feels, because I’ve been in love just like you two.”
Her eyes keep moving between us, waiting.
“Ty, did you tell her about your grandma?”
“No.”
Settling back into his seat, his ankle crosses his knee before he sighs. “My Rebecca and I knew each other when we were children.” His eyes glaze over, memories visibly swarming him like bugs around a light in the dark. “Her parents and mine, they were acquaintances, and while we weren’t worth nearly as much as them, we played together while we were in grade school.
“I worked for her father as an intern, starting when I was thirteen, because back then, free work was nothing to be upset about. I worked my way up from the mailroom. I listened and learned. I was going to be an asset to my family, at least that’s what I had in mind, at first. Until Rebecca came to work one day.” He smiles, emotion clear in his eyes.
“I hadn’t seen her in a couple years, because her parents sent her to a tiny girls’ school, trying to get her ready to follow in her mother’s footsteps. I fell head over heels when she stormed in, angry with her father about some trip she wanted to take. I saw my future. Don’t get me wrong”—he chuckles—“it took some convincing to get her to go out with me. She wanted a future full of adventure and hated that her father viewed her as a bargaining chip in business.” He shakes his head. “Gah, she was beautiful.”
“She was,” I agree, thinking about the pictures of them.
“Every rich boy wanted in on her family’s business, but all I wanted was her.” He takes a breath, pausing in the memory. “Rayne, my Rebecca was fierce, but she only agreed to date me in secret. She knew dating me would hurt me and my family. Hers was much more powerful, and she was supposed to marry equal or up. Not someone like me, but I didn’t care. We were together for two years before her parents found out.” His hand slaps down on his leg. “They were furious. He threw me out of the building and her mother locked her in the house, with threats of ostracism, disownment. They didn’t care that she was mine. They wanted a suitable match, and within a week, they found one they intended to marry her off to as soon as possible.” For a minute his face turns ugly, but it disappears as he continues.
“She snuck me a call and I showed up with two of my best friends and a cousin.” Shaking his head at us, he gives a chortle. “Her parents were completely terrified of four angry young men. I got to her room, told her if she came with me, she’d never want for a thing. She was only seventeen, but she grabbed her little bag and left with me that day.
“Kids, I became a titan of industry so that if my Rebecca wanted an island of her own, I could buy her ten. I never questioned our love and neither did she. She only wanted me and I only wanted her. We lived a grand adventure until the day she left me.”
The choke of his emotion leaves a lump in my throat. I know exactly what he’s talking about.
“That’s why you didn’t get between Mom and Dad?”
He gives me a short nod. “That’s exactly why. Though, I should have kept a
better eye on him. And you. I knew he had a chip on his shoulder, I just never expected him to take it out on you.”
Shrugging, I dismiss it. “Dad did that. You couldn’t have known.”
“Your mother should have. I love that girl, but I’m disappointed she was so clueless about what was going on in her own house.” Granddad looks tired for a moment, the lines deepening around his eyes. “Regardless of whose fault it is, I aim to fix it. His rinky-dink company is all he seems to care about, and if that’s the case, he’s going to give me what I want or I’ll take it.”
The coldness in the comment makes me think of all the companies he’s taken over without giving the other side a chance to recover. Now all that energy is focused on stripping my dad of his power, and Dad can’t handle being out of control. He needs it like he needs air—but, I’m still not getting involved. “I’ll let you handle him. I don’t have time or energy to deal with it.”
Grandad nods. “Good. Now,” he says, his face returning to a smile, “what are your plans for tonight?”
I look at Rayne, her body tense. “We have friends coming over.” I can cancel if he wants to do something, but I know he’ll get mad if he finds out I didn’t follow through on something.
“Then, I’ll get out of your way,” he says, rising to his feet.
Rayne sits up, glancing at me. “You don’t have to do that. We can cancel,” she says.
“Sweetheart, please don’t. I have things to do, and they’re easier to do in person.” After he grabs his things, he walks to the door and turns back to us. “You’re one of mine now, Rayne. We’ll get the school, the court, his father, and that thing we’re still chasing taken care of.”
Before I know it, he’s happily clapping me on the back and walking out the door with a promise to see me soon.
We don’t get a break, because within an hour, Bay, Mike, Kevin, and Ethan walk through the door with alcohol and snacks. When I tell them, they’re eating that trash and not me, Bay gives me a dirty look. “Asshole, some of us need to keep weight on. Otherwise, there won’t be anybody to protect the delicate little flowers, like you.”
