by DeRosa, Mila
Besides, she was a loose canon. There was nothing about her life that was stable or in any state to be venturing into a relationship when any moment could see her need to run.
Dressed in her usual attire, Bryn arrived fifteen minutes early for her shift, eager to get back to work and push all other connections with her boss out of mind.
As always Sally was already there, bustling around the bar ensuring everything was ready to go as soon as the doors opened. Luke passed through the Club, held up his hand in a wave and continued on his path without stopping to chat.
“Good evening, Bryn. Why are you dressed like a waitress?” She tilted her head to one side and eyed her. “You are taking the job, aren’t you?”
“Reeves hasn’t mentioned any more about it since we got back from the mountains.”
“What? Two days ago?” She laughed. “He’s a man, honey, he expects you to be a mind reader—didn’t you know?”
“Ha. Is that part of the job description, because if that’s the case I don’t think I’m cut out for it after all.”
“You’ll be surprised what you manage after years of practice.”
“Years? Wow, that’s as intense as a college degree.”
“Ain’t that the truth. He’s in his office if you’re keen to catch him before you log on as bar staff.” She winked, and then continued wiping an already clean bench.
Nerves kicked in as soon as she approached the passageway that led to his office. Dark and dimly lit, it was almost creepy. Probably an attempt to deter patrons from venturing into places they weren’t invited.
The sense of safety she felt with Reeves, in the mountains, had fizzled as soon as Doug dropped her off at her apartment. Walking into the dark silence, loneliness set in. Thoughts shifted to negative. So few people even knew she was in town. If Baxter happened to stumble across her, as she did him, and followed her home, no one would notice her missing until she didn’t turn up for work. Even then, would they bother to come looking for her, or had they already tagged her as a flight risk and expected her to run.
No matter what she’d been labeled, she was there now, walking the distance to the office at the end of the hall. Reeves already knowing she was on her way.
“Bryn.” He greeted her with a smile as he pulled open the door before she knocked, and then ushered her inside. Scooping her up in his arms, he pulled her against him and closed his mouth over hers in a kiss that left her head swirl into lightheadedness.
Picking up from where they left off in the lobby of the cottage, Bryn kissed him back—deep and intense, yet with an urgency she hadn’t experienced before. From her back, his hands moved, firm and daring, one ventured lower to grip her ass, the other to her side toward her breast.
Thoughts flooded her mind. They shouldn’t be doing this. Don’t mix business with pleasure. You’re just another notch.
Her own hands moved, pressed to either side of his chest, she pushed him away and took a step back. Off balanced, she stumbled, but Reeves still had his arms around her and steadied her before taking a hint and releasing her.
“Sorry.” He looked at her like a randy teenager stealing kisses in the library stacks.
“I need to know something, your job proposal, was it influenced by your need to conquer all women you set your sights on, no matter how much they try to resist.”
The expression on his face was as if she’d just slapped him. Shock. Hurt. Fury.
Bryn near cringed as she awaited his response. Laughter was not what she expected—cold and bitter, but laughter all the same.
“You think I need bother with women who don’t want me back? You think I have so few choices?” He folded his arms across his chest, leaned a little closer, eyebrows raised.
“I think you like a challenge and are bored with the obvious.” She matched his stance, lips set in a pout.
“There’s truth in what you say, I’m not going to deny that. But, I don’t see you as a project to conquer as you so crassly implied. I see you as real—someone I’d like to get to know on more than just a physical level.” He lowered his arms and let them fall to his sides. “As for the job, I thought I’d cut you a break and utilize a good worker in an area I felt would be more fitting, and more appealing.” He shrugged, then turned and crossed the room to his desk where he sat.
Bryn stood her ground, but on the inside she was shrinking.
“Not everyone is out to get you, Bryn. Entertain the possibility that maybe, just maybe, I might like you.”
The shrinking continued, the pout softened, but she kept her arms around her—a protective barrier rather than a statement.
From the right side of his desk he slid a pile to the middle, then toward her. “Contract. Computer. A brief of the current project, along with accounts, and an outline of the businesses I own. Password for the administration account on the computer is Kathleen.”
A jolt jerked through her and she frowned. “Who’s Kathleen?” The words escaped before thinking about what she was saying.
“Someone I hold dear—she’s the reason I’m where I am today.” He sighed. “You will learn that I remember my roots.” He pushed back from the desk, stood and crossed the room to stand in front of her. “And, I most certainly don’t manipulate women to sleep with me.” He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Bryn drew in a deep breath, then uncrossed her arms and placed both hands on his chest. There was more depth to Reeves than she gave him credit, and their past was even more interwoven than he knew.
“Every step we take there seems to be more to you than I anticipated.” Bryn leaned in close, hoping he would meet her half way.
“And, every step of the way you seem to have more barriers in need of knocking down—I have no intention of hurting you, Bryn.” He bent his neck to rest his forehead against hers. “I know it goes against what you’re comfortable with, but you don’t have to hide from me. I can protect you.” He brushed his lips over her. “You can trust me.”
There was no denying she wanted to, but it wasn’t so easy as that. She’d grown up trusting her father until she learnt of the cruel creature he really was. All trust went out the window, and the bars were erected from that moment on. Her mother was already close, as was Jodie. Like a jailbreak, some bars weren’t so easy to break through—at least not without a key to release her.
“I’ll try.” More than that she couldn’t promise, but it was more than she’d ever given to anyone else, and he seemed to know that.
Not wanting to think anymore she slid her hands from his chest to his shoulders and, on tiptoes, she stretched up to close the distance between them. Pressing her lips to his, she didn’t wait for his response before deepening the kiss. As her fingers raked his hair, he was quick to follow her lead, arms wrapped around her and pulling her close. He swore he wasn’t dealing anymore, yet he dished up a drug she couldn’t seem to get enough of.
* * *
She had more control than him, pulling away before things got out of hand—and there was nothing he enjoyed more than things getting out of hand with Bryn. Sexy as hell, she offered all the trimmings he was looking for in a woman, yet the distance she put between them, no matter how close they got, wasn’t so easy to take.
Why she didn’t trust he could protect her from whatever it was she was running from, he didn’t know. He was at the top of the list of guys not to mess with. If he couldn’t protect her then she was in a lot deeper than he imagined. And, although Reeves had cracked some of the toughest nuts in the world of drugs and business, Bryn stood her ground. Stubborn and controlled outwardly, but her eyes told him that wasn’t the case on the inside.
Real she may be, but guarded so tight he wondered if he’d every really know her. Damaged wasn’t unusual at their age, and especially not in the town in which they lived, but sometimes past trauma was too great to fix.
Sally barged through the door without knocking. “Reeves, trouble out front.”
“What sort of troubl
e?” He had bouncers, the sort no one would dare mess with, so trouble out front wasn’t a common occurrence.
“Bashed woman, asking for Bryn, and a crazy guy who keeps going at her. There’s blood everywhere.”
“Jodie.” Bryn breathed and ran before Reeves or Sally could move.
“Has anyone called an ambulance?” Reeves took off after Bryn, whilst trying to think what he should do.
“She asked me not to, but—” Sally’s words drowned by the music in the club.
The crowd parted when Reeves walked through, but even though Bryn had to fight her way through the congestion she was already at the door. He picked up the pace, with Sally in tow.
The commotion could be heard over the music as he approached the door. Exiting, he saw Bryn on the ground, arms around the battered woman, blood pooling on the sidewalk.
It didn’t take a genius to work out who’d messed her up. Baseball bat in one hand, waving a blade around with the other. Not having seen Reeves, he continued to rant.
“You’re a ghost, Bryndel—a mishap waiting to happen, just like your pathetic mom when she tried to leave. No one gets away with leaving Baxter. Not you. Not Jodie. Not even your mom. At least not the way she intended, anyway.”
“Get the fuck out of here, and leave her alone.” The expression on her face was vicious, but her hold on Jodie was gentle.
He snorted, and then tipped his head back and laughed, a crazed sound that sent chills to her core. “Stand in the way of me and my girl, and I’ll cut you before Baxter even gets a chance.”
Coming up behind him, Reeves caught him off guard and grasped his wrist on the side of the knife. Josh whipped around, bat poised with his free hand.
With the threat of being stabbed taken out of the equation, Doug lunged at the bat and took the blow intended for Reeves.
The look of fear when Josh made eye contact with him was satisfying to say the least. He all but whimpered as he tried to shy away.
“A gutless wonder when you’re not beating on a woman, huh?” Reeves twisted Josh’s arm behind his body at an odd angle, causing him to drop the knife and bend to his knees. “You dare cause trouble outside my Club again and you won’t have hands left to cut anyone—nor will you have the breath to dish up the threat, either.” He bent and twisted a little harder, lifted a little higher. “That goes for you, Baxter, or any one of his mob. Do I make myself clear?”
Josh released a cry of pain.
“I said, do I make myself clear.” Through gritted teeth he repeated himself, impatience growing.
“Yes,” Josh gasped.
Reeves snatched the knife from the ground before releasing him.
“Get him out of here,” he growled to one of his guards.
Josh didn’t struggle, obviously aware that he didn’t stand a chance against Reeves and his men. Out of his depths and on another Lords turf—he was as good as fish food, if Reeves was anything like his mob leader.
“Sally, call an ambulance, and the police.” Reeves ignored Jodie’s feeble attempt to protest.
She pulled out her cell and followed his orders as he turned to look at the two women huddled on the ground, bloodstains surrounding them.
Bryndel Evans—why hadn’t he picked it? Staring up at him he saw it, the image of Kathleen.
Chapter 15
“You’re not going, Bryn.” Reeves caught her by the arm as she tried to climb into the back of the ambulance after they slid the stretcher, occupied by Jodie, into the back. One paramedic climbed in with her, the other ready to close the doors and drive them to the hospital.
“You can’t stop me.” She shot back, yanking her arm free from his hold.
“Baxter with have scouts searching the hospitals for you, I’ve seen him do it before. He shot one of his runners in the leg once just to get a man inside. Josh was right about one thing, he’ll stop at nothing to get to you.”
“I don’t care.” She continued her climb.
With a piercing whistle, Reeves caught the attention of the closest officer to where he was standing. “Excuse me. For the safety of the victim, can you please tell Bryn here that she’s to stay away from the hospital.”
The officer frowned and started to turn away, not interested in getting involved with a domestic dispute.
“She’s been in hiding from Baxter for—” he did the math, rough enough was good enough. “Seven years. He’s just found out her location.”
This caught the officer’s attention.
“Excuse me, Miss. I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the vehicle, please.” The officer approached, but still she didn’t budge.
“But, she’s my best friend.”
“We understand that, Miss,” he paused as if trying to figure out the right approach to make her move without force. “Just as you understand that we need to keep Jodie safe, and to do that we need to get her to the hospital. We need to ensure Baxter and his boys have no reason to cause problems for us at the other end.” He paused again when she didn’t budge. “Jodie’s life depends on it.”
Reason took over and, as if on autopilot, Bryn stepped aside. Within seconds the doors were closed, paramedic climbed into the drivers seat and, with sirens blazing, they were on their way to the hospital.
The officer looked up at Reeves. “Keep her safe.” He nodded toward Bryn. “We don’t need anymore casualties tonight.”
Bryn didn’t need to be a doctor, or privy to information the emergency crew had shared, to register the casualty he was referring to was the baby Jodie had been carrying. Reeves could see the realization in her expression as clearly as if it were written across her forehead.
Even inside her womb that baby didn’t stand a chance. Josh had always been a bad sort, but with drugs and the influence of the likes of Baxter and his mob, he was every bit the bastard Reeves had him pegged to be. Luke confirmed as much within days of him picking him up of the streets that his group leader, Josh, was a mean bastard.
He walked over to her, draped an arm protectively around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. Covered in blood, tear streaked cheeks, and dirt from the sidewalk smeared on her face, she didn’t look like the Bryn he knew, nor did she look like the little girl in the background of his past.
He remembered her now, vaguely, as she was a few years younger than he. During the time he ran with Baxter, a few years meant a lot—not to mention Baxter would carve the liver from any of his boys if they dare even glance in her direction.
It was Kathleen; gentle, yet strong in her own way, who helped him get out. Kathleen who’d siphoned funds to get him started in business. Kathleen, who’d been there for him when he had no one to turn to and no place to call home. She’d given him the key to an apartment she’d bought for her daughter, in hope she’d return. An apartment Baxter knew nothing about. It’d been his saving grace to have a roof over his head, food on the table—Kathleen made certain he always had food—and a computer to start his first online business.
Now, it was his turn to bestow the kindest she’d shown him upon her daughter, the woman he was falling in love with.
* * *
Bryn let Reeves walk her into the club, through the crowd, down the dark creepy corridor and into his office. Once locked inside, she didn’t protest when he guided her through the office to a door left of his desk, and into a corridor.
“Lights,” he said, and on they came.
As impressed, as she probably would’ve been under different circumstances, she barely even registered the convenience of such modern technology.
Reeves opened another door and led her through to a bathroom.
From the cupboard he pulled two towels, a washcloth and a thick plush robe.
“You need to get out of these clothes, and into the shower. You can do that, right?” He stood, hands stuffed into his pockets, looking like a teenager again—awkward and uncertain.
Bryn nodded, but didn’t speak. Her mouth felt as if it’d been drenched in glue and stuffed w
ith sawdust. Numbness seemed to flow through her from head to toe and slow motion the only speed she was capable of.
“I’m going to leave the doors open, so just shout out if you need me. Otherwise, join me in my office when you’re done.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “There’s body wash, shampoo, and conditioner in the shower recess. You’ll need it.” As promised, Reeves left the door open, but his shadow on the corridor wall disappeared from view soon after.
She didn’t cry. Couldn’t cry since they closed the door between her and Jodie and whisked her away in the ambulance. She should’ve gone with her—should’ve insisted. She couldn’t drag her thoughts away from how Jodie would feel when she woke and no one was there. How she would feel when she discovered that bastard had stripped her of the life growing inside of her.
Bryn groaned, covered her face with her hands and sunk to the tiled floor. She should’ve done more to convince her to stay away when she showed up the week before. But, too caught up in her magical world of Reeves, she hadn’t been there when her best friend needed her the most.
No matter how many times she showered, no matter how much body wash or shampoo she used, that babies blood was on her hands just as much as it was on Jodie and Josh’s hands too.
After a long time she emerged. Reeves sat on the sofa, glass of scotch in hand, staring off into the distance. When Bryn followed his line of sight, she saw nothing.
Footsteps masked by thick carpet, he didn’t hear her approach, and only flicked his eyes in her direction when she drew closer.
“Feel any better?”
“A little bit, I guess. Thank you.” If things were awkward before, they’d just reached a whole new level for them.
“Doug is outside the door.” He pointed to the monitor on the wall. “He’ll remain there all night, and we will be staying here. Sally is organizing us dinner. I left it up to her to decide, I hope that’s okay.”
She nodded. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I have to go home and get some clothes and stuff—I can’t stay here. As soon as I see my mom, and know that Jodie is going to be okay, I’ll be out of here.”
