“Joe.”
“Hey, Conner. What do you need?”
“I need you to tell me where Ian was transferred to.”
“What?” he asks, sounding confused.
“You said he requested a transfer and you approved it. Where was the transfer to?” I ask again. I can feel my patience wearing thin.
“Uuhh, it was a station about an hour north of here but he wasn’t supposed to start there for another two weeks. Last I heard he was back in New York City. Why what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t explain right now but thanks for the information. If you hear anything else about where he might be please let me know okay?”
“Yeah, sure. But is everything alright? Should I be worried?”
“Not yet,” I answer briefly, then hang up the phone. When I turn around Brooke is still sitting on the couch. She hasn’t moved the entire time I was on the phone. Maybe she’s in shock? I hold out my hands for her to take them and she does. Lifting her to her feet I pull her into my arms again. There baby. Now I know you’re safe. I wish I could keep her wrapped in my arms forever. I don’t ever want to let her go.
As I hold her I think through what Chief Joe just said. Ian could be anywhere. We already knew he played some part in this but that doesn’t explain the woman’s involvement. If there even is a woman involved at all. We need to get this stuff to the police station. I give her one more tight squeeze and kiss the top of her head.
“C’mon, Brooke. We’ve gotta go.” She doesn’t say anything, but nods her head in agreement.
****
“Hey guys!” We’re greeted immediately by a tall lanky man who walks up to the counter.
“Hey ya, Jerry. How’re ya doing?” I answer. Jerry has been a police officer in our town for quite a while. I believe he joined here when Gabe started at the fire company. He’s known Brooke and me since we were kids. I think he may have even graduated high school with my parents.
“Oh not bad. Not bad. What brings you two kids in here?” he asks, looking
to me and then to Brooke. Brooke looks down at her fingers. I can tell she’s nervous. I put my arm around her and squeeze her shoulder.
“We need to file a report,” I answer sternly. “Brooke’s been getting some threatening messages.” I lift up the bag I’m carrying that has the knife, picture, and letters inside. I watch Jerry’s eyes grow wide and his smile fall. He wasn’t expecting that and why would he? This sort of thing didn’t happen in our town. The worst reports he would get were usually noise complaints or kids partying on the mountain.
People around here don’t make death threats toward each other. He pulled a few forms from a sliding drawer in the desk and pinched them to a clipboard. “Come with me,” he said, gesturing to us to follow him. My hand falls from Brooke’s shoulder and rests on the small of her back as I guide her down the hallway.
I feel her lean into me and I smile, keeping my hand on her back. She wants me here. She wants me close. I feel a warm sensation flow over me. I’m here, Brooke. I got you. I’ll keep you safe.
Jerry leads us into a room with a small table and four chairs. Brooke and I sit on one side of the table and Jerry takes a seat across from us. He lays down the papers and flips through them one by one explaining what they are and why he needs them filled out.
“...and this one is your official statement. So in your own words just tell me what happened,” he explains as he slides the papers over to Brooke. He pulls a pen from his shirt pocket and places it on top of the stack. Brooke takes the pen and starts writing.
Jerry turns his attention back to me. “Is there anyone you can think of who would want to hurt Brooke?” Brooke stops writing immediately and her eyes flash to mine.
“Yeah,” I answer and she starts writing again. “His name is Ian Thompson.” I give Jerry the back story and he takes notes on a yellow pad as I talk. I pull up the bag I brought in and empty it onto the table showing him the notes, the knife, and the picture. My eyes repeatedly travel back to the knife and burnt picture of her house. It’s crippling to think about someone hurting her.
“So you don’t know where he might be right now?”
“No. Like I said, Chief Joe said he was supposed to be back in New York City.”
Jerry nods his head like he understands. “And you said you think there may be a second person involved in all of this?”
“Yeah, I mean we don’t know for sure but we think there might be.” I dig through the items on the table and pull out both letters. I show him the signature differences that I pointed out to Brooke earlier. Jerry takes the two pages and looks them over.
“I see. And do you have any idea of who this mystery partner might be, if one exists? Any friends of his or other enemies of Brooke’s that could have teamed up with Ian?”
My eyes shift to Brooke and she’s looking back at me with those deep green eyes. She has finished filling out the forms. I couldn’t imagine anyone hating this woman so much that they would want to hurt her. The thought leaves an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I reach over and push a golden curl out of her face.
“No. Not anyone that I can think of.”
“Me either,” Brooke says, shaking her head.
Jerry nods and starts to gather the paperwork Brooke filled out. He then slips on a pair of gloves and starts organizing the things we brought in that are now scattered on the table. “Okay, well I think that’s all I need from you guys for now. I’m going to have to keep this stuff for evidence and Brooke, I’m going to be sending an officer to your house to get pictures of your car window. You said it’s parked out back?”
“Yeah,” she answers, nodding her head.
“Okay. But in the meantime is there somewhere you can stay? At least until we can get a twenty on Mr. Thompson.”
“She’s going to stay with me,” I blurt out. As soon as the words leave my mouth I feel her eyes dart to me. She looks like she wants to fight me on this. My mouth forms a hard line and I narrow my eyes at her. Don’t bother. You’re not going to win this one. Instead, she looks back to Jerry and gives him a small smile.
“We’ll swing by your house after this so you can grab some clothes then we’ll go to my house,” I say trying to offer her some reassurance. She looks back at me and nods slightly. She seems annoyed but it’s hard to tell for sure. I eye her for a moment before Jerry pulls my attention away from her.
“Okay good. Then I’ll be in touch as soon as I have anything to share.”
“Thanks, Jerry.” I stand up and hold my hand out. He offers me a smile and shakes my hand firmly.
“You got it, Conner. And Brooke, don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
She smiles at him and then at me before she turns from both of us and moves toward the door. I follow out behind her.
Eight
Brooke
The whole ride home I sit in the middle seat of Conner’s truck. I want to be near him. He makes me feel safe. His arm is resting on my leg and I wrap my arm around his. It’s comforting to feel his hands on me. By the time we get back to my house it’s almost dark outside. This is one time that I am more than happy to have obsessive, overbearing Conner with me. I glance out the window at my house. All the lights inside are turned off and an eerie feeling creeps over me.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” he asks, leaning over and looking at my house. It’s like he’s reading my mind. I squeeze his arm and nod my head. I feel like a child who’s afraid of the dark but I don’t care. I only feel safe when I’m with him. And I’m worried sick about him if I’m not. I climb down from his truck and head inside. The door creaks a bit as I open it slowly. I feel along the wall for the light switch and in a second the room is illuminated.
I make quick work of throwing together an overnight bag. I need to be quick. Conner is waiting for me in the doorway of my bedroom. Having him here again is completely distracting and nerve racking. I keep looking at him from the corner of my eye and he just stands th
ere and watches me as I move around my room collecting clothes and shoving them in my bag. But even as I try to distract myself with the task at hand my mind refuses to let me.
The last time he was here in my room he made love to me. On this bed. He fulfilled a promise to make me forget everyone who has ever come before him. My body shivers in response to the thought. I glance up at him again.
Why does he look so damn good? I’d love nothing more right now than for him to toss me onto my bed and have his way with me. As sexy as he’s looking I’m not even sure I would resist if he did. It’s not like he’s even doing anything special. He’s just standing there leaning against the door frame. He has one hand in his pocket. With his other hand he’s rubbing the back of his neck lifting his arm just enough to expose his muscular core beneath his t-shirt. The sight causes everything below my waist to clench. I hear him let out a deep sigh then shift his stance. I look up at him and he’s grinning back at me. Is he thinking the same thing I am?
I feel my face flush. I need to get out of this room. I grab my last piece of clothing and shove it into my bag before turning back to Conner. He raises his eyebrows at me and flashes me his playful smirk, “Ready?”
I feel my heart skip a beat. It’s been so long since he’s smirked at me like that but it clearly still has the same effect. I feel a tingle run through my core and it forces me to press my thighs together. “Yeah,” I answer and wait for him to turn out the door but he doesn’t. He continues standing in the doorway, blocking my exit, and continues smirking at me. I know what he’s doing. Really Conner? Now of all times!? I shake my head and roll my eyes at him, trying unsuccessfully to hide my amusement.
Fine. You want to play games? I grin back at him and squeeze through the small space he has left me between his body and the door frame. I pay special attention to pressing my ass directly against him and moving extra slowly as I squeeze by. I feel his hands on my hips as if he’s guiding me past. Goosebumps rise below his hands. An instantaneous reaction my body has to his touch. I hear him let out a ragged breath followed by a small groan as I move past him. Why is this so hot?
Okay. I need to get out of here before we don’t make it to his house. He follows me back down the stairs, through the house, and out to his truck. I swear he’s following so closely behind me that I can feel the heat of his body on my back.
When we reach his truck he stands closer than necessary to the passenger side door and opens it for me. Again, he leaves me little room to squeeze through but I rise to the challenge. This time instead of turning my back to him I press my front against his. I slide myself into him firmly, feeling his erection through his pants. He tilts his head back slightly in response and I watch his lips curl into a grin.
I make sure to grip his sides tightly to stabilize myself as I move by him and climb into the seat. His hands touch all over my body as he is overly helpful in assisting me into his truck. The sexual tension building between us is almost unbearable. When he shuts the door behind me I have to take a few deep breaths to slow my heart rate. I close my eyes and release a breath through “o” shaped lips.
He opens the driver's side door and hops in. I slide across to the middle seat so I’m sitting next to him. As soon as he turns on the engine and puts the truck in gear his hand is on me again rubbing my knee, my thigh. My breathing and heart rate accelerate again. There’s no use in trying to slow it down. He is in complete control of me. Of my body. He always has been.
We make it back to his house in what feels like record time. He grabs my bag from the seat beside me and gets out of his truck. I follow him into his house where we’re both greeted by Bruno, who is jumping all over.
“Hi Bruno. Hey Buddy. How ya doing boy?” I say enthusiastically to him. Conner moves through the kitchen and to his bedroom. He returns a minute later.
“I put your bag in my room,” he says casually and I can’t help but smile. “I’m gonna take Bruno out quickly if you want to get changed or anything. I nod as he hooks Bruno up to his leash and leads him out the back door.
I make my way back the hallway to his bedroom. I inhale deeply through my nose. It smells like him. I could live in this scent. I close my eyes and log it to my memory as I inhale again. When I open them again I spot my to-go bag on the end of his bed. I open it up and pull out pajama shorts and a tank top. I slip off my pants and shirt then slide on my shorts and tank top. I pull my hair out of the messy bun it’s been in all day and shake it out. I toss my dirty clothes back into my bag and make my way back out to the living room.
Conner is already back inside and is sitting on the couch with Bruno. He has a beer in his hand and an open one sitting on his coffee table, I assume for me. It seems like Bruno may have killed the mood for now. I smirk at the two of them sitting together then pick up my beer and join them on the couch. Bruno lays down between us and pants. I laugh and pat his head.
The silence that is growing between us is starting to feel a little awkward now. I want to say something but I’m not sure what I should say. Then Conner’s voice finally breaks through the silence.
“I’ve been trying, you know?”
My eyes dart to his and he’s staring back at me. He’s smiling but his eyes look sad. “Trying?”
“Trying to be the man you can be with,” he clarifies.
His words make my heart ache instantly. Did I do this to him? Have I made him feel like he’s that bad of a guy that I can’t be with him?
“I know that, Conner. I talked to Gabe. He told me about the texts to Rachel and about you taking Hope home.”
A small smile grows on his face but disappears as quickly as it appears.
“But?”
I sigh, “But I don’t know how to pull the trigger on this.” I motion to the both of us. “Conner, I can give you my body without hesitation. I can give you my mind. Hell, you’ve already taken over both of them anyway… But I am scared to death of what you’ll do to my heart.”
He nods like he understands but looks down at the ground. “Right. I’m not boyfriend material.” He air quotes and makes an annoyed face when he says it.
“It’s not even just that...” I fade off struggling to find the words to explain to him how I feel. “Conner, Ian can make whatever threats he wants to make towards me. He can do whatever he wants to me but at the end of the day he will still never be able to hurt me as much as you can.”
****
Conner
My eyes immediately dart to hers. What? She does want to be with me but she still thinks that I would hurt her. Of course she does. She knows me. But she also loves me. She just needs to know that I’m not going to break her heart. I need to prove it to her. And that’s going to take some time. I try to figure out what I should say to that but what do you say to someone who loves you but is scared to death to trust you with their heart?
It leaves a sickening feeling in my stomach. I hate that she thinks of me that way but I completely understand why she does. She’s right to keep her heart from me. I feel like I’m losing her all over again. I can’t. I can’t lose her. I sigh and take Bruno by the collar and pull him off the couch then slide over towards her, closing the distance between us. I need to make her understand.
I take her face in my hands and look back into her big green eyes.
“Brooke, I love you. Do you hear me? I. Love. You. There is no one else. There will never be anyone else. You. You are the only one I want. I don’t know what more I have to do to convince you of that?” Her eyes already look glossed over with tears but I continue, “I will do whatever it takes. I will make whatever changes you need me to make. Just tell me what you want from me?”
The tears start pouring down her cheeks. “Conner please don’t do this right now,” she says, shaking her head and rising to her feet. I can feel the frustration building inside me. Why is this woman so damn infuriating?
I stand too. As I move toward her and she backs up against the wall. “I need to do this now. I need you. I need y
ou more than I’ve ever needed anyone.” My eyes look her over and I watch her breasts rise and fall rapidly as her breathing accelerates. She needs me too. I step closer to her so her body is pressed between mine and the wall. I grip firmly to her hair on the back of her head and hold her in place.
I weave my free arm behind her back and pull her tightly against me. I want to feel the warmth of her body. The softness of her skin, against mine. I want to see the desire in her eyes. I want to hear her say the words.
“I’m going to ask you this one time so please be honest with me…Do you want me, Brooke? Do you want me the way I want you? Will you ever want anybody else the way you want me in this moment right now?”
My mouth lingers just an inch from hers and I hold it there, waiting for her response. I can feel her warm breath against my lips as she exhales rapidly. I can see her pressing her thighs together trying to tame her body’s reaction to me. My cock hardens in my pants but I still wait. I wait for her to say it. I want to hear her say the words so I can unleash everything I’ve been holding back and ravage her body. Claiming it as mine.
“I want you, Conner… so fucking badly,” she breaths.
And that is all I need. I press her lips to mine and she parts them perfectly for me, allowing my tongue to enter her. Taste her. Her fingers wrap themselves in my hair and the feeling is unnerving. I tilt her face toward mine to deepen the kiss and she grinds herself against my erection. I moan into her mouth as I press my body into hers.
In this moment all my fears and worries from earlier in the day completely disappear. She is here. In my arms. And she wants me. Nothing else matters. Nothing else could possibly matter.
My hands slide down her backside until I can fill my palms completely with her ass. I lift her off of her feet and wrap her legs around me. She has my dick so hard that I probably don’t even need my hands to hold her up. I make my way to the couch and sit down, leaving her straddled on top of me. I take her face in my hands and pull her mouth to meet mine once more. “Conner…” she moans between breaths and kisses. My cock reacts immediately to her moaning my name.
There's Danger: A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 6
