Alec checked his watch and kicked a plume of pebbles and dust into the air. He had ten minutes. Jabbing a finger at Hunter, he said, “Get your ass home and wait. I’ll go.”
He ran toward his truck and slid behind the wheel. Hunter followed, but Alec locked the doors, leaving Hunter to fumble with the handle and slap his hand against the passenger window. Alec rolled it halfway down.
“I want to come. This is my fault.” Hunter’s face reflected the boyish earnest look of a Boy Scout.
“First off, this is your brother’s fault, not yours. Second, no way in hell are you coming. Go home and wait. Promise me.” Once the boy nodded, Alec wasted no time, peeling out of the parking lot.
Lilliana had been trying to tell him. She’d called and texted him repeatedly, but he’d been focused on something that happened a decade earlier and that had no bearing on their future. Because he’d had his head up his ass, Lilliana was in danger.
He punched in Rick’s number and laid everything out on the table. Rick didn’t interrupt and was silent for a few beats. “My advice is to drag her out before the deal goes down or let her give this gang leader his money.”
Entering Mill Town, he hit a pothole, and the steering wheel jerked to the right. “Are you crazy?”
“Look, by the time I get someone down there, the handoff will be on, and she could get hurt. If we wait, I’ll have enough time to get a roadblock set up on the highway out of town and catch the motherfuckers with a load of cash and probably drugs.”
“What about Will Galloway?”
“We’ll send a narcotics officer to his house with a warrant. Search his car, his room. The punk has pot stashed at the very least. I’ve wanted to nail him for a while.” A fair amount of antipathy colored Rick’s words. Alec hoped Hunter would forgive him, but he couldn’t allow Will to drag everyone he cared about down.
Alec checked his watch. If everyone was on time, he had a little less than five minutes. He parked a street over and slipped between houses hoping a dog didn’t attack or, even more dangerous, a granny with a gun.
He was more out of breath than he should have been after the short jog, fear clamping his lungs. Her SUV was parked at the very end of the street. She stood under a flickering, dim streetlight. Dark wash jeans and a gray hoodie pulled over her head completed what he was sure she considered “street wear.” She scuffed her red Chucks where the pavement petered into grass. The splash of color stood out like they’d been painted on a black-and-white photo.
He stopped in the shadow of the only house on the street and took a deep breath, relief loosening the bands around his chest but not doing much to help his worry. The rubble of three demolished houses carved grassless depressions in the ground. He stayed tight to the narrow strip of pine trees ringing the back, coming up behind Lilliana.
“Are you insane?” He should have tempered his words or modulated the angry edge in his voice, but the idea she was ready to fling herself into danger made him feel protective yet powerless.
She startled around, her dark eyes appearing even larger framed by the hood. “Wh-What are you doing here? You have to go.” Her attempt to push him away was feeble.
“No way in hell. In fact, you are going to get in your SUV, and I’m going to make the handoff.”
“How did you know?” Her lips barely moved on her whisper.
“Got my head out of my ass after seeing you in the alley. I ran down Hunter and he squealed. Where’s the money?”
“Front seat.”
Alec unzipped the bag he’d seen her with earlier and cast his hand around, finally pulling out a stack of bills. Several thousand if he had to guess. “Where did you get this kind of cash?”
“Will had already raised half. I got paid for my portrait of Edwin. I cashed out enough to pay this guy to keep him from hurting Hunter.”
“The dude threatened to hurt Hunter if Will didn’t pay him?”
“Threatened to break his throwing hand and worse.”
Headlights swept over them. An older silver Mercedes with blacked-out windows pulled beside them. Alec left the bag and stepped forward, forcing Lilliana behind him. Her trembles vibrated the hand he wrapped around her forearm.
The window rolled down. A man with ebony-colored skin and in his late twenties propped his arm on the frame, his elbow ashy and scabbed. One of his eyes was ringed with puffy skin. A middleman, if Alec had to guess. The recipient of pressure from bigger dogs who in turn put pressure on his minions.
Alec raised his chin in acknowledgment but offered no greeting.
“Told to expect a lady. That her?” He pointed, a chunky gold bracelet reflecting back the meager light.
“You Reggie?” Alec asked, even though he already knew the answer.
“You a cop?”
“Nope. I’m her boyfriend. If you thought I’d let her come out here alone to make a deal, you’re crazier than she is.”
Lilliana pressed in closer behind him, her free hand at his waist.
Reggie’s smile flashed big and white and charming. Male chuckles sounded from the backseat, but Alec couldn’t see anything beyond Reggie. “Fair enough. You got what’s mine?”
“Depends. You going to lay off the Galloways?”
“Will’s one of my boys. If he comes to me looking for work . . .” He shrugged.
“What about his brother? I want a guarantee you won’t use him as leverage again.”
“I promise not to touch the Golden Boy.” Dripping sarcasm, Reggie drew an X over his heart.
Alec didn’t believe him, not for a second, but he didn’t see another way out of the mess. Over his shoulder, he whispered, “Get the bag.”
Her warmth disappeared and the car door slammed. Alec never took his eyes off Reggie. She resumed her position behind him, the bag finding its way into his hands. He tossed it through the open window like a football. Reggie examined the contents. “Tell Will to be more careful next time.”
The window rolled up and the car drove away. Alec stared until the red brake lights were out of sight. He turned and grabbed Lilliana close, her hood falling backward. The scent of her hair enveloped him, smothering the faint traces of decay and trash.
“Goddamnit, Lilliana. You could have been shot and left for dead. What the hell were you thinking?” The thought of her being snuffed out nearly sent him to his knees.
She curled her hands under his arms. “I couldn’t let Hunter get hurt.”
“You tried to tell me, and I’ve been an asshole. Finding out about us in college threw me into a tailspin. I wasn’t sure why you hadn’t told me.”
She twisted as far away as the tight clamp of his arms would allow. “I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter anymore, and I knew it would hurt you. I love you, Alec. When you hurt, I hurt. I wanted to protect you. Can you understand that?”
He heaved a breath. He understood the sentiment like he understood the sun rose in the morning. Imagining Lilliana hurt had nearly destroyed him. “I love you, too. Can you forgive me?”
“I can forgive you, if you can trust me. I need to be able to count on you.”
The irony of him nearly deserting her tonight demolished every brick of the wall he’d mortared with resentment and betrayal. “You can count on me. The way I need you is a loneliness I cannot bear.”
She circled her arms around his neck, pulling his head down. Her lips found his forehead, his temple, his cheek before landing on his mouth. They were cool yet sweet, forgiving yet resolved, and he kissed her back with his promise.
His phone rang. He slipped it out of his back pocket and glanced at the screen before answering. “Did you get them?”
With a siren and the murmuring of many voices in the background, Rick’s voice veered high and loud. “Sure did. Recovered the money. Found a stash of drugs in the spare-wheel well.”
“Great. When can Lilliana get her money back?”
A door slammed and the background noise reduced to a faint whirling siren. “Lilliana can
never claim that money, Alec. They didn’t know her name and I won’t push the issue, but that money is gone if you want to keep her safe. You understand?”
Alec tightened his arm around her and lay his cheek against the top of her head. “Got it.”
Rick’s voice turned brisk. “Two narcotics officers are searching Will Galloway’s house. I hope to God Hunter is clean.”
“I’ll head over there now.” Alec disconnected, cutting off Rick’s faint protest.
“Let’s go.” His voice was brisk and calm, but inside he was a mass of uncertainty and nerves. Hunter might hate him before the night was up.
Lilliana’s SUV coughed to a start, and she pumped the gas until the engine settled into a rumble. “I gather Will’s in trouble?”
“Yep. We need to keep Hunter away from the fallout. If we can.”
In less than three minutes, Lilliana pulled behind two nondescript dark sedans. At least the police were being discreet. As he climbed the front porch stairs, the door opened and a police officer reciting Miranda rights escorted Will out, arms handcuffed behind his back.
Will stumbled on the top stair, his gaze darting around, his face slack as if stepping foot on an alien planet. With his tough-guy posturing wiped away by fear and shock, Will looked years younger, innocent and confused. A shot of unexpected sympathy had Alec shuffling to a stop to watch Will loaded into the back of one of the cars.
Useless what-ifs scrolled. Alec shook his head. Nothing he could do for Will now. It was Hunter who needed his help. He slipped into the house, Lilliana on his heels.
The one floor lamp fought a losing battle with the dark night. At the edge of its circle of light, Hunter sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on knees, head down.
Alec sidled closer, grabbing a straight-backed wooden chair from the corner and sitting down close enough to touch his knee.
“Will’s been arrested.” Hunter directed his statement to the floor.
“I saw.”
Hunter raised his head to meet Alec’s gaze. Tears had left shiny track marks down his cheeks, but his eyes were dry. “Did you call the police?”
“I had to protect Lilliana.”
“What about me? What about my brother?” The poignant pain of adolescence bit through his words.
What could he say? Having Will sent off might be the best thing to happen to Hunter, but not if bitterness drove him down the same path as his brother. “Your brother needs more help than you can give him. Reggie made it clear his boss man wasn’t done with Will. Getting sent off might not be the worst thing.”
“Fuck you.” Hunter hopped to his feet. A dynamic aggression emanated from him. Alec stayed seated. Inside the door, Lilliana stood still and silent, her dark eyes shooting straight into his heart. If he’d lost her through violence or through his own cowardice, he could imagine the pain, the shearing away of something he’d always yearn for. The bond between twins was as strong.
“Will’s alive. A year from now if he sank deeper into dealing, you might be burying him instead of watching him get arrested. I care about you. Lilliana cares about you. It’s going to be hard, but you won’t be alone.”
Hunter’s aggression morphed into something more complex. Something that spoke of a new understanding of the world, a maturity, but also a weariness. At seventeen, on the cusp of grabbing a dream, Hunter shouldn’t have to worry about having a brother in jail.
“I know someone who can help Will.” Lilliana stepped forward. The light behind her outlined her body and left her face shadowed. “Can you trust me, Hunter?”
“After what you did tonight, I’d trust you with my life.” Although the words dripped melodrama, his tone was solemn. “Both of you. Sorry I yelled, Coach.”
Alec hesitated, but something in him had fundamentally shifted the past weeks with Lilliana. He stood and pulled Hunter in for a hug, tapping his fist on the boy’s shoulder blade. “Listen, why don’t you grab some stuff and come back to Hancock House.”
Lilliana laid a hand on Hunter’s arm. “Please do. Your room is made up and ready.”
Hunter pulled his bottom lip between his teeth only emphasizing the wobble in his chin. “Ma is on her way. I can’t let her come home to an empty house.”
“Why don’t you and your mama come by the house Monday after practice? I might have a better idea where things stand then.” Lilliana patted Hunter’s arm before moving toward the door.
Alec followed. He stopped and turned at the top of the porch steps. “I know football is the furthest thing from your mind right now, but use it as a distraction. Funnel all your fear and anxiety and aggression into the game. Trust me, it helps.”
Hunter didn’t acknowledge the advice and closed the door. Alec shoved his hands into his front pockets and climbed in beside Lilliana, directing her to his truck. She idled at his bumper, yet he didn’t get out.
“Are you following me to the house?”
“If you’ll still have me.”
She leaned over and kissed him brief and hard. He took that as her answer and followed her to Hancock House, pulling in behind her. Her feet had barely touched the ground when he swept her into a cradle hold. He shut her SUV door with a foot and carried her up the porch steps.
“What are you doing?” Surprise but, if he wasn’t mistaken, also happiness made her question sound breathless.
“I’ve been an idiot.”
“We established that earlier.” The kisses she skimmed over his jaw offset her chipper agreement.
“I should have asked you out years ago instead of staring at you across the football field wondering what it would be like to be your man. So you know, the reality is better in every way.”
“Alec.” His name was barely louder than her sigh.
“I’ve been lonely for years, but it was bearable, knowing how much it hurt to be betrayed. But, after loving you, losing you would kill me. I want to sell my house and move in here with you. Screw turning Hancock House into a B&B, let’s turn it into a home instead. We can even host your hundreds of relatives every Sunday if you want.”
He caught her gasp with a kiss. A kiss of passion and promise and a hint of humor.
He put her down so she could unlock the door, but she kept hold of his jacket. “Where have your people taken Alec Grayson?”
He pressed another kiss against her, both their lips tilted in smiles. “I feel like I’ve woken up from a black-and-white dream. That’s what you’ve done for me, Lilliana, painted my life. What do you say?”
“Hell yes. I never wanted to run a B&B anyway.”
“I know.” He rumbled a laugh, but veered serious again. “You should spend your days working on your art, not cooking and cleaning for guests. You have a talent that shouldn’t be squandered.”
Her smile was watery. “That’s about the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
She fumbled with the door a few seconds before it swung open. Peace and safety wrapped around him like a treasured security blanket. The house seemed a living, breathing entity, or perhaps it was Lilliana’s spirit infusing through the wood and metal.
He flipped the door to locked and swept her up once more, carrying her up the staircase to her room. The sight of her red Chucks swinging over his arm made him smile.
Nudging her bedroom door open, he put her down on the rug and pulled the zippered hoodie down her arms. His movements became more frantic with each item of her clothing he removed. She wasn’t standing idle. Her fingers battled with the buttons of his shirt.
She transferred her attention to her jeans, stumbling back against the wall on her shimmy to remove them. The need to be inside of her smashed all thoughts of slowly making love to her. After the danger of the night, he needed to affirm they were alive and safe and together in the most fundamental way possible.
While she wrestled her pants off, he grabbed a condom and stalked back to her, rolling it over his erection. She was naked and breathing hard, still leaning against the wall. He scooped her up
and pressed her against the wall, his hands supporting her thighs. She grabbed his shoulders and circled her legs around his hips.
“Right here?” she asked breathlessly.
“Damn straight.” He ground the words out as he tried to be gentle. Gravity brought her down on him hard and fast. Her head lolled against the wall.
“Okay?” he asked hoarsely.
“Better than okay. Phenomenal. Amazing. Outstanding.”
A desperation to banish the fear and uncertainty lent the moment a gravitas he couldn’t verbalize. He circled his hips, inciting a sensual moan from her throat that heightened his arousal until he had to thrust.
Bracing her against the wall, he canted his hips back then drove forward again and again. Her nails dug into his back, and her breathy words of encouragement quickened his pace. She came apart, her hips bucking into his, her nipples hardening against his chest. The sensation of her squeezing him tight sent him over the edge with her.
The sex was quick and dirty and not at all what he’d intended. He’d taken her against a wall when a soft, comfortable bed sat ten feet away. Not that she’d complained. She hung boneless and lax between him and the wall. When he eased her feet to the floor, she leaned heavily on him before finding her footing. Dazed, she stumbled her way to the bed like a drunk, falling face-first on the comforter.
After disposing of the condom, he stared down at her. Her rounded hips and beautiful ass, the side curves of her breasts and the delicate line of her spine, the gorgeous dark mass of her hair. Starting at her ankles, he skimmed his hands up her legs, over her ass, and along her back, ending tangled in her hair. Naked, he joined her in bed, half covering her with his body.
“Is your aunt going to be okay if I move in?”
She hummed noncommittally. “She likes you.”
“Would it be easier if we got engaged or married?”
She went stiff. “Maybe, but I don’t know if I’m ready to relinquish my black sheep status yet. Are you?”
“Not yet, but the time’s coming, isn’t it?” He held his breath, waiting for an answer to his indirect question.
Melting into You Page 25
