Silver Shield Security Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “Russ? Are you okay?”

  He blinked as Hope’s voice pulled him out of his head. She was looking at him with concern.

  “What? Yeah, I’m cool.”

  “You wanted to talk to me about something?”

  “Yeah…spending time with you and your mother yesterday got me thinking…” He let out a gust of breath. “Watching the kind and sweet person your mother is, made me think about all you lost when she was sent to jail. You could have had an ideal childhood, even if it was just you two. You should be bitter, but you’re not.”

  Just then the waiter arrived with their orders. They thanked him and waited till he was gone.

  “I was bitter,” Hope said. “When I turned eighteen, I petitioned the government for my file and got to know that she was still alive but in jail. I went to see her and let her know all the ways I hated her and how she ruined my life.” Her smile was filled with regret.

  “You were just a kid, and her choice did ruin your life,” he pointed out.

  “Yeah, well…I feel so bad any time I think of that time. I got into therapy and I’ve grown a lot. Now I’m just thankful that I can have a sort of relationship with her, no matter how limited it is.”

  “And that’s what I want to talk to you about.” He looked down at his food then looked back at Hope. Her attention was focused on him. “I’m thinking that I might want to talk to my mother.”

  Her eyes lit up with delight. “Oh, wow! That’s awesome.”

  “I haven’t made up my mind, but I am thinking about it.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand…just thinking about it is fantastic. It means you’re willing to let go of your bitterness.”

  He would not have put it quite like that, but she was right. He was willing to let go. He would probably never understand how a woman could walk out on her child that way, but everyone made mistakes. The fact that she was trying to reach him meant that she was living with regrets. That was enough punishment for anyone, he didn’t need to punish her on top of all that.

  “So, I wanted to ask if you would go with me to talk to her.”

  Her mouth fell open. She started to reply, shook her head, then fell silent.

  “Hope?”

  If she was there with him, he could face his mother calmly. For some reason he could not explain, even though the woman sometimes drove him crazy, she also soothed something inside him and that was what he needed if he was to dig up his chaotic and emotionally traumatic past.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she said at last.

  “Say you’ll come with me.”

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she said, placing a hand on her chest.

  Rusty reached for the hand, pulled it towards him and placed a kiss on her palm before letting go. She folded her hand into a fist, like she wanted to preserve his touch. The action warmed something deep inside his heart.

  “You won’t be intruding. I just need to tap into your strength,” he admitted.

  She laughed uncertainly. “I’m not strong, Russ.”

  “You are one of the strongest women I’ve ever met,” he said with conviction.

  She held his gaze for several moments then she smiled, “Okay, Rusty. I’ll go with you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hope dragged her body into the house and Rusty walked in behind her. She was so tired, yet too wired up to sleep. She would still have been at the office if Rusty hadn’t hustled her out at eight pm. After they’d returned from their lunch break, she had met pandemonium in the office as everyone ran up and down, trying to pacify irate customers and do damage control. She had gotten to work immediately and they had moved the mobile app to another server. They had lost some important content in the process, but at least the app was back online.

  “I’ll fix us something to eat,” Rusty said, hanging up his coat.

  Hope groaned as she flicked on the lights. “I’m too tired to eat. I just want to have a bath and then try to get some sleep.”

  “Can you sleep?” he asked her skeptically.

  “No, I can’t. I’m too wired up,” she admitted.

  “What you need is to unwind,” he said.

  Hope clenched her fists in frustration. “I’m just so mad!” she said through clenched teeth. “I can’t believe some heartless person out there is trying to destroy all my hard work. I’ve put everything into this business and it’s crumbling right beneath my feet and I can’t seem to do anything to stop it.” She could feel angry tears building up and she blinked them back.

  “Come here,” Rusty said.

  “What?”

  He held out his arms and waited. After a brief pause, she dropped the things in her hands on the floor and walked into his arms. She sighed when he folded them around her.

  “It’s going to be okay, Hope,” he said, running a hand over her back in comfort.

  “I don’t know,” she said, her voice muffled by his chest.

  She sighed again and relaxed against him, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat soothing her.

  “Trust me?”

  She looked up at him then. Did she trust him? Deep down in her heart, she felt a kind of peace steal over her. She did trust him, she realized. Still holding his gaze, she nodded and was rewarded by the light that gleamed in his eyes.

  “Thank you,” he said, then dropped his arms and stepped back.

  Hope felt the loss of his arms keenly. For that brief moment, she had felt like she was not alone, like she had someone batting for her team. It was a wonderful feeling.

  “I think we might be approaching this from the wrong angle,” Rusty said thoughtfully.

  “What do you mean?” she asked with a frown.

  “Go have your bath and let’s meet up here in a few. I’ll tell you then.”

  She wanted to argue, but she really could do with a bath, or in this case, a hot shower. That would be quicker. She nodded and walked up the stairs. Getting to her room, she had a quick shower and changed into one of her many yoga pants and a tank top. She had turned the heating up so she did not need to wear a sweater.

  She hurried down to the living room and found it empty. But the aroma coming from the kitchen made her stomach rumble. She wandered in and found Rusty there. She leaned against the door and watched him for a few minutes. He’d donned one of her aprons and was moving about the kitchen with an ease that surprised her. She had no idea a man could look so sexy in an apron.

  “What are you making?”

  He looked up and saw her watching him. “Just a sandwich.”

  “It smells divine, not like something that’s just a sandwich.” She strolled further in. “Can I see?”

  “Uh-uh…I’ll let you know when it’s ready,” he said, shooing her out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you go pick out a movie for us?”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m serious,” he said, barring her way.

  Hope shook her head in disgust then turned and walked back into the living room.

  Rusty watched her walk away with a small smile on his face. She was so damn adorable, and she didn’t even know it. He had known the instant she’d entered the kitchen and having her watch him that way had felt nice. She might not have realized it, but her look had been possessive. She had gazed on him like he belonged to her, and it felt damn good.

  Almost as good as the way she’d felt in his arms. When she’d looked up at him and said she trusted him, he had known then that he would do anything to keep her safe. He had never felt that way about another woman before…never expected to. But it did not feel as scary as he’d thought it would.

  Back in the living room, Hope was flicking through Netflix looking for something to watch. She saw the Fast and the Furious 8: The Fate of the Furious and clicked on that. She hadn’t had a chance to see it yet and she was sure it was something Rusty would like as well. She was proud of her extra-large TV. She’d bought it for gaming, but hadn’t had a lot of time to do that lately.

 
Just then Rusty came in with a tray loaded with sandwiches. The aroma was utterly delicious.

  “Can I ask what’s in it?” she asked, still pouting from the way he’d shooed her out of the kitchen.

  “Sure. It’s pan fried bacon and smashed avocados,” he said, setting them down on the sofa table.

  “Oh, wow…how did you know avocados are my absolutely all-time fav fruits?”

  He settled onto the sofa beside her and stretched out his legs, “I don’t know, could have something to do with the fact that you stocked the fridge with the things?”

  “Ha ha, very funny.” She turned back to face the screen. “I chose a movie I think you’ll like.”

  “Yeah? What’s it?”

  She turned to him and smiled. “A sweet little romcom.”

  Rusty placed his hand over his face and groaned, “Just kill me now.”

  “Oh, did I do something wrong?” she said anxiously. “I needed something to help me unwind and…well…” she wrung her hands helplessly. She thought it was a tad too much acting, but he seemed to be buying it.

  “No, no…it’s okay,” he grimaced. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll watch it with you.”

  “Aww…you are so sweet,” She blinked her eyes at him. Hiding a smile, she turned back to the screen and pressed play.

  They were watching silently as the screen came to life. After the first few seconds, a red car appeared on a long stretch of road in the middle of what looked like an ocean. Then the names began appearing on the screen. Vin Diesel. Dwayne Johnson. Jason Statham. By the time it got to Michelle Rodriguez, she could hear Rusty growling beside her.

  “Why, you dirty, little liar! This is no romantic comedy!”

  She burst into full laughter. “Fooled you, didn’t I?”

  He picked up one of the fluffy, bright throw pillows that littered her living room and flung it at her.

  “Is this The Fate of the Furious?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to catch it yet. You?”

  “Not yet.”

  They sat silently as the opening scene unfolded. After two minutes, Hope remembered what he’d said about finding the person behind the hacking of their site.

  “What did you mean earlier when you said we were approaching this from the wrong angle?” she asked, her eyes still focused on the screen.

  She felt his eyes on her. “We’ve been looking into the breaches and how your security was breached, but what if we need to look elsewhere?”

  She turned to face him then. “I don’t get you. Is that not where we have the problem?”

  “That is where the problem is manifesting, but that is not the source.”

  She thought about what he said. “Okay, so the hacking is from the front end and we need to look at the source code to know what’s wrong…in a manner of speaking?”

  “Yeah, and the clue that was left for us is November twenty-ninth.”

  Hope reached for the remote control and turned off the TV, since they weren’t watching anymore.

  “What are you trying to say, Rusty?”

  “I’m saying that I need to hear what happened from you, Hope.”

  “But I already gave Emily the details when I briefed your firm.”

  “Yes, and I read it in the file, but what if we missed something? There is no doubt that whatever is going on with your business is tied to what happened that day, several years ago.”

  Hope stared at him; she was filled with conflicting emotions. It was not that she had a problem talking about that night, but telling your therapist or Emily was very different from telling a man she was not only attracted to, but one she was beginning to really like as a person. It was such a private part of her life and sharing it would mean sharing a part of who she was. Then again, by taking him to meet her mother, she had already shared a part of herself with him.

  Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

  “When I was thirteen, I was moved to a new foster family. The old one relocated to Australia and they could not take me along with them, even though they really wanted to.” She thought about them, she hadn’t done so in so many years. Maybe when this was over she could reach out to them, if they still remembered her. “Anyway, I was sent to live with the Shipmans. It was clear from the beginning that they were one of those couples who took in foster kids because of the money. I was not the only kid there, there were four others. That’s where I met Jared. He was much older and for the most part, Mr. Shipman left him alone. But the rest of us were not that lucky.”

  She felt Rusty’s hands on hers and realized that she’d been wrinkling the edge of her top. She stilled and looked up at him. She could not read the expression in his eyes.

  “What happened?” he asked gently, urging her on.

  “I was the only girl there, apart from their little daughter, so I slept in the attic. Most nights, he would sneak in and force himself on me.” She had felt dirty for so long, convinced that somehow, it had been her fault. “He called me a whore and said that he was treating me the way all whores need to be treated.”

  Rusty withdrew his hands and she noticed that they were clenched by his side. She reached for them and gently unclenched his hands. Meeting his eyes, she gently shook her head. He did not need to get angry on her behalf.

  “One day, Jared found me curled up crying. I couldn’t tell him what was going on because Mr. Shipman promised to kill me if I told anyone. But somehow, he guessed. That night, he spent the night in my room and when Mr. Shipman came and tried to force himself on me, they got into a fight. I don’t know what happened, but Mr. Shipman stumbled and then rolled down the stairs. His wife ran out of their room and found him dead at the bottom of the stairs.”

  “Did Jared get into trouble for that?”

  Hope shook her head. “I made him swear not to tell anyone. Then helped him climb out the window. I was only thirteen, but Jared was sixteen already and I didn’t want him to get into trouble. I told the social worker what happened, they took me to a doctor who confirmed that I had been raped. They transferred me to another home and the case was hushed.”

  “What happened to Jared?”

  “That year, he sued for emancipation. He waited till I was eighteen then searched for me. By the time he found me, I was living on the streets. He gave me a home, made sure I finished high school, I had dropped out by then, and well, the rest is history.”

  “So he’s your family.”

  “He’s all I’ve got,” she said with a shrug.

  Rusty cupped her face with one hand. “You’ve got me now, Hope.”

  “Oh, Rusty.” She felt tears slip down her eyes as his words sank in and healed a part of her that she hadn’t even known was hurting.

  He caught the tears with the pad of his thumb, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Their eyes met and held. Hope could feel her heart beating in her chest. She was suddenly very aware of the man sitting beside her. Very deliberately, she shifted her face and pressed her lips against his.

  Rusty’s hand moved to her hair and he ran his fingers through them. Their breath mingled together as they sat there, not kissing, yet touching. Hope felt like she was going to explode. Her emotions were raw and she read in his eyes everything she was feeling. Suddenly, he moaned deep in his throat and then kissed her.

  Hope opened her mouth to give him access and he slipped his tongue inside. She moved her arm over his shoulders and down his arms, loving the feel of his biceps. Rusty ran his hands down her back, urging her closer. His hands lingered at her waist then moved back up, brushing the sides of her breast.

  She moaned and wriggled closer. Her entire body was on fire and she felt a pull deep in her abdomen that made her hungry for more. Rusty lifted her and placed her on his lap, where she sat straddling his body. That placed his erection against her heat and they both groaned at the effect.

  Hope could feel herself quickly losing control. She needed to feel him in a very bad way, and he must have felt the same way becau
se his hands moved back to her waist and slipped beneath her tank top to caress her feverish skin.

  Rusty broke the kiss and brought his lips against her throat. “Hope,” he groaned, “we can stop now.”

  Hope shifted against his hardness, igniting an intense ache between her legs. “Not yet,” she murmured, slipping her hands beneath his tee-shirt. She ran her hands up his hard chest like she’d longed to do for a very long time.

  “Oh, you’re killing me, babe,” he said, trailing his lips down her neck to her shoulder. He pushed her top to one side and nuzzled on her shoulder.

  “It’s mutual,” she said as she found the hard nubs of his nipple.

  His hands went higher up, lifting her top as he went, till her breasts were exposed. She had not bothered with a bra so there was no barrier. He pulled back to look at her and she saw admiration mixed with desire in his eyes.

  “You are so beautiful, Hope,” he said in a gruff voice.

  “Thanks,” she whispered.

  Then he carefully brought his hands to her breasts, testing their weight. Hope closed her eyes and parted her lips as a rush of desire flowed through her. She felt the wetness between her legs and knew that she was totally turned on.

  He took one tip in his mouth and sucked on it.

  Hope moaned as liquid fire passed through her veins. She clutched him to steady herself. She never wanted him to stop.

  He sucked on her nipple till she was trembling with need then moved to the other one. By the time he lifted his head, she was panting.

  “Hope, I want this to be about you,” Rusty said.

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. “I don’t understand.”

  “Trust me?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation.

  Rusty lifted her and placed her on the sofa, while he slipped off. She was laying down, facing the ceiling. She felt him begin to slip her yoga pants off and turned startled eyes to him.

  “Trust me, Hope. We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he said.

  She nodded and relaxed. He took off her pants and then lifted her legs till her center was exposed.