by Ryan Michele
“You remember Landon Dane?” she asked.
“Four years older than us. Running back on the football team. Works for his father.”
“Right. He invited me here with him. He called Khloe and asked her to come too. Even told her I was with him. When Landon hung up, he had a huge smile on his face and told me Khloe would meet us there. Khloe didn’t show and Landon disappeared, leaving me in the living room not knowing a single soul.
“And you know I can talk to anyone. These people, though, weren’t the talking and chatting type. After checking my phone a billion times to see if Khloe had answered my texts, I went in search of Landon so we could leave. The vibe did not feel good. I found him making out with a short-cropped blonde. I tried to leave, and the big guy who busted down the door wouldn’t let me. He blocked me from every path, asking my name and who I was there with. I was able to get away and ran to the bathroom and locked myself in, calling you.”
I gripped her hand. “Bri! You always come with your partner. Never any guys!”
“I did. I thought…” She trailed off.
I knew exactly what she thought. That Landon was successful and showed an interest in her, therefore she went thinking he’d have her back until Khloe showed up, and we all see where that got her. Yes, strangling her might knock some sense in her. Except this was Bri, and she tended to take life as it came with no plan. Believing in people she shouldn’t.
“I…” A loud commotion started from outside the SUV. Loud grunts and curses could be heard from several different people. Some of the guys from the house were face-down on the front lawn while others were being hauled out and getting their hands tied behind their backs.
My brother had his knee in one of the men’s backs, slapping cuffs on him, while other cops were putting men inside the van that pulled up.
Jesus. This was a planned thing. Like a sting operation.
I gave it to my friend exactly how it was. “You do realize this was a raid, and you and Khloe could’ve gotten caught up in that shit?”
Bri wasn’t looking at me, though. She was staring out the window, her hand going over her mouth. Killian, dressed in all black, was coming our way, but he wasn’t alone. He had Landon, arms behind his back and a cut over his right eye. Killian had a grip on Landon’s arm so tight that when he tried to get away Killian didn’t allow him to move an inch.
Damn, he was strong.
“What’s that about?” I mumbled to Bri.
Killian didn’t even look at us. He walked right past a few paces and lifted his chin to someone. A mountain of a man came out of the shadows, grabbed Landon, and they vanished. How in the hell could big guys like these just mysteriously disappear? Maybe this was a movie, and all this shit was just for show.
One could hope, even if it were for a moment.
“I have no idea why Landon would be with Killian and not the police. I couldn’t make this up if I tried,” she answered, eyes still glued on the scenario in front of us.
“Me either.”
“Do you think Killian is going to kill him?” Bri asked, and I paused.
“What? Kill him?” A gasp came from my lips. Surely she didn’t really think this, did she?
“Yeah. I mean, you’ve heard about Killian, and he looks like he could break Landon in half.”
“Yeah. But I doubt the cops would let Landon go with Killian if he was, in fact, going to kill him.”
“True. I just want to go home now,” Bri heaved out, resting her head on the headrest. She closed her eyes like she wanted to be anywhere but here. I couldn’t blame her. I felt the same way, but I needed to get back to the bar and close things out. Not to mention, have words with Killian to find out what was going on and find my damn Jeep. My mind raced. I did the worrying, while Bri was ready for a nightcap and some shut-eye.
This night turned into a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Going from laidback at the bar helping fill drink orders, talking and having fun, to being trapped in an SUV with my best friend who I just pulled out of a party that got raided by the cops and whatever Killian was.
The driver and passenger doors opened simultaneously. The guy who grabbed Bri sat in the passenger, while Killian sat in the driver’s. Both of them gave off an energy that had the SUV pulsing, and not with happy go lucky vibes either.
Killian started the Escalade, but I needed to find out about my car. “Wait. My Jeep. It was here, but now it’s…” I stared at the blank spot. “Gone.”
“It’ll be at your place,” Killian said nonchalantly. There were so many questions floating in my head, so I let some of them rip.
“What? How?”
Passenger seat guy turned to Bri, giving her a small smirk. I had to admit, even though the man kidnapped us, he was very attractive. I might have been in a fucked-up situation, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the maleness that was sitting in front of me.
Passenger seat man had dark blond hair, espresso colored eyes, one of the hottest grins and was built.
Killian had dark hair that was cropped around his head, but longish at the top. He let it go wherever it wanted to, and it was unruly in this sexy way. His hand was on top of the wheel, pulling out onto the road. Not responding to my demands. Jerk. He could at least answer.
“Killian. Seriously. I need my car. My purse is in there.”
Killian clenched the steering wheel to the point his knuckles turned white. Guessed he was pissed, but I didn’t care. I was too, and with each second that ticked by, that fury was brewing.
After a while of silence, I broke. “Who has my car?” Note to self: Don’t leave the keys in the ignition to rescue Bri. Always put them in my back pocket.
The vehicle jerked to a stop, and Killian turned in his seat, his sapphire eyes drilling a hole through me. His face was tight, obviously not feeling like my question had merit. Too bad for him. It did. I stared back, not giving him an inch.
“One of my men is takin’ it to your place. You’re both fine. Now shut it.” He turned around, put the SUV in drive, and took off. Once again pissing me off. Who the fuck did this guy think he was?
Why the hell did he get to be pissed at me? I didn’t do anything but save my friend. Only God knew where Killian had been, what he’d been doing, yet he thought he could tell me to shut it after taking my car? Hell no! Fury boiled inside me.
“Seriously, Killian. You just told me to shut it. How about you kiss my ass?”
He shook his head slightly but said nothing.
I looked to Bri who was staying quiet for some damn reason. She loved to talk, yet here when Killian and his monster friend kidnapped us, she had nothing. Great. Just great.
Reaching over, I took her hand and held it tight, giving her comfort. This must have freaked her out a bit for her to go radio silent.
Bri looked to her phone, then turned it facedown. Obviously, Khloe hadn’t called or texted back yet.
“Fine. Want to tell us what the hell that was back there?” I fired again.
This time Killian answered, but it was short and terse. “No.”
“Too damn bad! Where did you take Landon?”
Killian’s head twitched just a bit, but he said nothing. While I knew that twitch meant something, I had no idea what. It only spurred my curiosity.
“Geeze.” My head fell back to the headrest as I closed my eyes, briefly needing to gain my control. This man was infuriating. Out of the damn blue he showed up out of the shadows, and I was supposed to roll with that because he said so?
Umm … no thank you.
The vehicle stopped, and I looked out to see a well-lit parking lot. We were at the local Spend n’ Save, and it was only a mile or so away from the bar which was good. We could get out, and I could call Corey from the bar to come and get us. There was another Escalade exactly like the one we were in parked.
“Come on,” the brute said as he opened the door. I looked at Bri in confusion, and her face was masked in concern.
“What’s go
ing on?” I asked Killian, crossing my arms over my chest. No fucking way we were getting out of this SUV with that man. I didn’t know him at all, barely knew the driver either. It had been years since I had a conversation with Killian Graham, so he was as much a stranger as the big guy. “We’re not getting out until you answer my questions.”
Killian turned around and huffed out a breath. “You aren’t going anywhere! Oliver here is takin’ Bri home.”
“What? No. That’s not happening.” I grabbed onto Bri’s hand tightly. She wasn’t leaving my side. No way was I letting her leave with some stranger. I didn’t get her out of one situation to put her right back in the middle of another one.
“Let me put this to you another way,” the asshole, Killian, started. “You pissed off some serious as shit men. Men who now probably think you were in on what happened back there. They’ll be after you. The both of you.”
My heart started thumping hard as Bri squeezed my hand. Killian continued, “That said. We’re getting you safe for the night. Going to check on a few things and need to make sure you don’t get into any more trouble. So Oliver is taking Bri home and checking her house. He’s gonna keep your friend alive while I deal with you, and maybe we can all manage a little sleep before we see what tomorrow brings.” That man so did not look like an Oliver, and I bet no one called him Ollie for short. He looked like he could rip someone in two with very little effort.
Trouble? “Trouble?” I questioned. “Are you serious right now? What ‘more’ trouble could we get into?”
Killian stared at me, and I was seriously starting to despise that irritating blank look.
I tried a different tactic, noting this wasn’t working. “How about you drop both of us at the bar instead? I’m perfectly capable of keeping myself and my best friend safe. Plus, if something feels off, I’ll call Elliot.”
“No. Out,” Killian barked at Bri. She jumped, and her hand went to the handle and pulled it.
I tugged her hand, holding her to the seat. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t think these are the bad guys, Ellie. They got us out of there, and I just want to go home. I’ll be safe with Oliver. My gut says we’re fine now.”
Bad guys. Hell, I didn’t know what kind of men these two were. Bri always followed whatever way the wind blew and what felt good to her. She wasn’t one to think things through. That free spirit was a beautiful and dangerous thing.
True, Killian and Elliot were friends in school, but that was a long damn time ago. Things changed. People changed. Life changed. Killian definitely changed. Good or bad was yet to be determined.
“Call me when you get home.” It was my turn to order Bri, knowing she was stubborn enough to fight me on this. She’d be home safe, and I would be too … at the bar.
“Got it.” She jumped out the door and rounded the hood, going to Ollie’s Escalade. Did these people have stock in Caddies or something? The rides were sleek black with chromed-out wheel wells and black tinted windows. It was like celebrities were in town, and these things were used to keep everyone out and wrapped in a safety cocoon. An awesome choice, though. I had to admit, there was no smoother ride than a Cadillac.
“If anything happens to her, I’ll cut your balls off and shove them down your throat,” I said to Killian whose only response was to put the vehicle in drive, pulling out onto the road. Bri and Ollie took off in the opposite direction.
When we got close to the bar, I called out, “Stop here. I need to go close up.”
“You’ve got people to do that,” he said, driving past the bar and not fazed in the slightest by my request. My head followed it, then snapped back as a thought hit me.
He shouldn’t know anything about the comings and goings of my bar, including who I hired and what they did. Not only that, but I was safe there.
“How in the hell would you know that?” From this angle, his profile was prominent. Strong nose and jaw with a slight scruff of a beard. Maybe a day or two stubble that gave him a sinister vibe. Much more dangerous than all those years ago. That was for damn sure. It made me wonder what the man had turned into. As much as he loved to talk, insert sarcasm here, he’d for sure tell me. Right?
He ignored my question and kept on going.
“Where are you taking me?”
He didn’t immediately reply, so I repeated my question. “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to tape your mouth shut.”
I gasped. “You will not!”
He shook his head, either in amusement or frustration. I didn’t give a shit which. If he even tried to tape me, I’d poke both his eyes out. I needed to clear my head and make a plan.
Fifteen minutes of silence later we pulled up a long gravel drive encased with trees on either side. Lit in front of us was a stunning log cabin. You know the ones built from real full-fledged logs. It momentarily took my breath at the grandness.
“Where are we?”
“My place.”
2
Ellie
“What!” It came out a screech.
This wasn’t happening. No way, no how! Did he really expect me to just say, “Sure, that’s a great idea. Let’s go to your place!” I knew nothing of this man anymore. Where he’d been. What he’d done. Who he was. This was ridiculous, expecting me to just roll over and do as he commanded. He sure as hell didn’t know me anymore.
Hell, he barely knew me in high school.
Staying with him at his place wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s all good, Ellie,” he said, putting the SUV in park and turning off the engine.
“Take. Me. To. My. Bar,” I bit out each word, my teeth clenching so hard I could hear my wisdom teeth grinding. Pissed wasn’t a strong enough word for my feelings at that moment. Infuriated didn’t even touch it either. If my head could explode, it would’ve. Who the hell did he think he was? Just because he thought this was the plan, it suddenly was reality. Well, no thank you, sir! I was a strong woman who could take care of myself!
“No,” he said calmly. How could he be calm? I wasn’t calm. I was a raging inferno of frustration.
“Take me to my goddammed bar!” The shout echoed in the SUV, my ears ringing just a touch from it. This guy was out of his ever-loving mind. Who did this kind of shit? Show up at a party, cuff a guy, and haul a woman to his house. Apparently, Killian did, and I wanted to strangle him.
He didn’t respond, which enraged me further. He didn’t even act the least bit fazed. Nope, he got out and came around to my door and opened it. “Come on,” he said.
Killian held out his hand, but I didn’t take it. This entire situation was bizarre, and he’d lost his damn mind. I hadn’t seen him for years. Why on earth would he think I’d be okay with going to his house? Sure, Killian, you’re hot; I’ll do whatever you say. Not!
“Ellie, I’m either going to pick you up and take you in, or you can walk. You choose.”
My mouth fell open. “What?” He was nuts. Certifiably nuts.
“You heard me.” He moved into my space.
I read him like a book. He was serious, and while I wanted to remain firm in my stance, the idea of being carried in, well, I would at least have my dignity even if I was losing this battle. “Fine.” Killian stopped his movements, his brow lifting. “If I come in, I want answers.”
A slow grin came to his lips, knocking the wind out of me. It was breathtaking and sexy as all hell.
This was a recipe for disaster. He had that dangerous bad boy thing written all over him, and it was one of my weaknesses. One of my many flaws was to fall for the man who would without a doubt break my heart at the end. Killian fit the type to a T.
I put a guard up to protect myself. I knew his type, and that was a road to heartache I had already traveled. No way was this man getting anything from me. Nothing.
“Come.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me from the vehicle. His hand was strong and warm, and I hated to admit it, but it felt nice. Too nice.
Killian pulled me t
hrough the front yard and up the steps. The place was amazing. More than amazing. Lights surrounded a huge wrap-around porch that had a very comfortable looking swing on it. It reminded me of one I’d seen in a magazine that I’d love to have if my porch was bigger. It looked like a bed, but was a swing with plush cushions. It was inviting, making you want to take a seat and enjoy the quietness of the night.
Killian went to the door and pulled out his keys.
Nope.
I was not going in his house. There had to be some lines drawn in the sand, and this was one of them.
He released my hand to unlock the door, so I took off to the swing. “I want to talk; we’re doing it out here.” The swing moved a bit when my round ass hit it. The pillows were big and fluffy, a mixture of reds and blacks; perfect colors. I leaned back into them as the swing rocked a bit.
If I wasn’t pissed off, I would’ve said it was more comfortable than a bed and taken a nap on it. But I was pissed, so I held onto that feeling as Killian sat his ass on the other end of the swing. We moved a bit more, and the swing felt like it was tipping his way due his large size.
The night was beautiful, and it got lost with all the commotion. I’d always preferred the evening time. The darkness always comforted me.
Killian said nothing, and it irritated me. It appeared he was one of those people you had to ask questions in order to get answers. Not a ‘sharer’. Great.
“Why were you at the party?”
“Work.”
“One-word answers. Seriously, Killian?” His smirk was out of this world sexy and reminded me of when all the girls flocked to him back in school. One flash of it and women around the world would melt. Including me, but I held strong. It took more than the bad boy edge and seductive smile to work completely on me anymore.