Breathless

by HELEN HARDT

  “Who do you want to invite, son?”

  “Justin. He’s new at school.”

  “Why do you want to invite him?”

  “He got beat up by Taylor and the other bullies. Joe and I had to rescue him.”

  “You know I don’t want you getting into fights.”

  “We didn’t. Joe and I are the biggest kids in third grade, so we told Taylor we’d crush his skull if he ever bothered Justin again.”

  My father smiled then but quickly changed to a stern expression. “Maybe Justin should fight his own battles. You and Joe won’t always be there to bail him out.”

  “We weren’t there, Daddy. We found out about it later. That’s when we told Taylor to leave him alone.”

  “Let me think about it, Bryce.”

  “Please?” I’d already told Justin he could come along, so I had to get my father to agree.

  “I said I’d think about it. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

  I well-remembered Taylor Johns and his band of bullies. The rest of them didn’t seem to have names. I’d known them at the time, but Taylor, as their leader, overshadowed the rest of them. They were just brawn. Nine-year-old brawn. I couldn’t help a chuckle. They’d left me alone because I was Joe’s best friend, and no one messed with a Steel. Of course, it helped that we were the biggest boys in the class too.

  We told Taylor we’d crush his skull if he ever bothered Justin again.

  Crush his skull? Where had I learned a phrase like that at nine years old? Not from a video game, as children these days might. From a movie? Possibly.

  Or perhaps from a conversation I’d overheard once…

  Damn. The memory was a sliver on the rim of my brain, trying to push its way in. I was young, so young, and the words had come from…

  Damn.

  My father had relented the next day and allowed Justin to accompany us. It was the only time another child had ever come along on one of our trips. The trips had begun when Joe and I met in first grade, and they had continued through high school, until we both went off to college.

  My father had taught us how to shoot a pistol and a rifle, had shown us how to track animals and hunt them, had taught us how to fish.

  Had taught us how to be men.

  We’d learned the value of hard work and prosperity from Joe’s father, Bradford Steel. I’d spent many summers helping on the ranch, earning more than my allowance and building muscles along the way.

  But the things all little boys should learn from the men in their lives? How to defend yourself and live off the land?

  Those skills had come from Tom Simpson.

  My father. The man whose DNA accounted for half of me.

  Bringing Justin camping had been my idea. Joe and I had felt sorry for him, had wanted him to have something fun after being such a target for the school bullies. Camping and fishing with my dad was the highlight of the week for Joe and me. We went some weekends, with two longer trips each year in spring and fall.

  We could do something nice for someone. After all, that was what my mom always taught me to do.

  So we’d brought along the new kid, the scared kid, the kid who’d been ripe for the picking. The kid who was the perfect prey for bullies.

  And though I hadn’t known it at the time, my father was the biggest bully in Snow Creek.

  Chapter Forty–One

  Marjorie

  Bryce sat directly across from me, deliberately not meeting my gaze. Not that I expected him to. Oddly, he was keeping his eye on Joe, who was still acting strangely.

  Talon and Jade were quiet as well, but I expected that after Dale’s issues. They were at least themselves. Quiet, but themselves.

  I watched Bryce and my oldest brother.

  Something was going on.

  If only Jade and I had been able to talk to Colin, maybe we’d know more. Bryce was supposed to talk to Ted Morse today, and if he had, whatever was going on with him and Joe was most likely related.

  Bryce had hardly touched his burger, and though Joe was eating, he wasn’t making eye contact with anyone, and he answered in one-word replies when someone spoke to him. Melanie and Ruby sat next to each other and were chatting animatedly, to the point where Mel didn’t seem to notice that her husband was acting strangely. That wasn’t like her. Ryan was his usual self, laughing and talking to whomever would listen. He sat next to Donny and kept him engaged.

  That left me to sit quietly and eat my burger.

  I felt like the little girl who had to sit alone at lunch with everyone watching her.

  In truth, though, no one was watching me.

  I was the last person on anyone’s mind at the moment, so after I finished eating, I began clearing the table as others finished.

  No one noticed.

  I went inside to clean up in the kitchen. Dessert was ice cream, and they could all serve themselves when they wanted to. I was done for the night. I went to my bedroom to relax a bit. No one would miss me.

  Until a soft knock at the door startled me.

  “Yeah? Come in.”

  I jerked when Bryce entered the room. “Hey,” I said.

  “I’m taking off,” he said. “I just wanted to say thanks for dinner.”

  “Oh? I thought you’d stay to talk to the guys about what went down with Dale today.”

  “I thought about it, but it’s not really my place.”

  “Sure it is. You’re as involved in this as any of the rest of us.”

  “Don’t remind me.” He rubbed at his chin. “So are you, though. Why aren’t you in there?”

  “They’re not going to talk about anything I don’t already know. To be honest, I need a break from it all. It’s been a rough day.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. How did your talk with Colin go?”

  “It didn’t. The timing overlapped with Dale, so we canceled.”

  “Oh.” He gazed around my room absently, as if trying to zero in on something but not quite finding it.

  “Honestly,” I went on, “with this new development with Dale, I’m not sure talking to Colin is the best thing for Jade.”

  “You might be right.”

  I lifted my brow. I hadn’t expected that response from Bryce. He’d been all in on getting information from the Morses previously. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. I’m not sure the Morses have anything of value for us.”

  “That’s right. You talked to Ted today. It didn’t go well?”

  “He’s just looking for a payoff,” Bryce said. “He doesn’t know anything.”

  “Oh. That’s good, I guess. We don’t need anything else going down right now. Not with Dale being troubled and Jade still having a rough pregnancy.”

  “Yeah.” He cleared his throat.

  Now what? He made no move to leave. I wanted to spend time with him, but I could hardly make a move when my entire family was in the house. “So…uh…you’re welcome.”

  His forehead wrinkled. “For what?”

  “You came in to thank me for dinner. Remember?”

  “Oh. Yeah.” His cheeks went pink.

  Damn, he was so good-looking! I wanted to cup those rosy cheeks, let his sandy stubble prickle my fingertips. Kiss those firm lips, touch those broad shoulders.

  He still didn’t move.

  I bit my lip. “Well…good night.”

  No words, and no movement.

  “Bryce?”

  He turned and met my gaze, his blue eyes sparkling. “I can’t get you out of my mind.”

  My skin tightened around me as I warmed all over. I bit my lip once more.

  “Nothing to say?” he asked.

  “What do you want me to say? You’ve made it clear that there can’t be anything between us.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So there’s nothing to say.”

  He walked toward me, taking my hand. “But there is.”

  I gulped. “Then…what?”

  “I want you to remember. I want you to remember everythin
g. How it felt when we kissed, when we touched each other. How you felt, Marjorie, when you came in my arms.”

  Another gulp. “You’re not making this easy,” I said.

  “Damn it.” He pulled me close, meeting my gaze, his own on fire. “I don’t want to make it easy. I want it to be hard for you. As fucking hard as it is for me.”

  Third gulp. “It is.”

  “Is it?” His fiery gaze made me hot all over. “Is it?”

  I nodded.

  “Because from where I stand, I could walk away from this house, this city, this state, and you’d go on as if nothing had happened between us. As if we hadn’t made explosive love twice. Twice, baby. Twice. And it was earthmoving.”

  “How can you—” I stopped, gathering my emotions before I let them get the best of me. “How can you say that?”

  “You let me walk away.”

  “You walked away on your own, Bryce. Do you really think I have any control over what you do? I made it clear for you that I was falling for you, and—”

  His mouth came down on mine ferociously. I tried to hold back, honestly I did, but my lips opened anyway, inviting him in.

  Inviting him in as I always would.

  Feelings coiled in my belly, feelings I’d denied for the sake of my own sanity. Bryce wanted me yet didn’t want me, but this kiss… This amazing, heart-pounding kiss… All our kisses had been magical, but this one had turbulence jolting through me, making my skin hot and cold at the same time. Arrows of passion and desire catapulted through me, landing in my pussy. Already I was wet and near orgasm.

  Already I was prepared to shed my clothes and fuck him hard. Hard and fast.

  I moaned into his mouth, moving my legs around his hard thigh, finding the friction I craved.

  Then—

  He pulled away urgently. “I can’t.”

  I didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. I was too busy panting. When I finally caught my breath, I rubbed my lips. “Fine,” I said.

  “Fine?”

  “What do you want me to do, Bryce? Throw myself at you just so you can tell me again that it won’t happen? Let you fuck me again so you can leave? I’m sorry, but it’s getting old.”

  I hoped he believed my lie. One more kiss like that, and I’d let him do whatever he wanted. Tie me up. Dress me like a nurse. Make me call him Daddy. I didn’t care.

  “I… You…”

  “You’re going to have to finish a sentence,” I said.

  He nodded. “I should go.”

  “Yeah, you should.”

  He didn’t move.

  “Tell you what. We’ll both go. Let’s go see what my brothers are talking about.” I looked quickly in the mirror above my dresser, finger-combed my hair, and then left.

  Chapter Forty–Two

  Bryce

  I followed her.

  She was falling for me.

  She’d as much as said it.

  I was at once elated and crushed. I’d fallen for her long ago, when I’d seen how good she was with Henry. I just hadn’t been able to admit it to myself. All the “baby sister” stuff had gotten to me, and then, once I found out about my father…

  She deserved better.

  The guys were in Talon’s office, and we knocked before entering.

  “Hey,” Joe said to me. “We thought you’d left.”

  “I was going to, and then I ran into Marj and she suggested we join you.”

  “Of course,” Talon said. “We had assumed you both would.”

  “We’re just talking about what happened with Dale,” Ryan said. “How we can find out who this guy is who spooked him.”

  I nodded and sat down in one of the leather chairs. Marj sat next to me.

  “We’re going to contact Mills and Johnson,” Ryan continued. “They seem to be able to ferret out anything.”

  I nodded again. Trevor Mills and Johnny Johnson had been integral in helping the Steels solve the mystery of Talon’s abduction. They were high-paid mercenary PIs. The cops called them. Joe had already suggested getting them to check my house for surveillance.

  Oh, shit…

  I looked over to Joe. He was deliberately not making eye contact with me.

  I understood why. The last thing he and I needed was Mills and Johnson poking around. If they uncovered what Ted Morse allegedly had, Joe and I would have a lot to answer for.

  Answers that wouldn’t make us look good.

  We were innocent. We both knew that. We’d been little kids, for God’s sake.

  But we weren’t nine anymore, and we’d been sitting on a secret for thirty years—a secret that could have outed my father long ago and saved so many, including Talon Steel, from physical, sexual, and emotional torment.

  How had we forgotten? How had my father made us forget?

  “Why not have the cops investigate?” I asked. “Why spend the money on PIs?”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying,” Joe said, finally meeting my gaze. “My brothers won’t hear of it.”

  “I agree with Tal and Ry,” Marj said. “Why trust the cops to find the guy when we know the best PIs out there?”

  “It’s a lot of money,” I said, knowing the argument would fall on deaf ears. Since when did the Steels have to worry about money?

  “It’s not your money, dude,” Ryan said. “Let us worry about that.”

  I could say no more. I knew I’d lose this battle. Joe remained quiet, his lips pursed. He knew as well. Mills and Johnson would be on the case, and soon. If he continued to argue the point, his brothers would get suspicious.

  We couldn’t have that. Not yet. Not until we knew exactly what we were dealing with.

  I cleared my throat. “Have you thought about having this office swept for bugs?”

  “Bugs?” Talon said. “Why?”

  “I told you why. Because Ted Morse told me that the federal investigation was still open.”

  “Why would they bug us?” Ryan asked. “We’re the victims. And our father is dead.”

  “Actually,” Joe said, “I agree with Bryce. We can’t be too cautious. Not after everything that’s gone down. They got to Felicia, remember?”

  “Yeah,” Ryan said. “And those three guys are all dead.”

  “But if the investigation is still open,” I said, “there might be others. And if Dale truly thinks he saw someone he recognized, someone might still be out there. After all, you guys brought them down. Someone might have a bone to pick.”

  Joe nodded slightly at me but said nothing. He and I knew well how to communicate without words. He wouldn’t back up my statement. It would look too obvious. But he agreed.

  “Actually,” Marjorie piped in, “I think Bryce has a good point. If you’re hiring Mills and Johnson, what would it hurt to have them check all of our buildings and homes for hidden bugs?”

  “You nervous about something, Sis?” Ryan asked.

  “Well…yeah. Dale is totally spooked, and that has Jade and me spooked. We need to protect those little boys above all else.”

  “Enough said,” Talon agreed. “You’re right, Bryce. We’ll have everything checked.”

  I resisted the urge to sigh in relief. Joe gave me another of his unspoken “good job” looks.

  I couldn’t take all the credit. Marjorie had backed me up. If their baby sister was spooked, the Steel brothers would act.

  She’d never know how much she’d come to Joe’s and my aid. We needed to know if any of the Steel properties were bugged. We’d already discussed checking my house and cars. The house wasn’t a huge concern. Mom, Henry, and I would officially be moved out within a few days. But our cars? They needed to be swept.

  Mills and Johnson could sweep for bugs better than anyone in the field. The fact remained, though… Once they’d eliminated any bugs, they’d start digging into our past again. I shuddered to think of what they might find. Those details that Joe and I had never known.

  I’d talk to Joe and figure it out later. I listened with one ear as the
conversation turned back to Dale’s purported stalker. Most of me was focused on the woman sitting next to me, the woman I wanted to drag off to bed and ravage more than I wanted my next breath of air.

  Wouldn’t happen tonight. Melanie, Ruby, and Jade were in the family room talking and drinking nonalcoholic wine. And of course her three big and burly brothers were also here.

  Not a problem, as I was interrupted by my phone vibrating against my thigh. I looked quickly.

  A text from my mom.

  Come home now. Need to talk.

  “What? Is Henry all right?” I demanded as I walked into our home.

  I’d tried calling my mother as I drove home frantically, but she didn’t answer.

  “Henry’s fine,” she said, clearly on edge.

  “Thank God.” I sighed in relief. “Then what’s going on? Why didn’t you pick up the phone?”

  “I didn’t hear it ring.” She glanced at her cell phone sitting on the table and then picked it up. “I’m sorry. I turned it off, I guess.”

  “You don’t turn your phone off after sending a text, Mom.” I gestured her to be quiet when she opened her mouth to argue. “Now what’s going on?”

  “Henry’s mother. She’s in Denver. And she wants to see him.”

  A brick hit my gut. Francine “Frankie” Stokes was a Las Vegas showgirl with long legs, fake tits, and a killer smile. My beautiful son was the result of a drunken one-nighter. She’d relinquished her parental rights, and I’d taken sole custody of Henry.

  She’d promised to stay out of his life and leave us alone.

  “Did you tell her no?”

  “Of course not. She’s his mother.”

  “His mother who relinquished all rights to him. He’s my son now. Not hers.”

  “You have sole custody,” she said. “Would it be too much to ask for her to see him?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t understand. You’re not a mother.”

  “Since when do you have such sympathy toward Henry’s mother? What kind of woman gives away her son?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t want her here any more than you do, but she sounded desperate.”