Fearless (Broken Love Book 5)

by B. B. Reid

  * * *

  I followed behind Dash, feeling uneasy for the first time when entering the overstated extravagance of his childhood home.

  Cale Chambers was a ruthless man.

  It was fitting that he had one of the most cutthroat legal team known in the free world. It was also known that he was hell-bent on extricating me from Dash’s life. I had become a liability issue to his family’s name. His legal team had kept me from answering for many violent and damaging offenses. There had only been one slip-thru with my stint in juvie seven years ago, but I would have been slapped with a much larger sentence if it weren’t for Cale’s lawyers—and he never let me forget it.

  I had believed then that Lake set me up, only to find out it had been a jealous team member and an ex-jumpoff. I felt the muscle in my jaw twitch at the reminder of all I had done to her because—simply put—I was a tool. If they had succeeded, not only would Lake not have been mine, but also I would have hurt her.

  “Dash, what a pleasant surprise,” the haughty voice of his mother greeted him followed by the click of her heels. She appeared looking very much like the well-kept trophy wife she was. Her gaze passed over me briefly and just as quickly, dismissed me as insignificant. She may not have despised me as much as her husband, but she never did little more than tolerate me.

  Dash brushed his lips against her cheek and took a step back, too distracted to show proper affection. “Where’s my dad?”

  “He’s in his study, as usual.” Her back stiffened as her now cold gaze flickered back to me. “What’s this about?” she asked with unmistakable exasperation in her tone.

  “Lake’s in trouble.” He missed her surprised reaction because he had already taken off for the back of the house.

  “I knew you’d corrupt that girl,” she hissed when he was gone.

  “Yeah?” I kept my emotions in check. Dash would never tolerate me tossing his mother over my shoulder and then on her ass. “You should have stopped me then.”

  It was a reminder that I didn’t like to be challenged. She huffed and stomped off, no doubt after Dash.

  I ran through the mental checklist Lake taught me after one too many jealous rages over the course of our relationship.

  1. Take a deep breath.

  2. Think about the person in front of you. Are they worth it?

  3. Think about yourself. Is it worth your freedom?

  4. Think about what you have. Is it worth losing those important to you?

  5. If any of the answers are no then release and move on.

  I still didn’t get it, but at least it was better than counting to one hundred as some dipshit counselor advised when the university ordered me to take anger management classes.

  I followed behind and found them all tense in Cale’s study. Dash must have already relayed why we were here. Cale took one look at me and instantly froze over the Arctic.

  “No.”

  Dash shook his head and calmer than I knew he was feeling inside, he stated, “That’s not an option.”

  “It’s the only option. I’m not cleaning up his mess anymore,” he shouted while pointing a finger at me in the doorway. I was having a harder time remembering Lake’s checklist more by the minute.

  “An innocent girl will go to jail, pops.”

  “She probably isn’t innocent. Have you thought about that?”

  “What the fuck? Lake’s not a murderer. You don’t even know her.”

  “But I do know they couldn’t make a legal arrest without some kind of evidence connecting her. Guilty by a little or guilty by a lot, you’re still guilty.”

  “Fine. I’ll hire him myself.”

  “I’ve been his client—his biggest client—for over twenty years. He won’t take you on without my say so. Now get the fuck out of my house.” I stood up straighter at the hateful glare he imperiled on his son.

  “I’ll liquidate.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Get your man on board, or I’ll liquidate the entire goddamn company.”

  “Bullshit. You have a board to answer to, son. They’ll never agree.”

  “Money talks, right? Especially when you’re losing it.” Cale narrowed his eyes, but Dash pretended not to notice. “What if the company makes some bad decisions? A tanked investment here and there. What if I sold off its assets one by one until there was nothing left to keep them interested. The board will do my dirty work for me, won’t they, pops?”

  Cale lunged across the table in an attempt to grab Dash’s neck. I got to him in time to pull him out of reach. Dash didn’t even flinch.

  I fought back my surprise at Dash’s threat. What he was talking was anarchy against his father.

  “Cale, do something,” his mother shrieked.

  The lengths he was willing to go humbled me. He’d be a pariah to his parents if he weren’t already.

  “I should have never given the company to you,” he said with a sneer. “You aren’t worthy of such greatness, you ungrateful shit. Now get out of my house!”

  Dash walked away without another word, and I followed behind feeling numb. His back was tense the entire walk to the car with his fists clenched at his side. He moved to open the driver’s door, but I couldn’t endure the ride back without understanding what just happened.

  “Fuck man. What was that?”

  “Insurance.”

  “That didn’t sound like insurance.”

  “He’ll come around.” He looked away as soon as the words escaped not believing them any more than I did.

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  “Then my father can consider his legacy extinct.”

  * * *

  “How did it go?” I heard as I stepped inside my brother’s home, followed by Dash. Willow must have been waiting by the door. Dash shed his coat and then pulled her as close as he could with her belly between them.

  “How do you feel about being poor again?” he asked.

  She shrugged and bit her lip. “It’s suited me for years. I’d be worried about you, though. How would you feel without your silver spoon to keep you warm at night?”

  “Who needs a spoon when I’ve got you to put in my mouth?”

  “Ew,” Sheldon groaned as she walked by eating a bowl of cereal. “Guys, I’m right here and your niece could hear.”

  “Shouldn’t she be asleep?”

  “She is. But I’m saying, hypothetically, what if she did hear your nastiness?”

  “It wouldn’t be any more traumatizing than witnessing the actual act.” Dash visibly shuddered, and Willow hid her face in his chest as her shoulders shook.

  “You’re welcome for the pointers,” Keenan shouted from somewhere.

  “Guys,” I interrupted. “My girlfriend.”

  “Right.” Sheldon flopped on the large recliner and took another bite of her cereal. “So what do we do now without Dad on our side?”

  “I don’t know, but we need to get a lawyer on this first thing. Has anyone called her aunt and Jackson?”

  “I tried calling them, but they are vacationing in the Bahamas. I couldn’t get through,” Willow answered.

  “Fine time to vacation in the Bahamas,” Keenan griped as he walked into the living room. His hair was wet and his chest was bare.

  “Dude, put some clothes on,” Dash growled and actually covered Willow’s eyes.

  “My house,” he mumbled back. “It’s not my problem if your woman sees something she likes.” Willow took that time to snatch Dash’s hand away, and Keenan took the opportunity to wink in her direction.

  “Now is not the fucking time.” My voice rose with each word until it felt like the world shook around me. They each looked contrite enough for me to actually feel my blood flow again.

  “Sorry. It’s just hard to believe Lake did this. What if the police are just trying it to screw with you?”

  “Are you asking if I did this?”

  Willow met my stare squarely and said, “Did you?”

  “I did not kill
Mitch,” I admitted slowly. I looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. They all nodded, but I could sense their doubt. “Do you think I would let them take her from me if I were guilty?” I knew the moment realization dawned.

  “Well, we aren’t going to know anything until we get Lake out of there. Dash, what about the company’s lawyers?”

  “They’re corporate. Their expertise is business so they won’t be much help.”

  Willow’s eyes lit up as she lifted her head from Dash’s chest. “I think my dad can help. He’s just as powerful as your dad is. I think I can convince him to put his legal team on this.”

  “Shit.” He snapped his fingers and kissed Willow’s lips. “I’ll make the call,” he offered, perking up. “But I want you in bed. Keenan, can we use your spare room?” Hearing that was still strange. It was a little surreal knowing that my little brother had a family and my room had become a spare in my late uncle’s home.

  “Yeah, man. You know where it is.”

  Dash lifted Willow, who looked barely awake, in his arms and started for the stairs. “Guys,” Sheldon started, looking pained. “What are we going to do if she did it?”

  They all turned to face me for an answer, but all I felt was an overbearing constriction in my chest.

  What was I going to do?

  Chapter Four

  LAKE

  SEVEN MONTHS AGO

  I wanted this motherfucker dead. I gripped the wooden handle until my hand ached and willed my feet forward. He watched me with a taunting leer as I approached his bedside. It wasn’t until I was near him that I raised the knife from under my shirt.

  Quick and clean and it would be over.

  His eyes lost the mocking glint at the sight of the knife.

  I felt powerful and doomed all at once. Powerful for doing what needed to be done and doomed because the cost would be my soul.

  Once I took his life, there would be no turning back, but it had to be done. I had a love to protect.

  “Think about what you’ll be giving up.” He sneered.

  “No, Mitch. I’m thinking about what I intend to keep.” I blinked hard to clear my vision of tears and lifted the knife to strike. I aimed for his heart and struck, but I didn’t hear his cry of pain or see his blood escape. My knife never even pierced his flesh.

  Mitch didn’t die.

  “Lake, what the fuck, girl?”

  Shit. Shit. Shit!

  I quickly recovered and snatched my arm out of Q’s grip and faced him. “What the hell are you doing here?” This was bad. Real bad. He would tell Keiran I was here and what I almost did.

  “I could ask you the same, so I will. What the hell did I just catch you doing? You’re a killer now?”

  “I learned from the best.”

  “You learned nothing, and the fact that you’re this stupid place tells me you don’t even have a clue.”

  “Then tell me, Q. What am I not getting?” I had almost forgotten Mitch was in the room, but I could feel him watching us.

  “Keiran is fucked up. I’m fucked up. Do you want to be fucked up, too?”

  “It’s just one man, and Keiran isn’t fucked up. Not anymore.”

  “If you really believed that then why are you here?”

  “Because if I don’t kill him, I’ll lose Keiran forever.” I choked before I could complete the admission, but it didn’t matter because I felt the threat of it all the same.

  Q’s eyes flashed with sympathy as he swept a stray hair behind my ear. If Keiran were here, he’d probably break his hand despite the innocence of the act. “This was stupid, girl. Keiran has killed, but he’s no professional. It would be hard for even him to pull this off and you’re about to kill a man in broad daylight with more than enough people in this facility to catch you.”

  I felt the weight of his words on my shoulders and slumped against him. “What am I supposed to do? He can’t live.”

  “I agree.”

  I felt a chill run down my spine at the change in his tone and looked up. I had expected him to argue but in his eyes, I only saw murder. But then he blinked and the haze cleared. He pulled me across the room until I was standing in the far corner.

  “But this isn’t your kill.”

  My stomach turned at the thought of leaving Mitch alive. I couldn’t accept this. Q pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped it around his hand. His thin undershirt had lifted, uncovering his stomach when he stretched. I tried not to gawk at the brief glimpse of his physique, but Q was seriously cut into sharp, hard planes. I didn’t feel lust, but I did feel girlish admiration for his male form.

  “I need to get rid of any prints.”

  “If I may interject—” Mitch spoke for the first time since Q had shown up.

  “You don’t have an opinion, bitch. You’re dead.” The room felt like I had climbed twenty-nine thousand feet up to the death zone. I couldn’t breathe, but the sound of my name brought me back to life again.

  “Lake,” Q growled. He gripped me by my arms and shook me. “You need to get out of here. Now,” he added when I didn’t move.

  “Me? What about you?”

  “I’ll take care of everything.”

  “What about Keiran?” It was a struggle to maintain eye contact, but I managed. His stare was invasive and cold.

  “What about him?”

  “Are you going to tell him a—about this?”

  I could see the internal struggle as his eyes shifted. I was asking him to lie to his best friend. It wouldn’t be easy to convince him but he had to know Keiran finding out about this would be bad for everyone.

  “I’m an accomplice to your lie now. The last thing I want to do is make an enemy out of him. He saved my life.”

  God, I felt like such an asshole. I had tainted their friendship and created an invisible rift between them.

  “You need to go. Don’t make me say it again.”

  He nudged me to the door, but I couldn’t convince my feet to move. I took one last look at Mitch, who stared right back and winked.

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  * * *

  PRESENT

  I asked to make a phone call, knowing I needed a lawyer and fast, but was answered with an angry glare. That had been twelve hours ago and still no phone call. Today was Sunday so I knew I wouldn’t be before a court until tomorrow, which meant another night in this place. I had already been interrogated twice. The second round had been a string of angry threats and accusations.

  They knew I was there when Mitch was killed.

  I was a murderer.

  I’d spend the rest of my life in jail.

  They’d even gone as far as to taunt me with the possibility of Keiran breaking up with me over the loss of his father. It took everything I had not to snort at that one. He would be angry that I lied and put myself at risk, but he wouldn’t mourn a single second over the loss of his father.

  “Monroe.” Hearing my name called with hostility brought me back to a time when I was afraid of my own shadow. I reminded myself that girl was gone and met the officer’s stare. “Your lawyer is here. You’re free to go.”

  “My lawyer? Are you sure?”

  He didn’t bother to answer and placed the cuffs around my wrist through the space built into the bars before releasing me from my bacteria infested confines. For the hours I spent caged inside, I had more than enough time to conjure up all manner of grime that likely infiltrated my skin by now.

  My heart rate accelerated with each step. The guard released me from my cuffs and I collected my clothes in a clear ziplock bag, changed, and was signed out in less than fifteen minutes. I remained stunned and silent through it all.

  “Fourteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds. Good job, boys. You get to keep your jobs after all.” A large man with salt and pepper hair and an exceptionally white smile hurried to my side. When he extended a hand, the cuff of his jacket pushed back, revealing a large Rolex. This man was money, which meant he meant business. “Hello, Mis
s Monroe. I hope you are well.”

  “How—who are you?” I looked around waiting for the punch line.

  “Thompson of Thompson & Bain. I’ll be taking your case.”

  “Who hired you?”

  “Keiran Masters. I’m a friend of a friend of a friend.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I represent Richard Simon’s legal matters.”

  My shoulders relaxed. Willow must have called her dad. “Where is everyone?”

  “Outside. They thought it would be best to wait outside. Just in case things didn’t go as planned,” he added at my look of confusion. I knew what he wasn’t saying. We all knew it was better to keep Keiran as far away from police as possible.

  Take a deep breath.

  Release.

  Before leaving the precinct, Thompson instructed me to appear in court by nine sharp and not to leave town. It was a condition of my unusual release.

  “Ok. Let’s go.” I was eager to get this over with. I wasn’t going to run away from Keiran this time. I stuck my hand in my pockets to keep them from shaking and pushed the door open with my hip. I’d forgotten I hadn’t seen daylight for almost twenty-four hours and immediately, used one of my hands to shield my eyes from the sun.

  “Damn, man. That was quick,” I heard Dash speak from my right. My eyes were still adjusting, but my body had already sensed Keiran. I felt him move closer. The heat of his body scorched me faster than the sun.

  When my eyes were finally adjusted, I witnessed the emotionless set of his face. His eyes were the exact opposite. I was completely enthralled by the storm raging inside.

  “Come with me,” he growled.

  He didn’t give me a chance to speak as he took my arm, leading me to his car parked nearby. I attempted to gauge his mood, but he avoided meeting my gaze, so I was left wondering as he got in and drove off. My phone buzzed shortly after with a text from Willow.

  I glanced at Keiran in the driver’s seat. The muscle in his jaw clenched, and his knuckles were nearly white as he gripped the steering wheel. The engine of the car raced as he pushed it faster than the speed limit allowed.

  Don’t go home with him, Willow’s text said.