Hagen’s mouth settled into an annoyed line. “If you don’t close your account with me by the fourteenth of June, it’s going to roll onto Jackie Boy’s books—and you really don’t want that.”
“What do you propose?”
“Give me the building and we’ll call it even. I’ll take the hit and settle the balance out of my own pocket.”
“What’s so important about the building?” Jack asked. “You wouldn’t take the hit unless you wanted it.”
“It’s not the building. It’s the land.”
“It’s not for sale,” Jack reminded him.
“You’re not in a position to be making that decision, Jack.”
“We have a few weeks to settle the debt, and we will. You’re not getting our building or the land it sits on, Hagen.”
The loan shark jotted something down on a notepad, ripped the sheet free and folded it in half. “Your balance.”
Jack snatched it from his hand but didn’t look at the amount written there. “You’ll get your money.”
“It’s not personal, Jack. It’s only business.” Hagen sounded almost apologetic. Maybe he wasn’t the cruel monster his dark reputation would have them believe.
Without another word, the three brothers left the bar and congregated between their two vehicles. Jack finally opened the sheet of paper and swore loudly. He slapped it against Finn’s chest and stalked away from them. From the way Finn paled, Kelly could tell the number written there was much more than they had expected.
When Finn passed the paper to him, Kelly reluctantly glanced at the figure. “Jack’s going to kill Pop over this.”
“I gave Pop a couple hundred bucks and told him to lay low. We won’t be seeing him for a while.”
Crumpling up the paper, Kelly stuffed it into his pocket and fished out his keys. “If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away.”
Jamming his key into the ignition, Kelly hoped this was the last bit of shit news he would receive today. Of course, the way the week was going, he figured a damn plane was about to fall out of the sky and crush his truck. Only the knowledge that Bee waited for him kept him from marching right back into Hagen’s bar for a stiff drink.
Thinking of his earlier quip about stress relief, Kelly couldn’t wait for the day to end. Tonight, he was going to make love to Bee until she passed out from sheer exhaustion or his legs gave out.
Chapter Nine
“Okay, ladies, that’s it for tonight.” Jack Connolly clapped his hands together at the front of the room. “We’ll meet up again on Wednesday. Y’all did great. If you have any questions, come find me on your way out.”
Did Jack’s compliment extend to me? I had a bad feeling Kelly’s oldest brother wasn’t very pleased with my performance in his self-defense class.
“Bee?” Jack crooked a finger at me. “Let’s talk.”
Biting my lip, I joined the sternest of the Connolly brothers in a corner of the room. Winn followed close behind and rubbed his still-red nose. I winced sympathetically at the reminder of my elbow accidentally jamming right into it as we practiced an evasive maneuver together.
Knuckles on his hips, Jack sighed. “Bee, what am I going to do with you?”
Wringing my hands, I tried to explain myself. “I’m sorry. I’m just really clumsy. I mean—seriously—I was, like, ten years old before Jeb and Mom took the training wheels off my bike.”
Jack snorted with amusement. “After watching you trip over your own feet coming in here, I’m not surprised. What the hell was all that laughing when we were escaping holds?”
“He tickled me.” I gestured to my bodyguard.
“I absolutely did not,” Winn stridently defended himself. “I grabbed her around the waist.”
“And it tickled,” I countered. “Then you squeezed me tighter, and I couldn’t stop laughing.”
“Let’s keep that to ourselves,” Jack suggested. “As amped up as Kelly is after his training sessions, he’ll blow a damn gasket at the thought of your bodyguard getting so hands-on.” His gaze shifted to something just over my shoulder. He raised his hand as if to let someone know he was coming before dropping his gaze back to me. “Look, the first few classes are always the hardest. You’ll get the hang of it.”
Left with Winn, I glanced at my bodyguard and winced again. “You’re bleeding, Winn.”
He scowled and gingerly touched his nose. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
While Winn ducked into the nearest restroom, I grabbed my backpack, dug out my metal water bottle, and took a long sip. I was dabbing at the beads of sweat along my hairline when a woman from the class struck up a conversation with me.
“I’m Abby.” Short like me, she smiled and held out her hand. “You’re new in class.”
“Yes. I’m Bee.” I shook her hand. “Have you been in this class long?”
“A few weeks,” Abby answered. Almost nervously, she glanced around the room. “We had an attempted break-in at our shop, so I decided I needed to learn to protect myself. What about you?”
I debated how much to tell her. “I’ve got a stalker.”
“Seriously?” She peeled the hot pink elastic band from her sagging ponytail and combed her fingers through her black hair to gather it into a low bun. “That’s crappy. Is it because of your company?” She must have seen the distrust in my eyes. “Sorry. I recognized you from that article in the paper last month. You created LookIt, right?”
“Yes. Do you use it?”
“All the time! It’s one of my favorite places to hangout online and network with other artists.”
“Oh! So you’re an artist?”
“A photographer,” Abby said. “Well—I’m trying, at least. Right now, I manage my family’s pawn shop. I squeeze in classes whenever I can.”
As we chatted about the Houston art scene, I noticed the way Jack kept glancing our way. He was talking with two other women in the class and seemed to be struggling with giving them his full, undivided attention. At first, I thought he was keeping an eye on me while Winn was dealing with his bloody nose, but then I realized his gaze was trained on Abby.
Like Kelly, he had a hard face to read. I suspected their abusive childhoods might have had something to do with that. Perhaps it was a coping technique or a defensive mechanism to keep their faces such expressionless masks.
The look in his eyes, however, was easy enough for me to decipher. It wasn’t simple lust or attraction burning in his green eyes. No, Jack was staring at Abby with the same sort of protective desire often reflected in Kelly’s gaze. Was she in trouble? Maybe the break-in?
“Anyways,” she said, “I should really get going. It was nice to meet you. I’ll see you on Wednesday?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Bye.”
“Bye.” Sipping my water, I watched Jack gently disentangle himself from the two women he’d been chatting with so he could talk to Abby. He seemed completely oblivious to the fallen faces of the women or their irked expressions. The sweet smile he offered Abby reminded me of the one Kelly often had for me.
I couldn’t tell if my new friend was even aware of Jack’s interest in her. Unlike the preening duo who had done their best to get as close to him as possible while chatting, Abby kept a little distance between her body and Jack’s. Judging by his gesture, he was offering to walk her out but she declined. He overrode her protest, and she reluctantly accepted his help.
Interesting…
“Where is Winn?”
Kelly’s gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.
“Bee?”
Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, “He’s in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose.”
He
looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. “Way to go, sweetheart.”
“Um…not exactly. It was an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Well, it tickled and I started laughing—”
Eyes narrowed, he asked, “What tickled?”
“Winn’s hold on me.”
“I see.” His lips twitched, and I knew he wasn’t angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, “I’ll have to keep that in mind…for later.”
At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. “Oh?”
“We’ll practice some of the holds Jack showed you.”
“Holds, huh?” I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?
Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face, but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action.
I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn’t last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.
Remembering Jack’s lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted, and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.
Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly’s back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, “Bee.”
Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, “Kiss me.”
He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue between his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.
A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn, who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.
Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. “You know, I’m pretty sure that’s not a self-defense technique I teach.”
Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. “You’d have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did.”
Jack laughed and shook his head. “That’s exactly the sort of reputation Connolly Fitness needs.”
Kelly disentangled our limbs and pushed off the mat. He grasped my hand and hauled me to my feet. The swooping sensation in my belly strengthened when he captured my lips in a possessive kiss. His body heat drew me even closer. It was all I could do not to leap up onto him and beg him to take me home right now.
Kelly gently separated himself from me and grabbed the bag he’d dropped. Picking up my backpack and water bottle, I headed for the door but paused to playfully thump Jack’s chest. “Maybe you could ask Abby to be your partner for demonstrating that move.”
Jack’s cheeks actually flushed. He hastily averted his gaze. “I don’t think so.”
Wondering at his strange response, I decided not to push it. The last thing I wanted to do was to cause him pain with my teasing. I tapped his chest and drew his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
He waved his hand. “It’s cool. It’s…complicated.”
Glancing back at Kelly, I reminded him, “I’ve been there.”
Jack chuckled. “Sweetheart, you’re still there.”
Certain complicated was the best adjective to describe the relationship blossoming between us, I let Jack’s remark slide. Kelly still hadn’t bothered with a shirt as he placed his hand between my shoulder blades and escorted me out of the gym with Winn a few steps behind us.
“How did your training go?” I asked as we crossed the parking lot to his parked truck. The hour of his grueling session that I had been able to witness before my self-defense class started had been rough. His physical prowess inside the ring had awed me. I wasn’t very fond of the aggressive, harsh way Alexei treated him, but I had reminded myself that he was only trying to prepare Kelly for the brutality that awaited him.
“I did decently.” Even as he spoke, his gaze scanned the area. “Alexei is a brutal taskmaster, but he knows his stuff. I may not be as good as Sergei, but I’ll be good enough to get to the final match.”
“And then what? You hope to win enough from the earlier matches to settle the debts?” The Connolly brothers’ plan didn’t sit well with me. There were too many unknown variables and too much riding on Kelly winning to save them. Yuri’s suggestion rattled around in my head. Was he right? Was it better to act now and simply ask forgiveness later?
“That’s the general idea,” Kelly muttered, his gaze fixed on a corner of the lot. Something must have put him on alert because he went rigid. I gasped when he unexpectedly grabbed the front of my shirt and flung me behind him. He backed me up against his truck and put his body between mine and whatever danger he had noticed.
Fully aware he needed to be able to move freely, I fought the panicked urge to grip his arms. “What’s wrong?”
Before he could answer, the sounds of a scuffle met my ears. Winn’s harsh voice echoed in the still night. “On the ground! Now!”
Holding my breath, I desperately prayed nothing bad would happen to my guard. Kelly pushed back against me, not quite crushing me, but making sure his wider, bigger body shielded me totally. Running footsteps pounded the paved lot. Soon, Finn and Jack’s voices joined the fray.
“All clear!” Winn called out. “He’s unarmed.”
“Who is it?” Kelly still hadn’t moved.
“ID says Richard Hawkins.”
“Richard?” I pushed at Kelly’s back, but he didn’t budge an inch. “Kelly, please, let me see him.”
Reluctantly, my hulk of a boyfriend eased over just a few inches. I peered around his bulging bicep to find Richard accepting Winn’s help to stand again. Jack and Finn stood nearby, arms crossed and glaring at the man who had once been a major component of my fledgling tech firm.
Stepping around Kelly, I hiked my backpack higher on my shoulder and headed toward Richard. Kelly clasped my wrist to stop me, but I shrugged it off. Richard might be a corporate weasel, but he wasn’t a killer.
Striding toward Richard, I held out my hands in a what-the-fuck gesture. “Richard, what are you doing? Skulking around in the dark?”
“I had to see you.” The middle-aged businessman ran a hand through his graying hair.
“You’re supposed to talk to my lawyer. Because you’re suing me, remember?”
He exhaled roughly. “Forget about the lawsuit.”
“Forget about the lawsuit?” I repeated incredulously. “Do you have any idea how much that frivolous piece of crap has cost me?”
“It’s just business, Bee. Our lawyers will hammer out a settlement, and we’ll make nice in the press and life goes on—but I’m not here about that. I came here because of Trevor.”
My heart stuttered. “What about Trevor?”
“We let him go four weeks ago, but he was in our building last night. He broke in and used his stolen credentials to launch his attack against LookIt from inside our offices.” Stressed to the max, Richard massaged his temple. “I didn’t have anything to do with this, but I know how it looks. We have some bad blood between us, but I’m not this petty—or criminal.”
My eyebrows lif
ted at his continued insistence that he wasn’t petty. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know those sharks you’ve hired to work PR are going to slay us in the papers tomorrow,” Richard said shrilly. “You have to call them off, Bee. They’ll ruin us.”
How in the hell had Lena and Ty already discovered Trevor’s subterfuge? Their network of informers apparently knew no bounds. The bill I would soon receive would no doubt reflect their proficiency.
My lips parted and I started to assure Richard that I wouldn’t drag him through the mud—but then I slammed them shut. What was Yuri always telling me about business? Hadn’t he been counseling me to toughen up? Actually, he’d rather indelicately phrased it another way, but his meaning was the same. My mentor had urged me to stop being so nice. Could I be a ballbreaker when it counted?
Pushing back my shoulders, I made myself as tall and stiff as possible. Looking Richard right in the eyes, I threw down my offer. “You drop the lawsuit, and I’ll keep my PR team from running to the tech press with this.”
Richard’s mouth gaped, a puffing sound escaping his lips. “You can’t do that.”
Though my insides wobbled like JELL-O, I faked a calm shrug and presented my best poker face. “I can do whatever the hell I want. I’m not the one about to be linked to a vicious, blackmailing stalker, Richard.”
Aghast, he sputtered, “Stalker? Blackmail?” He wiped a hand down his face. “Sweet Jesus. Look—I don’t have anything to do with that. Whatever Trevor does on his own time has nothing to do with me or my company.”
“By the time Ty is finished peddling his juicy tidbits to the tech blogs and press, no one is going to believe that.”
Richard’s panic quickly morphed to anger. His nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth. I watched his hands clench at his sides and wondered what he was thinking. Surely, he wasn’t dumb enough to charge me, not with Kelly on my right and Winn on my left.
Exhaling noisily, he snapped, “Fine. We’ll kill the lawsuit, but you have to bury this story.” Swallowing hard, he admitted, “We need the Series B funding from the new venture capitalists or else we’ll go bust. A whiff of this bullshit will kill us.”
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