APPEAL: Esquire Black Duet #2
Page 1
APPEAL
Esquire Black Duet #2
Hayley Faiman
Hayley Faiman Books, LLC
APPEAL
Copyright © 2019 by Hayley Faiman
All rights reserved.
Cover Designer & Editor: My Brother’s Editor. Ellie McLove. http://www.mybrotherseditor.net
Proofreading: iScream Proofreading Services. Rosa Sharon. http://www.iscreamproofreading.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Visit my website at
http://hayleyfaiman.com
Created with Vellum
Contents
Also By Hayley Faiman
Stay Connected
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Stay Connected
About the Author
Special Thanks
Also By Hayley Faiman
Men of Baseball Series—
Pitching for Amalie
Catching Maggie
Forced Play for Libby
Sweet Spot for Victoria
Russian Bratva Series—
Owned by the Badman
Seducing the Badman
Dancing for the Badman
Living for the Badman
Tempting the Badman
Protected by the Badman
Forever my Badman
Betrothed to the Badman
Chosen by the Badman
Bought by the Badman
Collared by the Badman
Notorious Devils MC—
Rough & Rowdy
Rough & Raw
Rough & Rugged
Rough & Ruthless
Rough & Ready
Rough & Rich
Rough & Real
Cash Bar Series—
Laced with Fear
Chased with Strength
Flamed with Courage
Blended with Pain
Twisted with Chaos
Mixed with trouble
Forbidden Love Series —
Personal Foul
Kinetic Energy
SAVAGE BEAST MC –
UnScrew Me
UnBreak Me
UnChain Me
Unfit Hero Series –
CONVICT
HERO
Zanetti Famiglia Series -
Becoming the Boss
Becoming his Mistress - Winter 2019
Esquire Black Duet Series –
DISCOVERY
APPEAL
Standalone Titles
Royally Relinquished: A Modern Day Fairy Tale
Stay Connected
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A man’s own judgement should be the final appeal in all that relates to himself.
Alexander Graham Bell
Prologue
LUCAS
My phone rings just as I’m peeling Jamie’s arms from my body. She needs to get her fucking clothes on and get the fuck out of here. I’m sure Brooklyn is good and pissed by now. Probably ready to bolt, and definitely still crying.
Fuck.
I’m such a goddamn asshole. I warned her though. I also warned her that this wouldn’t be over until I said it was over, and I’m not finished with her, not by a longshot.
Turning my back to Jamie, I fish my vibrating cell out of my pocket and frown at the name on the screen before I swipe my thumb to answer.
“Detective?” I ask, my voice laced with curiosity and a bit of worry. It’s late, I’m surprised he’s calling me at this hour.
He clears his throat, then when he speaks, I feel my knees attempt to buckle beneath me. “The ambulance just took her to the hospital,” he continues to explain.
I demand that he tells me what hospital. He gives me the name and I quickly hang up. Jamie is still standing in my office, except now she’s in her bra and panties, taking her sweet fucking time to dress.
Grabbing her dress from the floor I shove it against her chest. “Get the fuck out, now,” I roar.
“You can’t be serious? You’re making me leave, choosing that frumpy chunky girl over me?” she gapes.
Wrapping my fingers around her bicep, I none too gently drag her out of my office and toward the front door. She attempts to dig her heels into the floor, but she’s too fucking skinny to have any sticking power.
Opening my front door, I shove her out of it and slam it in her face, before she can say a single goddamn word, then lock it. Turning, I run upstairs to see if what Anderson has said is true. She should be in my bed, where I fucking told her to go.
The room is dark, flipping the light on, I’m met with the cold harsh reality that she left me. Her clothes are still in a pile on my floor, including her shoes. Which can only mean she walked out of my house barefoot, in nothing but a t-shirt.
Fuck.
Fucking fuck.
I dress quickly, then find my brother’s name in my phone. “Benji,” I rasp.
My feet quickly carry me down my stairs and straight for my garage. I don’t bother with my pickup truck, my Ferrari is a helluva lot faster. My hands are shaking as I climb into my car. Clearing my throat, I tell my brother everything that’s happened, at least what I know of for now.
“Will you meet me at the hospital?” I ask.
Benjamin clears his throat. “I’ll be there as soon as I can, but I don’t know if I can do anything, it’s not where I work.”
I slam my hand on my steering wheel, “I don’t give a good goddamn if it’s not where you work. You’ll figure out a way to make sure Brooklyn is okay,” I hiss.
“Who is she to you?” he asks as I hear him rustling around in the background.
Inhaling, I let out my breath with a sigh.
“Everything, Benji.”
BROOKLYN
Everything hurts and I’m dying.
It almost feels like I did four straight hours of cardio and went to sleep, only to wake up and find my muscles physically unable to move. My brain is telling my arms to move, but nothing is happening. Then, my heart starts to race as panic fills my body.
“Brooklyn, you need to calm down, sweetheart.”
His voice is soothing, it’s deep but there’s something about it, something that I can’t quite place, but I know, my eyelids slowly open and I’m met with extremely familiar green eyes. I gasp, jerking my head back as an almost exact replica of Lucas peers down at me, dressed in sc
rubs and a lab coat.
“I’m Doctor Black,” he says, giving me a kind smile.
The smile alone tells me that this man is not Lucas, but that he is most definitely a relative.
“Where am I?” I ask.
My voice sounds hoarse and feels like I’ve swallowed razor blades, a whole damn cup of razor blades. He straightens, and looks down at his clipboard, scanning the first paper, flipping it back, then scanning the next.
“You’re in the hospital. You were in a wreck, but luckily you didn’t suffer anything more than a slight concussion. You were lucky, Brooklyn. It could have been so much worse,” he gently explains, his voice soft and calm as he continues to pour over the chart.
My eyes fill with tears, a fresh wave of emotion rolling through me. I don’t have anyone to call to take me home, I don’t have anyone to bring me any clothes, or even shoes. Lillie is gone, she’s my emergency contact.
I would call Lucas, but I can’t. Not after what just happened between us. Then I freeze at the thought of Lucas. I lift my eyes back up to this doctor, this stranger who is related to Lucas somehow.
“Who are you?” I demand.
His lips tip in a smirk and that’s when I know for certain, one hundred percent that this man is related to Lucas. “I’m his brother,” he winks.
“How, who?”
“A Detective Anderson called him, I believe.” He moves around the room, looking at my vitals and playing with my IV for a moment before he pauses and looks down at me again. “Lucas is outside waiting for you. You’ll be released as soon as possible, but you can’t be alone. He’s already told me that you’re living with him.”
I snort. Of course, Lucas would say that. Doctor Black’s green eyes dance with humor, looking much like his brother. He has graying at his temples and a few silver strands down the middle of his dark hair, so I assume that he’s a bit older than Lucas. He’s just as devilishly handsome, though.
“Lucas is secretive, but if he’s called me, he’s claiming you as his own. You must be pretty damn special,” he murmurs. He doesn’t wait for me to say anything, he turns and walks away.
What feels like hours later, Lucas walks through the door just as the discharge nurse is giving me instructions. I’m only half listening to her. I’m too busy staring at Lucas. His hair is a mess, he’s still wearing his t-shirt and jeans from earlier, except now he has on a pair of shoes.
She turns, walking out of the room and leaves me alone with him. We stare at one another for far longer than is comfortable. I watch as his eyes drag down my body, his brows furrowing when they reach my feet.
“You ready to go home, kitten?” he asks, his voice husky. I open my mouth to protest but he holds up his hand. “Don’t want to fight with you, put the claws away.”
Without another word, I slide off of the bed and together, hand-in-hand, we leave the hospital. Me in my bare feet wearing nothing but his t-shirt. Him looking absolutely lickably fuckable.
Chapter One
LUCAS
It’s been one week. Seven days since I’ve seen her. I monitored her for a full twenty-four hours after her accident. She never said a word to me, and my stubborn ass didn’t say anything to her either. We lived in silence for the entire time.
I talked to the auto shop and they were able to fix her piece of shit, at least making it drivable for the time being. In reality, she needs a new ride. Unfortunately, I won’t be around to see her get that fucking ride.
Leaning back in my chair, I grunt as I stare at the ceiling. I canceled my meeting with Jamie today. Peg made a noise in the back of her throat at that, but I ignored it. I’ve been ignoring everything, except the date.
Seven.
Fucking.
Days.
Noah waltzes into my office, taking me out of my misery for a split second. Moving my gaze from the ceiling, I watch as he flops down in my chair. His eyes are dancing as he watches me, a smile wide on his face.
“What?” I grunt.
He shakes his head. “Oh, nothing. Just that you’re in love and it seems like a little brunette has thwarted your plans. Personally, I think it’s hilarious. Watching you pine over the woman.”
I almost reach over my desk, grab his shirt and punch the shit out of him. Almost. But I don’t. Honestly, I don’t have the fucking energy. I haven’t slept in seven goddamn days. I’m exhausted.
“What’s your point?” I ask on a sigh.
“Since when was Lucas fucking Black a pussy?”
Lifting a brow, I press my lips together in a thin line. “Pretty brave coming into my office with that shit, Noah,” I bark.
He shakes his head. “Not brave. But you’re being stupid as shit. Go get your woman, man. You look fucking miserable, and you kind of smell,” he points out, scrunching his nose.
I turn my head, sniffing my armpit. Fuck. He’s right, I do kind of smell. I count back to my last shower and I cringe. I’m a two-shower-a-day kind of man, but honest to fuck, I think it’s been about four since I had my last one. Every single day has been a blur since I dropped Brooklyn off at her house.
“She doesn’t want me, and Christ, I don’t know if I really want her,” I sigh.
Noah stands, leans over, and presses his palms against my desk while he looks down at me. “You do. I know that you do. I know that you did the moment you locked eyes on her sweet ass. She’s special, Lucas and a woman like that you do not let slip through your fingers. Don’t be a fucking asshole, don’t be stubborn. Be the fucking lion and tackle your goddamn prey.”
He straightens, turns and waltzes out of my office after his speech, never looking back. Peg immediately fills the space that he’s just left, her assessing gaze focused on mine.
“Have at it, I know you want to add something to what Noah said,” I say, lifting my hand and giving her a small wave.
She hums, shaking her head once. “He’s right. That’s all I’m going to say, that and you need to drop Jamie as a client before you cash her retainer check.”
Peg takes her leave and I blink, watching her, a chuckle escaping my lips for the first time in what feels like weeks. Shaking my head, I look over at my computer, and I sink my teeth into my bottom lip.
I do what Peg suggests. I refer Jamie to another attorney in my office, refusing to accept her as my client. I shouldn’t have in the first place, not when I was with Brooklyn. It was disrespectful of our situation, especially when I agreed to begin an actual relationship with her.
“Fuck, I’m an asshole,” I mutter.
“Understatement,” Peg calls out from her desk.
I throw my head back and burst out laughing. Peg is fucking right. With a new determination, I decide it’s time to stop fucking around. I left her alone for a week, that’s long enough. It’s time to get my goddamn woman back, and fast.
I can’t go another week without being in her sweet body, and to be perfectly honest, I can’t go home to my empty house another fucking night. It’s depressing as shit there without her. At the risk of sounding like a fucking pussy, Brooklyn brought color to my life.
Reaching for my phone, I call the intern that I used when I was originally trying to woo her. He appears in front of me just moments later. He’s practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. I shake my head, wondering why in the fuck I’m doing this, going to these lengths.
I know why.
Brooklyn Myers.
She’s fucking stolen my sanity.
Standing from my desk. I decide to head out for the day. I need to go for a run, clear my head and get my ass in gear. Hurrying home, I quickly dress in my running clothes and shoes. Before I leave, I reach for my phone and check my email.
It’s eight in the evening, and I need to relieve some stress, I need to let some of this pent up energy out. I can’t fuck anyone, it seems, not when Brooklyn isn’t here in my bed.
She’s the only one I want. She haunts my sleepless nights and my long as fuck days. Swear to fuck if she broke
my dick, I’m going to spank her ass so hard she won’t be able to sit for a week.
Sometime between coming home and changing into my running gear, there’s a message from a friend of mine in the FBI. His email is very vague, only stating that apparently my name came up in their research.
Reading his message, he informs me that Brooklyn contacted his office to report the illegal slaphouses. I smirk at that, my woman sure knows how to start a fucking fire under people’s asses. She’s a go-getter and I can’t deny that, that aspect of her personality is a total fucking turn on.
However, that doesn’t take the concern away about her safety. Curtis has involved himself in this shit, and by default, now Brooklyn is in the middle of it. I have no doubt in my mind that he or one of his associates is behind stalking and frightening her, especially after learning this tidbit about the FBI.
They know all about him and his dealings. They’re about to arrest the whole fucking bunch, but they’re still collecting evidence. He wants me to watch my back as Curtis and his partners are extremely dangerous.
What in the hell did she find?
My body trembles with the need to have her at my side. I’m done. I need to go and get her, bring her home and remind her who she belongs to. She may be pissed at me, but fuck if I care.