by M. Malone
Considering we were an entire office full of bad asses, the fastest way to bring any of us to our knees was a screaming Izzy.
“Is there something you need?”
“Yeah. We have clients coming.”
From the kitchen island, I glanced over at the conference room. Yup, it was certainly set up for a client meeting. “Who’s the client?”
“You haven’t been paying attention to anything I’ve said, have you?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about yesterday. I can’t make the numbers add up, so it’s bugging me, I guess. Who’s coming in?”
“Corporate security gig. Real high rollers. I’m talking billionaire status.”
“Oh, okay. Do you need me on this job?”
Noah stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Are you okay? Do you need some days off or something? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Asshole. “What’s wrong with me is I’m the best fucking motherfucker in this house. I’d actually like some kind of commendation if you don’t mind.”
Noah just rolled his eyes. “Yes. I need you on this job. But if you’ve got something going on, then tell me. I’ll rearrange the others. Give Tyse more of an active role.”
I shook my head. “Nope, he’s untested. Besides, I’m fine. I’m just trying to wrap my head around something yesterday. The fucking puzzle is killing me, but I’ll figure it out. Yeah, I’ll be there for the meeting.”
Noah just shook his head. “Have you forgotten how this works? I meet the client, then bring in the team. Seriously, are you okay?”
He had a point. My mind was completely off. I’d slept like shit. Tossed and turned all night. I just didn’t feel like myself.
“Yeah, fine. Go on, I’ll be right there, or come get me when you need me, rather.” I corrected myself.
Noah sauntered off. He slid me a glance again. No doubt he was going to go ask the kid if I’d lost my shit. Well, I didn’t like being shot at. I was too pretty to die young. And to be honest, people had shot at me plenty since I’d taken this job. Angry ex-boyfriends, angry husbands, angry wives, royalty, all manner of people. Replaying what happened yesterday, it felt like I’d missed something, like there was a big gaping clue that I’d tripped over and missed it, and now my brain couldn’t connect the two dots.
I wondered if I should brew another cup of coffee, like I needed any more. I was so jittery. While I waited, I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and then stopped.
What was that smell?
Something light. Distinctive. Crisp. Ultra-feminine. What was that? The scent immediately took me back to years ago when my life was different, when I’d been a different person.
When you fell for a girl and nearly got the both of you killed.
The scent was so distinctive. Just a whiff of it and immediately, my blood rushed to my dick, making my cock thick and heavy. The last thing I needed before a fucking meeting.
Get your shit together.
The coffee timer pinged, and I went to get my cup, not realizing I already had a mug in my hand.
If I didn’t get my shit together, Noah was going to think we had a problem. And considering where I’d come from, I never wanted to give him any reason to think so. We might not always see eye to eye on the best methodology for things, but I had a home here.
And truthfully, I wasn’t the head case in the group. It was never going to be my turn to lose my shit.
So, get it together. Stop thinking about that long-ago weekend. It’s over. You’re never going to see her again.
4
Hailey
I glanced over at my father, gauging whether I should bother reasoning with him. Not that it worked at all the last few times I’d tried. He was set on the idea that I needed security, and after what had happened at the event, he wouldn’t be swayed.
He’s worried. Be understanding, Hailey.
I sighed. I was really trying. My father had always been very protective. It was sweet if a little suffocating. But things had been different when I was a child and naïve to the ways of the world. He’d been right to be concerned that I might not be wary enough of people’s motives. There were plenty of people who’d tried to get close to me only to meet my father or to try to get access to corporate secrets. There had been a time when I needed protection from the opportunists of the world.
But not anymore.
I wasn’t the type to trust easily. Life had proven over and over that most people were just out to get what they could. I’d learned to take care of myself.
Suddenly cold, I hugged my arms closer, trying to ward off the memories of the man who’d driven that lesson home so thoroughly. Oskar had been a mistake, but I couldn’t bring myself to really regret it. He’d broken my heart, but he’d also taught me not to let my guard down. Our time together was the quickest life lesson I’d ever learned but one I would never forget. Hot men with muscles coming out of their ears might be perfect for a weekend of fun as long as you didn’t make the mistake of thinking it was more than that.
In the years since that fateful weekend, I’d buried myself in work and learned more about myself and what I wanted. I’d also avoided men pretty well.
Now I would have to deal with some overgrown jock following me and trying to order me around. No thanks.
“This is it. Mr. Blake is expecting us.” My father’s voice cut into my thoughts.
I looked up to see that while I’d been brooding, our car had pulled into an underground garage. I climbed out, running a nervous hand over my hair. I didn’t sleep well last night, and it felt like every one of those fretful hours was showing on my face. But I couldn’t let my father see that. He was already losing it and he didn’t need any more evidence that I couldn’t take care of myself.
“Don’t you think this is a bit much, Dad? I thought we’d just have one of the security guards in the building walk me to my car each night. I didn’t think you were serious about hiring an outside firm.”
He pulled out his phone. “He sent me instructions. Oh yes.”
I followed him, almost tripping over a chip in the asphalt as I struggled to keep up with his fast pace. “What is the hurry? I thought you said we were early?”
Dad stopped at the elevator bank and then entered a code on the keypad on the wall. The elevator doors opened. He smiled.
“I can see they really do take security seriously. Very promising.”
It took all my effort not to roll my eyes. Not that I didn’t think my father was serious about my safety, but I was pretty sure he was also enjoying the cloak-and-dagger business a bit too much. All the James Bond security measures seemed a bit overdone in my opinion. Why did we need a code just to access the elevator? Was Blake Security expecting a team of assassins to try to break in at any moment?
The thought was so absurd it made me smile.
My smile dropped away when the elevator doors opened and we were greeted by an intense-looking man with dark hair and eyes.
Holy moly.
I took a step back instinctively before I caught myself. If this was Noah Blake, then I could see why his security company was so successful. Not too many people would get on his bad side.
“Mr. Livingston. Miss Livingston. I’m Rafe DeMarco. Welcome.”
My father accepted the handshake Rafe offered. “Thank you. I’m very happy you were able to accommodate us.”
Rafe glanced at me so quickly I almost missed it. “Of course. Considering the circumstances, we understand the urgency.”
Something passed between him and my father that let me know they’d been talking about me. Great.
After showing us to a modern waiting area, Rafe disappeared around a corner, leaving me free to gawk openly. The building looked industrial from the outside, and I could see the evidence of that inside, too. Exposed pipes and beams gave the space a rustic vibe but the glass walls and gleaming chrome detailing also made it look futuristic and hi-tech at the same time. It was an interesting combination.
The man who approached was just as intense as the last guy but at least made the attempt to smile.
“Noah Blake. And this is my colleague Jonas Castillo. He’ll be joining us as we assess your security needs.”
After shaking our hands, the men gestured for us to follow. It was while we were walking down the hallway, my father happily chatting to Mr. Blake, that my famed stubbornness finally kicked in. I’m not sure what took her so long to show up, maybe it was just fatigue, but somewhere between the handshakes and the conference room door, I stopped walking.
“No. No way. This has gone far enough. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Dad turned around, his forehead already creased in the way it did when he was worried. “Now, Hailey…”
But it was Noah who answered my father. “Mr. Livingston, we are very interested in your daughter’s perspective on this. As the target, she will be integral to helping us understand her security needs. If she doesn’t feel that she’s at risk, we need to know why.”
Shocked that he was defending me, even if it might mean losing business, I felt some of my anger drain away.
“I just think this is overkill, that’s all. I almost got mugged. Of course it was scary, but this is New York. These things can happen. It’s just part of life in the city.”
My passionate response was interrupted by a long, loud yawn. Embarrassed, I clapped a hand over my mouth to try to cover the sound.
“Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping so well.”
“Understandable. Jonas, why don’t you show Miss Livingston to the break room for a coffee.”
The nice one took my elbow gently and steered me back the way we came. I glanced over my shoulder to see my father and Mr. Blake disappear into the conference room.
“Smooth. Your boss might as well have patted me on the head and told you to occupy the little lady while the men talk.”
That seemed to give Jonas a lot of enjoyment. “Trust me, if you’d ever met his wife, you wouldn’t think so. She’d kick his ass for just the thought.”
I snorted a little at that. But I had to admit, knowing that Mr. Blake was married changed my opinion of him a little. Although I couldn’t imagine how tough his wife must be if she could handle him.
Jonas handed me a cup of coffee.
“Thank you.” I busied myself adding a lump of sugar and a small packet of creamer.
“While Noah assures your distraught father that his only daughter isn’t in imminent danger, why don’t you tell me why you’re so opposed to having security as a precaution.”
My shoulders slumped. “Do they train you guys to guilt people into hiring you?”
He grinned. “That depends on whether or not it’s working.”
Jonas leaned on the counter next to me. “You might think I’m guilting you, but you weren’t here when your father’s call came in. He’s worried about you. Would it really be so bad to have someone around to watch your back?” He nudged my arm gently.
I couldn’t resist smiling back. Jonas had the kind of uncomplicated beauty and sophistication that could put anyone at ease. It wasn’t hard to see why Noah had tasked him with calming me down.
Suddenly Jonas stood up straight. “Oh, the rest of the team is here. I’ll be right back.”
I turned to see who he was talking about and almost dropped the ceramic mug in my hand. But instead my fingers tightened around the handle, and I shoved years of hurt, humiliation and rage down beneath the ice-princess façade that had always served me so well.
And prepared myself to face the only man I’d ever loved.
Oskar
I had to be going crazy.
I shook my head, rolling my shoulders to release the tension that had gathered there in the last few minutes. After arriving home from a difficult job, all I usually wanted to do was relax. But there was something stopping me. Something in the air that made me think about nights gone by and lost moments.
The last time I’d smelled something that stopped me in my tracks, I’d been much younger and more optimistic.
Stupider, too.
I was ashamed at the thought, but there was also a part of me that missed the days when I’d believed that anything was possible. Every time I thought of Hailey, I tried to remember the good things such as how she made me laugh and how for the first time, I believed that I could outrun my past.
That was, of course, before it all went to hell.
Wanting to believe the best had almost gotten an innocent woman killed. It was something I’d never forgotten again. Guys like me didn’t get to ride off into the sunset. We’re perpetually part of the night.
That’s what being in the underworld does to you.
Usually I was pretty good about keeping the past in the past. But all it took was a whiff of a perfume that reminded me of Hailey, and I’d gone straight back there. Maybe I was just hungry. I turned the corner into the kitchen and then stopped. Jonas was leaning close to a young woman, talking in a low, soothing voice.
He was good at this part, calming down distraught people, helping them to sort through the things going on in their lives so they could make decisions. It had to be partially because of his former career as a police officer, but some of it was just his personality. He was pretty calm in general, unlike Noah, who was bottled fire, and Rafe… Well, that dude was just a volcano waiting to erupt.
Me, I was more like a mountain. I could joke around with the best of them, but I kept my feelings to myself. I wasn’t the best one to calm a scared woman down because more than likely I’d say the wrong thing or make an inappropriate joke that would get me pulled into a meeting with Noah.
Hey, that only happened once or twice. Okay, maybe four times.
But in this case, I wasn’t interested in Jonas working his magic. All of my attention was on the woman. The long fall of her curly, dark hair, the cinnamon hue of her skin, and the smile that I already knew was potent enough to stop any man in his tracks.
But it was the eyes that were the killer. The eyes, which were right now trained on the mug in her hands, were as dark as coffee beans and so big I’d seen every dream I’d ever had in them. Those eyes had once looked at me like I was her savior and her every naughty fantasy rolled into one.
It was going to hurt like hell when I saw them now because I was no longer her dream. I was the guy who’d abandoned her.
Jonas saw me first, saying something to her that made her nod absently. Then she looked up, and for just a second, I saw a flash of what we’d once shared. Hope. Excitement. And pure joy.
How long had it been since anyone had looked at me like that?
“Oskar, we have a new client. The Livingstons. They’re a big-time jeweler on Fifth Avenue.” Jonas was talking but I barely heard a word.
I was still locked in an epic battle of eye warfare with Hailey. If looks could kill was an apt phrase for the way she was glaring at me.
Then, just as suddenly, all the animosity on her face disappeared. She blinked once and then smiled. “Oskar. How are you?”
Jonas looked between us, confused. “You know each other?”
“Yes.”
“Barely.”
We answered at the same time, Hailey’s annoyance making a brief appearance before she locked it down again underneath a placid smile.
“We knew each other years ago,” I finally responded.
Jonas made a soft sound. “Okay then. I’m going to check in with Noah and Mr. Livingston. Hailey, I’ll be right back.”
Her frozen smile stayed in place until Jonas turned the corner down the hallway. Then she turned away slightly, focusing all of her attention on the mug in her hands as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
“So…” She seemed to flounder before regaining her confidence. “How, uh… how are you?”
“Are you really going to pretend we’re nothing more than acquaintances? I think we’re past the how are you stage.”
Even though I understood exactly why s
he was freezing me out, I wasn’t prepared for the way it would make me feel. It seemed so wrong that she was treating me like some stranger or an old classmate. Not like I’d once had her panties between my teeth.
Hailey sniffed. “I know you. That’s why I asked how you were. But no, I don’t think we’re past the how are you stage. Waking up alone showed me we don’t know each other at all.”
With just one sentence, she unwittingly revealed just how much I hurt her that day. And even though I couldn’t, the urge to explain was so strong it felt like I was vibrating from holding myself back. But what could I really say?
I’m not a good guy.
You deserved better.
Being with me put you in danger.
I left to protect you.
The first two things she undoubtedly already knew, and the last two things would lead to questions I couldn’t answer. There was only one path forward for us, and it was down the road of no return. It was good that Hailey hated me because it would make it easier for us to keep our distance. That was the best thing I could do for her, despite the fact that her glare made me feel like my soul was rotting from the inside out.
“You’re right.”
She looked shocked, but before she could say anything else, we heard voices. Noah, Jonas, and a man I assumed was Mr. Livingston came around the corner. Noah paused when he saw how close Hailey and I were standing. I took a step back and worked to get myself under control.
“Mr. Livingston, this is Oskar Mueller.” Jonas made the introduction since Noah was still staring at me.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” I shook Mr. Livingston’s hand, trying to think of a subtle way to get out of this without making Noah suspicious. I’d just finished another job, so there was no logical reason that I couldn’t be on Hailey’s case.
Other than the fact that I still had a hard-on for her that wouldn’t quit, and I fully expected her to knee me in the balls at any moment.