by Tawny Taylor
Banking on the fact that so far he had been capable of semicoherent speech, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“Your brother needs to leave. Now. Tonight.”
“He can’t. He’s still in the hospital. They haven’t released him yet.”
“Shit.” Kam looked around my place, seeming confused, as if he didn’t know where he was. He wobbled to the couch and flopped onto it. Sitting forward, elbows on his knees, he shoved his fingers through his hair. His head was tipped down. “What am I gonna do?”
I followed him to the couch but didn’t sit. “What’s going on, Kam?”
“I know,” he said, but not to me. Looking up, he pointed at my chest. “You can go get him now.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Sure. I’ll go with you.”
“No, you’re definitely not going anywhere with me tonight.”
“Why not?” He blinked in slow motion.
“You’re not . . . exactly yourself at the moment.”
He tossed a dismissive arm. “I’m fine.” He smacked his knee and almost fell over.
“Sure you are.”
His face scrunched. He blinked a couple more times. “You aren’t making this easy. I’m trying to help you.”
“That’s very nice of you.” I started toward the hallway, thinking Kam was going to need a pillow and blanket if he was going to be spending the night on my couch.
“Where are you going?” He tried to push himself up to his feet. He didn’t quite make it. Instead, he fell forward, crashed into the coffee table. A loud “oof” accompanied the noise of splintering wood and breaking glass.
Another coffee table down. That was the third one this year. My brother had killed the other two.
That was it, I wasn’t buying another one.
I hurried over to my intoxicated boss, now sprawled amid the rubble, hooked my arms under his, and pulled. It took every ounce of my strength to get him back up on the couch. But I did it, and, gauging from his exuberant hug, he was grateful.
“You’re the best, Abigail. The fucking best. You deserve so much more than you have. From me. From everybody.”
“Gee, thanks, Kam,” I said, a giggle bubbling up from my belly. Some guys were real bastards when they were drunk. Not Kameron Maldonado. Evidently, he was a big pussycat.
Bent over him, caught in a crushing embrace, I wriggled a little, trying to extricate myself. He tightened his hold even more.
I sighed. “Kam, you need to let go.”
“Someone should take care of you for a change,” he mumbled as he stroked my hair. “You shouldn’t have to worry about a damn thing. Nothing.”
“That would be very nice, Kam. But I need to get up now.”
“No. Relax.”
As if I could.
“But didn’t you just say I need to go get my brother?” I asked.
“What? Did I say that?” He jerked me, yanking me down on top of him. “That’s better. Now rest.” He stroked my back.
“But this isn’t—”
“Shhh. Sleep. You need sleep.”
Sleep I could use. But I was still a little confused about what he had said earlier. Was there really a reason for concern? Or had that just been a drunk man’s rambling? Based on his sudden lack of concern, I was hoping it was the latter.
Even as I told myself there was no way I could sleep like this, lying on top of an intoxicated male, my body was relaxing. Whether it was the steady pounding of his heart that was doing the job or the gentle rise and fall of his chest as his breathing deepened, I couldn’t say. Telling myself I would stay just long enough to allow him to fall asleep, I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift. Memories of those insanely intense first moments with him flashed through my mind. His first touches. The command in his voice. The decadent heat that rippled through my body.
I squirmed a little, and he growled, slid a hand down to cup my ass.
My eyes flew open. A ripple of wanting washed through me.
Dammit, would I ever stop lusting after this man? Would the sight of his face ever stop stirring a deep longing in me?
Determined to get up and lock myself in my room, I pushed against his wide chest. Hard, defined muscle beneath smooth cotton. He was so strong, so beautifully built. My little finger touched something small and hard under his shirt. A nipple, most likely.
He growled, and the hand holding my ass slid over, fingertips sinking slightly into the dip between my ass cheeks.
Another wild wave of lust flowed through me.
My pussy tightened, dampness slicking my folds and my panties. I needed to get up. Now. I shoved against him, drew one leg up, and tried to use it to lever myself off him.
“If you don’t lie still,” he grumbled as he kicked a leg over one of mine, trapping it, “I’ll tie you down.”
I gave up. Even drunk, he would probably have no problems restraining me. I wasn’t about to find out for sure.
A few seconds later he inhaled slowly. “That’s better. Good girl. You’ll get your reward later. After you’ve had some sleep.”
Every cell in my body burned at that promise.
Sleep. Maybe I’d be better off if I just fell asleep.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus my thoughts on happy things, peaceful things. His warmth soothed me. The deep thump-thump of his heart lulled me.
Finally, I drifted.
It was still dark when I woke. I was a little confused at first, not sure where I was. I was lying on something soft now. Definitely not on top of Kam. Blinking in the darkness, I ran my hand across the surface. Smooth, cool sheets. I was in bed. My fingertip bumped into something big and hard and warm.
Kam?
He growled.
Yes, Kam.
Somehow he’d managed to get us both into my bed. Considering he’d been having trouble just standing not so long ago, that was one hell of an accomplishment.
He rolled over and flopped one leg over mine and an arm across my stomach, pinning me in place. He grumbled something unintelligible. Talking in his sleep.
I felt myself smiling, even though I realized I could have been hurt when he’d carried me. The fact was I hadn’t been hurt. I hadn’t even woken. And now, lying in bed with him, I felt safe, warm, and cherished.
His words echoed through my head. Someone should take care of you for a change.
Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it be nice never having to worry about anything? About paying the bills. About keeping my brother out of jail.
Then again, would I know how to live like that? I’d been taking care of people for as long as I could remember.
He stirred in his sleep, mumbled something I couldn’t quite make out. Then he pulled me closer. I smiled and snuggled against him. Maybe I wouldn’t like being coddled long term, but this was nice. I could let myself enjoy this.
Eyes closed, I started drifting off to sleep again. But just as I was sinking deeper into a dream, Kam jerked upright.
“Fuck!” he said.
Groggy, I blinked up at him. “It’s okay. It’s still early.”
He turned to check the clock on my nightstand. “No, I need to go. I have a lot to do.” He swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “What time is your brother being released?”
“I don’t know. Sometime after the doctors make their rounds.” Cold dread curled through me. So last night hadn’t been nothing after all? There had been a reason for worry?
“Don’t come into the office. Go to the hospital and get him out of there as soon as you can. Is there anywhere you can take him to stay? With a friend? A relative?”
My heart was pounding hard in my chest now. Panic was setting in. Why hadn’t I pushed him last night? Why hadn’t I tried to get him to tell me what was wrong? Was it too late to protect Joss? “No. Why? What’s going on?”
“There’s still time. I’m just trying to play it safe,” he said, not seeming to say it to me.
“Kam, what’s happening?”
&
nbsp; “One of our biggest investors found out about the little problem, and he’s hiring someone to look into what happened. I did what I could to cover up your brother’s connection to it, but all it’ll take is a phone call or two before he’ll find out the truth, and they’ll be looking into pressing criminal charges.”
“Oh.” I swallowed hard. I had thought, since Kam hadn’t mentioned it in a while, that that situation had died down. Clearly that was a mistake.
Would this be the one time I couldn’t do anything to help my brother? Would this be the one mistake he would pay the consequences for? What exactly did Kam know?
“Kam? What have you found out?”
He stood. To my surprise there wasn’t a single wobble in his step as he left my bedroom. I was pushing myself out of bed when he returned and shoved a piece of paper into my hands. “Take him here. He’ll be safe for now, until we can figure something else out.”
“Is it that bad?” I asked as I fingered the piece of paper with an address written in Kam’s neat handwriting.
“Yes, it is. Worst-case scenario, your brother will be brought up on larceny charges. Considering the value of what he has stolen, he’d be looking at a felony conviction and a fair amount of jail time.”
What he has stolen.
“Have you found proof that it was him?” My hand shook as I set the paper on the bed and pushed to my feet. “I mean, I’m assuming if he had stolen something valuable, as you imply, he would have turned around and sold it to someone right away. He doesn’t have any money. I would know if he did.”
Facing me, he cupped my shoulders. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to come here and tell you this. I didn’t want to hurt you. I see how much you love your brother.”
He had proof.
I curled my fingers around his wrists, holding on to steady myself. Suddenly my knees were feeling a little soft. Clearly he was convinced my brother had stolen whatever was missing. “Kam, what proof do you have that it was Joss?”
“Technically, I don’t have any proof yet—”
“Then you could be wrong.”
“I could. But it looks bad for him. Very bad. There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence against him. You need to talk to him. Get him to tell you exactly what happened. If he’s innocent, I’ll be the first one to step up and defend him.”
“Okay.”
His hands smoothed up my neck. He pushed my hair behind my ears. “He hasn’t spoken to you about it?”
“Not once.”
“Even though he was fired?” Scowling, he released me, rubbed his stubbled chin, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Don’t you think that’s strange? Wouldn’t you think he’d defend himself if he was wrongfully blamed?”
“Not necessarily.” Not sure what to think, what to do, I sat next to him.
He leaned closer, brushed another strand of hair back from my face. “I’m sorry about coming over here last night in such a state.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” he said. “I shouldn’t have lost control like that. There’s no excuse.”
“You didn’t hurt anyone. Just tell me you didn’t drive.”
“No. I had someone bring me over.”
“Then no harm, no foul.”
He shook his head. “I let it win.”
Let what win?
Once again, feeling like Kam was about to open up and let me see a side of him few people saw, I asked, softly, “What do you mean?”
“I let the shit that had happened earlier get the better of me.” He shoved his fingers through his hair again. “That doesn’t happen very often, but I get really irritated with myself when it does. I should be stronger than that.”
I set my right hand on his knee. “Everyone has a breaking point.”
“Everyone but me.” His gaze locked on mine. “I can’t have a breaking point. I can’t afford to be weak. Not ever.” Cold determination glittered in his eyes.
“I think you’re expecting far too much of yourself. You’re not a machine. You’re a human—”
“No, I’m not. Not when so many people are counting on me. People like you.” He cupped my cheek and stared into my eyes. “I never wanted you to see me like that.”
I curled my fingers around his wrist again. I wanted to say I was charmed by his drunken honesty, but I didn’t. I knew that confession would have blown up in my face. I was also really scared and disturbed by the fact that I had responded so strongly to him when he was drunk and vulnerable. Instead, I said, “All you can do, Kam, is try your best. That’s all anyone can do.”
“That sounds more like the rah-rah quote from a motivational poster. This is the real world.” He released me, heading toward the door.
“You’re so calloused,” I called out to his back.
Pivoting, he looked at me. “You have no idea, Abigail.” He gave a little wave. “Get your brother to that address as soon as you can, and then come to work. I have a lot of things for you to do. I’ll see you later.”
He left. No good-bye.
At exactly eleven o’clock, I was escorting my brother from County Hospital. I didn’t say much to him until we were locked in my car, safe from being overheard. Not knowing where to start, I silently rehearsed the conversation in my head while I drove.
He was the one who provided the in. “You missed the exit.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Where are you taking me?” he asked.
“Somewhere safe.”
“From Sue? Are you trying to keep me away from her?” he snapped, becoming visibly angry. “Because it won’t work—”
“This has nothing to do with that. Absolutely nothing.”
“Then what’s going on?”
I took a deep breath. “Kam—Mr. Maldonado—came to visit me last night. I guess he has some investors involved with the company. One of them got wind of your alleged extracurricular activities and is hiring a detective to dig into the matter. I’m taking you somewhere safe, to keep you out of prison.”
“Oh.” He shifted positions in his seat.
I glanced at him.
He was looking pretty pale.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
He didn’t sound fine at all. “Will I have access to a phone?”
“No. Speaking of which, I need you to hand over your cell phone.” I extended a hand, expecting him to place his phone in it.
He didn’t.
“It’s for your own protection,” I told him.
He still didn’t give it to me.
“You won’t do anyone any good if you’re in prison.”
He didn’t speak, but he finally took his phone out of his pocket and gave it to me.
“Will you please tell me what happened?” I dropped his phone in my purse. “I know you don’t have any money. I know you didn’t do anything. Kam and I are going to try to find out who is really guilty.”
Nothing.
I asked, “Do you know what was stolen? Do you know who did it?”
Silence.
Dammit. He had to be protecting someone. Who?
“Please, Joss. You need to give me something. Because if I can’t find out who really did it, you’re going to be arrested.”
We stopped at a traffic light, and I took that opportunity to turn pleading eyes his way.
Finally he sighed. “The truth is, I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
“I don’t know anything.”
I’d never been so grateful to hear those words.
Able to breathe a little easier, I asked, “Did you tell anyone that before they fired you?”
“I told everyone that.”
“But me.”
“But you.” He jammed his fingers through his hair and sighed again. “After all the shit I’d pulled, I didn’t expect you to believe me, so I didn’t bother.”
“I do. I believe you.”
“You probably shou
ldn’t. I mean, I’ve lied to you more than I’ve told the truth.”
The light turned green. “That’s reassuring to hear,” I said, not trying to hide the sarcasm, as I depressed the accelerator.
“I’m talking about the past though. Not the present.”
“Well, everyone has to start somewhere.”
“You really believe me?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
He made a little sobbing chuckle sound. “I don’t deserve to have a sister like you.”
“Sure you do.”
“No, really, I don’t.”
We pulled up to another red light. “When we get to the safe house, I want you to tell me everything you can think of. Everything that happened the days before you were fired. Whether you think it’s significant or not. I probably don’t have a lot of time. Thanks to your record, the investigator’s going to get plenty on you within the first few hours of work. You’re the perfect person to blame a crime on. We need something to fight him with.”
Joss looked defeated. He shook his head and tossed his hands in the air. “I can’t give you anything. I swear I don’t know a damn thing.” He sounded as defeated as he looked.
That sad expression kick-started my mothering instinct.
“Don’t worry, little brother,” I said. Whether it was the knowledge that I had Kam behind me, or something else, something deeper inside me, I felt empowered and determined. “I’m not going to let them arrest you without putting up a hell of a fight. My days of cowering in the corner while you’re beaten are over.”
13
I made it into the office just before one o’clock. I’d scribbled down several pages of notes during my conversation with my brother. But, being honest with myself, he had been telling the truth when he said he couldn’t give me anything helpful. Nothing stood out. There was absolutely nothing to go on.
I was the world’s worst detective.
As I exited the elevator, I waved at Stephanie and hurried into Kam’s office. As usual, he was on the phone. Head down, fingers raking through his hair, voice low. I went to my office and checked my desk, expecting a bunch of sticky notes with tasks glued to my computer screen.
Nothing.
That was quite a surprise. He’d told me early this morning he had a lot for me to do.