Stronger (The Unit Book 2)

by Greyson, Sarah

  “Can I ask you a very personal question, Ms. Sardeson?”

  “Please, call me Lola.”

  “Okay, Lola. Can I ask you a question? There’s something that’s been bothering me all night…”

  “Sure.”

  “When I touched you earlier, and was in your personal space, you cringed. As if you couldn’t stand being comforted by me. Did they do something to you while you were held captive?” Should she tell him what the man had done to her? No one knew, and she could keep it that way if she wanted. No one had to know. Still, she felt compelled into nothing but strict honesty when she looked into his smoky grey eyes.

  “Mr. Ortiz, that’s how everybody referred to him, touched me inappropriately. He didn’t rape me, but I still feel violated.”

  Lola heard a low growl come from Rob before he bolted straight out of his seat. His hands were shaking, his body trembling. He paced up and down the aisle running his hand roughly over his face. “He’s dead.” Lola heard him mumble. “He’s dead!” She heard him repeat over and over again as he paced back and forth.

  All Rob could feel was the pounding of his heart in his chest. He opened and closed his fists over and over again trying to move the blood back into his hands. His breath was coming in short, ragged surges. He heard himself mumbling. He could only picture the most brutal death for Mr. Ortiz. He pictured slicing him from throat to gut with a very sharp knife. He pictured his guts being disemboweled from his body. He pictured the man begging for his life while his guts laid on the outside of his body. He wanted him to beg for his life to no avail. He wanted to be the one to cause him excruciating pain.

  Then he felt her standing behind him. She brought her soft, petite hand up and rested it upon his shoulder. Immediately, he stopped shaking. His heart rate slowed to a dull thud. With one touch, she had calmed him. He turned to look at her, and she lowered her hand to her side. He gazed at her through his dark lashes that outlined stormy grey eyes. He pierced her electric blue eyes, straight to her core. Was it possible she felt the same connection he felt?

  She lifted her hand again and stepped closer to him, invading his personal space. She raised her hand and gently traced his tattoo under the sleeve of his t-shirt with her fingertips. She didn’t know what was making her so bold with a man she didn’t know. At the clubs, she would never touch a man with her hands or her lips. Those two areas were strictly forbidden. Her fingers finished trailing the swirl on his arm and dropped back to her side. His breathing had slowed.

  “Can we sit back down?” she asked in a gentle voice. Rob didn’t answer but moved back to his seat.

  “You didn’t cringe from me that time. Why did you before? I was just trying to comfort you much the same way you just calmed me down.” Although that was the understatement of the year. No one, God forgive him, not even his Lizzie, could calm him with just a touch. One touch from Lola and his world was right. He was the man he always wanted to be. Gone were his past mistakes. He had protected her from the Ortiz Cartel. That had to, in some way, make up for what he let happen to his Lizzie.

  “To be honest,” she looked into his eyes, “it was the alcohol on your breath. Mr. Ortiz smelled the same way when he was touching me. So the smell brought back the memories,” she confessed, unsure why she felt the need tell him the truth.

  “But you drink alcohol,” he retorted desperate to understand. “Is it all alcohol or just a certain type?”

  “Whatever it was you were drinking. That’s what triggered the memory.”

  “Scotch,” he mumbled to himself. Lola looked at him with passion in her eyes. She felt their connection, too. He was sure of it. She just didn’t know how deeply he felt it.

  He made a promise to God right then and there. If God would see fit to allow Lola to be his, his to own, then he would never drink another drop of scotch as long as he lived. He had to own her though. The thought of another man near her sent him into a rage. And if he were to ever witness such a thing, he would surely be spending his remaining days in a prison cell. It was one thing for him to kill a man on a mission, quite another to kill one in cold blood. He wasn’t a murderer, although some would call him that after all of the lives he took in Afghanistan and on missions with his current employer, but never once did he kill in cold blood. Lola brought it out of him. He would kill for her, and he didn’t even know if she would kiss him.

  “Why do you think the men came after us?” Lola asked.

  “I have been trying to figure that one out myself. The only thing I can think of is they didn’t get their money.”

  “That’s just like him,” Lola huffed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “How much did you pay for me?”

  “Three hundred seventy-five thousand dollars.” Lola choked on her drink. She spit some of it back out of her mouth and into her glass.

  “You’re kidding? There is no way my father would part with that much money. He would rescue me, which is what he did by hiring you, but he would never turn over that much money.”

  Rob didn’t want her to know he spent twenty-five thousand dollars of his own money. “So he did pull his money before the transfer was finalized. I won’t lie to you, Lola, this is not good. The Cartel consider you their property, and if they had a bid of three hundred and seventy-five thousand real American dollars, they aren’t just going to let you walk away.”

  “What am I going to do?” A shudder visibly moved through her at the thought. “I can’t go back to Daddy’s. I want out from under his thumb. He dictates who I can and cannot see; who I have to be friends with; where I have to shop; where I can and cannot go. I can’t live like that anymore.” She lowered her head into her hands and began to softly cry. She didn’t want to go back, but she wasn’t safe on her own.

  “I can stay with you,” Rob offered before he even thought about what that would mean. “I can protect you.” What if she didn’t feel the same connection; could he really protect her while she was out with another guy? He just wouldn’t let her get close to another guy. He had a new mission: to make Lola his.

  Chapter 13

  Lola sat in the SUV with Rob right next to her on the way back to Blackrain’s office. She was very conscious of where Rob’s leg was because it kept brushing against hers. Each touch would heat her stomach and make her feel longing deep in her core. She felt butterflies at just the sight of Rob. She had never experienced anything close to this before. Sure she had guys rubbing up against her when she danced, but never in her life had she ever felt this emptiness mixed with fluttering in the pit of her stomach, this longing for a man to be inside her, filling her up, like she felt for Rob.

  They pulled in front of a small, non-descript two-story brick building that housed Blackrain Security. High-tech security cameras followed them. The inside was much like she expected. The downstairs had a few fake plants in a few corners and there were cubes that each held desks. She walked past the kitchenette on her way to the stairs. The kitchen contained a small table and three chairs, a microwave, a stove and oven, a refrigerator, and a coffee pot. It was a complete setup. Often, the men stayed overnight; they needed a working kitchen. The staircase was on the outside of the wall and led to a closed glass door. She imagined the upstairs was where they held their meetings. She didn’t see any conference tables in amongst the cubes. They made their way up the metal staircase and entered through the glass door. The upstairs was much more modern, with Impressionist paintings adorning the walls. Again, she saw the same fake plants she saw downstairs. Someone liked their greenery. Rob stopped outside of another door, this one frosted glass. The name on the door read ‘Tyrrell Greenwood.’ Rob knocked twice and heard, “Come in.”

  Rob placed his hand on the small of Lola’s back and led her into the office. Lola’s father was seated at the large conference table. He stood and rushed to hug her. She hugged him back with all her might. She was happy to see the relieved look in his eyes. As soon as they finished with the embrace, Mr. Sardeson steppe
d back to look at his daughter. She was still wearing the white negligee and coat from the previous day.

  “Can someone get her some clothes for Christ’s sake?” Mr. Sardeson bellowed through the office.

  “Of course, sir. Aaron, please get Ms. Sardeson some clothes from the locker room.” Tyrrell motioned for Aaron to move quickly.

  Rob found Mr. Sardeson in three long strides. He grabbed the man by the collar of his expensive suit and bunched it up at the neck. “How could you?” Rob spat into his face. He was so close to Mr. Sardeson he felt the huffed breath from the man on his face.

  “What are you talking about?” Mr. Sardeson accused acting tougher than he felt.

  “You could have gotten her killed. All over money,” Rob yelled. “They came after us. Your guy, who pulled the money, didn’t wait long enough. You know what? Forever won’t be long enough. They want her. She is worth three hundred and seventy five grand to them. You think they are just going to let her walk away?”

  “I only provided three hundred and fifty thousand. Where did the other money come from?” Mr. Sardeson’s only question.

  “That’s not your concern,” Rob responded. He really didn’t want Lola to know he put up the remaining amount.

  “Wait just a second. What do you mean he pulled the money?” Tyrrell asked looking to Rob.

  “He gave us about a twenty-minute window from the time the auction closed to the time he pulled his money. Thank God we were already in the SUV when Ortiz’s men started after us. We barely made it back alive. We had a good, old-fashion shoot out in the streets of some Mexican town.” Rob looked directly at Mr. Sardeson. So much for Lola’s father liking him.

  “Mr. Sardeson, is this true? Did you pull your funds?” Tyrrell asked moving to pry Rob’s hand from his expensive collar.

  “There was no way I was paying some criminal for the return of my own daughter. That is what I hired you to do. And I see I made the wise choice.”

  “Mr. Sardeson,” Tyrrell said in his most patronizing voice. “Rob is right. They consider Lola their property. They are going to come after her.”

  “I plan on having her back under my protection this afternoon. She will no longer be attending Harvard. She will have around the clock body guards…”

  “I’m not going back with you, Daddy,” Lola interrupted in a low-pitched voice. “I will continue to go to Harvard. I will continue to have my own life.” She raised her chin and met her father’s calculating eyes. She stood solidly waiting for his tirade. Surely, he wouldn’t cause a scene in front of people. Nevertheless, she stood rooted to her spot, spine straight, eyes focused on her father’s.

  “You, young lady, will be coming home with me.”

  “I will not. I will find my own protection.”

  “With what means? I will cut you off so fast…”

  Inhaling deeply through her nose, she responded, “Good. I’ll use what I have in my trust fund. I’ll find a job like everyone else. I don’t want you to hate me, Daddy. I just want to have my own life. I’m tired of you controlling me.”

  “And how are you going to afford protection? You need me.” He was looking straight into her eyes begging her to defy him. “Around the clock protection isn’t cheap. It will eat through your trust fund in a couple of months.”

  “I will be her protection, sir.” Rob moved to stand beside Lola.

  “See, Daddy. It’s settled. Rob will protect me.”

  “I forbid it.”

  “You don’t have a say, sir,” Rob’s steel grey eyes met dark, menacing ones. “Your daughter is an adult. If she doesn’t want to go home with you, she doesn’t have to. But rest assured, I will die before I let anything happen to her.”

  “Lola,” Mr. Sardeson resorted to begging.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy, but my mind is made up.”

  “If I provide funding for this protection, can we make sure he has backup.” Mr. Sardeson could never refuse his daughter anything. It was his fault she was still in danger.

  “We can work something out.” Tyrrell looked at Rob. “Care to tell me where the additional funds came from?”

  “I’d rather not,” Rob responded.

  “That wasn’t really a question.”

  “Fine. I put in the twenty-five grand, or we would have lost the auction,” Rob said lowering his head embarrassed.

  Lola’s mouth dropped open. “Why?” she whispered.

  “I couldn’t lose you,” Rob said looking into her beautiful sea-foam colored eyes. All of the men in the room exchanged glances. What did he mean?

  “I will pay you back,” Mr. Sardeson said reaching into his breast pocket and removing his checkbook.

  “Lola, do you mind if I talk to my boss and your father for a minute, alone?” Rob asked aware that damage had been done, aware that he had revealed too much.

  “Perfect timing. Aaron, will you show Ms. Sardeson to the ladies’ room so she can change?” Tyrrell asked.

  Aaron opened the door for Lola, and she followed him down the hall. When Rob could no longer hear footsteps, he spoke. “I do not want my money back. I don’t want payment for this job. I’m protecting her because I want to. If you want to pay the company for the other men’s involvement, that’s fine, but I will not take a penny of your money.” He looked at Tyrrell, and Tyrrell knew he was serious.

  “If you aren’t doing this for the money, son, then why are you doing this?” Mr. Sardeson asked cutting through the bullshit.

  “I care for your daughter. Nothing will happen to her. No one will touch her, not as long as I am around. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Tyrrell, I guess that leaves you and me to talk business,” Mr. Sardeson said, dismissing Rob and turning his attention back to Tyrrell.

  Rob waited outside the Ladies’ restroom for Lola. He wanted to be the one to tell her the good news. She would get what she wanted. She could go back to Harvard. But he also had to explain his new role in her life. She exited the bathroom dressed in men’s jeans at least two sizes too big for her and a man’s plain white V-neck undershirt. She had to keep a hand on the pants or they would fall down.

  “Thanks for that. With my father. No one has ever stood up to him for me before.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. You deserve to live your own life. I do need to talk to you though,” Rob said, trying hard to avoid looking at her perky breasts covered by the thin fabric.

  “Sure,” she said joining him in his walk down the hallway.

  When they reached his cube, he pulled out his chair and offered her a seat.

  “Thank you.”

  Rob leaned against his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Listen, I know we just met, but this detail I signed up for means you and I live together - twenty-four seven. You are never out of my sight.”

  “What about classes?” she inquired anxious to get some resemblance of her old life back.

  “I will escort you to your classes, and I will be waiting for you when you leave.”

  “What about your life?”

  “Until this is over, you are my life.”

  “What about your girlfriend?” Surely he had to have a girlfriend, a man as gorgeous as he was. She let her eyes wander down his toned neck, over his Adam’s apple, down to his broad, muscular chest. Her eyes traveled further still, subconsciously, down to his narrow hips and his strong, powerful legs to the tips of his work boots. She liked everything she saw. She took her time working her eyes back up his body while she waited for his response.

  He felt it. He felt her eyes as if they were a soft caress. Her eyes pierced his body and heated him. His groin pulled. She wanted him. His heart actually fluttered in his chest. She made her appreciation of his body known. He liked that. She was bold and brave. He admired that about her. She was also honest. He thought about it and realized he had been completely honest with her about everything. Even with how he was feeling, although under the guise of protecting her. He told her she was his life, and he meant
it.

  “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said suddenly feeling sad. His thoughts were turning back to Lizzie. He started to feel the guilt of forgetting his Lizzie for as long as he had. Lola had taken his mind and cleared it of everything but her. How could he forget the love of his life? Could he ever forgive himself for forgetting her? Whatever this pull Lola had over him was, he would have to fight it. She was his mission. He would protect her because, if he was being honest with himself, he cared about her. She affected him, relieved his scarred mind. But he would never forget his Lizzie again. She deserved better than that.

  “Oh,” she said in surprise.

  Chapter 14

  Rob escorted Lola back to her brownstone and parked on the street outside the front of her home. He admired the luxurious home in a refined area of Cambridge. He put his hand on her knee and held it in place indicating for her to stay in the car. Cold grey met sapphire as they made eye contact. She felt his piercing eyes look through her. She knew then she would never be able to hide anything from this man. As Rob rounded the car, he admired her home. The wide steps led to a double door with large windows. The remaining wood had been painted black. He opened Lola’s door for her and held out his hand to her. She took his hand and immediately electricity moved through his body. He shook his head – Lizzie. He chastised himself for feeling something. The only person he should be feeling something for is Lizzie. He warred with himself. He had to possess Lola. He had to keep her safe and convince her that he was a good man – a man she could be with. Holding her hand tightly, he helped her out of the vehicle. He looked around, on guard against the dangers that awaited her. When he deemed it safe, he led her by her hand up the stairs to her double door.

  “I have to get the key.” She reached down under the mat and pulled out her key.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rob scoffed at her clichéd hiding place.