by Jess Bryant
“Uh, yeah.” He tried to ignore the tingle that radiated from the place she touched him.
“Are you insane?” She glanced at her hand and then dropped it back to her side.
Since he was fairly certain the answer to that was yes, he remained quiet. He’d clearly lost his mind yesterday when he crossed the line and touched her, when he went to her place and took her to bed. And considering that all he wanted was to reach for her now, to pull her into his arms and kiss her instead of dealing with this mess, he figured he was certifiable. He was so lost in that fantasy it took him a minute to catch what else she was saying.
“You know how Rachel gets around men! It took her months to get comfortable being in the shop with male customers. You should know. She used to shiver like a tree in a tornado every time you walked in the door. She still stutters just saying hi to you and you left her with Remy? Remy!”
She wasn’t yelling at him but the hissed whisper was almost worse because as soon as she said it, he realized just how distracted he’d been all morning. He knew better and Skylar was right, he hadn’t been thinking. He should have put it together as soon as Remy came back and said there was a scared girl alone at Split Ends but he hadn’t.
Rachel Grant was the complete opposite of Skylar. She was quiet and shy and withdrawn. She rarely spoke and when she did she had a tendency to stammer over her words. Colt didn’t know her well. Hell, he barely knew her name. He didn’t even know how the girl had come to work for Skylar, but he did know that she always looked at him like he was the big, bad wolf.
And he’d sent Remy to the back to help her. Remy. His big brother that made intimidation look like an art form. Jesus, if Rachel looked at him and saw trouble she probably looked at Remy and saw the boogeyman come to life.
He winced, “Shit.”
“Yeah, shit.” Skylar started to step past him and raised her voice, “Rach? It’s Sky. I got your message. I’m here.”
“Hey, I didn’t think.” Colt reached out and caught her arm, “I’m sorry.”
She surprised him by grinning again, her blue eyes twinkling, “Another apology? Who are you and what’ve you done with my favorite Bomar boy?”
That pain in his chest intensified and he found himself smiling back at her, “I’m your favorite huh?”
“Most days.”
He snorted, “Except when I’m being an asshole?”
“I was gonna say except the days I get to see Ford shirtless under the hood of one of his muscle cars but yeah… that too.”
A flash of red hot jealousy shot through him. Ford? Ford! He hated the idea of Skylar ogling any of his cousins but Ford? Really? The guy was giving those duck people a run for their money with his refusal to cut his hair or beard these days. He looked like a goddamned mountain man. Since when did Skylar have a thing for that? She hated the great outdoors.
He felt an overwhelming urge to put his fist through Ford’s face. Yeah that’d go over well with his cousins and probably earn him a beating. But it’d be worth it to let each and every one of his family members know that Skylar was his.
He didn’t even realize he was making a low growling noise in his throat until she giggled and put a hand on his chest. His. She was his. He still had a hold on her other wrist and he swiped his thumb across her pulse, which was racing. He tugged her closer and she tipped her face up expectantly. When she licked her pretty pink lips he wanted to close the few inches between them and kiss her teasing mouth.
“Oh! So-so-sorry. I’m interrupting.”
Colt released Skylar at the sound of the soft female voice behind her and stumbled away. His throat felt tight and his blood was roaring through his ears again. One more second and he would have crossed the line all over again and said to hell with the consequences. He breathed a sigh of relief when Skylar stepped back from him as well.
No. She wasn’t his. He’d only had her for one night. They were friends, or at least he hoped they still were. And if he needed a reminder of why he couldn’t give her more than that, all he had to do was look around at the damaged salon.
This was his fault. He’d brought this to her door. And even if they’d only hit her salon as an accident when they busted up his place, it was too close for comfort. He couldn’t have this kind of shit touching her.
“No worries, Colt and I can finish our discussion later.” Skylar seemed oblivious to his change of mood when she smiled and turned to face the girl that had come into the room. “He said you hurt your hand and his brother was helping you clean it up. Is everything okay?”
“Um, ye-yeah, everything is…”
“Great.” Remy stepped into the room behind her, a soft smile on his face as he looked down at the girl who was nervously picking at a makeshift bandage covering her palm, “Right Rachel?”
Colt glanced between the two of them and felt his smile fall. What the…? Rachel didn’t move away from Remy. She shyly glanced up at him from under her lashes and her cheeks tinged pink but she didn’t recoil when he gently reached out and stopped her twitching hands. His brother smiled in return and the girl blushed harder. Colt blinked but the two of them were still standing there beside each other grinning at each other like idiots.
“I…” Skylar glanced between the two of them as well, “You all good Rach?”
The shy brunette nodded and then ducked her chin to her chest.
“Oh… kay.” Skylar pursed her lips and then focused her attention on his brother, “Thanks for helping her, Remy.”
“No problem.”
“Is the cut bad?”
“Remy said it isn’t deep but that we should put some disinfectant on it.” Rachel spoke up, no stuttering at all, which must have surprised Skylar as much as it did him because both her eyebrows winged up, “I don’t need stitches or anything but I need to get it bandaged up so it doesn’t get infected.”
“Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”
“No, that’s okay. Remy said he can do it and that there are supplies next door at Fine Lines. I looked in the back but we don’t have anything like that.” The girl shyly glanced up at his brother before turning back to Skylar, “We were just about to head next door.”
“Uh, okay, yeah.” Skylar nodded hesitantly, “If you’re okay with him patching it up…”
“I had medical training in the army. I can handle a cut, Skylar.” Remy interjected with a firm nod.
“Okay then.”
“Okay. Good.” Rachel started picking at the bandage again, “I’ll go get this wrapped up and then I’ll come back and help you clean.”
“We’ll come back and help clean.” Remy corrected with another of those gentle smiles that made Colt’s heart clench when his brother nodded in his direction, “Give you two some time alone to figure things out in here.”
With a guiding hand that didn’t quite touch her, Remy skirted Rachel past them and carefully out the broken front door. There was nothing but silence for a few long moments as they exited the building. Colt stared at the spot where the person that looked like his brother but sounded nothing like him had disappeared until Skylar smacked him across the arm.
“Oh my God!” She hissed.
“Ow.” He rubbed his bicep.
“What the hell was that?” Skylar gaped at him, “That was Rachel right? My assistant that freaks out whenever a man walks into the same room as her? That was her, smiling and blushing at your brother like a schoolgirl with a crush? I’m not the only one that saw that right?”
“Uh, yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair, “I’m still trying to figure out if that was really my brother though because that’s the first I’ve ever seen of a kinder, gentler Remington Bomar in my entire life.”
“She didn’t stammer at all after he came into the room. How weird is that?” Skylar gaped.
“I don’t know what the fuck just happened.” He admitted.
“I don’t either but I’m worried. I don’t want your brother anywhere near that girl. She has e
nough problems. She doesn’t need a guy like him sniffing around her.”
“He’s my brother so I should probably defend him. I mean, if she isn’t stammering then he must not make her nervous right? But it’s still Remy so…”
“I know.” Skylar squeezed his arm again and then sighed, “We’ve got to keep an eye on them but first things first, what do we need to do in here?”
Colt frowned at the reminder of the mess they were standing in, “Right now we’re in a holding pattern. I called the building super and let him know what had happened. Rachel said the deputies were on their way but if she told them my shop was involved I think it’s safe to say they’ll take their sweet ass time getting down here. While we wait, I’ll get you my insurance agent’s information. I already called and told him you’d be phoning. We’ll get this cleaned up and go from there.”
Skylar tilted her head, “Why would I call your insurance agent?”
“Because I’m paying for this.”
He groaned when he saw her lips thin. He knew that look. He’d been expecting it since the moment she walked into the shop. She was gearing up for a fight. He’d known that phone call earlier had gone too smoothly. She hadn’t caught on to what he already knew which meant he was going to have to lay it out for her.
This was his fault.
“No. You’re not.”
“Yes. I am.”
“Please explain to me why you would pay for the damage done to my salon.”
“I told you earlier, they were aiming for me. It’s my shop they targeted. From the looks of it, yours was just collateral damage. So yeah, it’s my insurance that’s going to cover it.”
Skylar paused and stared at him for a long moment, “What do you mean targeted your shop? This was probably just some random kids getting into trouble. Wasn’t it?”
He adored that she could be so naïve. Her first thought was that a group of teenagers had decided to go a step further than toilet papering and this had been the result. It never would have occurred to her that this damage was the result of a premeditated plan by grown ass men to cause trouble for him because she didn’t live with the same dark shadows that he did.
And he hated that he was going to have to show her his now.
“No. It wasn’t kids.”
“How do you know that?” Her hands went to her hips.
“Because they left a message for me at my shop.”
“What kind of message?”
“Nothing that bears repeating.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, “Look, somebody’s not too happy with me but this has nothing to do with you and…”
“Nothing to do with me?” Her eyebrows winged up, “Colt, we’re standing in the wreckage of my salon. I think it definitely has something to do with me.”
“Sky…”
“No. Don’t Sky me like that. I’m not being ridiculous and you’re not going to get away with shutting me out. Not this time.” She poked a finger in his chest, “I want to know what’s going on and I want to know right now. Whatever this is, whatever you think happened, we’ll deal with it together.”
That word, together, made the ache in his chest come back full force and he fought a wince because he couldn’t have it, “Sky...”
“Colt.” She said his name softly and surprised him by moving back in close and framing his face between her small hands, “I don’t want to fight with you anymore but I will if you make me.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either but…”
“Then don’t.” She tiptoed up and brushed her lips against his in a whisper of a kiss before she pulled away, “I’m going to go check on those two next door and then you can explain to me what you think happened here.”
The pleasure of her brief kiss lulled him into a false sense of peace and it took him a second too long to realize what she’d said. Skylar had already stepped out of his arms and headed for the door when he winced. She was going next door to his shop to check on Remy and Rachel but that also meant she was going to see the damage to his place.
“I’ll go check on them. You stay here.” He hurried after her and caught her eye roll.
“Nice try but no.”
“There’s glass over there. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She gave a very unladylike snort, “There’s glass all over my shop too. Care to try again? Maybe with the truth this time? Why don’t you want me going next door, Colt?”
Because when she saw the damage to his place, she was going to freak out. Because she wouldn’t be able to laugh this off. Because she would demand answers that he wasn’t sure he could give her. But mostly because he worried that having her anywhere near him would show the guys responsible that she was important to him and they really would come after her next.
He must have stayed silent too long because Skylar gave him a disappointed sigh and then stepped around him to continue towards his shop. Colt groaned but followed after her. He couldn’t stop her without physically restraining her and really, despite his fantasies about tying her up, he wouldn’t do that. She was going to see the shop either now or later when the police finally arrived. He might as well get it over with.
Since she didn’t wait for him, he was a couple of steps behind when she reached the wide open space that used to be his glass door. Now it was nothing but a gaping hole. It lay in broken shambles, ruined, just like everything else in his shop.
“Be careful. The glass is…”
“Oh. My. God.” Skylar’s gasp cut him off and he winced when he saw her hand come up to cover her mouth.
He knew what she was seeing. He’d been shocked when he walked in and saw it earlier too. It was as if the person, or more likely people, responsible had set out with the goal of destroying every single thing they could get their hands on.
Not only were the windows smashed but every mirror inside had also been broken. The framed art that had been hanging on the walls was alternately torn down or spray painted over. The counter was smashed to bits and pieces. His leather chairs had been gashed open and ripped apart. There were holes in the walls and suspicious fluids on the floors.
It was a total loss. He would have to start from scratch. Only this time he wouldn’t start with a nice, clean studio. He would have to start with trash, which was so damn fitting it hurt.
He was a Bomar. He’d known the instant he saw the broken windows what had happened. He’d never mistaken the damage for something kids could have done but the message spray painted on his wall had more than confirmed that this attack had been brought on by his association with his family.
In big, bold, spray-painted letters, his wall now read, “Lie. Cheat. Steal. The Bomar Way.”
He read the words and felt his anger flare to life all over again. He shoved his hands into his pockets when they balled into fists. Worrying about Skylar, about her salon, even worrying about Rachel, it had distracted him from his anger for a few minutes. Walking back into his business and seeing the ruins of everything he had worked so hard for brought it all roaring back.
“Oh God… Colt?” Skylar’s voice pulled his attention back to her and he sighed at the questions swimming there.
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“You were going to ask who would do this and the answer is, I don’t know.” He snorted when her lips pursed, “I don’t know who is dumb enough to attack us so blatantly like this.”
“Us? I thought you said my shop was just collateral damage?”
“Not you and I us. Bomars, us.”
“Oh…”
He tried to ignore the slight pout that marred Skylar’s beautiful face. He couldn’t get into the argument that they were not an us right now. If anything, this was the reminder he’d needed to keep her at arm’s length after last night. Her shop had gotten busted up just for being next door to his. If whoever had done it figured out how important she was to him…
“Look, I don’t know who did this but you can be damn sure I’m going to find
out and when I do, they’re going to pay.”
Skylar frowned, “I don’t like the sound of that, Colt. Let the authorities deal with it. They’ll figure out who was involved and we’ll press charges.”
He rolled his eyes this time, “Yeah, I should trust the cops to help when they clearly jumped right up and came over? It’s been a half hour and you can get across this tiny town in ten minutes. They’re already slacking because of my last name. I’ll deal with it myself, thanks.”
“Using your fists to fix your problems is probably what brought this on to start with.”
“Don’t start, Skylar. I’m a Bomar. I’ve told you before there are things about me that you’re never going to understand and dealing with this kind of thing is one of them.”
She stared up at him for a long moment and he prepared himself for another rebuttal so he was shocked when she once again completely ignored his bad attitude and moved into his personal space, “Colt, I worry about you.”
His hand had a mind of its own and he brushed her hair back, “Don’t waste your time worrying about me. I’m not worth it.”
“I think you are.”
“That’s because you’re an angel… and way too good for me.”
She caught his hand when he started to pull away and placed it back on her cheek, holding him to her, “One of these days, I’m going to make you see yourself like I see you.”
Someday, he hoped that was true. Because he had no idea what she saw in him but it made him want to be that man. The man that was good enough to earn her time and her affection. But he wasn’t that man yet, and standing in his ruined shop arguing about whether he was going to lay a beat down on the people responsible proved it.
He stroked his thumb across her cheek, “I’m going to handle the people responsible for this, Sky. I just need you to stay safe. I can’t stand the thought of you getting dragged into this mess.”
“Stop trying to protect me.”
“Never.”
That pain in his chest intensified as he looked down at her. He slipped his hand from her cheek back into her hair. He needed to kiss her. Again. Now. While he still could. He knew all the reasons it was a bad idea but right there, at that moment, all that mattered was that she was here, with him, and she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She tipped her face back just as he lowered his head.