Pina looked past her to be sure no one was there. “You’re shaking, Louisa. I’ve never seen you like this. Is there more that you’re not telling me?”
She stared at Pina and her long blonde hair and light green eyes.
She shook her head. “Thanks for being here for me.”
“Of course. We all got here as soon as you said it was okay to come over.”
“Louisa, you ready?” Jace asked from the bedroom doorway.
“Yes,” she said and then grabbed Pina’s hand and they walked slowly into the bedroom. Louisa felt Pina tighten her grip and one look at the guy who was some sort of doctor and Louisa knew why. Niall, Graham’s good friend, was super freaking hot. He didn’t look like a doctor. He was dressed in designer jeans and a tight-fitting designer T-shirt. He was gorgeous.
“Louisa, Pina, meet Niall Mondave. A very good friend.” Graham introduced him as Jace, Micah, and Vaughn entered the room with him. Niall smiled softly and his eyes roamed to Pina who squeezed Louisa’s hand again. She knew exactly what Pina was going through. Louisa had a similar reaction upon meeting each of the Hunt men.
“Have you taken any painkillers aside from what the men gave you last night?” Niall asked.
“No.”
He placed his medical bag on the bed and then looked at her.
“Well, let me see the damage. Turn around,” he said and Pina let go of her hand and Louisa turned around. She held her shirt against her chest as he lifted up the material. She felt his warm breath release quickly. Then he ran his palm along her skin.
“Does this hurt here?”
“Yes.”
“How about when you breathe?” he asked.
“A little.”
“You need to take the painkillers a little longer, and definitely an anti-inflammatory to bring down this swelling.” He pulled out his stethoscope and listened to her breathing. Then he looked at the bruising on her shoulder, then back to her spine again.
“It isn’t going to be pleasant, but icing this will bring down that swelling and take pressure off your spine. This is going to get a hell of a lot uglier, Graham. Did you guys catch the bastard yet?” he asked and gently pulled her shirt back down into position.
“Cooper and Daxton are working with Steel and Darius Law.”
“Excellent. You let Knox and the guys know if you need anything else. She’s to take these twice a day, and you get her to take the pain meds at night and especially when needed,” he told Graham and handed him two small bottles. He then looked at Louisa.
“You’ll feel better in a week. Take it easy and be sure to use the anti-inflammatory,” he said and then looked at Pina, checking her out.
“Do I have to take the pain meds? I don’t like how they make me feel,” Louisa told him.
“Take them anyway for at least the next two days and ice the back so the swelling goes down. Hell, take a dip in their pool. The Hunt men have an amazing pool,” he said to her.
“So does Apollo. I think Venetia was talking to her men about you staying in the guesthouse while you recover,” Pina said to her.
“She’ll be staying with us. We’ll take care of her,” Graham said to her.
“I’ll be fine staying here. I’ll need to get back to work and can focus on some things here at home. Thank you for everything, Niall.”
“You’re welcome. Nice meeting you,” he said to Pina and then Jace walked him out.
“We’re going to help pack some things and then head to our place. Niall had a great idea about soaking in the cool swimming pool,” Graham ordered. He didn’t ask. He told her this was what they were doing.
“No,” she replied.
“This isn’t up for discussion.”
“No, Graham, it isn’t. I’m not leaving here. I have the medicine from your friend and Pina here and the others to help me.”
“That’s not how this works,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Maybe I should leave you two alone a minute,” Pina said.
Louisa looked at her. “It’s fine, Pina.”
Pina gave her a reassuring smile and touched her arm before she headed out of the bedroom.
“We care about you and this is our responsibility to take care of you. If I hadn’t…” He paused a moment. “This never should have happened. You should not be bruised up and unable to work.”
“That isn’t your fault, Graham. Think about it. This person who robbed the place, they knew exactly where to go, when to do it, and someone helped them. Why else would the surveillance cameras go down on that wing of the hotel and nowhere else?”
“They were down in the basement level, left wing.”
“Basement level, left wing. All the way on the other side of the hotel.”
“I don’t want you thinking about it or worrying about figuring things out. That’s our job, not yours.”
“Yeah, well you aren’t a suspect, I am,” she said and started to walk toward the door slowly. He stepped in front of her. She stopped and looked way up into his dark blue eyes.
“I want you in my home, in my bed, where I know my brothers and I can keep you safe.”
So badly she wished she didn’t have this inner fear, this concern that they would turn on her, use her when she held on to her virginity for so long. She couldn’t get the thoughts out of her head. The way the robber touched her, and how it brought on the fears, the nightmares from her past. It didn’t help that Miles was seeing her mom again. Not that she talked to her mom too often. She was trying to be respectful, but it was kind of hard when she was involved with a criminal and a man who assaulted her daughter. Her mom had to know Miles wanted Louisa in his bed. Could she be so stupid?
She shivered and looked away from Graham. He cupped her cheeks and she tightened up and went to step back.
“Jesus, Louisa, what the hell is going through your head?” he asked her.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Too much, Graham. Way too much to even consider making things more complicated by staying at your place. I’m sorry, but it just can’t be an option right now.”
She started to move when he placed his hands on her hips and lowered down to stare into her eyes.
“You’re so scared. What do we need to do to prove to you that we’re not out to hurt you? Who fucked with your head so much that you can’t see this is real, and that we want you?”
She wanted to cry. To pour her heart out to him and explain about her past. About her mother and Miles and then about the way the robber stared at her like he knew her, and how he groped her as if it was personal.
She felt his lips press against the corner of her mouth. “Talk to me, baby. Tell me what scares you so much?”
A tear spilled from her eye. He narrowed his eyes at her.
“I can’t yet. I just can’t,” she said and then she pressed her head to his chest and he held her in his arms and was careful not to touch her bruises as he consoled her.
God damn it, I want him. I want his brothers and I want what Venetia and Gianna have. Why do I have to be so scared to trust them? Why?
* * * *
“So far the painting has not shown up on any black-market sites or inner circles that we know of. This makes us believe that it was a set deal. Someone wanted the painting for a certain price. There was a buyer and it was a quick exchange,” Niall told Cooper, Daxton, Jace, Micah, and Vaughn outside of Louisa’s home.
Cooper exhaled. “So basically we aren’t going to catch this guy. That’s what you’re saying?” Cooper asked him.
“Sorry, but it was a slick operation, definitely inside people used as you all figured out pretty damn quickly. Have you heard from Mercury James?” Niall asked.
“My brother spoke with his last night. He can’t help but think these heists, the small robberies, are connected to the ones recently in Cuba,” Niall said to them.
“Seriously? Like he thinks these could be the same person?” Micah asked.
“That’s what we need t
o figure out,” Niall added.
“If that’s the case and it’s someone out to hurt our security firm, Ultimate Defense, then it may be someone inside,” Cooper stated.
“It very well could be, and also someone out to discredit Merk Enterprise as well. There could be multiple people inside working against you,” Niall said.
“I can’t believe this. Most of our employees have been with us for years. Some we served with, others were recommendations from friends. Anyone with access to information or the computer system would need clearance. We should be able to narrow down suspects if they are working the inside,” Daxton said.
“What do you know about Louisa and her background?” Niall asked them. Cooper immediately was on the defensive.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he barked.
“Cooper, calm down. You know she has to be investigated as part of the process,” Jace said to him as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“If you need us to do this, to be clearheaded, then we have no problem doing it for you. You’ve helped us out a time or two in the past. We’re family,” Niall said to Cooper.
Just then Graham came outside and he looked pissed off.
“Is she okay?” Micah asked him.
He shook his head. “Something is going on with her. She’s refusing to come to our place so we can take care of her. She’s putting up this wall and gets this look in her eyes of fear. I don’t get it. I don’t know how to prove to her that we aren’t going to hurt her,” Graham said to them.
Cooper looked at Niall who appeared suspicious. Hell, even Cooper was starting to wonder why she was so resistant to them. “Do it, Niall. Get whatever you can and let us know what you come up with,” Cooper told him. Niall nodded and then shook their hands and headed to his sports car.
“What is he going to do?” Graham asked Cooper.
“Him and his brothers are going to investigate Louisa, because you know damn well we won’t look at this with clear eyes and heads, not when we want her as our woman. Plus Mercury called. Don Romo is connected somehow to that hit in Cuba that could have killed Micah and Jace. He is also working with Paulano Fellini, Louisa’s old boss, the man she was running from because he supposedly sexually harassed her. Too many connections to just ignore. We need to do this,” Cooper explained.
“If she had something to do with this robbery, what are we going to do?” Daxton asked.
“What needs to be done,” Micah said and walked away.
Chapter 7
Louisa was more than ready to head back to work. The guys weren’t too thrilled about it as they were still investigating the incident and basically interrogating the staff. Her cell phone rang and she saw it was her mom calling and she wondered why. It instantly made her feel nervous and a bit sick to her stomach. What lies were Miles feeding her? She swore if the woman dared to ask her to meet them for dinner she would flip out. She glanced at the doorway and could see Jace, Micah, and Vaughn talking by the kitchen counter. Graham, Daxton, and Cooper were at the hotel and updating them on the investigation.
“Hello?” she answered.
“When were you going to call me and tell me that you got hurt?”
“How did you find out?”
“Miles knows people.”
“I’m sure he does. I’m fine. I’m heading back to work soon.”
“Why? Aren’t you going to sue that hotel for not protecting you?”
“What? Why the hell would I sue the hotel?”
“To get money.”
“Jesus, you’re crazy and I’m not like you. I’m not out for the easy cash flow, or to land a man who will pay my way. I’m a professional, and have a career and work my ass off for everything I have.”
“So fucking six very wealthy men is for pleasure, not for money?”
“What?” she whispered into the phone.
“I heard all about the men you’re sleeping with. How they own a security firm and how they came to your rescue at the hotel. You’re not so different than me after all, are you, Louisa?”
“Why are you doing this? Why are you saying these things to me?”
“You’re not perfect like your father always thought you were. You’re a whore, screwing six men. Six. They’ll use you and leave you and then you’ll have nothing. That fancy degree won’t mean shit. No man will ever want to touch you.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know I have Miles and he cares about me and is taking care of me. He was willing to see you and be here for you, too.”
Her anger got the better of her as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Miles is a scumbag. And for the record the reason why I hate him so much is because he tried to force himself on me.”
“He told me that you would say something like that. That when you left for college you were jealous of me and you wanted him, but he resisted and turned you away. Tried to console you but you touched him and wanted to have sex with him.”
“Liar!” she screamed into the phone.
“Whore!” her mother stated.
“Never call me again. Never!” Louisa stated and then disconnected the call and tossed the phone across the deck. She started sobbing as thoughts of that night Miles cornered her in the bedroom came to mind. She allowed him this control and her mother, too. She allowed the fear to control her and make her hide her feelings, close up her heart. It wasn’t fair.
“Louisa?” Micah said her name and she covered her mouth and shook her head. She wouldn’t look up at them. They had to have heard her conversation. The porch creaked, then Micah, Vaughn, and Jace were there. Jace placed her phone onto the table after retrieving it.
“Who was that?” Micah asked.
“My mother,” she said and sniffled.
“You talk to her?” Jace asked.
“Barely.”
“Why did she call, then? What did she say to upset you?” Vaughn asked.
She wiped her eyes and looked at the three of them. “She heard about the robbery and me getting hurt. She thought I should sue the hotel.”
“What? Why would you do that?” Jace asked.
“Well, if I was as twisted and greedy as her, then it would make perfect sense. An easy way out. Fast money. Forget about working for it. God forbid the woman get up off her ass aside from screwing men for money and actually work a day in her life at a real job, a profession. I’m a professional. I paid for college and got my degree.” She pointed her own finger into her chest. “I got out of that hellhole and made a better life for myself. She was the one who always wanted more, was never happy, never loyal to my dad,” she carried on and then stood up. She was grateful to only feel a slight ache. It had been a week and she planned on heading back to work Monday.
“Slow down. So you don’t have a relationship with your mom but she just called you? Why?”
“Why, Micah? You want to know why? Because she also heard that I’m screwing six wealthy men and what money can I get out of you guys.”
“What?” Jace asked, looking angry.
“Yeah, well, that’s my mom. My dad left her when I was sixteen because she was unfaithful and always looking for a wealthy man. When my dad died she found out about an insurance policy he had and then it was divided sixty/forty, with me getting sixty percent and his Mustang plus savings, which wasn’t that much, but it helped me pay for college and get the hell away from her and her boyfriend.”
She turned to face them and they just stared at her.
“I can’t take it anymore,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Can’t take what anymore?” Graham asked as he, Cooper, and Daxton arrived.
Jace explained about her mom calling her.
“So you don’t have a relationship with her?” Graham asked just as Vaughn, Micah, and Jace asked.
“No. Why would you keep asking me that question—” She paused and her heart felt like it was caught in her chest. They were investigating her. They
knew about her mother, about her scams for money.
“My God, is there anyone I can trust?” she blurted out and then pushed off the railing to head inside. Micah grabbed her and pulled her close.
“Don’t. Don’t compare us to the people in your life who failed you. To your mother who called you names and reprimanded you for sleeping with six men and hoping you would get money from us. Don’t. We know that isn’t you. You also know that we needed to investigate you to ensure no one can accuse you of being involved. We’re trying to figure things out.”
“What did you find out, Micah?” she asked, feeling weak, emotionally exhausted.
“That you left there after high school. That you’ve been taking care of yourself, taking out a mortgage in your own name and have separated yourself from her,” he said.
“That you worked for Paulano Fellini and he sexually assaulted you, but you recorded his harassment and even used self-defense to stop him from hurting you,” Daxton said.
“Is she the reason why you won’t trust us? Do her words get to you and make you feel like we would use you, then toss you aside?” Graham asked her.
Her heart was racing, but looking at the six of them standing around her, caring for her, hating to leave her each day, and telling her how special she was to them, had her revealing her secret.
“She had a boyfriend when I was finishing high school. He was always looking at me, trying to get close to me and she was pushing for it. Wanting me to forget about my father and let this man take his place. Except he didn’t want to be my father. He wanted me in his bed.”
“Fuck no. No, baby, did he?” Jace asked.
She shook her head. “I was home early one day. My mom was out shopping. He started talking to me about boys and how he saw men looking at me and me talking to a few guys at school. He was warning me to be careful and to not give it up to them. That I needed to save my virginity for a real man. One that could make me orgasm, bring me pleasure,” she said as tears filled her eyes. She stared at them.
Kamikaze Nights [Love on the Rocks 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 13