He said it like he’d already decided for us both.
Didn’t matter what he wanted, I was in love with someone else. Not to mention that I was not one iota attracted to the man who’d seemingly made it his sole mission in life to make my tenure in his office as unbearable as possible.
“I’m seeing someone.”
He leaned in. “I’m a very wealthy man, Vanessa. You would have everything you need. Just about anything you could ever want.”
His tone was unflinching, and an uneasy feeling came over me, like the walls were closing in the same way they had last night, when he’d had me pinned. I didn’t know what to say, but thankfully, he stopped me from saying anything.
“Think about it.” He sat back in his seat and opened the newspaper that had been folded neatly beside him. “On second thought, let’s move that meeting with Dermott to tomorrow.”
And just like that, the conversation was over.
He’d decided. I knew him, and I knew this to be true.
Panic welled up inside of me, but somehow I managed to push it down. I’d get another chance to explain to him that I couldn’t be a part of this vision he had for us. I couldn’t ever be that for him. I just prayed that when I did, he’d really hear me.
DARREN
A beat-up hooker, a heart attack, three bums, and a kitchen fire. Good thing I worked all night because I couldn’t have slept a wink if I’d wanted to. I couldn’t stop thinking about Vanessa. We’d talked for over an hour, after I’d made her promise me a dozen more times that she was all right. My blood was still boiling with the thought of her prick boss coming on to her.
Ian and the guys on the crew tried goading me between emergencies, but I was in no mood for jokes. By the time I got off my shift, I’d made up my mind.
I’d called her office and got her flight information. An hour later, I was at the airport waiting for her at the baggage claim.
She came into sight through the security doors, and some of the tension from the night eased up off me. One look at Vanessa made the world right. Manageable. Better.
As if answering my silent call for her, she recognized me. She smiled, ran toward me, and bound into my arms.
I scooped her up and off her feet, burying my face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. Apples and vanilla.
“What are you doing here?” When she pulled back, her eyes were bright. Her smile was so sweet and genuine.
I stared into her eyes, felt her soft skin under my touch, and remembered the voice that had come through the phone last night. I’d wanted to say it then, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words over the phone. I wanted to have her in front me, in the flesh. Close enough that I could feel her…
“I have to tell you something.” I caught her wrist and held it gently, felt her heart beating steadily. “Vanessa…I love you.”
Her smile faded, and her breath caught. I reveled in the rush of beats thrumming under my thumb, because the same rush was beating through me too. Lip trembling, she opened her mouth to speak.
“Don’t. Don’t say it. Not yet. Because you’re about to hate me.”
I immediately hated myself for being the one who would ruin it all. Not just yet though. She frowned, a silent question. I couldn’t give her the right answer now, so I just kissed her. I kissed her until the moment was broken by the sound of a man calling her name.
“Vanessa! What are you doing?” A second later, the man turned his angry stare toward me. “Who are you?”
The way he said it made it sound like I should drop to my knees and beg to shine his fucking shoes. What a smug dickhead. This was the guy barking orders at her all day long.
“I’m Darren Bridge. You must be the one who thinks he can put his hands all over my girlfriend.”
“Let’s go. I don’t have time for this.”
He reached for her, but she flinched back, as if her instincts gave her no other choice.
“What? Now I can’t touch you?”
The incredulous look on his face put me over the edge instantly. He really thought he owned her. He was dead wrong. He reached for her again and yanked her arm, pulling her toward him and not bothering to give me a second glance.
No fucking way. I’d come here to give him a piece of my mind. Now he was going to get a hell of a lot more.
I grabbed his arm, squeezing it hard until he let her go. A flash of fear crossed his face. I was taller, more muscular, and way more pissed off. He was smart to feel fear.
Inserting my body between them, I wasted no time punching him square in the nose. He dropped to the ground immediately, which might have satisfied me if I hadn’t already fantasized about him putting up enough of a fight to let me get a couple more shots in.
“Touch her again, and you’re going to need to buy a new face. I’m just getting started.”
“Darren!” Vanessa screamed and scrambled around me, following him down to where he now sat on the ground.
By now, we’d attracted a few stares, and people passing by were wisely giving us a wide berth.
“Vanessa, leave him. Let’s get out of here.”
Ignoring me, she fumbled around in her purse for a bunch of tissues and thrust them up to his nose in a desperate attempt to stop the blood gushing from his face.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was hushed.
“No, I’m not fucking okay. This goddamn Neanderthal is your boyfriend?” His angry shout was muffled and gargled.
“Vanessa, seriously.” I hated being the second guy barking at her, but that she was still giving him any of her attention after what he’d done was ridiculous. “He’ll live. Let’s go.”
“Leave us, Darren. You’ve done enough.”
I grimaced. “You’re going to stay and help this fucking guy?”
She turned her head to glare at me, still holding the tissues to Reilly’s face. “He’s my boss, and you just broke his nose. Just go.”
VANESSA
I love you.
I couldn’t get the words out of my head. He’d said he loved me. And my heart had nearly burst in that moment wanting to say it back to him. Because I did love him. More than I ever thought possible.
Buildings sped by us as we drove into the city. I was still in disbelief at what had happened. I cursed myself for calling Darren last night and giving him cause to worry. The results had been disastrous.
“You told him about last night?”
I chanced a look at Reilly, who sat beside me. “You caught me completely off guard. I needed someone to talk to.”
“You could have talked to me,” he snapped.
“You didn’t seem like you were in the mood to talk.”
He made a sound of disgust as he replaced new paper towels that I’d collected from the airport bathroom against his nose. “What’s his name? Darren Bridge? I’m pressing charges.”
If my adrenaline wasn’t already shooting through the roof, it peaked then. I looked to Reilly warily. I hesitated over what I was going to say next. “Frank Bridge is his father. You might know him.”
He turned his head, looking out the window, still holding his swollen nose. “I know him. I guess I can see the resemblance a bit. But I’d never guess he’d raise an asshole like that.”
I bit my tongue. I wasn’t excusing Darren’s rash behavior, but he had done it in my defense. No one had championed for me that way. Ever. Even if it had been a stupid decision. He wasn’t anyone’s enemy.
“Obviously I’m not going to be able to go to the investor cocktail tonight. I can’t show up like this. You’ll have to go and work the room with Bill and Adriana.”
“How will I know who to talk to?”
“Adriana will brief you. You’ll do fine. Just…be who you are. Nice, professional. I’m sure you’ll make friends fast.”
“Okay.” I exhaled heavily, closing my eyes as I leaned my head back against the cool leather of the town car. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. I wished none of this had happened. What a mess.
/>
“You don’t have to be. He will be though.”
I turned toward him, ready to beg. “David…please.”
He waved his hand. “It’s nothing you need to worry about. I’m going to take care of it.”
I’d never known Reilly to be the forgiving type. I clamped my jaw tight. God, if Darren weren’t going to be in so much trouble as it was I’d call him and scream at him for being so foolish to cross a man like David Reilly.
Chapter Sixteen
DARREN
I’d just started my shift when the captain came into the kitchen.
“Bridge, there’s someone here to see you. He’s out front.”
I rose and made my way through the truck stalls to the front of the station.
A man in a suit pivoted away from the street and came into full view. He took a small step toward me and then stopped.
“Darren Bridge. I’m David Reilly. We didn’t get a formal introduction earlier.” His lips were a thin line, and he was trying like hell to level me with his eyes.
He was the picture of Wall Street. I knew his type too well—the three-piece suits, the buffed-up shoes, the air of superiority that came with playing with other people’s money all day long.
Only the bruises on his face didn’t fit quite right. Dark purple streaked under his eyes and marred the place where his nose had been set.
“Come back for round two?” I wasn’t joking. I curled my fist into a ball, even if my knuckles still ached a bit from busting his face hours earlier. I had a lot more insights I wanted to share with this guy.
The stony expression didn’t waver. “Don’t press your luck.”
I crossed my arms. “What the hell are you doing here, then?”
His glared twisted into a snide smile. “You know, Bridge, the only reason I’m not pressing charges against you is because of your father. We go back.”
I wanted to ask how he knew my father, but the puzzle pieces fit together quickly enough.
“I let him know I wasn’t impressed with being attacked by his son. He was more than glad to make it up to me though. He’s invested heavily in the fund I’m starting. I’m sure Vanessa has told you about our new venture.”
I ground my teeth down. “Glad it worked out for you. Hope it covers the medical bills.”
He chuckled quietly and scuffed the sole of his expensive shoe against the pavement. “Oh, it doesn’t make a big difference to me. Seemed like a fitting penance though. I’ve got all the money I need. I’m just killing time. You see, Bridge, you might be able to give her a nice tumble in the sheets, but as long as this is how you plan to spend your life, it’ll never be enough.”
He gestured toward the station, and his judgment speared through me, all the way down to my bones. I wouldn’t let on, but he could have been my father in that moment. Didn’t matter if the whole damn country thought I was a hero. I’d always be a disappointment.
“Vanessa’s special,” he said. “She deserves more, and I can give it to her. I can’t imagine what you make here, but I can guarantee it’s not enough to give her all the things she really wants.”
“Maybe it’s not, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want you.”
His lips curved up into a smug grin. “I don’t need to chase women, Bridge. I don’t imagine you need to either. It’s pretty easy to tell when a woman is interested. I have a keen sense for what exactly they’re interested in too. You’ve got a uniform. I’ve got a credit card with no limit. I think we’ll find out soon enough what and who she wants.”
Was he trying to convince me that Vanessa actually wanted him? Not a chance. She had been seriously rattled when I talked to her last night. Then again, she’d been quick to keep me from going out there and rescuing her. Reilly watched as the wheels spun in my mind.
“You don’t believe me. Let me ask you this, Bridge. Why does a beautiful woman like Vanessa work for a man like me?”
“Pretty simple. She needs a job.” She’s miserable with you. You treat her like shit, and the only reason she stays is to pay her bills. But saying it out loud would only threaten her job more than I already had.
“If you believe that’s true, you’re dumber than I thought.”
“Fuck you.”
I took a threatening step his way. He stiffened but didn’t move back. He withdrew his hands from his pockets and pointed to me.
“No, fuck you. And you touch me again, you’re going to have some serious problems that even your dad won’t be able to pay away. I’ll make goddamn sure you’re arrested, and I’m sure it won’t sit too well with the department. You love this job so much? Be grateful you have it, because you won’t have anything to fall back on after this.”
He took a few short breaths, lowering his tone as he continued.
“I came here to tell you to stay away from Vanessa and stay away from me. That’s what we both want.” He turned without another word, walked a few paces down the street, and slipped into the back of a black Lincoln idling at the curb.
I paced around the station for a while, trying to get Reilly’s words out of my head. That guy had real fucking nerve.
Finally, I fished my phone out of my pocket. Calling Vanessa right now would probably only add more fuel to the fire. Instead, I dialed my father’s number. We hadn’t spoken since the wedding, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually picked up the phone to call him. The rule was mandatory-only.
“Son, good to hear from you.” His tone was even, professional, like I was a client, a good old boy.
I was a man now, but he was still my father. The sound of his voice elicited emotions that would probably never go away. The most pronounced being resentment, and maybe a twinge of remembered jealousy that he’d chosen to spend our childhood with bankers and boardrooms.
“You know why I’m calling,” I said.
He cleared his throat and waited.
“I’m an adult. I can take responsibility for my actions.”
“I’ve come to terms with your choices, Darren. I didn’t expect you to start becoming violent. And over what, a woman?” Disappointment infused the calm, collected voice of a man I’d never truly know.
“That woman is Vanessa. The prick that you’re investing your money with had his hands all over her. He had it coming.”
“Sounds like that’s something she needs to work out with him.”
“As long as she’s my girlfriend, it’s something he’ll need to work out with me.”
He sighed quietly on the other end of the phone. “What do you want me to say? I can’t have you assaulting people. Especially people who share connections with me in the industry.”
I swallowed a string of curses and kept my voice steady. “Just pull the funds, Dad. I don’t want you paying people off to save me trouble. It’s not your job.”
“I’m your father. It will always be my job to protect you, even if I don’t always agree with how you’ve chosen to live your life.”
I winced. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d agreed with my choices. To enlist and start a career doing something that I loved. Nothing would ever measure up.
“Have you written the check already?”
“It’s done, son. Just forget it and move on. A million dollars isn’t going to break me, especially if Reilly and Donovan can do what they say they can. I’m interested to see how the funds perform.”
A tone sounded, and my radio started going with specifics of the call.
“Dad, I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll talk to you soon, son. Don’t worry about any of this. It’s all taken care of.”
VANESSA
The party was being hosted at the Terrace Room at the Plaza. With its ornately painted high ceilings and breathtaking chandeliers, the room was as opulent as any I’d ever seen. Then again, this event was about attracting money—celebrating it, enjoying it, and making more of it. I was confident Adriana had picked the perfect venue with that theme in mind.
I checked i
n with the hotel staff to ensure everything was on track. Adriana and Bill had arrived, and several guests had started trickling in. I’d spent most of the afternoon memorizing faces. Adriana had more experience with this sort of event and seemed to have enough confidence for both of us. My nerves were getting to me a little, but without Reilly snipping at me every five minutes, I actually felt more competent than I’d expected to.
I escaped to the bathroom, which was no less lavish than any other room in the historic hotel. I checked my appearance in the wall-sized mirror, reassuring myself that I could pull this night off.
I smoothed my hair, which fell down my back in loose curls. Black was the official dress code for New York, but I had gone off script with a deep red cap-sleeved dress with a plunging surplice neckline. The fabric had a subtle shimmer to it. I silently thanked Reilly’s expense account for this one. He’d wanted me to look the part, and I thought I did.
Darren’s voice echoed in my head. Beautiful. I closed my eyes and envisioned his handsome face, eyes that saw me like no one ever had.
I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him yet, and heaven knew we had a lot to discuss. Boundaries when it came to work and our relationship were at the top of that list. I was more worried than angry, but I didn’t have time to deal with the aftermath of this morning’s drama until this party was behind me.
I checked myself over one last time and ventured back into the event room. I scanned the room for familiar faces when a cool hand touched my arm.
“Vanessa.”
Jia was beside me, a lowball glass filled with amber liquid in her hand. She was stunning in a black cocktail dress that draped beautifully over her petite frame.
“It’s good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting you,” I said guiltily. She hadn’t been on the guest list.
“I’m here with Will. He hates coming to these things alone, so I figured I’d keep him company.” She lifted her glass in the direction of a young man in a suit speaking with Bill and a few others. “Bill wants him to work the room. Making connections.”
Will Donovan was Bill’s son, and though we’d never met, Adriana had mentioned he’d be attending tonight. He was striking. Tall with dark blond hair and a chiseled, handsome face. No surprise that the gorgeous Jia was his date. They made a handsome pair.
Into the Fire (Bridge Book 2) Page 17