He’s right. I straighten my posture and exhale, take a good look around the garage. It’s an eerie feeling knowing that Taylor was in this exact spot earlier. The fear coursing through my veins is nothing compared to what she must have been feeling. She’s out there somewhere and I’m going to do everything in my power to get her back.
“I’m going to inspect the car again to see if I can find anything useful,” Chase says in the same cool tone he always speaks with. Even with the deep timber of his voice, somehow his words are soothing. “In the meantime, I need you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Can you do that?”
I nod gently, and then, “Yes.”
“Good.”
I watch him as he steps back to the vehicle and begins inspecting the interior. He brushes his hand across dirty windows and then pulls open the back hatch. His head disappears inside and I can vaguely make out that he’s shuffling his hands through junk in the trunk.
I twist back to face the direction any incoming cars would be coming from and lean back against a concrete column. I swear I can hear everything like I’ve been injected with superhero powers. A car alarm beeps in the distance while a helicopter swarms the skies overhead. An ambulance races down the road outside and a woman and a man argue in the garage on the floor beneath us.
Chase slams the hatch shut and I flinch in place, cock my head to watch him as he climbs into the back seat of the car. My eyes take careful stock of how strong he appears as he searches through every nook and cranny. A tinge of guilt stabs me in the chest when my eyes stare at his butt a little too long; tight, taut, and absolutely perfect in those jeans.
My sister is in God knows what kind of peril and I’m here watching a sexy man bending over the backseat of a car. But it’s a distraction that I need if I’m going to prevent myself from shattering.
Faintly, I hear the sound of a dog barking. He sounds vicious and feral, and I think to myself that someone is about to have a very bad day. It could never compare to the day I’m having, but I’m not usually one to compare.
“Summer,” Chase screams from behind me, his voice loud, booming, and echoing off the concrete walls. I hear the sound of a door slamming shut and then faintly, just faintly, a clicking sound.
In slow motion, I twist to him.
In the moment, it’s as if I cease existing in reality and begin existing in a vacuum of silence.
He’s racing towards me, his arms cycling at his sides as his eyes go wide.
Confusion sets in.
The pieces of the puzzle don’t fit.
He reaches me, throws himself forward.
I can feel his body colliding with mine first and then his strong hands engulfing my back. I lose my footing and as we both collapse to the ground, the black SUV explodes with a roar and a boom.
Fiery heat caresses my face first and then a fireball of flames and smoke. This is how I die, not by the cruel hand of time but by something far more nefarious.
The flames lick past us just before my vision goes dark. I’m surrounded on all sides by heat, the heat of the flames and the heat of his body suffocating mine.
My back lands with a crack against the hard concrete and I think I let out a loud yelp or groan. Most likely it’s a blood-curdling scream. The seconds tick by and when I find that somehow I’m still alive, I open my lucky eyes and there he is…
So strong and handsome above me, breathing hard and harsh, his breath is as hot as the flames. His eyes bore into mine and his neck tenses just before he swallows.
And I don’t move, not even an inch. It’s not like I could if I wanted to. I’m too demure and petite compared to his strong frame constructed of the finest steel.
And I just lay there thanking God that I’m still somehow alive and staring into the deep abyss of his dark eyes. There’s a story circling around in those dark orbs and I’m drawn in like a moth to a fire. His breath is ragged and harsh, hot and heavy, and I can feel his chest heaving against my body.
I’m content to lie here for however long it takes to recover, because under the weight of his body, I feel safe. He’s saved my life twice now and there’s no way I could ever thank him properly.
His lips hover so close to mine…
CHAPTER TEN
CHASE
She’s so damn beautiful.
What the hell does it say about me that I was almost blown to bits and pieces and the way her lips curl beneath me is all I can think about? I’m caught in her gaze hook, line, and sinker. I’m bobbing above her, my entire being shaken to the core. I’m fighting to catch my breath but she’s stealing whatever breath I can muster.
It’s almost like I possess a sixth sense. Something inside me was telling me something was amiss and then I heard the first of two clicks. I was taken back to the war, taken back to the sights and the sounds of watching my comrades meet an untimely end at the hands of a roadside bomb.
I think about kissing her and then I decide not to because that’d be out of line. So close yet so far. I’m parched, my throat coarse and dry. I finally muster the strength to climb off her and onto my feet. I reach down and pull her to her feet to stand in front of me.
“I’m sorry,” I say dryly.
“For what? For saving me?”
“Yeah.” I force a smile between ragged breaths. “Let’s go with that narrative.”
She’s shaken. I can see as much in her eyes, the way she reaches forward to brace the weight of her body against mine as her eyes search the wreckage. The concrete slabs posted around the site of the explosion are black and charred, the walls are cracked too.
Sirens scream in the distance and I realize that that’s my cue to get the hell out of dodge. I reach for her hand and tug at her. Pulling her behind me, I race down the slope leading to the third floor and rush to the railing to get a view at the city streets just outside.
There’s a mad bustle of people running and screaming as smoke smolders from behind us. This will soon be the scene of a crime and an investigation and I know it’s more imperative than ever before to get her away from here.
Cars don’t explode by accident; that much is certain. It was rigged to blow, but the only question is whether or not the men responsible knew that we were here, and if they did know then they’d know that Summer wasn’t working alone and that could have deathly consequences for her sister.
The screaming of the sirens close in on us and in the near distance, beyond the panicked screams of innocent passerby’s, red lights flash against the tan brick exteriors of offices and clothing stores.
I make it my mission to get Summer out of here before they arrive.
# # #
Dominic is going to be pissed. No longer is it an option to keep what I’ve done away from him. He’s the big boss and he’s going to rip my big ass a new one when he finds out. It won’t be because one of his company cars was left immobilized at the scene of an explosion. It won’t be because I’m working with Summer to rescue her sister.
It’ll be because I brought here back to the factory, and more importantly, because I took her downstairs into the control center. To the world, everything is supposed to be kosher, and on the surface it is. But peek beneath the surface and most everything we do is strictly outside the law.
That’s how we get results, but exposing our methods to the outside world is how we’ll someday find ourselves behind bars.
I’m dreading walking into the factory.
Sitting in the back of a yellow taxi, Summer and I look like we just walked out of a burning building, which hey, we kind of did. And we survived, but we certainly look worse for wear.
At least I do, anyway. When I look over and catch a quick glimpse of her, I see a woman who’s stronger than she could ever believe. And she’s beautiful even when her petite body is painted with smoke and the long curls in her dark hair are frazzled and frayed. Her clothing is mostly intact and I wish I could say the same for me, but the back of my tee shirt is tattered with burn holes.
When I first thumbed him down, the taxi driver gave us a quick once over and I could tell he was about to hit the gas so I was forced to offer him a two hundred dollar tip and a promise that we weren’t psychopaths.
The taxi crunches against gravel as we pull into the parking lot of the factory. The driver glances at me in the mirror and shakes his head with disdain as he pulls to a stop just outside the front door. Something tells me he doesn’t trust me, but that’s neither here nor there and none of my concern considering I’ve got what I needed from him.
I climb out of the backseat and rush around the back of the car. It’s my intention to show Summer that chivalry isn’t dead by opening her door for her but by the time I circle around to the passenger side, she’s already on her feet and closing the door gently behind her.
I wave off the taxi driver and thank him once more before he peels out, the tires kicking gravel into the air. When I turn to look at the factory, I exhale sharply and purse my lips.
“Why do you look so scared?” Summer questions from beside me, but doesn’t wait for an answer before she’s marching forward and holding the door open for me.
“What do you mean?” I force a smile and feign ignorance. It’s a lesson that’s stayed with me since the time I was a young child. The lesson being to never let anyone see your fear because it’s the easiest thing in the world to exploit.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah…” I chew into my bottom lip and crack my neck. “That might be because my back is charred and my body is stiff.” I follow her into the office space to the right of the huge open floor and question myself why I’m following her in my own work space. “Also, my boss’s car is parked outside and he’s not going to be happy.”
She steps into the elevator and arches a curious brow. “Why?”
“Let’s just say that I’ve violated countless company rules by taking you into the lion’s den.” I push the appropriate button on the panel, lean back and cross my arms. “The lion’s den is the basement, by the way.”
“Yeah,” she sneers. “I figured as much.”
We’re both silent as the elevator begins to descend down into the lower level. And once the door opens, we’re met with the sounds of men sparring and fighting. It’s just another day in the office for me, but when I glance over to see Summer recoiling and clinging tight to the back wall of the elevator, I can’t help but to chuckle.
“It’s fine,” I insist. “Nothing to be worried about.”
The elevator door slings shut behind us. My eyes shift to the training area in the center of the large open space where Dominic and Luke are throwing jabs at each other with boxing gloves atop a cushioned blue mat.
Marcus joins me on the opposite side of Summer as we march towards our fate. He leans in real close to me so that he can whisper under his breath, “Just so we’re clear, I had nothing to do with this.”
“Really?” I come to a dead stop and turn to face him fully. “I come strolling in here looking like I’ve been through hell and back and the first thing you want to say to me is that you’re scared of Dom so you’d prefer if I avoided implicating you in any of this?”
“I was going to get to that other point.” He grimaces and slides his glasses up his nose. “You do look like hell.”
“You too.” I roll my eyes. “Why are you sweating so much?”
“I was hoping he’d be gone by time you brought her back here.”
“Well that didn’t happen.” I place a palm on his shoulder and give him a rough squeeze, forcing a grunt from his throat. “And now we must face our maker.”
“Yeah, no.” He shrugs off my touch and drops back down into his computer chair. “This is all you.”
I nod, content with whatever fate is waiting for me on the opposite end of Dom’s wrath.
“Maybe you’re overthinking this,” Summer says from beside me, and I could only dream that she’s right. “Or maybe not.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Maybe he’ll go easy on us since we look like we just walked through a burning building.” I look forward at Dom and Luke, and when Dom’s eyes lock with mine, I sink slightly.
They stop sparring and they both turn to me. Luke stands behind Dom with a grimace on his face as Dom begins walking towards me. He’s the tallest of all of us, the bulkiest too. If I stand like a tower over Summer, then he’s an absolute giant standing next to me. He keeps his hair buzzed as close as possible to his skull without being considered bald, which I believe to be a relic from the days of his military service. Of the five of us, he’s the one that seems to most hold onto the past.
I clear my throat and walk with a bounce of confidence in my step. Hell, I’ve been through much worse than having my ass reamed by Dom. He’ll have a few choice words, call me an imbecile, and most likely I’ll be on my way.
We finally meet just outside the training grounds as he ducks under a rubber rope.
“You look like hell,” he says in his trademarked deep, disapproving voice. His eyes pass over to Summer for a second before they’re back on me. “Did the two of you happen to step on a landmine?”
Basically.
“It’s actually a long story.”
“Yeah?” He crosses his big, muscular arms over each other. “I can’t wait to hear about it.” He nods towards Summer. “Would you like to introduce me to your friend?”
“Right.” I gesture with my hand towards the shrinking violet next to me. “This is Summer Smart.”
“And what is she doing here?”
This is the problem with men like Dom. They’re blunt and they say whatever the hell they want, whenever the hell they want. For instance, a socially responsible person such as myself would wait to have this conversation until the girl in question was out of the room.
Dom has no such patience, but he gets results, so I’m sure he sees no need to diverge from his methods.
“Again, it’s a really long story.”
“I’ve got all the time in the world.” A cheeky grin passes over his lips. He cocks his head slightly, eagerly waiting for said long story but then perhaps realizes he’s being rude as he reaches out his hand to shake Summer’s. “Nice to meet you, Summer.”
My eyes twist sideways to get a good look at Summer. She’s nothing more than a meek schoolgirl compared to Dom, but it’s like she doesn’t even flinch.
She shakes his hand and smiles, and I don’t know how she does it. I don’t know how she could smile about anything given the circumstances. I guess she’s stronger than most.
“Nice to meet you, Dom.”
“Oh?” He arches one brow curiously. “I see Chase has been talking about me.”
She doesn’t miss a beat in covering for my ass. “Only the best things.”
“I’m sure.” He glances back at me. “Can I get a minute alone with him?”
“Yeah, sure. I was actually tired anyways.” She nods at me before turning to walk towards her designated bedroom.
My eyes linger on her until she closes the door behind her and when I look back to Dom, all signs that he was going to be somewhat cordial dissipate. His eyes bore into me and I’m left standing on shaky ground like a nervous child or something.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
I chew into my bottom lip and shake my head. “I think you should hear me out before you rip me a new asshole.”
“I think you should start taking this a little seriously.”
“Seriously?” I scoff. “I take this job very seriously.”
“And yet you continue to break the rules.” He pushes past me, but he knows I’m going to follow him. That’s kind of the point. Leading the way towards the computer station and Marcus, he continues, “But go ahead and spin me your tall tales, because I’m dying to hear the explanation for this.”
“It’s not fiction, Dom.”
“Interesting.” He spins back to me, a severe look on his pale face. “At eight AM this morning, you were off duty. Wha
t situation could have transpired in the time between then and now that would require the urgency of you bringing some pretty girl back to this facility?”
“I was at the mall shopping, and when I was leaving, I ran into a situation.”
“A situation?” He huffs followed by a roll of his eyes. “This is going to be good.”
“That woman and her sister were being attacked, so my instincts kicked in and I intervened. Unfortunately, the men were able to drag her sister away in the back of a car.”
“Carter, will you get out your phone?”
Taken aback, I question, “Why?”
“Take out your phone.”
I have no idea what he’s up to, but I do as told.
“Now I want you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say. Dial the following numbers: nine, one, one.”
“Are you kidding me?” It’s only after I’ve dialed the third number that I realize where he’s going with this. I shove the phone back into my pocket and shake my head. “What would you have had me do?”
“I would say if you’re insisting to help some damsel in distress that you not bring her back here. That’s besides the point however, the point being that you should have just called the police.”
“Looking back, I had those same thoughts. I thought that maybe I should have done just that, but things changed.”
“What?” His grin widens as he scratches at the back of his ear, amused. “Did she put out?”
“You’re really pissing me off.”
“Am I supposed to care?”
“We’re supposed to be partners.”
“You’re supposed to follow the rules.” He steps towards me. “No clients come down here. Ever.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?”
“I think you’re content to do whatever the hell you want to do if it benefits you.”
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