by Sophia Gray
That had stoked Bridgette’s temper. “It doesn’t work that way! Look, just try to keep it down. I told them you’re renovating down here, but if it sounds more like you’re trying to collapse the foundation, it’s going to scare people off.”
Shark snorted at her in disbelief. “Falcon told you to stay home, right? Look, sweetheart, we don’t know where this shit is, and we’ve gone over every inch of this space. Now it’s time to dig deeper. If you want this over quicker, you’ll let us do our work.”
Bridgette wanted to snap at him that she didn’t need any of them, that she had done nothing to make herself a part of this. But that didn’t change the fact that he was right. The slower they went, the longer it would take. The longer her life would be in danger and the longer she’d be jeopardizing Gabby’s life. And the longer she’d have to keep away from her daughter.
She realized then that she would just have to deal with it. So she’d stalked off, still seething, hoping to God that they’d find the stuff behind the next wall they tore down.
They didn’t, of course. And things only grew worse after that. After the businessman left, the loud noises became more frequent. She was sure they’d moved on to breaking into the actual concrete structure behind the drywall, though she had no clue what they thought they’d find there, or why they thought someone would have been able to stash something in a concrete wall in the first place.
Whatever the logic behind it, the constant noise and clamor coming up from the basement was enough to spook off her customers. By noon it was clear to her that her efforts to keep the bakery open were hopeless.
So she closed up. She flipped the sign, stored her unsold merchandise, and cleaned up the front room. Then she headed downstairs to watch the progressive destruction of her business. It was fitting, she thought, that Kyle and her guys were tearing it apart physically as she was falling apart financially.
When she reached the bottom of the steps, she sank down, rested her elbows on her knees, and observed. Drywall dust was thick in the air. Part of her knew she should have a mask to protect her lungs, or that she should at least cover her mouth with her shirt to filter out the worst of it.
But in light of everything going on, taking care of herself seemed entirely inconsequential. So she suffered silently as Kyle and his guys worked to remove each segment of drywall.
It was a while before they even noticed her sitting there.
Kyle left ripping out the current wall to the others, choosing instead to move over to her side. “Aren’t you supposed to be selling cakes or something?” he demanded.
Bridgette glared bitterly at him. “My customers couldn’t take the noise. It sounded like the whole building was going to collapse from up there. So I closed up. I figure, what’s one more day of lost profits? I’m already pretty fucked over. It can’t get any worse.”
Kyle ran a hand through his hair, a telltale sign he was agitated. “Christ, how many times do I have to tell you not to worry about that? If you need any help after all this—“
“I’m not taking anything from you,” she growled. “I’m not going to owe you a dime after this. Just…don’t worry about me. This is my problem. I’ll deal with it.”
Kyle glanced back at the guys, who’d all stopped working at tearing out the wall. The three of them were focused on her and Kyle, faces split by shit-eating grins. It seemed to her that they treated her fights with Kyle as a spectator sport.
“I’ll be back,” Kyle told them curtly before grabbing Bridgette by the arm and escorting her up the stairs.
She went without protest, scowling the whole time.
Once they’d reached the top of the stairs, Kyle pulled her into the kitchen. So he wanted a private conversation, she surmised. But it didn’t matter. Nothing he said was going to change the fact that she wouldn’t take money from him. She was independent now, even if that meant she went broke again. At least she wouldn’t have to rely on him for anything. At least he wouldn’t be able to pull the rug out from under her feet again.
“I’m not going to let this sink you,” Kyle told her quietly. His words were hard with conviction. “I don’t know how you got caught up in this, and I don’t care. It’s not fucking right. And don’t think for even a second that I don’t know what I did to you. I left you in a tight place, and I still owe you for that. So all this—keeping you safe from Martin, helping you get back on your feet—it’s not charity. I’m paying down a debt. And once we’re square again, maybe….”
He let his words trail off again, and for a moment she was both afraid and hopeful that he would suggest they could have a future together. “We’ll see,” he finished dismissively.
She wanted to believe him. She saw the sincerity in him—the way he met her eyes unflinchingly and made those promises. She wanted to think he could keep them. But he’d burned her before, and she wasn’t young and stupid, not anymore. It was easier to expect nothing of him. That way, she could only ever be pleasantly surprised.
“You’ve already done thousands of dollars of damage. I’ve lost all of my stocked ingredients. On top of that—“
Kyle backed her against the kitchen counter and covered her mouth with his hand, silencing her. She thought she saw a momentary ripple of pain in his eyes, but in the next instant it was gone, replaced by his mask of calm and indifference. “Shh,” he hushed her. “I don’t want you worrying about any of that. I don’t want you even thinking about it. For the next few days, your only job is to lay low and keep yourself safe. Do you hear me?”
He uncovered her mouth so she could answer.
“You think I can just forget all about this?” she snapped. “You think it’s as easy as just deciding not to worry? It doesn’t work that way—“
Kyle silenced her again, though this time by enveloping her mouth in his. She fought him at first, furious that he would try to placate her with a kiss. But the velvety touch of his lips against hers, the way his tongue moved in her mouth—all of it elicited a carnal response in her. Instinct took over and she gave in, kissing him back with just as much intensity.
His touch was like a hit of something potent. Even something as innocent as this—a quick little kiss—was enough to coax her back into the state of mind she’d been in the night before. The force of the desire in her temporarily erased the past and future by heightening the present moment, until all she cared about was the feel of his arms around her, the wet warmth of his mouth, the tickle of his stubble, the sweet perfume of his skin.
There was no rational reason, she knew, that his kiss should soothe her. There wasn’t any inherent meaning in it. His attraction to her hadn’t been enough to make him stay before, and there was no reason it would be enough now.
But her skeptical mind had no effect on her body. Her tingling spine and the warmth coursing through her blood told her that everything was going to be all right. And that was the only argument she needed.
Kyle drew back and gazed down at her. She could see lust rekindled in his eyes, and she knew if he didn’t have to find Martin’s stash he’d take her right then and there.
She wouldn’t have minded.
“Just give me a chance, Bridge,” he demanded. He cupped her face in his hands, pinning her in place and forcing her to meet his intense blue eyes. “Let me prove to you that I can take care of you. That I’ve only ever wanted to take care of you.”
Bridgette let her lids fall shut. She nodded softly against his unyielding hands. What else could she do but sit back and wait, and hope that he meant what he said?
“Is there anything I can do to help you here? I know the place pretty well—“
“We know it pretty well now, too. We’ve gone over every single inch of that basement at least five times now. Whatever it is, wherever it’s stashed, it’s hidden good. We’ve got it handled, baby. Why don’t you go hang out at the house and take it easy?”
That was the last thing she wanted, to be alone with her own thoughts. But, again, what choice did she h
ave? She was sick of fighting against the current. It would be easier to just give in to Kyle, to let him handle things. And hadn’t she always wanted a break from everything?
Of course, she’d always envisioned that break as a trip to Disneyland with Gabby—a vacation she could share with her daughter without stressing out over the next month’s rent or her car payment or their uncertain futures. But it looked like hiding out in her ex’s house was the best she was going to get.
“Okay,” she agreed.
Kyle released her face. “I’ll be home soon,” he promised.
“You want me to swing by the airport?”
Her question caught him off guard. “What?”
“To pick up one of those drug-sniffing dogs,” she clarified, grinning tightly at him. “It might help you out here, you know. Maybe even save the rest of my poor basement.”
Kyle smiled wryly at her joke. “Shit, I don’t know why we didn’t think of that in the first place.”
Chapter 15
Falcon
Falcon entered the house and slammed the front door behind him hard enough to rattle it in the frame. He knew Bridgette was there—that he should work on getting his temper under control. But his blood was still boiling from the rest of the day.
He and the guys had spent the greater part of the day in the basement, knocking out walls and clearing away the debris so they could check for any sign of a stash. He was beginning to think Martin had some bad intel from someone and was obsessing over it because he had nothing else to go on.
Which wasn’t good news for them, since that meant there would be no way to take care of things other than trying to directly confront Martin himself. That would be a suicide mission, of course. They needed some kind of leverage over him, some way of luring him out into the open.
It was evening now. They’d decided to split up for the rest of the night. Shark and Leo were going to run to meet up with Benny, who supposedly had an update for them. Bill was going to hang around the bakery and keep watch. And he was going to check in on Bridgette and try to bury his frustration for the night. They still had plenty of wall to tear out tomorrow. They’d find it eventually if it was there.
If not…well, he thought, they’d have to come up with a new plan if it came to that.
Falcon went straight to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He popped the top and took a deep swig, grateful for the relief the cold liquid provided. His throat was dry and scratchy from being stuck in the basement all day with so much dust in the air.
“Did you find it?”
Falcon spun around to find Bridgette lounging in the kitchen doorway, wearing nothing but her oversized t-shirt and a pair of lacey pink panties. She stood with her arms folded over her chest, her wild red hair tumbling freely over her shoulders. Falcon couldn’t help but eye her long, shapely legs. The sight of those bared, creamy limbs got his blood pumping and derailed his train of thought. He forgot what she’d said. “Hm?”
“I said, did you find it? You know—the stash.”
Falcon took another swig of his beer. “No. We’re going to keep looking tomorrow.” He tilted his head at his beer. “You want one?”
Bridgette looked less than pleased at the news. But the disappointment disappeared quickly from her face, replaced by a cold, hard look. “I was just talking to my daughter,” she began as she went to pull a drink out of the fridge. “I told her I’d probably be able to pick her up tomorrow, Kyle. But that’s not going to be the case, is it?”
Falcon slammed his beer down on the table. What was she pissed at him for? Did she think he wasn’t trying to get this resolved? That he was purposely stringing her along? “Fuck, Bridge, we’re looking as hard as we can. I don’t want this drawing out any more than you do.”
Bridgette sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that. Look, I just want to know that she’s safe. That we’re safe. I want my life back.”
“And I want to cut Martin’s nuts off. But we don’t always get what we want, do we?”
Bridgette leaned back against the kitchen counter, a frown creasing her lips. “I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m just…I hate this so much. I hate sitting around doing absolutely nothing, knowing my daughter’s resenting me more and more every day I don’t see her, knowing I’m going to probably have to sell the bakery back at a loss after this—“
Falcon pushed up from the table, fixing her with his heavy scowl. “What the fuck did I tell you just today, Bridge? It’s going to be fine. There’s not a damn thing you can change by worrying about it—“
“That’s the point!” she exploded. “Don’t you get it? Do I look like a damsel in distress to you? Have I ever been that? This is total bullshit, all of this. The last time I was helpless was after you left, and I swore I would never see myself back in that position as long as I lived. I told myself I would work my ass off so I could be sure I could fix things if they ever went to shit again. And now I can’t.”
“You don’t have to,” he growled fiercely. He took her by the shoulders and held her in front of him, staring deeply into her eyes. She looked away for a moment, but finally reluctantly raised her gaze to his face. “Fuck, Bridge, look at everything you’ve built. Look at everything you’ve done for yourself. You’re a fighter. You’re going to make it through this. And I don’t know much about kids, but I do know you, and I don’t think yours is going to be able to hold a grudge for too long. I just need you to give us a few more days.”
Falcon could see a few tears leaking down Bridgette’s cheeks, though she was doing her best to ignore them.
“And if you don’t find it?” she demanded. “If it’s not even there? What then?”
Falcon tightened his hands over her shoulders, holding her fast. “Then I come up with a new plan with the guys, and we figure out how we take Martin and his whole fucking operation to the ground. I don’t give up, and I’m not going to stop until I know you’re safe.”
Bridgette said nothing. She dropped her gaze again, biting her lip.
Falcon slid his hands down to her slender waist, then lower to her tight ass. He kneaded her flesh as he lowered his mouth to her neck to kiss a path up to the sensitive spot behind her ear.
Bridgette wasn’t exactly resistant, but she wasn’t fully receptive either. “What are you doing?” she demanded, though there was an unmistakable hitch in her voice.
Falcon pressed his lips to the hollow shell of her ear. “Distracting you,” he replied throatily.
“And if I don’t want to be distracted?” she managed to force out. The breathy quality of her voice and the way she was leaning into him, molding her body to his, told a different story.
“Then you shouldn’t distract me by prancing around in your panties,” he told her. He slid a hand up her shirt to one of her soft, plump breasts, fitting it into the palm of his hand. “Shit, and no bra either? You’re just asking for trouble.”
“It was more comfortable,” she panted, thrusting her chest out so her breast pressed even harder into his palm.
Falcon squeezed her breast hard, drawing a soft moan from her lips. “Then you’ll be even more comfortable when I get you out of all this.” He released her breast and lifted her up by the waist, tossing her easily over his shoulder.
She struggled half-heartedly for a second, probably more out of surprise than anything. “Where are we going?” she demanded as he started off down the hallway, still carrying her.
“I need a shower. And I think the deal was that I get to have you in there with me as long as I don’t smoke. Right?”
Bridgette scoffed at him. “You’ve gone out for a smoke at least three times today, and that was just this morning—“
“I’m a work in progress. I’m not smoking right now, am I?”
Falcon ducked into the bathroom and set her down in front of the shower. He stripped his shirt and pants off before reaching into the shower to turn the water on. He turned back to Bridgette, who still hadn’t undressed.
She stare
d at him stubbornly, hands folded over her chest again. “You really should try to quit—“
Falcon tugged her panties down without warning, then snared her wrists and pulled her arms away from her chest. “If I’m going to do that, I’m going to need something to take the edge off,” he murmured seductively.
“Oh God,” she gasped as he released one wrist and dropped a hand down between her legs, tracing a finger gently along her already-damp slit.
Falcon sucked his index finger into his mouth, savoring the taste of her, before reaching back down to her pussy and pressing into her. He slid his finger easily into her, watching in satisfaction as her head lifted and her eyes closed in bliss.