A Little Harmless Fantasy

by Melissa Schroeder

  * * * *

  By the time they got Maura settled in her bedroom, Rory was sure Conner was ready to kill them all. There was no doubt her brother had picked up on the relationship they all shared. He had never thought to keep it private. He had only done that because Maura had wanted him to.

  Jillian had stayed by Maura’s bedside probably because she didn’t want to see the argument.

  He walked into the home office of the house and settled on the seat behind the desk.

  “So you want to tell me what was going on?” Conner asked.

  “What do you mean?” Zeke asked.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Zee, he wants to know about the three of us.”

  Conner glanced at him then back at Zee. “You’re my best friend, Zeke. I wasn’t really happy when you were together, but this crosses the line.”

  “I don’t think you have a say in the matter,” Rory said. His temper was starting to boil, but he didn’t want to come to blows with Conner. It would make him feel a hell of a lot better, but he didn’t want a disturbance in the house. Maura needed rest.

  “I think I do. I’m her brother.”

  “And we’re her lovers,” Zee said quietly. He was angry. Rory knew his lover well enough to see the anger in his eyes. And the hurt. Rory knew that Zee thought Conner thought he wasn’t good enough for Maura. It had nothing to do with Zee or even Rory. Conner would never think a man was good enough for his baby sister.

  “She’s not equipped to handle a relationship like this.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Rory asked.

  “She’s too naive. She doesn’t understand what all this means.”

  He looked at Zee who rolled his eyes.

  “I think you still see her as a fifteen-year-old. She’s not. She’s a grown woman and we left the decision up to her,” Rory said. “What you don’t like is your sister likes the arrangement.”

  Conner made a face and Rory felt a little sorry for him. He didn’t have any sisters, but he was pretty sure he would beat the living crap out of a man saying that about his sister. Conner had more restraint than Rory would have. Of course, he wasn’t going to test it, because there was a good chance Conner was ready to lose it.

  “That doesn’t matter. She is not sophisticated enough--”

  “Stop right there,” Zee warned. “She is an adult, one who was given the choice. We didn’t pressure her. Your sister might not have had a lot of relationships when she was younger, but she is hardly some wide-eyed virgin. We suggested it and we gave her the choice.”

  “And if I say I want to buy you out and send you on your way?”

  “Then I guess that’s the end of the business relationship.”

  A beat of silence filled the room. Conner looked stunned but he recovered fast enough. “Shit. You’re going to make me accept his, aren’t you?”

  “Gentleman,” Jillian said. They all looked toward the doorway where Jillian stood. Rory wondered how long she had been standing there.

  “I think you might want another opinion on the situation.”

  “How is my sister?”

  Her expression softened a bit. “She’s fine. She’s sleeping right now. And thankfully she missed all this crap.”

  “Crap?” Conner asked.

  “Yes, crap. Lord, you’re having a discussion about her as if you have something to say about it.”

  “I’m looking out for her interests here.”

  “By dissolving a partnership with your best friend because he loves her.”

  Zee looked surprised which in turn surprised Rory. Did Zee realize the way he looked at the woman?

  “Yes, I’ve known since the first time I talked to you that first time you were in love with her. It probably makes it easier that Rory is too.”

  All their gazes swung his way and Rory felt his throat tighten. He had never said he loved the woman, and he wasn’t in love with her. Not really. Okay, maybe a little, but he would be damned if he talked about it in front of her brother and his wife. Or anyone for that matter.

  “What does that have to do with anything?” he asked. The knowing look Jillian sent him made him want to growl, but he couldn’t blame her. Even he heard his defensive tone.

  “None of this matters.” Conner crossed his arms over his chest and stared both Zee and Rory down. It didn’t scare him much, even at all. In a fight, they were about even, but he had Zee on his side.

  “Love doesn’t matter. Conner Dillon, you want to sleep outside tonight?”

  He glanced at her and saw what few probably would ever see. A Dom going soft. Of course, he understood. When a Dom was in love, he would do anything to please his partner. And that is exactly how he felt about Maura.

  He waited for panic. Rory had always tried his best to side step love, but Zee had made him think that maybe he was actually capable of love. Adding Maura to the mix had been a way of controlling the situation. But in the process, he had fallen in love. Shit. This was not supposed to happen. He should have seen it coming. He had been attracted to her since they met but there was something else. Something that tugged at his heart just as much as it tugged at his—

  “Wake up, Rory,” Jillian said. He pulled himself out of his haze to focus on her. Her lips curved in smug smile. “Off in dreamland?”

  “This is all well and good, but I think that you need to decide if you want me as your partner still,” Zee said.

  Rory looked at the man he had loved most of his life. Sure, Zee sounded pissed, but he knew he was hurting. He and Conner went back a long way. Not a lot of people in their business would accept him for who he was. Conner always had.

  Jillian threw her hands up. “Lord, grant me patience. Y’all are acting worse than my family. Listen, you’re pissed right now Conner—for no good reason. Did you tell your sister all the things you did? Or we do? I mean, that whole honeymoon surprise was probably not something you would personally want her to know about.”

  “Now, Jillian—”

  She ignored him and turned her attention to both he and Zee. “I’m not sure y’all know where this is headed. But, you need to establish something soon because you’re going back to Miami, and I have a feeling Maura found a lot of things she now likes.”

  Rory couldn’t help but smile. Jillian shook her head.

  “Don’t be going all Alpha on me. Unless you want her joining a club back there and exploring it more with someone else, I would suggest you start figuring it out. She might wait around for you to pull your heads out of your asses but she won’t wait long.”

  That had his smile dissolving. “Point taken.”

  She nodded. “I brought my laptop and we have a change of clothes so we can stay the night.”

  “We do?” Conner asked.

  “Yes. The only way I will let you stay is if you promise not to give either men, or your sister, crap tonight. And if they all want to go up in that bedroom to be near her, you will allow it.”

  For a second, Rory was sure Conner would refute her. There was no doubt the former FBI agent was a Dom. The fact that he allowed her to order him around was something Rory didn’t think he would see.

  Conner nodded. “If that’s what she wants.”

  She snorted. “Oh, I’m pretty sure she does. The stuff is in the car. You can get it now.”

  Conner hesitated then stepped forward. He kissed her then whispered something in her ear that had Jillian smiling.

  “You go ahead and try that, big boy.”

  “You can bet on it.”

  When they were finally alone, Jillian’s smile dimmed and she crossed her arms over her breasts. Now she didn’t look like the loving wife of a Dom who knew how to keep her in line—at least in the bedroom. This woman was ready to kick some ass. Mainly theirs.

  “Now, you guys need to take care of her. Conner will try and drag me back to Miami if he thinks you aren’t up to the task, or she isn’t comfortable with y’all. I hate the mainland. Mainly because my family lives on the main
land, but also because it involves disrupting my work schedule. I am an author and the world revolves around me and my work, so I will become your worst nightmare if I end up back there dealing with that crap. Understood?”

  They both nodded. “Good. Now I am going to go find one of the guest rooms and get ready to write. I have a scene I need to get done and I don’t have any more patience to calm male egos.”

  With that, she turned and left them alone.

  “She’s kind of scary,” Zee said.

  Rory laughed. “Yeah she is, but now I know how she can put up with Conner.”

  Zee sighed. “I guess we should go check on her. You don’t think we’re wrong on this do you?”

  “On our relationship?”

  Zee rolled his eyes. “No, on the attack. Maura seems very adamant that it was someone else outside of the Petersen case.”

  “You know when you’re scared the adrenaline is pumping through you that you can mistake things. The voice could have been anything and she could have heard Irish.”

  “We’ll need to make some calls, check out things in our past just in case,” Zee said.

  “Okay. And we agree. We don’t let her out of our sight.”

  Even if she doesn’t like it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  In the ten days since they returned from Hawaii, Maura had yet to talk about the attack. It worried Zeke on so many different levels. Worse, she was barely talking to anyone. She was talking at them, but not to them. And she had cut off Rory and him. Rory was off licking his wounds being an ass and Zeke was left to try and piece it all together.

  His phone buzzed and he rolled his eyes when he saw the 808 area code.

  “Yes, Conner?”

  “Wrong, this is Jillian.”

  “Oh, sorry, Jillian. How are things going there?”

  “Well, living with a grizzly has been so much fun the last few days. How’s our girl?”

  “Our?”

  “I guess I should say your, but she never mentions you when I call. In fact, she never talks at all.”

  “That’s the problem. She’s not talking to anyone.”

  There was a pause. “That’s not good with most people but it is a disaster with Maura.” She sighed. “Maybe we should make a trip.”

  That bothered him. Conner was barely talking to him except about business and to check up on Maura. Other than that, they weren’t talking at all.

  “I don’t know if that would help or shut her down more.”

  “Hmm, that’s true. Have you talked to her about the attack?”

  “Yes. Well, I tried. She refuses to accept that this might have anything to do with the Columbians and the Petersen trial.”

  “And Conner said they can’t find anything on that. Even Jennifer can’t get an answer from anyone. It’s odd how that has all shut down.”

  “So, the last time we talked about it was two days ago and now she refuses to discuss it.”

  That was the nicest way of saying it. She had screamed at them. He didn’t know how to deal with that. She didn’t do things like that, and she didn’t just walk away and ignore people she cared about.

  “Have you and Rory looked into anything else. I know the mule I live with isn’t ready to do that, but have you guys found anything?”

  “No, because nothing else makes sense. Rory and I have a past, but our past transgressions are mostly dead and the rest are in prison.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. The guys we put away got life sentences.”

  She waited a beat. “So, how are you doing?”

  The concern in her voice touched him. He didn’t know her that well, but what little contact he’d had with her had told Zeke that she was a caring woman. She let everyone think that she was a ball breaker but when she cared about someone, she was very giving.

  “I’m doing okay.”

  “Oh, it doesn’t sound like it. I take it that Rory and Maura have stuck you in the middle.”

  He chuckled. “That’s not hard to figure out with those two. They have a do or die kind of attitude.”

  “So, tell Auntie Jillian all about it.”

  “Nothing much to tell. We got back to Miami, Maura shut us off, and Rory shut down. That’s where I am right now. I think she might need some counseling.”

  “I have to agree with you there. And she has a therapist she can call.”

  “Maura has a therapist?” He was stunned. She had never mentioned it to him. He had been pretty damned close to her the last few years and she never mentioned it.

  “Oh, I thought you know. She keeps up with the therapist she had after the accident.”

  “Since I didn’t know about the therapist to begin with, I guess I would have no idea if she was talking to him.”

  “Her. And don’t get your feelings hurt, Zeke. She doesn’t tell a lot of people.”

  “Including those she’s apparently just fucking for fun.”

  The silence on the other side of the phone had him closing his eyes. Dammit, he didn’t mean to yell at her. Jillian wasn’t the person he was mad at. Hell, he didn’t know who he was mad at.

  “Oh, sweetie, don’t be so hurt by it. She’s so private and it has more to do with impressing you than keeping you out.”

  He opened his eyes and looked out of the apartment window. Usually the view of the Atlantic would calm him, soothe him. But, today, there was nothing. The two people he loved in the world were starting to come apart.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maura has always tried to pretend that nothing is ever wrong. I have no idea why. Conner said one time that it wasn’t this bad until his folks died. Then, she became overly worried about perception.”

  “She spent a week with...”

  Jillian laughed. “Yeah, but that’s different. Sex is healthy and she understands that. If she admits she has a therapist though, she thinks it shows her weakness.”

  “For being human?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know what their parents were like, but you’ve worked with Conner. Is there anyone with a more disgusting work ethic?”

  “You?”

  “Pfft. Not me. He had strep a few weeks back and was trying to go into work. That’s just insane. Me, I know when to take a break. The Dillon’s...they don’t. They’re kind of freaks about it. And one of the things is that they can never admit they are weak. Talking to someone about nightmares or the fact you think someone is following you--”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Maura said she felt as if someone was following her. She’s had that feeling the last few days.”

  “She said the same thing in Hawaii.”

  “You all are following her, right?”

  “We’ve been taking her to and from work.”

  “That’s good.”

  “So, I shouldn’t worry?”

  “No, you should. You love her and she is shutting down. But it might be that she needs a few more days to deal with it. The most important thing you can do is be there when she falls.”

  He heard the door crash open and closed his eyes. Rory was home and Zeke wasn’t in the mood for him.

  “I’ve got to go.”

  “Remember, Zeke, take care of yourself. Those two are a lot of work.”

  “Thanks, Jillian.”

  He turned his phone off just as Rory sauntered into the bedroom.

  He was a fucking mess. He had been out riding on the bike. He hadn’t shaved today, but for Zeke that made him even sexier. Being so fucking drunk he could barely stand up sort of took the sexiness out of it though.

  “Hey, lover,” he slurred.

  “So, you’ve decided to drink again.”

  “I can do what I want.”

  He looked at him and his heart wept. Rory avoided alcohol and drugs. He hated it for the most part. Except when things went bad. He was hurting, thinking he’d been rejected by Maura. For a man whose mother committed suicide leaving him with his bastard father, rejection and abando
nment issues were always there ready to fuck things up.

  Rory pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor behind him.

  “And apparently, that means being disgusting.”

  “It’s just a shirt on the floor.” Then he burped. Zeke would have laughed if he didn’t know just how much Rory hated this. He wasn’t someone who willingly would get drunk.

  “So, you’ve decided to become an alcoholic?”

  Zeke said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was trying his best not to reach out for him. Zeke knew that he would just reject him, and that would hurt too much.

  “I’m not an alcoholic.”

  “You’re on your way. Three nights, three drunken nights, Rory. That’s an alcoholic.”

  “I am not an alcoholic. I’m just blowing off some steam.”

  Hearing those words tore away any patience Zeke had.

  “Isn’t that the phrase your father used all the time?”

  “Watch it, Zeke.”

  He ignored the warning.

  “Tell me, did he say that before or after he beat you?”

  “I said to fucking watch your fucking mouth.”

  But he didn’t care. He couldn’t see Rory do this to him. He had a lot of other issues but drinking had been one thing he had never engaged in. He hated the loss of control, and he didn’t trust himself.

  “So, you’ve just decided to drink yourself to death like your father.”

  He jumped up from the bed and grabbed his shirt. “I don’t have to stay here for this.”

  He pulled the shirt on.

  “No, run just like your father. A coward unable to accept the fact that he was a bastard. Jesus, I can understand why your mother did it.”

  Rory turned and faced him, anger lighting his face but Zeke was past being nice.

  “What the fucking hell do you mean by that?”

  “Your father was a drunkard coward, petty criminal who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Not unlike you, but at least he married your mother so apparently he had some decency in him. Can you imagine the embarrassment she felt being married to him? A drunk. A man who couldn’t keep a job. Then, raising a son in his spitting image, some fucker who couldn’t even make it through school. Jesus, no wonder she committed suicide.”