by Lacey Thorn
“What about Remy?” Paisley asked, grinning at the thought of Rusty’s shadow.
“Remy might have had something to do with how quickly the reporters scrambled to follow orders,” Jamison admitted.
Paisley grinned. The dog had been a bone of contention between Rusty and her dad since Rusty had found the abandoned pup and kept him. Rusty had named the dog Remington but it had been shortened to Remy within days. The Rottweiler was fully grown and huge now. Paisley adored him and often kept him when Rusty went on an assignment that kept him gone overnight. It didn’t look as if she’d be doing that anytime soon.
“So, I probably won’t be able to go home,” Paisley guessed.
“No,” her dad agreed. “Marco’s going to stay at the house. Your mom is expecting to stay there. I’ll leave that up to you.”
“She goes nowhere near my house,” Paisley bit out.
Her dad nodded.
“We’ll make sure there’s a sheriff’s deputy there when she’s given the good news,” Tuck said. “She can find someplace local to stay.”
“I want you to come stay with me for right now,” Jamison said. “Until all this dies down.”
Paisley shook her head. “I’m not hiding out with you and Tuck.”
“Bad idea anyway,” Bare said. “If they’ve already got this place staked out, your place is the next logical place.”
“After that display downstairs, your place will be added to that list,” Jamison barked out.
Bare didn’t even flinch at the glare thrown his way. “We’ll go to Gilly’s. His house is plenty big enough, out of the way, and no one will think to look for either of us there.”
“That’s a good idea,” Tuck said, earning his own heated look from Jamison.
Paisley slipped her hand from Bare’s and stood, crossing to her dad. “I’m fine, Dad. Mom can’t hurt me anymore.”
Her dad looked at her for a long moment then pulled her in for a hug. “I’d never forgive myself if anything else happened to you.”
She felt him shudder and knew he was remembering the day he’d come to LA and found her in the hospital. She let him hold her for a minute, neither of them saying anything. When he stepped back, she automatically lifted her chin to look up and meet his gaze. He cupped her face with his hand and smiled.
“It’s good to see you smile like that, to hear you laugh again. It’s been far too long.”
She nodded. “I know. I…I’m sorry I’ve been so—”
“Shh,” he interrupted. “You never have to apologize to me. I love you, Paisley. Nothing changes that.”
“Love you, too, Dad.”
“You on the other hand…” Jamison turned a hard gaze on Bare. “If you hurt one hair on her head, I’ll personally make sure your life is a living hell.”
Bare reclined comfortably against the couch, arms spread wide and draped over the back. He winked at her when she glanced his way. “If I hurt her, you won’t have to make my life hell,” Bare replied, his serious tone at contrast with the playful look he gave her. His gaze moved away, meeting Jamison’s stare. “It already will be.”
The two men stared each other down, neither giving ground, and Paisley felt as if she were watching a pissing match. Fortunately, she knew just how much trust her dad had in Bare. After all, Bare was the one who took over the day-to-day operations of Knight’s Watch when Jamison was gone. Tuck had enough to do dealing with initial client interviews as well as the counseling services he provided for the staff. The trust they placed in Bare spoke volumes.
Finally, Jamison nodded. “I’ll have two of the guys pack you a bag.”
“No offense, Dad, but I’d prefer not to have just anyone sorting through my underwear drawer.”
“I’ll go,” Bare said. “I’ll need to swing by my place and throw some stuff together anyway. You can keep Paisley here until I get back. You okay with that?”
She nodded, though her core warmed at the thought of Bare touching her undies, selecting which ones he wanted to see her in. She’d rarely been one to practice caution. It was always a split-second decision then diving in head first. It was past time she found the carefree woman inside her again, and it looked like Bare was just the one to bring her back.
“Will we be able to carry everything on the bike?”
“I’ll trade the bike for my truck,” Bare said.
He rose and crossed to her. She shouldn’t have been embarrassed when he pulled her into his arms, not after the display earlier. But her adrenaline surge was no longer fueling her. He dropped a chaste kiss atop her head as if he sensed her anxiety.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised.
“Be safe,” she said and felt like a fool when he grinned down at her.
“Nothing will stop what we’ve set in motion,” he leaned down and whispered before placing another kiss on her cheek.
“Take one of the others with you,” Tuck said.
“I’ll walk you out,” her dad offered then turned to her. “Why don’t you stay here with Tuck? I’ll come back when I’m done talking to Bare.”
She nodded. She wouldn’t tell her dad to leave Bare alone. Neither of them would listen to her anyway. Besides, she knew for a fact Bare could hold his own against anyone, even her dad. She had a feeling her dad would tell Bare what she sensed he wasn’t telling her. Jamison was obviously trying to protect her from something he wasn’t sure she could handle. He’d either tell her before she left or Bare would once they got on the road.
That’s when it hit her. Her father had spent the last five years protecting and sheltering her from everything. She’d more than let him. She’d expected him to, which hadn’t been fair to either one of them.
Bare’s words came back to life in her mind. You have a dad who loves you and spends most of his time terrified he’s lost you again even when you’re standing right in front of him.
She watched them leave, felt Tuck looming at her elbow as if waiting for her to wilt. In some ways, she felt as if she were waking up from a long sleep. She felt equal parts sluggish and energized, which made no sense yet did. She was finally saying goodbye to Lance, letting him go. She’d clung to his memory like a lifeline for far too long. The one thing she needed to make sure of was that whatever happened with Bare, she didn’t use him as a means of escape. He deserved better than that. They both did.
She wanted to live again, start taking chances and making plans that consisted of more than getting dressed and remembering to eat something. If she wanted to make a go of things with Bare, make a real attempt at a fresh relationship, there were things she needed to do.
“I need some help with a few things,” she admitted, turning to Tuck. “Some changes I’d like to make. I don’t want my dad or Bare to know yet. Can you manage that?”
She knew Tuck told her dad almost everything, if not everything, so it was asking a lot.
“Illegal?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Is there a risk you might get hurt?”
She thought for a minute. “Only emotionally, but I think it’s past time I put myself out there.”
“What do you need?”
“To start with, someone to talk to.” She glanced up at him and snorted a laugh as she brushed a few stray tears off her cheeks. “I think that’s a good place to start.”
“I’ll make some calls,” he said.
“Thanks, Tuck,” she said. “For everything.”
“Anything you need, princess,” he said. “All you ever have to do is ask.”
She was a lucky woman. It was past time she realized it.
Chapter Five
Barrett sat in the car, a powder keg waiting to blow.
“Are you okay?” Paisley asked again. If her hand inched any higher on his thigh, he would either snap the steering wheel or come in his pants like a fucking greenhorn.
“I’m good,” he said and dropped one hand to take hers and move both over to her thigh, safer territory by f
ar. Of course, he was lying. He was pissed at so many things, the most important of which was what Jamison feared would come from Paisley’s mom breaking her promise and telling the world where her daughter was. Had Vivian forgotten Paisley’s attacker was still on the loose? What if he’d just been waiting for a slip up like this so he could finish the job and kill Paisley?
“I can feel your tension from over here,” Seth grumbled from the other side of Paisley. “I’ll apologize if it’s because I was told to tag along. I promise to stay out of your hair as much as possible when we get to where we’re going.”
Bare grunted in response. He wasn’t happy Tuck had sent Seth with him or with the fact Jagger would soon follow. Bare understood though. Jamison wanted Paisley safe. He’d send every man and woman who worked at Knight’s Watch if he thought it necessary.
“Bare!” Paisley admonished, giving his hand a squeeze. “What the hell is wrong with you? And so help me if you give one more grunt, I’m going to smack you!”
He swallowed the grunt that wanted to surface. He was being a world-class prick, and he knew it. His fucking emotions were all over the place with lust and need beating a heavy pulse in his veins. He hadn’t dreamed the look, the kiss or the words Paisley had spoken when she’d asked him to help her learn to live again. It just seemed fate was against him again, and that was frustrating as hell.
“Sorry,” he finally said. “Just have a lot on my mind. We’ll be there soon.”
Paisley sighed beside him. “My dad’s worried this might draw out whoever attacked me that night, isn’t he?”
Bare spared a brief glance before focusing on the road again.
“I’m not stupid. As soon as I was able to breathe through my anger at my mother, I figured it out. She didn’t just announce to the world where I was. She waved a red flag at my attacker and urged him to come and get me.” Paisley shook her head. “I don’t want anyone hurt because of me.”
He gave her hand a squeeze.
“What makes Jamison think this attacker will surface now?” Seth asked. “It’s been five years. Why now?”
“Her fucking mother,” Bare gritted out between his teeth, and this time it was Paisley squeezing his hand.
“My mom has been more than happy to throw out false leads to the press, saying I was at this spa or staying at that holistic center—anything that involved meditation and therapy to help me heal. It was good press. It kept my name out there and her making the media rounds to talk about her poor, broken daughter. I guess she got tired of it.”
“Or it wasn’t enough for her anymore,” Bare said. Christ, before Vivian, he’d never in his life wanted to hit a woman. She was the one exception. He’d gladly choke the life out of that conniving bitch.
“Makes sense then,” Seth agreed. “If he didn’t know where you were before, he might come looking for you now. Always better safe than sorry.”
“Nobody is touching Paisley,” Bare stated.
“No,” Seth agreed, his voice going hard and cold. “They aren’t.”
Bare remembered Seth had lost his girlfriend to murder. He wondered if the other man was the right choice to bring along. This had to be bringing up some hard memories for him. Yet he was here, willing to step into the fray and protect Paisley. That spoke volumes to Bare about Seth’s character.
“We’re here,” Bare said as he turned off the road and onto a dirt trail.
Gilly waited on the wraparound porch when they pulled up. His relaxed posture might fool most people, but Bare saw the tension held tightly in rein. Gilly was alert, always. He went to Paisley as soon as they were out of the truck. Swept her right away from Bare’s fingers and hugged her.
“You okay?”
Paisley looked startled, which was normal considering she’d only met Gilly for the first time today. Of course, she’d realized at lunch that Bare had shared a lot about her with Gilly.
“I’m fine,” Paisley said, stepping back into Bare when Gilly released her. “Thanks for letting us invade.”
“My home is always open to Bare and his friends,” Gilly said and shared a brief look with Bare. “I’ll show you were to put your stuff.” He glanced around. “Wasn’t there supposed to be another one with you?”
“Jagger will be following later,” Bare said, and Gilly nodded.
“Well, welcome,” Gilly said, holding the door open while they passed through. “Meet me in my office once you get her settled,” he whispered as Bare passed.
Bare gave a nod and kept going. Gilly must have been doing some digging. He’d been intelligence, scouted by the FBI and CIA before he’d even left the service. His answer had been no. When he’d walked away, he’d walked completely away.
“You’re in the room you always have,” Gilly told him. “Paisley can stay close to you.”
“This is Seth,” Bare said.
“Nice to meet you, Seth. I’ll show you where you can dump your gear,” Gilly said and led Seth in the opposite direction from where Bare led Paisley.
He took her down a hall and pushed a door open. “This is where you’ll stay.”
She glanced around then moved her gaze back to him. “Where are you staying?”
He pointed across the hall. “I’m going to throw my bag on the bed and check out the kitchen. I’m starving. You?” He tried to give her a soft smile, forcing his lips to curve up.
“I could probably eat,” she said. “I’d like a shower first.”
“Take your time,” he said.
“Bare.” She held her hand up, and he stopped in his tracks. “Are we okay?” She looked so uncertain. “I mean, I understand if you want a rain check on your earlier offer.”
He moved in, wrapped one hand around her waist and used the other to cup her lush ass and lift her into him. “I’m trying to give you space. You’ve had a lot to take in today. Memories were already riding you. This sure as hell didn’t help.”
“You’re right. It didn’t. But it’s not my memories I want to hold me this time. They’re poor comfort when I have a flesh-and-blood man who’s promised to help me learn to live again.”
“Anything you want, Paisley. All you ever have to do is ask, and if I can give it to you, I will.”
“Kiss me?” she asked, and he dropped his mouth immediately to hers.
Their mouths brushed, hers soft and full beneath his. He flicked his tongue along the bottom curve, dipping it slightly between the part and rubbing her teeth. She opened those too, and he met her in a heated duel that had his cock flexing in his jeans. At this rate, he’d need a shower, too—nice and cold.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, running his lips up her cheek to her temple and placing a soft kiss there. “And my offer very much stands.” He eased back from her, couldn’t resist dropping another kiss, this time on her forehead, then stepped away, putting a bit of distance between them. “Go take your shower.”
She nodded, one hand coming up to touch her face as if holding his touch there. It almost undid him, almost had him sweeping her up in his arms and taking her across to his bed. He’d show her how to live in vivid Technicolor. It took all he had to turn and walk away from her, but Gilly was most likely already in his office, waiting.
Bare didn’t see Seth as he made his way down the back staircase to the basement level of the house where Gilly kept his office and security system monitors. Gilly stood before the wall of screens, hands behind his back. His gaze skimmed over the monitors that showed the road leading to his house as well as the property on all four sides, the front entryway, the back entryway, the kitchen door and the main living area. Gilly could easily work for Jamison at Knight’s Watch but preferred to be on his own.
“Anything?” Bare asked as he joined him.
Gilly shook his head. “I’m not expecting anything, but it’s always good to keep your eyes open.” He moved away, heading to his big desk at the other end of the room. “I’ve been doing a little digging. Called in a favor to get a copy of the police file o
n what happened.”
“And?” Bare asked.
“No fingerprints belonging to anyone who shouldn’t have been in the house. Lance McIntire took a fatal stab to the heart. Poor bastard never stood a chance. The attacker had to be ready as soon as that door had opened. He’d planned to kill McIntire.” Gilly ran a hand through his hair, and Bare had a feeling what his cousin was going to say. “Paisley was a different story, though. The attack against her was more personal and more vicious in nature. ”
Bare met Gilly’s stare dead-on. Jamison had done some digging as well when Paisley was attacked. Bare knew how much Paisley had suffered. Plus, he’d been there to see her in the hospital. He’d held her while she’d cried. He didn’t want to hear what she’d lived through. He knew it by heart. “I know.”
“This looks like one of two things to me,” Gilly said. “A professional hit or an inside job.”
Bare didn’t hide his surprise. “You think someone wanted her dead?”
“Or him,” Gilly said. “I’d be interested in knowing if there was any change in routine that day. Maybe, she wasn’t supposed to be there. Maybe, he wasn’t.”
“Christ, the thought someone planned this, planned to hurt her that way.” He shook his head. “What kind of sick fuck would do this?” Only one person came to mind.
“Yeah, already ahead of you there,” Gilly said. “Skip’s seeing what he can find on one Vivian Ames.”
“The police never looked at her,” Bare admitted. God, it would kill Paisley if Vivian was behind this.
“I’d say she’s more than made bank on her appearances and guest speaking spots since Paisley’s attack.” Gilly shuffled some papers on his desk. “Interesting thing is that Vivian Ames is almost completely broke. She’s in debt up to her eyeballs despite pulling in some nice figures for some of the engagements she’s done.”