By Your Side (New York City Fixers Book 2)

by Ally Decker

"What?"

  "Nothing," Dean said with a shake of his head. "You have to learn how to cover yourself better, because the only place I didn't get at was your face."

  Shawn pointed at his face and smirked. "Worth protecting."

  "Idiot."

  "With a beautiful face," Shawn shot back, grinning, and rolled his shoulders. Sure, he was going to hurt tomorrow, but he was loose, and even his stomach had unclenched, so he counted this a win.

  "We can't have you bruised in front of the clients," Dean shot back, walking away.

  "Your concern's touching!" Shawn shouted after him, but he only got a hand wave in return, and a few seconds later, he was alone in the empty gym.

  He counted to ten and got up onto his feet again. He winced at the pain in his left side where Dean had managed to jab him hard earlier. Shower and then bed. This day had to finally end.

  Shawn laughed so hard he almost dumped half his scone on the pavement. Half an hour ago, he wouldn't believe anything could save his day, but as it turned out, going out with Alicia for a snack was just what he needed.

  Her laughter just made him grin harder.

  "I swear, I didn't know it was going to happen. One second I'm balancing everything right, the next I'm on the ground, my boss's skirt is covered in chocolate ice cream, and my report I worked half the night on is flying away page after page. It looked like a movie in slow motion." She shook her head with a chuckle. "I'm laughing now, but I was terrified. Later, it turned out I'd lost maybe ten pages, and I could just print them again, but in that moment, it was like the epitome of the worst thing possible."

  "Did she fire you over that?"

  He regretted the question when Alicia's mouth twisted from a smile to a grimace.

  "Not officially, no. But she never gave me another project like this again, and because of that, I was stuck, unable to move up in the company. Or even develop my skills, really. Six months later, my contract was up and that was it."

  "Do you wish you had stayed there?"

  She raised her eyebrows. "Is that a tricky question? Since, you know, I wouldn't be working for you now."

  Shawn snorted. "Forget about it, I'm glad you didn't stay there."

  "I'm glad, too," Alicia told him, and he smiled before licking the cinnamon from his fingers. It had been over a year since Sylvia, Nate's sister and their former office manager, had left the firm and Alicia had taken her place. And as much as Shawn missed Sylvia, he couldn't imagine the company without Alicia now. She not only made the firm run smoothly, she also kept him grounded. There were days when he felt adrift, and Alicia's presence behind that desk made him anchor himself better. Made him stay more present.

  They walked down the street in comfortable silence, and Shawn felt as if the tension was draining out of him with every step. Sure, he still had no idea how the whole thing with the Sheppards' divorce was going to play out, but tomorrow was another day, and for now, Shawn could enjoy his evening.

  "I should get going," Alicia said finally, when their scones were gone and they were doing another loop around the block.

  "Let's go back. I'll drop you off." Shawn tilted his head in the direction of the office.

  "Matt's waiting for you?"

  Matt was Shawn's usual driver and the most patient person he had ever met. Shawn nodded.

  "My place isn't on your way," Alicia said, but he didn't let her finish.

  "We'll take a detour, come on. Besides, Matt will have a lot of early nights in the upcoming weeks with me being grounded."

  Alicia offered him a small smile, but his stomach tensed again at the reminder of the contingency plans. He hated the thought of going into hiding.

  "Hey, maybe you'd be able to convince Nate to use the company car more."

  Shawn chuckled. "I didn't think of that! You're right, he'll have to take the car to all the parties."

  In theory, Matt was the company's driver, but the other two partners usually avoided using the company car. Nate loved his own vintage Corvette, and Dean hated being driven around ever since he'd left the military. Shawn had felt weird at first, being the only one who was chauffeured around, but the guys had told him to get over himself and enjoy it, if he liked it.

  "We need the car anyway, may as well use it," Dean had told him, and that was that.

  "Thanks for inviting me tonight." Shawn looked at Alicia as he led her back to their parking lot. "It really helped."

  She grinned, showing dimples that never failed to make Shawn smile.

  "My pleasure. It was nice to have company."

  "I'm game for the next time, too, just tell me when. If I'm not buried under a case, I'll join you." He hesitated. Damn, he shouldn't have put her on the spot like this. "Or not. Don't feel obligated or anything."

  The last thing he wanted was for Alicia to feel responsible for babysitting him. Her time after work was hers alone.

  "Okay, I'll remember that." She was still smiling, so Shawn didn't think he stepped over the line, but she probably wouldn't tell him to piss off if she didn't feel like dealing with him. They were all friendly at work and tried to foster a good atmosphere in the office, and he liked talking to her throughout the day, but she was still an employee.

  He needed to remember that.

  ***

  Shawn stepped into his apartment, dropped his things in their usual places, and took off his jacket before he sat down on the couch. And that was when it hit him.

  He was suddenly a client of his own firm, and he had a taste of what some of their clients went through. He had to pretend and act the part that wasn't really him in effort to present to the world what they wanted the public to see.

  He guessed he should consider himself lucky what he needed to convince the world of was actually the truth.

  He burrowed deeper into the cushions and closed his eyes. He wished he could fast forward a few weeks and go back to his normal routines, but he wasn't sure he would be able to completely move on even after the scandal blew over. Would he hesitate the next time he as much as talked with an attractive woman? Would he become an easy target for other people looking to cast the blame in their marriages? He had never in his life knowingly slept with a married woman, but it didn't seem to matter to anyone but himself.

  Well, it wasn't exactly true—everyone at the office believed him. But Dean and Nate were his best friends, Kevin had become one of his closest friends as well and he knew about Shawn's distaste for cheating, and Alicia... Alicia accepted his truth, too, not even once looking like she was doubting him.

  And Shawn had looked for the signs of doubt. For some reason, it was very important to him that she believed him, and the relief he felt was surprising in its intensity.

  He had the support of his friends and colleagues, which, he figured, was what counted the most. The public might gasp and point fingers, but then they'd move on to the next story, next target. After a while, he'd be free.

  He just needed to get to that point.

  Shawn winced and hauled himself off the couch. Sitting around feeling sorry for himself wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed a distraction.

  As if on cue, his phone started ringing, and Dean's ID flashed on the screen.

  "What's up?" Shawn asked, picking up his jacket on his way to the closet down the corridor to his bedroom.

  "You home?"

  He put the phone between his shoulder and ear to hang his jacket. "Just got here."

  "Great. Want to spar? The gym's empty."

  Shawn considered it for a second. "Yeah. Give me five, and I'll be down there." One of the advantages of living in the same building with Dean and Nate was the ease of last minute plans. It was like being in college again, save for much more luxurious conditions of their chosen home.

  Dean snorted. "Sure. See you in ten," he said and hung up, not giving Shawn a chance to protest. But that was probably wise, since they all knew Shawn's tendency to miss his self-imposed time constraints when he wasn't working. He wasn't sure how that happened,
how his mind could count well when he was at work, but miscalculate when he wasn't. It was what it was, though. Everyone around him grew accustomed to it eventually.

  Shawn blinked down at his phone, snapping back to the present and seeing the time. "Damn it," he muttered and rushed to his bedroom.

  ***

  Shawn rolled on the mat, but didn't get up. He lay on his back, breathing fast, and blinked the sweat off of his eyelids since he didn't feel like lifting his arms anymore.

  "Okay, I'm done," he gasped out harshly, turning his head towards Dean, who stood to the side. The asshole was fighting his grin as he worked to take his gloves off. "That's not funny, I feel like I'm dying."

  Dean snorted. "You're not dying. But maybe if you'd come down here more often, you wouldn't lose so terribly next time."

  "I have never in my life won a sparring match against you." Shawn narrowed his eyes. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure why we even keep doing this, me and Nate. He hasn't won with you, either."

  "You don't try hard enough," Dean told him, tossing his gloves to the side. "Kevin's succeeded a few times."

  "Kevin was in the military, just like you. If anyone from our team can kick your ass, it's him."

  Dean smirked. "If Claire ever steps in for Nate, I'd be in trouble, too."

  Shawn laughed as he slowly sat up. "That's true. I wouldn't like to mess with her, either."

  "She'd definitely kick your ass. Nate's, too, but for the sake of their relationship, let's never allow them to try that."

  "Claire's a detective with Major Crimes. I'm pretty sure he knows she can kick his ass."

  The water bottle appeared right in front of his face and Shawn took it with a deep sigh.

  "I love you, you're the best," he told Dean before drowning half the bottle.

  "Five minutes ago, you were cursing my heritage and everything I stand for, as I recall."

  Shawn paused with a shrug. "You weren't the best then."

  Dean snorted again before turning and leaving the mat. He grabbed the towel and wiped down most of the sweat as he turned to stare at Shawn, who raised his eyebrows.

  "What?"

  "Nothing," Dean said with a shake of his head. "You have to learn how to cover yourself better, because the only place I didn't get at was your face."

  Shawn pointed at his face and smirked. "Worth protecting."

  "Idiot."

  "With a beautiful face," Shawn shot back, grinning, and rolled his shoulders. Sure, he was going to hurt tomorrow, but he was loose, and even his stomach had unclenched, so he counted this a win.

  "We can't have you bruised in front of the clients," Dean shot back, walking away.

  "Your concern's touching!" Shawn shouted after him, but he only got a hand wave in return, and a few seconds later, he was alone in the empty gym.

  He counted to ten and got up onto his feet again. He winced at the pain in his left side where Dean had managed to jab him hard earlier. Shower and then bed. This day had to finally end.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The story didn't break immediately, and that was somehow even worse, Alicia decided. The waiting game was hard, at least for Shawn. Dean got busy with all the preemptive strikes, making sure Fiona got some good press and the right spotlight. Shawn, who couldn't participate in the case, was tense and withdrawn, which wasn't like him at all. He was usually the most talkative and open of the three partners. He chatted with her whenever he had a few minutes and needed a break, and the bad mood never seemed to stick to him for long. But now, she noticed he smiled less and didn't leave his office as often, choosing to bury himself in work without coming up for a breather every once in a while.

  Nate and Dean picked up on it by Wednesday and made Alicia order them all lunch before they took the pizza boxes and dragged Shawn into their private conference room—the same one that doubled as their game room every once in a while. She smiled to herself after they disappeared, thinking how even grown, very successful men retreated to old comforts when they were down. She hoped it would lessen the tension that hung in the air, or at least ease their minds off of it for a while.

  The guys didn't leave the room for the entire hour, but when they did, Shawn was half-smiling as he pointed at Nate.

  "If I'm going to spar with someone again, it's going to be him," he told Dean, who rolled his eyes, but nodded.

  "Whatever you say."

  Nate shook his head. "Does anyone care what I think?"

  "Not really, no," Shawn said, and Alicia couldn't help a quiet snort she tried to hide behind her hand. Unsuccessfully, from the way all three men turned to her.

  Shawn walked up to her desk while Nate and Dean split and went back to their respective offices.

  "Could you make another one of those caramel coffees, please?" he asked, leaning in and smiling at her softly. She hadn't even realized how much she loved that particular smile until she had to go a few days without seeing it.

  Damn, she was more screwed than she thought, and she'd already known she had it bad.

  "Of course. Anything else?" she said, saving the calendar she was updating.

  "No."

  "May I ask—sparring? A game or a boxing match?"

  Shawn shook his head, and the soft smile turned into a self-deprecating smirk. "Boxing, but a match is too big of a word for it when I'm getting my ass kicked by Dean."

  Alicia smiled as she stood up. They were almost eye to eye now, with his back hunched a bit and her in heels. For a second, their gazes met, and a slight shiver ran down her spine.

  Focus, she told herself firmly.

  "If you ever need any help, my brother and a cousin run a boxing gym. I could hook you up with a discount for personal training."

  She winced internally. Hook him up with a discount? This guy didn't really have to worry about his money.

  "They run a boxing gym? I didn't know that!" He straightened, dropping his arms to his sides. "I may take you up on that, since my evenings are maddeningly free right now."

  Alicia worried that he would retreat into a bad mood after she reminded him of his current situation, but it didn't happen. He seemed honestly interested.

  "Great. Tell me when, and I will set it up. I'm there once a week, so I can talk to them whenever."

  Shawn's eyebrows shot up high. "You box?"

  Alicia nodded. "Less than I did before, but yes, I get into the ring every once in a while. These days, I'm mostly there to help them with their accounts and paperwork, though."

  "So much I don't know about you, Alicia Cordero," he said, voice soft, and her heart skipped a beat as their gazes met again. Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she needed to put her hand on her desk to steady herself.

  Get it together right now, she told herself. Right now.

  "Yes, well, as I said. The offer's open whenever you need it." When she was pretty certain her legs wouldn't wobble, she moved away from her desk and headed to the kitchenette. "I'll get you that coffee now."

  As soon as she disappeared from his line of sight, she slumped against the counter, resting her hands against the cold surface and hanging her head. She had to stop doing that, stop reacting to him like this.

  Meanwhile, he had to stop looking at her the way he just had. Like he cared, like he wanted to know about her, like he wanted... Alicia shook her head. Wishful thinking wasn't going to get her far, and reading too much into someone's friendliness, her boss's friendliness, was asking for trouble.

  For more trouble.

  She prepared coffee without really needing to think about it, all her moves mechanical and well-practiced. She made two, though, deciding she could treat herself today. Third coffee wasn't going to kill her, after all. Shawn was the bigger danger to her heart than a little caffeine.

  She wished she could handle him just as easily.

  ***

  Alicia entered the boxing gym a little after seven. The place was busy, which was good. They'd struggled last year with filling up the spots, but the clientele grew,
and they had a lot of regulars now. She was happy for Carlos, her brother, and Dante, her baby cousin. They'd worked hard on this for years, first to save up for rent and equipment, then to keep this place running when they were starting out.

  She knew she had to look out of place, dressed in her pantsuit and heels, but she didn't care. This place was more familiar to her than any high-end office could ever be. She had known her way around the ring and the mats for longer than she'd known how to wear heels. Stepping into the gym was a bit like stepping back in time, back to when her father was healthy and strong, and his voice was "shaping the boys into men up on that ring". That was what her mother used to say, sitting back in her chair as she'd supervised Alicia and Carlos while they'd worked on their homework. Carlos would then move on to his practice, while Alicia planted herself in the corner with a book, most of the time.

  And sometimes, when the place was quiet or one of the boys was sick, her father would summon her to the mat. She had never been overly good at it, with no natural talent and little to no practice time, but she could hold her own with the beginners. Once or twice, she'd even put Carlos down onto the mat.

  "Ali!" Her brother stood at the office door and waved her inside. "Come on, we've been waiting for you."

  She quickly crossed the room. "I told you what time I'd be here," she reminded him.

  "I know, I know, but I'm..." Carlos grimaced and moved to the side to let her into the office. "I hate the paperwork."

  "That's nothing new." Alicia took off her heels and pulled her old sneakers from the small metal closet in the corner. She put them on with a sigh and wiggled her toes with a smile.

  Carlos snorted. "I haven't seen anyone else looking so happy with a pair of old sneakers."

  "None of them work in heels, then," she said, making her brother laugh.

  "No. Definitely not."

  "Okay." Alicia sat behind the desk and looked down at the mess of papers. "Tell me what happened here."

  Carlos did explain, but it only made her frown. Not filing documents right and then losing them in the mess was not the way to go about running a business.