The phone trilled again, and this time Aaron picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hey,” Mike’s cheery voice came out from the other end. “How are you?”
“Alright.” Aaron sat back, cautious. He hadn’t heard from Mike for years, and now old ghosts were reappearing in ways that made him nervous. What the hell did the old man want now?
“How’s the gym?”
“It’s fine. What do you want?”
“Someone’s taking an interest in your place, asking around. I’m not sure what’s going on, but it doesn’t sound good.”
“What?” Aaron stood, pacing across the office floor.
“Someone’s put the word out, Son, all the way out here. They’re looking for these two girls, missing, they said. One of them’s a sweetheart, blonde hair. Know anyone like that?”
What the hell?
“Why?”
“I’m still on your side, Aaron. I’m just trying to help. Someone’s gunning for your place and we need to figure out what’s going on,” Mike sighed. “I didn’t like the guy that was asking, so I’m giving you a heads-up. Can you tell me anything about them?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mike. No girls like that around here, but this is weird as hell.”
“I know. I’m worried. Just keep me in the loop, okay, and I’ll see what I can do on my end.”
“Okay.”
Aaron dropped the phone and fell back into his chair, all the energy drained out of him. It was his fault, it would never stop being his fault. Was whoever killed Anna was still after him? They’d killed Anna when he’d shown any kind of interest in her, and now they were after Lainey. But this time, he knew, and maybe that would save her. Aaron let his head fall on the desk. He’d moved half a country away, but he couldn’t escape this. Somehow it would still come back and bite him in the ass. He had no idea who the fuck was after him, but this time there was hope. Lainey was still alive.
9
Lainey
On the way home from work, Lainey changed her mind about her date with Josh at least ten times. Was she really doing the right thing, the smart thing? Who cared about being smart? Maybe it was time to just let loose and not worry about it being the right thing to do. Just have fun. Payton would be pleased with her, at least. Walking in her front door, Lainey made up her mind. She wasn’t ready to jump in the deep end yet, no matter how hard Payton might be pushing, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t dip her toes into the water, maybe even swirl them around a little. Yes—she’d try dating Josh on for size before deciding whether or not to go any further. It was easier to make the decision, now standing alone in her shower, but even as she thought of Josh—his bulging physique, and well, probably bulging other places—she felt a heat grow inside her and her fingers crept down to her core before she mentally slapped them away. She didn’t have time for that, not if she was going to arrive on time for her date. Yes, it was easier to be pragmatic alone in her apartment, but if one thought of his body was enough to have her nearly giving into temptation, this experiment in taking it slow might be over before it even began.
She still didn’t know exactly what it was about Josh that appealed to her so much. She’d never been one to be taken in by a pretty face before. He made her skin crawl, but most of the time in a good way. He was bossy, cocky, even outright arrogant—everything she should hate, but she didn’t. When he wanted to be, he was the perfect mixture of adorable and sexy, and his bad-boy persona made her feel things she’d never allowed herself before.
Slipping into fade wash jeans and a pretty peasant top, there was no going back. She pulled her hair back in six different styles before giving up and letting the soft curls drift about her shoulders. It was easier that way, anyway. But would it give the wrong message? She huffed out a sigh. There was no point scrutinizing everything. She suspected she was too far gone already to make a logical decision, and it didn’t matter anyway. At this point, Lainey would call her experiment a success if she stopped herself from going home with Josh and crawling naked into his bed. Resisting anything else was already too much work.
Grabbing her car keys, she glanced at her bedside clock and then broke out into a run. They were supposed to meet at Freddy Mack’s, a casual burger joint, in less than half an hour and she had to drive all the way across town to get there. Stepping on the gas, she drove as quickly as she could. Traffic was terrible, but she peeled into the parking lot only a few minutes late. She took a moment to lose the road rage and freshen up her lip gloss and then walked inside. Josh was already sitting in a booth in the back and had ordered himself a basket of fries. He got up and gave her a lingering hug, wrapping his arms around her waist before one hand sneaked down and squeezed her ass. Lainey jerked and let out a little squeak, but all that did was intensify the smell of his cologne as she breathed in sharply. It seemed like by making the decision to give dating a go, she’d given every nerve in her body a free pass to party—every hint of masculine attraction affected her. Josh, mixed with whatever the hell that was could very well undo the last reserve she’d promised herself in the shower.
She sat down across from him, shifting slightly to the side to avoid having to look at him head-on. His colors still hadn’t changed, a white so bright it was like staring into the sun, and so she quickly dropped her gaze to the basket of greasy fries sitting on the table.
“How are you?” she asked.
“Alright,” he leaned back, trying to catch her eye and so she picked up the menu.
“I’m starving. What’s good here?”
“I got the bacon mushroom.”
“Huh.” So he’d ordered without her? Guess he was going for casual too. Letting it go, she looked through the burger choice, selecting the Portobello. Working with Aaron and the guys for years had got her hooked on eating smaller meals more often, and she wasn’t sure she could face a six-ounce burger after dark. Her selection made, Lainey lowered the menu, only to lift it back up in an attempt to shield her eyes. Geez, she was going to have to figure out how to get him to tone it down if they were going to spend any more time together. She held the menu up for as long as she could, until she heard Josh clear his throat and Lainey looked around to see the server standing at the table, looking at her expectantly. After taking her orders, she left and Lainey finally raised her gaze, just to the left of Josh again to lessen the glow. The date would be off to a great start if he noticed she didn’t want to look at him.
“So how long have you been at the juice bar?”
She smiled. “Years now. It feels like, you know, home.”
He must have caught her looking down at the fry basket again, as he grinned and pushed them toward her. As his hand moved close to her body, a ripple ran through her. That felt dangerous. What the hell was that all about? This was Lainey’s first actual date in years, and she’d never even considered a real relationship, and yet here she was contemplating all that with Josh, a man she’d only met a few days ago. Was that all it was, that he was mysterious? Maybe she wasn’t ready for this. What if she got attached and then it didn’t work out? What if he realized there was something different about her? It had to come out eventually. She could barely look him square in the face for heaven’s sake!
Josh reached out his hand and took hers. “Lainey, what’s wrong?” A hint of color shimmered through the white and the intensity dimmed. He was calm, finally. Maybe this is who he really was, away from everyone else.
“I don’t know.”
“Lainey, look at me.”
Slowly, she moved her eyes over the table, and his light bore down on her, gentle this time, warm. She was letting him in, and she had never done that before with anybody. It was a strange experience. Normally when she really focused on a person, she felt them so succinctly it was almost as if she was inside their head. But with Josh she got only a taste, a glimmer, as if he was barely there at all. She slowly looked up and when she reached his eyes, they were soft and calm. From what she could tell,
he didn’t have a care in the world.
There was no worry, no depression, no anger or fear—he was completely emotionless. That should be impossible. It should warn her, scare her off, but all it did was make her want to find out even more about him. Their eyes met, and for the first time she allowed herself to stare deep into the blue pools. “You’re a strange person, Josh.” Crap! She said that out loud?
He laughed, short and sharp. “How so?”
“I don’t know. You just intrigue me.”
“I want to get to know you, Lainey. I want to make this work.” He lifted his eyebrows and squeezed her hand. “Can we do that?”
“Yeah.”
Yeah.
Her heart rate increased as she continued to lock eyes with him. Almost as if she couldn’t look away.
“Good.” He leaned over the table and captured her mouth, kissing her intensely. His tongue nudged at her lips before thrusting into her mouth and moving with hers, taking over her senses. The sensation of his touch left her enthralled, almost entranced. The world spun away and nothing else existed, until the sound of a plate being dropped from at least eight inches rattled on the table and Lainey jerked away.
“Your order,” the waitress said, her glare hitting Lainey like a brick to the face. When she moved to place Josh’s burger down, she actually placed it on the table rather than slinging it from above and her colors tinted red.
Oh for fuck’s sake. Really?
“How are you guys doing today/”
“Good,” Josh replied with a smile that would melt any woman on the spot.
“Be right back with your drinks.” The woman whipped around and left them alone again.
“So where do you see yourself in five years, Lainey?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t really think about the future.” Working at the juice bar was comfortable, easy. For Lainey, that was important.
“Really?” He picked up a fry drenched in ketchup and popped it in his mouth.
“I’ve been thinking about it a bit lately. That day I met you at the gym was my first day, you know. My friend dragged me there, but already it’s kinda fun. I’m just living in the moment I guess, but I like working at the juice bar. I’m good at it.”
He frowned. “You don’t have any other ambitions?”
“When the time is right to change it up, I’m sure the universe will tell me. What about you?”
“I’m a fighter.” The waitress returned with their drinks and Josh took a swig of his before taking a huge bite out of his pickle. “If I could go totally pro I would, still looking for a sponsor.”
“Well, you all look amazing at training. Maybe I could pick up some classes, would be nice to know how to defend myself.”
Even as the words left her mouth, Josh’s frown deepened. “That’s not for you, Lainey. It’s really dangerous.”
“But they’re just classes. They’d be okay, right?” Lainey took a small bite out of her burger, her appetite suddenly lessened. Josh looked at her strangely.
“I mean, it’s not really necessary. I can protect you.” He reached across the table and squeezed her hand again. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Sweet, but there was something a little off about it too. It bugged Lainey more than she’d admit that she couldn’t pin him down. “Thank you, but I’m not sure I need somebody to take care of me.”
“I really like you, Lainey.” His deep voice was soft and sensual.
“I like you too, Josh.”
“So, I just wanna be there for you every chance I get. I don’t want you to take that the wrong way.”
“No. Of course not.” Shit, he was making her dizzy. His intense gaze bore through her, as if he could put a spotlight on all of her secrets and draw them out. Could he really see straight through her? Could he be the one Payton talked about, the one who’d know her secret but still want her anyway? God, what’s she’d give for a hint into whatever was swirling around in his mind right now. Being without it had been exciting at first, but under his scrutiny now it was making her feel more wary than turned on.
They finished the rest of the meal with small talk, Lainey hating herself even as she felt herself pulling away. It was just so easy, so familiar, rather than letting someone else in. Declining Josh’s idea of dessert, she thanked him for a nice night out and left before he could suggest anything else. It wasn’t until she was halfway home that she realized despite feeling like Josh had looked right down into her soul, she’d barely learned a thing about him. Where had he grown up, what had his childhood been like, where did he go to school, what did he like to do? Hell, at this point she’d settle for a favorite color or football team. He gave nothing away, which, if she admitted it, only added to the intrigue. She’d see him again, even as she berated herself for the thought. What the hell was she doing? At least it wasn’t boring.
The entire ride home, Lainey was caught up in her thoughts. Everything about Josh was a mystery. Even the way he moved—casual but confident, head held high, flexing his biceps every chance he got. Lainey wasn’t sure she blamed him that one; she’d probably do the same if she looked like that. Even his mannerisms, the way he would bite the corner of his lip when he was listening to her talk, how he let his hand rest just across from hers, so close it was as if she could feel the air vibrating between them. It was so much to take in.
She wasn’t sure she’d ever fully understand him. Every man she’d ever been around was an open book, predicable to the point of boring the hell out of her. Josh was anything but—playful and kind one moment, passionate the next, followed by anger too. Never at her, though, that much at least Lainey knew she’d draw the line at. Despite all that, though, very little ever snuck through in his colors. Only the smallest bit, and only when he was focused directly on her. She was already wary as to why that was, but at the same time there was no way she was walking away. Not until she knew for sure why things were so different with him. His aura was blank, bright, but somehow he was impervious to her. He was the most intense man Lainey had ever met, so much so that it scared her, just a little. But through all that, his colors never moved, never shifted. Was that thrilling or just flat-out dangerous? She was about to find out.
10
Aaron
The next morning, Aaron forced himself awake when his alarm blared in his ear. He hadn’t needed his alarm to wake him up in, well, years. The night had passed both quickly and as slowly as a year; memories slipping through his dreams like silk, twisting and dripping away when he tried to focus on them. Mike’s voice ran though his head before Anna lay on the concrete in front of his gym, her throat cut and burns covering her once flawless skin. Her blood flowed toward him and pooled at his feet before he could turn away. Exhausted, Aaron closed his eyes again, only to jolt awake a few minutes later when Anna’s face morphed into Lainey’s . . . Lainey lying dead on his sidewalk. He got up and almost flew into the kitchen, trying to escape the visions that had haunted him all night, but they followed through his entire morning routine—Lainey lying on the ground, her neck twisted and a masked killer standing over her, silent laugh echoing like thunder in his mind.
Why had Mike called out of nowhere? He’d stood by Aaron, taught him how to make it in the harsh underground world. If it hadn’t been for Mike’s experience and connections, he doubted he’d be standing where he was today. Hell, it was doubtful he’d even be alive. Mike had believed in him, given him purpose, and saved him more times than Aaron could count—including that night when he’d discovered Anna’s body. If it hadn’t been for Mike helping him then, smuggling him out of the state, there was no doubt in Aaron’s mind that he would have joined her before the night was over.
Now, years later, nothing had changed. Mike still had connections, and he was apparently still using them to keep an eye out for him. If Mike told him something bad was coming, then Aaron would be a fool not to pay attention. Mike hadn’t told him a name, but he didn’t have to. The description of Lainey was
so obvious that it couldn’t be anyone else. If Lainey was in trouble, Aaron couldn’t make the same mistake again. If he didn’t listen, Lainey would end up just like Anna. He wasn’t taking any chances. She was too precious.
It was a cruel twist of fate. Just as he’d made his peace with never having her, he was given no choice but to stay close. Sometimes he wondered if he was cursed. He was a good guy, he ran a clean ship, and most of the guys in his gym respected him. Why then was someone after the only two women he’d ever loved in his life?
Crap. You love her, you big idiot.
So what the hell was going on? Had Aaron pissed off the wrong people somehow when he’d been fighting in the underground scene, cost a bookie too much one night? He’d had some pretty grizzly fights. People got injured, knocked unconscious, broken bones. Some men wouldn’t stay down until Aaron made them. The men betting at the bar had taken that shit pretty seriously, and the fighting didn’t always end when you stepped out of the ring. Every so often he’d hear rumors of a stabbing or a shootout. Guess there’s no such thing as a good loser when money like that was involved. Some people put their entire paycheck into the place every Friday night, hoping to make it big. When they lost, the owner made sure they lost everything. Their $3,000 suit, sexy car—they left with nothing, some even without their penthouse apartment to go home to. It got ugly.
Had an old enemy come back from the dead, and Mike had heard about it? Aaron had lost track of Max after Anna had died, but he was still around, still slinking about the bars, getting himself into fights in back alleys. More than once over the years Aaron had heard whispers. Max broke people’s stuff, or just people, and then took their money and ran off in search of his next fix. He’d turned to drugs even more after Anna’s death. Maybe the asshole had actually cared about her, in his own fucked-up way. Whatever the cause, he’d gone way behind backroom brawling now. Max was all in, his life revolving around the black market deals that went on in those rooms. Had one of the people he worked with found out about Aaron, told Max what really happened to Anna? God, that would be the ultimate irony, putting Lainey in danger because he’d tried to save Anna.
Lainey (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 4) Page 6