by Lea Hart
WHIRLWIND
Book Two
Lea Hart
Copyright © 2016 by Lea Hart
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Lea Hart
Visit my website at www.leahartauthor.com
For My Daughters, My Heartbeat
For My Mother, My Champion
CHAPTER ONE
Monday
Grady ambled through the doors of the conference room at SAI and grinned at the group before him. It was good to be back on American soil. The fact that he returned without any new bullet holes was an added bonus. “Greetings, family.”
Joel waved from the head of the table. “Good to see you, brother. Welcome back.”
“Thanks, man. Two weeks in Ecuador is okay, but a month is too damn long.”
Dane leaned back and smirked. “It was just about the right amount of time. Your girlfriend got carted off a couple of days ago.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” Grady responded.
“Yeah, doesn’t seem like she got the memo on that one. Going to South America saved you a ton of grief. Some crazy shit happened while you were gone.”
Grady leaned against the door and groaned. “So the updates you sent me were not the whole story?”
“Let’s just say I only gave you the highlights,” Dane responded. “Angelina’s in a psych ward over at Jackson Memorial.”
Joel stacked some papers and grimaced. “It’s all we’ve been talking about for the last month.”
Ruby strolled up and dropped into a chair. “Lord have mercy; I barely fit.”
Grady patted her shoulder. “How are you feeling? You look like you’re ready to drop that baby.”
“I’m great, but I have another two months to go.”
He watched her lean back and place her iPad on her bump. “It looks like you have a nice little shelf for your tablet.”
Snorting, Ruby waved her hand. “That big ol’ husband of mine put a big ol’ baby in me, and the result is this basketball I’m carrying around.” She rubbed her stomach and grinned. “It turns out that a bowl of ice cream sits nicely on it as well.”
Ben strolled in and handed his wife a bottle of water and a bowl of blueberries. “Here you go, honey.”
“Thanks, Ben. It’s just what I needed.” She gazed up at her husband with wet eyes and sniffled. “You are the best man in the whole world.”
The whole table groaned as Ruby wiped her eyes. “I can’t help it,” she moaned. “Baby hormones are no joke.” Glancing around the table, she threw everyone a disapproving look. “You all are lucky to have an emotionally expressive woman to work with. If it weren’t for me, you all would still be strangers with your feelings.” When Joel cleared his throat, she grinned. “You’re the exception, Joel. Vivi has done a fine job with you.”
“Gee, thanks.” He rubbed the back of his neck and waited for people to find seats. “Can we get started? My lovely wife is going to be here in a bit with the kids, so I need to finish this quickly.” Joel waited for everyone to quiet down. “Grady, tell us how the assignment went in South America.”
“We secured the Petroecuador refineries and tested all the security protocols we put in place. Lance and Kyle will be flying home at the end of next week, after they complete the training for the local security team. I’ll copy everyone on the report once I’m done this afternoon. The assignment was relatively easy, and we should consider doing more jobs like this.”
“The minister of energy must’ve spoken with his counterparts, because I got a call from the Bolivian agency that oversees the refineries. They want us to give them a proposal,” Joel said.
“Lance and Kyle can take that assignment. They’re up to speed and more than capable of handling it themselves.”
“Excellent,” Joel responded. “Dane, update us on the upcoming assignment to protect the tech mogul who’s coming in next week.”
As the meeting continued, Grady’s thoughts turned to his crazy ex-girlfriend. The highlights he’d received were awful, so the whole story must have been horrific. What a nightmare. It just proved that it was never a good idea to ignore your gut. He’d known Angelina was volatile from the moment he met her, but he’d definitely underestimated the amount of crazy she was capable of. Never again. The next time he got interested in a woman, he was going pay attention to all the signs. Especially the ones he didn’t like.
The deafening sound of the McDade twins filled the hall and Joel stopped talking. Apparently six-month-old babies were capable of imitating the deafening sound of a flashbang.
“All right,” Joel said, “that’s it for today. My quiet family has arrived, so we’re done.”
“Hi, everyone,” Vivi called out, as she maneuvered a double stroller through the door. “Hope we didn’t disturb anything.”
Joel moved toward his family and laughed. “I like how quietly you arrived.” Leaning in to his wife, he gave her a big smooch. “We were just finishing up.” He bent down, kissed both of his kids, and was rewarded with wet sloppy kisses and sticky hands on his face.
Anyone who watched the scene knew that Joel considered himself the luckiest man in the world. He’d gone from a solitary life to a loving full one in less than a year.
Grady stood and went over to kiss his godchildren. “Hey, rug rats. Did you miss me?”
Vivi patted his arm and gave him a warm smile. “They sure did. They like the way you tussle with them and make silly faces. We expect to see you at the house on the fourth.”
“Okay, just text me the details. I brought them a couple of gifts from Ecuador, so I’ll bring them with me.”
“You’re a good man, Grady.” Vivi kissed his cheek and winked. “I want to hear every detail about Angelina. I heard it was more entertaining that a reality television show.”
“I don’t even know all the details yet, and I’m not sure if I want them.”
“Well, I do. So make sure you come with a good story on Monday.”
Joel turned the stroller around and pushed it toward the door. “We’re heading to the airport to pick up my in-laws. Call me if anything urgent comes up.”
Vivi waved to the group and blew a kiss to her best friend, Ruby. “Don’t forget, Mama and Papa want to see you and Ben tomorrow.”
“We’ll come by for lunch,” Ruby responded.
After Joel and his family departed, everyone gathered their things and moved out of the conference room. Grady called to Dane and waited until the room was clear. “How come you only gave me the highlights of Angelina’s antics?”
“Because you needed to focus on the op, and there was nothing you could do,” Dane responded. “I had the front of your house painted, by the way.”
Grady groaned and slumped against the wall. “Do I want to know how bad it got, or can I just live in blissful ignorance?”
“You can try, but I don’t think your neighbors are going to let you.” Dane laughed. “There was a group that set up chairs every evening to watch Angelina’s escapades. By the end of the second week, it had become a regular party. They had snacks and everything. By the way, your next-door neighbor is fuc…I mean, really pretty.”
“And you know this how?”
“Because Sara and the two old ladies who live across the street invited
me over every time I showed up. They offered me drinks and food in exchange for all the gory details. Hanging out with your neighbors was a blast.”
“Nice to know that my disastrous life is working out for you,” Grady huffed.
“It’s not working out that well. Sara never agreed to go out with me. Gladys told me that I wasn’t her type.” Running his hands through his hair, he then shrugged. “Agnes advised me not to give up, though. She said that Sara has a lot on her plate and it may just take time.”
“I’ve hardly spoken to Sara since she moved in a year ago. I was too wrapped up in work and the Angelina debacle to make an effort.”
“Your loss. Sara is a fireplug. I enjoyed her southern sass and sense of humor as well as the fried chicken she made me. I’m surprised you never noticed her. Maybe it’s because she’s nice and doesn’t have any crazy.”
Straightening up, Grady fisted his hands. “I like nice women.”
Dane held his hands up and stepped away. “Okay.”
“Sorry, the whole thing is embarrassing and I’m acting like an asshole.”
“Yeah, you are.” Dane studied his friend. “Just be glad that you figured it out in time.”
“Thanks, man.” Rubbing the back of his neck, he realized it took far too long to determine the difference between a passionate nature and plain old crazy. Lust had impaired his judgment, and that wasn’t something he was going to let happen again. “Thanks, brother. Appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“No problem. I have the police reports in my office. I’ll bring them over later on.”
Grady ambled out of the conference room, shook his head, and wondered if he was going to have to move.
***
Grady sat in his office and finished the report for the oil refineries. They had put together a solid program for the company and tested it in every way possible. Petroecuador shouldn’t have any more problems with rebels trying to siphon off gas and disrupt production. He saved the document and then emailed it to the company president. Sliding his glasses off, he pinched his nose.
“How’s it going?” Dane inquired. He walked in and collapsed into a chair. “Thought you might want to see these.” He slid the police reports across Grady’s desk. “It’s fairly interesting reading.”
Grady lifted the pile of papers and flipped through them. “Did she really wreak this much havoc?”
“She sure as shit did. Right after you took off for Ecuador, she started showing up at your house. It escalated as each day passed. The police took her in on a fifty-one-fifty last week. Hopefully she gets the help she needs.”
“How did I miss all the signs?’
“Maybe she had lots of practice hiding it and made sure not to give you any.”
Grady tipped back in his chair and perused the top report. It detailed an incident that happened two weeks ago, when she’d spray painted the front of the house detailing his physical attributes. He held it up and pointed to a picture. “Do these photos do it justice?”
Dane leaned forward and studied it. “Not really. The red paint was a lot brighter. Gladys and Agnes really enjoyed that one. Sara served margaritas that night, and we ended up making tacos.”
“I’m happy that you’re such good friends with my neighbors now.” Shaking his head, he set down the stack of reports. “I should probably check in with them when I get home. Reassure them that the drama has ended and I’m a good guy.”
“The ladies were disappointed when Angelina was carted off in the ambulance. Apparently there isn’t much going on at the end of May, and this filled their evenings.”
“I’m glad my bad choices have provided them with the opportunity to sit on their porch and drink. It’s not often that you can do that for your neighbors.”
“Agnes told me that she’s going to invite you over for dinner because she wants to hear your side of the story. I told her to be sure and include me, because I love a home-cooked meal.” Crossing his legs, he grinned. “I’m hoping that they make pot roast and mashed potatoes. I let Sara know that it’s my favorite.”
“Great. My life has become entertainment for the neighborhood.”
“I should get back to work. I’m going to finish the analysis that I owe the shipping company. Sara is hosting her weekly Bachelorette party, and I want to try to make it.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Grady groaned.
“On Monday nights, Sara has the ladies over, and they drink wine and watch The Bachelorette. Seeing Sara in yoga pants makes the whole thing palatable.” He cracked his neck and then grinned. “The sad fact is that I’ve been sucked in. Now I have to see which dumbass the chick picks. It’s like watching a train wreck; I can’t look away.”
“You may have to turn in your man card.”
Standing, Dane shrugged. “At least it’s not Dancing with the Stars. Ben is stuck watching that because Ruby loves it. I count my blessings where I can.”
“And why are you hanging around my eighty-year-old neighbors and the hot girl who lives next door? Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Apparently not.”
Grady watched Dane stroll out of his office and wondered what he was in for. Glancing at the police reports made his head pound. Angelina had let her freak flag fly and showed everyone how stupid he was for dating her. He was never going to be sucked into a woman’s drama again. Next time he went out on a date, he was going to choose someone who was drama-free.
***
Summer in Miami was no joke. Grady stepped out of his front door and noticed that none of the heat had dissipated. Checking his watch, he realized it was close to eight and probably over eighty degrees. The thunderstorm that had just passed through only left more humidity in its wake. His sandals slapped against the wet cement as he walked over to Sara’s house. Approaching her door, he tried to recall what she looked like. He had a vague recollection of a short curvy girl with light brown hair. They had met when she moved in, and he hadn’t really spoken to her since. They waved to one another occasionally, but that was it. For whatever reason, they had never gotten to know one another.
Between his crazy work schedule and his crazy relationship, he never made an effort to hang out with the people on his street. His relationship with Ang had always been volatile, and it took a lot of time and effort to keep it under control. Why was he so easily fooled?
Laughing to himself, he knew why. Angelina was crazy-hot in the sack. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he’d ignored every sign about what was really going on. Wild, dirty sex did that to a man’s brain. Shut it down and kept it that way. What had been fun in the beginning turned into something that made him feel a little sick by the end. Angelina’s dark side wasn’t something that he could deal with, and it had taken him a while to understand that. When he finally realized, it had been too late. They were entwined and Angelina wasn’t going to let him go. Until he gave her no choice. What a fucking disaster.
After pressing Sara’s doorbell, he waited. The sound of laughter could be heard from inside the house, so the party must’ve already started.
The door swung open, and lust kicked him hard in the gut as he stared into Sara’s bright jade eyes. He didn’t remember his neighbor being so beautiful. Dane was right. She was fucking stunning.
“Grady?” Sara asked.
“Yes.”
“I almost didn’t recognize you. What happened to your big beard?”
Running his hand over his jaw, he laughed. “I was in South America for a month and I decided to trim it. Running around the jungle with a long beard gets a little uncomfortable.”
“Who’s at the door, dear? Is it that handsome Dane?” Agnes called.
Grady watched Sara turn, and his mind would do nothing but repeat over and over, want, want, want. Sara was curvy in all the right places and had long hair streaming down her back. Something about the way she moved got to him. Shit.
“It’s Grady.”
“Let the
poor man in. Don’t leave him on the porch,” Gladys said.
Stepping back, she let him enter. “I thought you might be Dane. We’ve corrupted him, and he sometime joins us for our little get-together.”
A woman dressed in a purple animal print caftan slowly moved in their direction. Her hair was the color of carrots and her lipstick matched. “Hi, Agnes. It’s nice to see you,” Grady called out.
“Grady, you have given us more entertainment over the last month than we know what to do with. You couldn’t have timed it better. There wasn’t a lot going on, and your ax-wielding ex gave us terrific excitement. We were sad when they carted her off because we knew it was the end. Good thing The Bachelorette started.”
Gladys got up from the table and tottered over. “I hope you brought that bottle of wine for us. We already drank the first one, and the show hasn’t started yet.”
Grady handed the bottle to Sara. “I figured I owed you at least this much. Dane told me what’s been going on, and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
Agnes patted his arm. “Nonsense. We enjoyed every single crazy moment of it. I particularly liked when she tried to chop your front door down. I had to turn off my hearing aids, though. The alarm on your house is positively thunderous.”
“I liked when she painted your man-part on the front door. It gave me a lot to think about,” Gladys said, as she took the bottle of wine out of Sara’s hand. “It’s made me think of you in a whole new light.”
Grady noticed Sara glance down at his crotch and then turn away quickly. “I’m sorry it got so crazy. I never would’ve guessed that it would get so bad.” As he stared at the top of Sara’s head, he wondered if she thought about him.
“Let me open this, and then we can watch our show,” Gladys called, as she moved into the kitchen.
“Do you like my new hair?” Agnes asked. “Sara colored it for me the other day. It’s exactly what I was looking for.”
“I’m not a hairdresser, but she talked me into coloring her hair. We had to do it twice. She really wanted that color.” Sara winced. “I thought that would be the end of it, but Gladys wants me to color her hair. I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. By the end of the week, the ladies in the neighborhood are going to resemble a basket of Easter eggs.”