Jackson stilled. “My feelings for Ellie aren’t up for debate. I’m saying it’s stupid to put an innocent in the path of the Petrovs. What if something goes wrong? Could either of you live with yourselves then?”
Greg’s dark gaze held steady. “The risk is worth it. Have you really gotten that soft?”
“It’s not worth losing Ellie.” Jackson grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the chair. “Find another fucking way.”
He towed her out of the bar without another word. Sulfur-scented steam followed in their wake. Ty had no doubt Ellie would give Jackson an earful.
He glanced at Greg and let out a surprised whistle. “Looks like he’s found his mate.”
Greg shut down. His expression, previously so serious and—dare he say it, excited?—went blank. “Good for him.”
In the six months Greg had been home, Ty had never gotten him to speak about his years in the Blood Wolves. Ty wasn’t naïve. His brother had gone through some rough shit, even a couple months’ stint as a prisoner of war, but he’d never had trouble getting through to him.
Not until he’d found his brother kissing another man.
Ty sighed. He didn’t care about his brother’s sexual preferences. He only cared that the blockhead was happy, yet Greg refused to let him in.
Greg stuffed his laptop in its case and slung the strap over his muscled shoulder. “See you.”
Ty wished his brother would talk to him. Greg was hurting, and they needed each other. He followed his brother to the door, but settled with a handshake instead of the words he wished to say.
Greg halted in the doorway. “We need to come up with a plan.”
Ty nodded. “Jackson will never let us use Ellie as bait.”
“It was a stupid idea,” Greg agreed. “I’ll think of something and let you know as soon as I do. In the meantime, stay safe.”
“You too.” Ty watched his brother amble away, wishing he had a way to stop his world from spinning out of control. Greg was hurting, Jackson and Ellie were in danger, and Tolly drove him wild.
Everything was his fault. It was up to him to fix it.
Somehow.
* * *
Tolly watched the clock, seeing the minute hand creep by slower than molasses.
The next day was slower than Tuesday had been, despite the well specials Ty ran every week. Maybe when Wednesday night church let out some of the regulars would trickle in. It wasn’t like Hog Heaven not to be packed, even on a weeknight.
“Another brew, Smokey?” she called out.
Smokey shoved his oil-streaked cap onto his head and shuffled to the door. “I should get home. I left money on the table.”
“Thanks.”
With her one customer gone, Tolly hefted her butt onto the counter and kicked her heels on the weathered wood. She’d received an email from Ty telling her something had come up and asking her to open the bar for business. The strange message intrigued her and made her wonder what he was up to.
Was he just avoiding her?
Surely not. Ty wasn’t the sort to tuck tail and run. He’d always met things head-on.
Pretty much how he’d faced their shared attraction last night.
A shiver traced down her spine remembering the incredibly hot night. She shifted on the counter, experienced the familiar ache between her legs whenever she thought of Ty and his hot, toned body. The bad boy tattoos mixed with down-home country boy act was her kryptonite. She resisted most anything except him.
As if thinking about him conjured him, Ty strolled through the front door. She hadn’t heard his bike, but when he looked up and saw her sitting there on the bar, his gaze darkened and zoned in on her splayed legs.
Instead of closing them, she leaned back on her elbows and cocked her eyebrow. “About time.”
Ty tore his eyes away and glanced around the bar. “Slow night?”
Her core tightened with need, and she moved restlessly. “Smokey left a few minutes ago.”
Ty glanced at the clock, and his gaze met hers once more. “Thank you for opening for me.”
“No problem.” She licked her lips with invitation. “Any time. What was the emergency? It’s not like you to leave the bar unattended.”
“Just something with Jackson. No big deal.” He took a step forward before he seemed to change his mind and halted. “We need to talk about last night.”
She’d done her best to ignore the elephant in the room with him. That morning, her excitement about the wolf eased the way. But being here, alone with him at the scene of the crime, made her want to rip the clothes from his body and fuck him until the sun rose. “What about it?”
Good. Her voice didn’t crack.
“You know what.” He went to the bar and pulled her to a standing position. “I can’t be what you need me to be.”
She didn’t expect the brush-off to hurt as much as it did. She masked the pain with nonchalance far from the truth. “Last night was just a fuck, okay? I’m not asking you to go steady or anything.”
He cupped her shoulders, holding her in place when she wanted to run away to lick her wounds. “Don’t act like it doesn’t matter. I can’t stand it if I hurt you. I don’t want attraction to ruin things between us.”
She laughed. “Of course not. Besides, I’m moving. You don’t have to worry about keeping up appearances when you see me for much longer.”
He tightened his grip on her arms. “What?”
She cursed her unruly tongue. Of course she wasn’t moving. Where in the hell had that thought come from? Instead of admitting the truth, she nodded. “Next month. I received a job offer with a magazine in Florida for a permanent position on their staff.”
It had been a goal of hers for a really long time. Even though it hadn’t come to fruition, it was a nice daydream. Ty stared at her without saying a word. Regret and surprise flitted across his face before he smiled and stepped away from her. “That’s really good to hear. Congratulations.”
If she’d thought it hurt before, it was nothing compared to the soul-searing pain she felt now at his easy dismissal. “Thanks.”
“We should throw a farewell party before you leave,” Ty continued. “Invite everyone you want. I’ll provide the drinks.”
A lump the size of Texas clogged her throat. “That’s real nice of you. I’ll consider it.”
Ty tapped his finger against his lips. “Hell, if I sweet talk him, Smokey might be convinced to jump out of a cake.”
Tolly narrowed her eyes. “Ty, you—”
He laughed and snagged her around the waist, bringing her into close contact with his chest. “Quit bullshitting, Tolly. You’re not leaving. You’d never give up your fishing hole for anyone.”
She ignored the pleasant warmth unfurling in her belly and dodged his hands. “You don’t know anything.”
“I know that you want me.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He threaded his fingers in her hair and pulled her face closer. “You drive a man to drink. How is possible to want someone who drives you crazy half the time?”
“What about the other half?” she whispered as his lips flitted across hers.
“The other half is spent imagining what’s beneath your tiny shorts.” Ty brushed kisses across her cheek and down to her neck. “I can’t wait to be inside them again.”
She frowned. “But you said you can’t be what I need.”
“I can’t.” He cupped her ass and pulled her into contact with his erection. “Doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”
“I—”
Whatever she’d been about to say, and she wasn’t entirely sure of it herself, halted when a group of bikers roared to a stop outside and poured into the bar. Relieved to put off the embarrassing conversation once more, she spent the next several hours slinging drinks and fighting off advances from a crowd of rough and rowdy men who were merely passing through.
Ty played the part of the co
nsummate host, cracking jokes with the men and tossing darts at the bull. During a break in the action, Tolly stood at the bar rinsing glasses and watched him interact with his customers. Several times throughout the night, Ty locked gazes with her until it was after midnight.
She pulled on her leather jacket and tossed her thumb toward the door. “I have to go.”
Ty broke away from his crowd of drunken bikers and approached her. “Lock your door in case someone follows, but leave your key beneath that ridiculous garden gnome you have. I’ll come see you when I close. We haven’t finished talking.”
She zipped up the jacket and sighed. “Look, I have to be at work early in the morning. Let’s just agree to let things go back to the way they were. It’ll make everything a lot easier.”
“Just do it,” he commanded and strode away.
She rolled her eyes and left, cursing him for getting beneath her skin. It wouldn’t be the first time a man tried to tell her what to do, but it would definitely be the last.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ty stood outside Tolly’s door for fifteen minutes Wednesday night, calling to her to unlock the door. He knew she wasn’t asleep. His sensitive hearing picked up the sounds of her moving within the house. The beast inside him wanted to tear the door from the hinges.
The man let him walk away.
She never showed for her shift on Thursday night, which was unlike her. Although she worked at Hog Heaven on an as-needed basis, she’d always shown up when she said she would. He’d thought about storming into the travel agency to see her, but didn’t want to cause a scene.
Friday and Saturday were his busiest days at the bar so he waited until Sunday to corner her alone. He found her in the middle of the lake in the ancient rowboat she used whenever he didn’t go fishing with her.
She noticed him, but before she pulled up anchor, he cut the engine to his boat and jumped onto hers. It tipped, nearly dumping them both out, until it righted and he regained his balance.
“What in the hell are you thinking?” Tolly yelled. “You almost capsized us.”
Ty avoided the rod and reel she swung at his head. “How else can I see you?”
“Did you ever consider I’m avoiding you?”
“Yes, many times. And I can’t think of anything I’d like less.” He dodged another sweep of her rod. “I had to deal with Smokey on my own last night.”
She growled, dropped the rod, and rammed her head into his chest. “Get out of my boat.”
Ty realized she was serious about pushing him over the side, and he could’ve stopped it had he wanted to, but instead he clutched the front of her vest and took her overboard with him. She squawked and windmilled her arms as they fell. Her hat fell off and floated away on the current. “You fool. Now look what you’ve done.”
She looked adorable with her long hair up in a ponytail, and her cheeks pinkened by the sun. Light reflected off the water and turned her eyes a warm amber. He kept his fingers clutched around her vest. The tacky green garment had fishing lures hooked in it, and he did his best to avoid the sharp edges, as he towed her closer.
“I created a firewall.”
She snapped her mouth shut and stared at him. He was ready to come clean. Thank goodness she decided to keep silent.
For once.
He continued, his words coming out in a rush in his desire to put everything out there in the open. “I did it a long time ago, but Jackson’s company perfected the model and someone talked. Now bad people are interested in it.”
She plucked a piece of algae from her hair and tossed it into the murky water. “Why are you telling me this?”
“They went after Jackson. It’s a matter of time until they figure out who created it, and then they’ll come after me.”
Her face paled. “Just because of some firewall?”
“Not just some firewall, Tolly. It’s impenetrable. Do you understand what that means? Everyone will want to get their hands on it.”
He allowed the thought to sink in before he continued, “And when that happens, I want you far away from danger. I can’t allow myself to fall for you. Not now.”
She doggy-paddled to her boat and pulled herself over the edge. Dripping wet, she sat and eyed him. “Why tell me this now? You said it yourself you created it years ago. Why not tell me then? Why wait until I was already in love with you?”
Her words hit him like a line drive between the eyes. He continued to tread water, keeping his head above water, literally and figuratively. “You don’t love me. You can’t.”
She reeled in all of her lines and picked up the oars. “You don’t know what I can or cannot do.”
He watched her row away from him, the distance between them widening with every stroke. For several minutes, he debated giving up until common sense stirred.
No.
Goddamn it, no. He refused to lose her, firewall or not.
He scissor-kicked his legs and set out after her. Her weak strokes were no match for his powerful ones. He caught up to her within seconds and hauled himself into the rowboat.
Tolly’s gaze met his, and the tears in her eyes were a punch in the ’nads. He’d put the tears there and damned if he’d let her cry over him.
If anyone had told him twenty years ago the tomboy he’d grown up with would be the one meant for him, he would’ve told them they were off their rocker. But it was the truth. Somewhere along the way, he’d let a friend turn into more. Realizing he could lose her made him realize he wanted her for more than friendship. For more than a fuck buddy.
He wanted Tolly. Plain and simple.
She swatted him with an oar. “Get out of my boat.”
He yanked off his boots and set them aside. When he stood and unzipped his jeans, Tolly dropped the oar.
“What are you doing?”
He shucked the jeans and tugged his T-shirt over his head. “We get along better when we’re naked.”
“You’re an idiot,” she said yet her gaze followed the trek of his boxers down his hips and to his ankles. “Put your clothes on before you scare the fish.”
He palmed his cock, giving it two quick jerks to somewhat ease the ache in his balls, before squatting before her naked as a jaybird. “I ignored my feelings for you because of our friendship and the fact your grandpa would kill me, but I can’t deny it any longer. I want to be with you more than anything, but the threat is serious. You’ll get caught in the middle of it. These people will go after everyone I care about. I can’t let anything happen to you. Do you understand?”
A crease formed between her brows when she frowned. “Once again, why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I couldn’t bear to push you away.” Ty knelt between her legs and inhaled her scent, the cinnamon tampered by the odor of pond scum but still intoxicating as ever. “There’s more.”
“More?” Tolly turned her head just as a dart sailed past her cheek. “What in the hell—”
Ty recognized the red, feathered ends, and his blood ran cold. “Get down!” he yelled at Tolly, diving at her and knocking her to the bottom of the boat as a volley of darts rained down upon them. He covered her, wincing when a couple darts pierced his backside and thigh.
Tolly’s wide eyes met his. “Ty?”
“Shush.” He peered over the edge of the boat. Weariness pulled at him, but he struggled to stay awake for her sake. “They found us.”
Tolly tried to shove him aside. “Who found us?”
“The bad guys. Listen to me. I need you to swim,” he ordered. He gave her a quick kiss before mustering all the energy he had left and tossing her over the side of the boat.
“Ty!” Tolly cried out.
“Go,” he whispered and turned to survey the woods where the darts had originated.
Three figures, dressed in black with streaks of mud on their faces, emerged into view. JSIS, and from the looks of them, the really nasty kind.
Just his luck he’d meet the bastards butt naked.
The
Middle Eastern terrorist group was one the Blood Wolves had fought for years. Leave it to the bastards to be one of the groups after his firewall.
Determined to save Tolly, he did his best to create a distraction.
Throwing his arms wide open, he shook his hips and did the helicopter move with his dick. “What took you fellows so long?”
* * *
Tolly saw the men come out of the woods, and she smothered a hysterical scream. Ty hadn’t been kidding when he said the bad guys were after him. They dark-clad men looked like every baddie she saw on the news, the kind that sawed off heads without the least bit of remorse.
She backed away from the boat. She had to find help, and there was only one person capable of that task.
Ducking beneath the water, she swam to Ty’s boat and hid behind the motor until the men reached her rowboat and towed Ty back to shore. He’d collapsed minutes before, the darts apparently containing a sedative.
He’d saved her, throwing his body over hers to protect her. The gesture spoke volumes.
Panic made her lightheaded, but she noted the direction they carried Ty, before crawling into the boat and setting off for the house at the opposite end of the lake.
She pushed the boat as hard as it would go, thanking Ty for having the foresight to install a high-class motor the previous summer.
She whipped by other boaters, paying no attention to the No Wake signs as she reached the tiny, residential area at the end of the lake where the other Harris brother lived. She drove the boat straight onto land and jumped out. Ty would probably shoot her for roughing up his prized possession, but all that mattered was finding him.
She ran up the steep incline, pulling herself up with the exposed roots of trees surrounding Greg’s two-acre lot. Scaling the fence was more difficult, but panic lent her superhuman strength, and she landed on the other side.
She found Greg working in his garden. His back was to her, but when she called to him, his spine stiffened and he pivoted, aiming a gun straight at her head.
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