by Cali MacKay
“Yeah…’cause everything up until now has all been so fucking easy.” She scoffed at me, with a shake of her head.
“What do you want me to do? What would be the logical thing for me to do with you, given what I now know is the truth?” I could just imagine what the full extent of her plans had been—and though she may have decided not to follow through with it all, it didn’t matter when she’d still shown up at my door and deceived me. But when she said nothing in response to my questions, I turned the tables on her. “If you were in my position, what would you do? Huh? Tell me—what the fuck would you do with me if I’d been the one to show up at your door in dire need, lied to you and got you to take me into your home and your life, all with the plan to kill you and your family? What the fuck would you do, Em?”
“You did kill my family—even if it was indirectly. My father would have never murdered my mother and sister, and then killed himself, if it hadn’t been for you and your threats.” She blinked back a fresh wave of threatening tears, glaring at me, as if I was the one to blame.
“Em…I’m sorry you lost your family, but that’s not my fucking fault. Your father dug his own grave when he stole that money. I may have been there to deliver a warning, but I’d also done all I could to get him to give back the money before things got worse.” It was nothing but the truth. My family fixed problems and persuaded outcomes—but we’d always done our best to keep violence out of it. “I know you don’t want to hear it—but the blame lies at your father’s feet.”
She had to know that deep down, even if she hadn’t realized the trouble her father had been in until recently. “Why, Locke? Why did he do it?”
“I wish I had answers for you. But people do stupid things.” Like me, falling for a complete stranger when I should’ve known better. And heading back for a night alone with her would do no one any good. “Come on…let’s push through this storm. Maybe the roads will clear up once we hit the highway. If not, we’ll have to head back.”
It was slow going, but I was determined to get us back to Seattle, knowing that if we had to head back to my family’s mountain home, then chances would be good that I’d find myself unable to resist her. Right now, I needed to put some distance between us and I needed to keep a clear head.
We said little else as I focused on the road ahead, though I’d be damned if I kept my mind from racing through our every moment together. With each minute that passed, my anger and hurt grew, though luckily, we seemed to get ahead of the storm—which was a damn good thing given my current mood.
By the time we got through the mountain passes and onto the major thoroughfares, the roads were in far better condition, though we were still a good distance away from Seattle.
“Where am I taking you, Em? I don’t know where you live.” I glanced over at her, and I swore I’d never seen anyone look so beaten and worn down. I hated the idea of leaving her on her own, but taking her back to my place just wasn’t an option, given the current state of our “relationship.”
It was as if the light in her eyes had been extinguished and her soul had been claimed by the darkness of her loss. And when she spoke, her voice sounded lifeless. “You can drop me off anywhere. I’ll find my way home.”
Fuck.
I took a deep breath, fighting back the onslaught of my emotions and despair. I knew I needed to get my life together, needed to find a way to move past all this, but it felt nearly impossible. I’d have to go back home—to the home haunted by my memories and the tragedy that stole the life I’d once known. Except this time, I knew a bit more of the truth. And Locke was right—I could only really blame my father for what he’d done.
“For fuck’s sake, Em… I’m not going to abandon you at some random curb.” He shook his head and then gave me a pleading glance before shifting his attention back to the road. “Just tell me where to take you. Maybe a friend’s house? Or a relative’s? You shouldn’t be alone…”
Despite everything I’d done to him, despite knowing the truth about what I’d had planned, it said something about Locke that he was still worried about me, even when he was still angry. It made it all the more difficult to know that I screwed up something that could’ve been special.
“There’s no one. What little family I have is all the way in Vermont, and my friends…they were mainly people I knew in college, and they’ve all moved on with their lives since then.” It didn’t help that I’d pushed them all away when they’d tried to help after I lost my family. I didn’t feel like I had anyone to turn to. “It’s just me, Locke. I have no one else in my life.”
“Em…I want to help but…I can’t take you home with me.” Despite his earlier anger with me, his blue eyes were kind and sympathetic, though that only made things worse for me.
I may have very well screwed up the one good thing to happen in my life. “I’m not your responsibility, Locke, though I appreciate everything you’ve done. You can just take me home. I’ll be fine.”
He tossed me another sideways glance, dividing his attention between me and the road. “I’m not sure I believe you. Maybe…maybe you should talk to someone about all this. A professional who has experience with this sort of thing.”
“Yeah…maybe.” Except that I’d already been down that road. Not that I had many options. And he was right—I couldn’t stay with him, even if I desperately wanted to. “And maybe now that I know the truth about my father, I can try to put my life back together and move on.”
“That’s probably for the best.” He reached over and gave my hand a squeeze, tossing me one of his easy smiles as I swallowed down the lump in my throat and blinked back the tears that stung my eyes.
I said little else, knowing that if I spoke, I’d unleash a torrent of tears. I had to hold it together. Just until I got home. And then I could let it all go…I could deal with the aftermath of my shattered heart once I was alone.
Always alone.
Before long, Locke was pulling up in front of my family’s home. “Come on…I’ll grab your things.”
It felt like I could barely move: my arms, my legs, my heart…they all felt like lead. Yet when he came around and opened my door and offered me his hand, I had to take it, knowing that I couldn’t stay. He pulled me to my feet, my body brushing up against his as he looked down at me, worried.
I did my best to give him a reassuring smile, though my eyes shimmered with tears. “I really am sorry.”
My tears spilled over as I took my bag from him. Desperate to get away before he saw me completely break down, I ran up the steps to my front door and grabbed the key from where I stashed it inside the flower box, ignoring him as he called out to me. Yet he didn’t chase after me and for that I was grateful, knowing that no good could come from dragging this out.
I let myself in, and with a final wave to him as I stood in my doorway, I ignored the worried look he gave me and closed the door behind me. The moment I was alone, the dam on my emotions ruptured, my sob breaking free and echoing in the empty house as I slipped down onto the floor, my back against the door.
I was once again alone, except this time my loss was even greater. Because I hadn’t just lost my family, I’d lost the most perfect man.
Ignoring the look Dane gave me, I grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured myself another drink, thinking it was a damn good thing that my family owned a whiskey distillery.
It’d been two weeks since I’d dropped off Emie at her home, and I’d yet to rid myself of the feeling that I’d been such a fucking fool—and it was fueling my anger, my hurt… “I should have known better, Dane… I should have suspected something was up. I mean, amnesia? How stupid am I?”
Even worse was that, despite everything she’d put me through, I couldn’t get her out of my head.
“You’re not stupid—you’re male. She was naked, gorgeous, and vulnerable. You never stood a fucking chance.” Dane took a swig of his beer, sitting back on the sofa as Bear pressed up against my brother’s leg, looking for attention.
“That may be the case, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with the fallout.” I didn’t have to spell it out for my brother, since he knew me well enough. “I fucking hate her for what she’d wanted to do to us—for lying to me. And yet I can’t fucking stop thinking about her.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, Locke… Being lied to is never easy. But on the plus side, she didn’t shoot you, even though she probably had plenty of opportunity, and I’m sure you likely gave her more than a few reasons to do just that.” Dane gave me a shit-eating smile that had me shaking my head, since I knew damn well that he was pushing my buttons to try to get me out of my funk.
“She got under my skin. And now…” And now I was fucked, because no matter what I tried, my thoughts kept wandering back to her. No amount of work, no amount of jerking off, no amount of drink…none of it could distract me from the emptiness I now felt, my heart aching as if it was missing a part of itself—and I fucking hated her for it.
“You were with her for barely two weeks, Locke. And I hate to say it, but if she had this sort of effect on you in so little time, then maybe it’s worth tracking her down and talking to her about things. See if there’s some way to either get past this together or move on apart.” He finished off his beer and put the bottle in the sink. “I’m going to get going. I’ve got this new…project… It’s gotten a bit more complicated than I’d anticipated. Total pain in the ass.”
I knew that any project Dane might be working on these days had nothing to do with Blackthorn Whiskey. Since our family shifted away from being fixers, Dane had very little to do with the distillery, short of keeping our website running and dealing with any IT issues that might come up with our computer and ordering systems. That meant he was left to pursue his own interests—which no doubt involved things that were of questionable legality and way over my head, since I didn’t know the first thing about hacking.
But there was no point in talking him out of doing whatever the hell he was up to. “Just don’t get yourself arrested or killed. I can’t even imagine the mischief you’re getting up to.”
“Who? Me?” He feigned mock innocence, though we all knew better. “Do yourself a favor and either forget about the girl—or go and see her. But this…you can’t keep this up for long, man. Not without making yourself crazy—or making Mom concerned enough that she starts showing up to check on you daily.”
I knew he had a point. But seeing Emie again—or should I say Emily—just wasn’t an option. I didn’t trust myself around her—and I didn’t trust her, which meant seeing her again was pointless.
I saw Dane out and headed to bed, my thoughts finally dulled from all the whiskey—though my dreams never ceased, and they were now all the same.
Emie.
One week slipped into the next, and though it felt like an eternity with Emie as a constant niggle in the back of my brain, six weeks had now passed since I’d last seen her. Each day was a struggle to not turn up on her front door, though I still didn’t have a clue as to what I would do with her once I got there.
I was still so fucking angry and hurt, and yet I missed her something fierce, the painful emptiness in my heart refusing to dull. Even Bear was in a funk, giving me accusatory glances and making me feel guilty, though my guilt only fueled my resentment.
Yet the last person I expected to turn up late one night on my doorstep was Rinaldi, one of Munroe’s men. “We need to talk.”
Fucking hell. I stepped aside and let him in, relieved that he didn’t have any of his buddies with him. I was fully capable of taking care of myself, but I didn’t like the odds when the number of armed men outnumbered me, especially when I wasn’t carrying. “What is this about? Any business I had with Munroe is long over. I’ve moved on from that line of work.”
“That may be so, but I’m not here for work. I’m here as a courtesy—so I suggest you hear me out.” Rinaldi plopped himself down in my leather chair, sitting back as if he didn’t have a care in the world, though he kept a close eye on Bear, who wasn’t looking too happy, a low growl vibrating through his massive body.
My mind immediately went to Emie, knowing that she was likely the only reason Munroe would be sending over one of his goons. “Get on with it, then. My pup’s losing his patience.”
I doubted most dogs would have Rinaldi nervous—but Bear wasn’t most dogs, weighing in at nearly a hundred fifty pounds. And after being rescued from a rough life, he was more than a little protective of me and very loyal.
He eyed Bear nervously before turning his focus back to me. “Rumor has it that you’ve recently gotten involved with Douglas’s daughter. I’m here to let you know that she needs to be reined in. She’s poking around places that are going to get her killed.”
My jaw clenched tight as I ground my teeth together. “Are you threatening her? Because it’s not something I’d take too kindly to.”
He gave me a smug smile. “If I meant her any harm and was threatening her, do you think I’d be here to give you a heads-up? No offense, but I don’t need that sort of fucking trouble. You and your family…you might be out of this line of work, but you’re not exactly the sort to take threats lightly. But I am here to tell you that if you have any feelings for this girl, then you’ll get her under control, especially since Munroe wasn’t the one who went after her father. There were other players involved—and let me just put it out there that I’ve heard that things didn’t go down the way the cops think.”
“You mean, Douglas didn’t kill his wife and daughter.” Fuck…I wonder if Emie knew.
He shrugged. “They’re just rumors.”
“And Munroe? He’s not going to come after Emie for the money her father stole?” After all, Munroe had sent me to talk to Douglas, even if we’d kept things civil.
Rinaldi shook his head no. “Munroe and her dad had been good friends, and though he was none too happy about the betrayal, in the end he decided to drop it. But Douglas…that fucking asshole didn’t just take money from Munroe. Someone else got to him—and rumor has it that they’re none too happy to know that his daughter’s sniffing around. I’m here to tell you that the girl’s going to get herself killed—and Munroe doesn’t want that to happen. It’s why he sent me. He hated what happened to Douglas, and doesn’t want anything to happen to his daughter.”
“So, if it’s not Munroe, then who’s going after her?” I didn’t have a clue as to who else Douglas had worked for—and even less of an idea of who was behind his death. But Rinaldi was right about what would happen to Emie if she kept poking around.
“Honestly, there are too many players to really know.” He shrugged, not looking too bothered either way. “Though it might help if people out there know she’s protected by you and your family—but only if she drops this. And at this point, it might already be too late to keep her safe.”
I groaned, knowing he was probably right, and if it wasn’t already too late, then I was running out of time. “I’ll see what I can do.”
And that meant I’d have to see her again. Fuck. That was the last thing I wanted.
“I should get going. Send your brothers my regards.” Rinaldi got to his feet, doing his best not to look bothered by Bear. “Talk some sense into that girl of yours and do what you can to keep her safe. She’s a pretty thing, Blackthorn…it’d be a pity to have something happen to her.”
“I appreciate the heads-up.” I pulled the door open and waited until he was in his car and driving away before grabbing my keys.
What the fuck was Emie thinking?
“What are you doing here? It’s damn late, Locke.” It felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
The last person I’d expected to see again was Locke, especially when the days had trickled by without a single word from him. I’d last seen him six weeks ago. And now, here he was, and just like that, I was hit with an onslaught of emotions, the pain of losing him unbearable.
“Let me in, Emie. We need to talk.” He towered over
me as he took a step forward, closing the distance between us, so I was forced to crane my neck up to look at him.
I somehow managed to pull myself together, though there was no hiding how upset I was. “I think we said more than enough six weeks ago. There’s nothing else to say.”
I started to close the door, but he pushed it open, and leaned into me, giving me a stern look that had his blue eyes lighting up with a flicker of humor. “You’ve been a very bad girl.”
Fuck… He smelled so good. It took all I had not to groan, my pussy immediately going wet at his words, as if the mere sight of him hadn’t been bad enough. And though I hadn’t forgotten just how sexy he was with his tousled brown hair, scruffy beard, and those amazing blue eyes, seeing him again literally stole my breath.
Knowing there was no point in arguing with him, since he could easily push his way past me, I stepped aside and let him in. “Why are you even here, Locke?”
I ignored the hopefulness that flickered in my heart as I waited for an answer, knowing that it was pointless. He’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me.
“I love that you’re acting all innocent, when I’m sure you know exactly why I’m here.”
When I started to walk away, he grabbed my hand and slowly pulled me to him, wrapping his strong arm around my waist so that my body was pressed against his, reminding me of all the time I’d spent naked in his arms. Yet when I tried to pull away from him, he only tightened his hold on me. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Locke. And why do you care about any of this? I’m no longer your problem.”
His eyes slipped over my face, lingering on my lips before flicking up to meet my gaze. And when he spoke, his voice was thick with need, despite his words. “You’ve been snooping around where you don’t belong, and people are starting to notice.”