by Dawn Brower
“Meet me in my office in a half hour,” Sullivan said and ended the call.
A knock on his car window caught his attention. He glanced up and met Lana’s gaze. Fuck. This wasn’t his night—he’d been so absorbed with his phone call, he hadn’t seen Jessica’s car or noticed her walk up. Speaking of which, where the hell was Jessica?
Lana placed her hands on her hips and stared down at him expectantly. The muscles in her cheek clenched and her face was flushed almost as red as her hair. He was in for a scathing set down and the sick, twisted part of him kind of looked forward to it. Lana was sexy on a good day, but pissed off Lana—hell yes. Too bad he couldn’t do anything about it.
He rolled his window down and lifted a brow. “Yes?”
“What are you doing parked near my house?”
It wasn’t the time to admit he’d been waiting for her to return. She would use it against him, and he’d rather have time to discuss it with her later. Now he had to return to Brady Blue and have his meeting with Wilson Stuart. At least he could relax knowing she was home while he returned to the office.
“I had to pull over for a call.” He wiggled his phone in his hand as an exhibit of his honesty. “It’s not safe to drive and talk, or did you want me to risk my life along with others’?”
Her lip twitched at his rebuke. She didn’t like the response, but it amused him to watch her react to it. How had he managed to resist her as long as he had? He was a damn fool, that was why.
“Bullshit,” she said. “There is no reason for you to be in this neighborhood. I don’t buy it.”
“Would you like to look at my phone?” He held it out to her. “You can see what time my last call was accepted.”
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “I am tired and quite frankly sick of looking at you. Leave or I’ll call the police and tell them there is a stranger stalking the children in the neighborhood.”
Lana would do it too. She never held back and always did what she said she would. It was one of the things he liked about her. The no-nonsense attitude and intelligence radiated from her. “As luck would have it, I have to return to the office. If you need...”
“I won’t,” she interrupted. “Go, Sully. I can take care of myself.”
That may be true, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to take care of her. Sometimes it felt like he’d loved her forever, and he wasn’t going to walk out of her life permanently again. The days of him acting the fool were done. He would make her realize they belonged together no matter how long it took. His unwavering patience would come in handy in this situation. That was if he could discover where he’d misplaced it. With Lana, he’d failed to tap into that particular skill set of his. In the end, he’d win her over. He refused to believe in any other outcome.
“Trust me,” he said and then smiled. “All of us are well aware of your independence and capabilities. That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help from time to time. That’s what family is for.”
She jerked back as if he’d slapped her. What was wrong with what he’d said? Everyone in his family would do anything for her. Surely she understood that. His parents adored her and always had. That was why they’d offered to pay for her schooling. Stubborn as she was, Lana had insisted on paying them back and somehow managed to do it too. They loved her even more for that because it showed she didn’t want to take advantage of their connection.
“Right,” she said stiffly. “Family.”
“Yes,” he replied cautiously. “Call my office or the mansion. Anyone there will help you if you need it.”
“As I said, I don’t. You would be the last person I turned to for anything.” She wrapped one of her arms around her stomach. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to lay down and rest for a while. This trip home has been more exhausting then I thought it would be.”
Shit. “Where is Jessica? Wasn’t she bringing you home?” Maybe he should get out of the car and see her inside. He didn’t like how she looked. All the color had drained from her face and she was a little breathless. Maybe she shouldn’t have left the hospital yet.
“Jessica already left,” she said. “I told her to go; she was suffocating me. I happened to look outside and saw your car. I’ve been home for over a half hour now.”
How was that possible? He should have made it to the house before them. The damn nurse had failed to text him. His charm never failed before... What had gone wrong? He didn’t like this one bit.
He flipped his phone over and unlocked it. A missed text message glowed on the screen. How the hell had he failed to notice that? Had he been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t realized she’d texted him? He was off his game, but at least he wasn’t as far off as he’d thought. The nurse had come through—it was him who had failed to follow through.
“Missing something important?” Lana asked, annoyance filling the words.
He shook his head. “Nothing I can’t see to later.” Surely, Wilson could wait a little longer. It couldn’t be that important... Lana needed him even if she didn’t want to admit it. He’d see her back inside, and then he’d go back to the office. He wouldn’t feel right if he left her alone in the middle of the block while he drove off.
“Don’t put it off on my account.” She turned to walk away. Not once did she look back at him. He glanced down at his phone and then back at her. He clutched it tight in his hand and made a snap decision. Her reaction had pissed him off, so he grabbed his keys and stepped out of his car to follow behind her.
“Lana, wait,” he called after her. “Let me...”
She spun on her heels on the sidewalk outside of her house and faced him. “What do you want from me, Sully? You’ve been acting strange since I woke up in the hospital?”
He stopped short in front of her. Should he tell her how he felt? No. Laying it all out for her now would make her run far and fast in the opposite direction. He wanted her too much to make that mistake now. She would have to be wooed or she’d never give him a chance. He wanted a life with her too much to mess it up. That made it difficult to completely answer her question. He could give her some truth and hope she accepted it.
“You scared us—me,” he admitted softly. “It’ll be a while before I can shake that feeling. The only way I can reassure myself you’re all right is to check on you from time to time. Is that so bad?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down. He didn’t like that one bit. He wanted to look into her eyes and see that she understood what he was saying. Sullivan reached out and placed his hand under her chin. She glanced up and met his gaze. The pain in her eyes broke his heart a little bit. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, unable to stop himself. She leaned into him, placing her hands on his chest and sighed. The need to push for more grew inside of him, but he tampered it down. She wasn’t ready for any of that. He pulled back from the sweetest kiss he’d ever known before it escalated into the passionate one he craved.
His phone vibrated in his hand, and he wanted to crush it for interrupting the moment. It had been breathtaking and left him hopeful for more. He clutched the offensive phone in his hand and fought not to look at it. Lana darted her gaze toward it and then took it as a reason to step back. She shook her head and said, “Don’t. Go see to whoever that is. I’m going inside my house.”
This time he let her, but he made sure to watch until she disappeared inside. There was plenty of time to come by later and finish their discussion and see if there was a chance of convincing her they had something between them. He believed there was, and that little interchange convinced him she thought so too. Sullivan glanced down at his phone and cursed. This time the text was from his assistant, demanding he return to the office. What the hell had happened now?
CHAPTER SIX
Lana didn’t know what to make of Sullivan. The more time she spent in his company the more confused she became. They’d always bickered—no, that wasn’t true. There had been a time when Sullivan’s le
gendary charm was bestowed on her, as well as every other female in existence. She had even enjoyed the moments she’d spent basking in the sun of his attention. Nothing compared to being Sullivan’s sole focus. She hadn’t experienced anything like it and hoped never to be sucked into that state of adoration ever again.
That was the difference now. She no longer saw him through the clouded lens of infatuation. He’d always be gorgeous and sinfully seductive, but she didn’t have to lose herself to him. She was strong, independent, and too intelligent to define herself by any man—even one as decadent as Sullivan Brady.
None of it mattered though. She’d been to hell and back in more ways than one. Her latest medical emergency topped that long list of spine-building drama—there was nothing she couldn’t face and come out stronger because of. Once she was fully healed, she’d once again be the dragon everyone knew her as. For now though, all she wanted was to crawl into her own bed and sleep for several days without interruption. The hospital was supposed to be a place one could rest, that was if the nurses and doctors would leave the patient to do so. She never fully appreciated the patients’ complaints until she experienced the situation for herself. When she returned to work, she’d be more considerate, or at least try to be.
She headed toward her bedroom to crawl into her bed for much needed slothiness when the sound of her doorbell echoing through the house made her pause mid-step. Who the hell was disturbing her now? She sighed and headed toward her front door. The chances of it being Sullivan again were slim. He probably left her and went straight to his latest fling. That should leave a sour feeling in her stomach, but sadly she’d grown rather used to the idea of him bouncing between females.
Who was she kidding?
No matter what she said or did, it bothered her. A small part of her had never gotten over him and never would. But the rational side of her had let the idea of being with him go when she’d overheard him proclaiming he’d thought of her as a sister. Men didn’t kiss their sisters the way he had earlier though. A flutter sprang to life inside of her that she didn’t recognize and wasn’t sure if she wanted to. She brushed it aside and opened her door. It wasn’t Sullivan, but it might as well have been.
“Hello, Dani,” she said cautiously. Had Sullivan sent his sister to check in on her? “What brings you by?”
“I went to the hospital to check in on you and discovered you’d been released. I’m not disturbing you, am I?” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Recovering is exhausting, and I don’t want to tire you further, but I had hoped to talk with you.”
Lana wanted to say, “Hell yes, you’re disturbing me,” but bit back the retort. It wasn’t Dani’s fault she was tired and irritable. Most of the time she actually liked the other woman and understood why Dr. Rendall Sousa loved her. Lana had worked beside Ren for a while and respected him.
“It’s fine,” Lana told her. “Please, come in.” Dani stepped into the hallway and Lana shut the door, then gestured for her to follow behind her.
They went to Lana’s front room. She hadn’t been home long enough to settle in, and most of her stuff from the hospital was lying across her coffee table. Not that it accumulated too much. Her stay wasn’t a planned one, and it was just the clothes she came in wearing and her medications. Lana hated when things weren’t neat and clean though and wanted to remove them from her sight.
“Please sit,” Lana said. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I fear I have diddly-squat. I’m afraid to look in my refrigerator.”
“I don’t need anything,” Dani said and then smiled warmly. “I won’t be long enough for you to bother.”
Dani sat down on a nearby recliner and Lana settled on the sofa. Once Dani left, she fully expected to curl up on it and fall asleep. At this point, her bed was too far away, and she had everything she needed right here. The afghan on her sofa would suffice, along with her decorative couch pillows. What more could a woman ask for?
“What can I do for you?” Please let this not be about Sullivan. If it was, she planned on killing him the next time she crossed his path. “It must be important for you to stop by.” Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part that Sullivan would have sent his sister to check in on her. He probably didn’t think about her as much as she thought he did.
“It’s about my wedding...”
That had been the last thing she expected for Dani to say. Lana had been so absorbed in her Sullivan line of thinking, she fully believed that was the reason for her visit. “Is something wrong?” Lana was confused.
“No,” she paused a moment. “At least I hope not. It should go off as planned in a couple of weeks. I wanted to make sure you were all right and let you know if you don’t feel up to it you don’t have to be one of my bridesmaids.”
Lana chuckled. “You’re worrying over nothing. I’m all right, truly. A little sore and tired, but that shouldn’t be an issue on your wedding day. I promise to rest and regain my strength before your big day.”
“If you’re sure,” Dani hesitated. “I don’t want you to feel obligated. It wasn’t long ago I was shot and recovering too. It’s rough to find the energy to crawl out of bed, let alone be on your feet all day. If you change your mind, promise me you will let me know.”
Lana wouldn’t miss the wedding for anything. She was rather looking forward to it. No one had asked her to be a part of a wedding before. She didn’t make friends easily, and now she had two—Dani and Jessica. Two unlikely people, yet they both were part of her life now.
Kind of funny when she thought about it... There was a time when she’d loathed Jessica. That showed anyone could change. Jessica had been married to Ren once upon a time. During their marriage, Jessica had been selfish and snobbish. Now, she was with Preston and much more amiable. Ren found Dani after a decade separation and was finally marrying the woman he’d always loved. Sometimes it took longer than necessary for two people to find happiness together. That was the case with Ren and Dani. They were the epitome of the happily-ever-after most people dreamed of having.
“I promise,” Lana said, “that if I can’t attend, you will be the first person I contact. Although, I don’t anticipate that will be the case.”
“Good,” Dani replied. “I’ll leave you be so you can rest.” Lana started to rise to show her out, but Dani held up her hand. “No, stay where you are. I can find my own way outside. We will talk again soon.” Dani leaned down and hugged Lana. “Don’t be surprised if my big brother hovers over you. He’s been a bear since your accident.”
That was an understatement... “I don’t understand him, and sometimes I doubt I ever will.”
“You’re ahead of me, having grown up with him,” Dani replied. “You know him far better than you realize. Go with your gut instinct; I doubt it will fail you. Now I must go. Call me if you need anything.”
With that final statement, Dani rushed out of the room and left Lana alone with her own thoughts. What was she going to do with Sullivan?
SULLIVAN RUSHED TOWARD his office and stopped short when he found his assistant, Ali Davis, pacing in front of the entrance. She fidgeted as she walked, tapping a pen against her palm. When she noticed him, she halted and faced him.
“Oh, thank God you’re finally here.”
“What’s the emergency?” He still had to meet with Wilson, and now whatever the hell this was... “I have an appointment.”
“Cancel it,” she ordered. “This can’t wait.”
He was surprised she hadn’t interrogated him on the contents of his schedule. She, more than anyone, knew what his overall schedule was. Anything of importance, she’d be aware of. At least most of the time... His meeting with Wilson was unplanned and rather essential to the company.
“I don’t think...”
“Don’t finish that statement,” Ali said with a glare. “Thinking in this instance will not help the situation—rather it will, once you understand, but not before. Right now, you have to see it.”
What in blazes d
id that mean? “I don’t follow.”
“You will in a moment,” she told him and moved toward his office. “I hope you’re not the queasy sort. I should inform you I have already called the authorities and they should arrive soon.”
Called the authorities? Was he in a bad movie? “You best show me what you found.” There would be no other reason for her to call anyone outside the company. At first, he’d thought perhaps she’d stumbled onto the same thing Wilson had, but it couldn’t be that. If it had been, it would be best to only involve him. This was something else entirely.
She partially opened his office door as she spoke. “I came back because I forgot to leave a file on your desk for the morning. The perfectionist in me was going mad, and I could either come back tonight and take care of it or arrive early. I decided to come back tonight; otherwise, I might not sleep tonight.” She paused before opening the door fully. “I didn’t expect to find what I did or I’d have stayed home. I’m not sleeping for a long time now.” With those words she swung the door wide so he could see past her.
Sullivan’s mouth fell open at sight before him. Not once when he rushed to Brady Blue had he anticipated that this particular sight would be what greeted him—not that he’d have any reason to expect it. It just startled him to realize what the emergency turned out to be. Damn it.
Crimson splatter decorated the wall beside his desk and the body of Wilson Stuart graced the top of it. His eyes were wide open and glazed over. His white shirt was stained red across his chest and down to his stomach, and three holes appeared to be in his shirt, presumably where he’d been shot. Sullivan supposed it could’ve been something else that caused his death, as he was far from being an expert. He understood now why Ali said she’d not sleep for a while. He feared he might not as well. If he’d come sooner, perhaps this could’ve been prevented. There was no way to know for certain.