by Katie Reus
Savage’s expression was thoughtful. “Let me get this straight. You only thought she took that money? You never actually confirmed it with her?”
“She never denied it.” Looking back, he understood why she hadn’t. Because he should have known better. He should’ve known and trusted her. And he hadn’t. Instead he’d betrayed her trust.
“She shouldn’t have had to, dumbass.” A short pause. “What exactly did you say to her?”
Brooks tightened his jaw. He didn’t want to repeat what he’d said. Not even to his best friend. Because he was ashamed.
“That bad, huh?”
Brooks just lifted a shoulder.
“So I guess you’re the bitch.” Not a question.
“Pretty much.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Don’t be a dumbass. Have you apologized? Have you gone to see her? Oh my God, you’re such a pussy!” Savage said, guessing the truth.
“Hey!” Skye shouted at them across the pool, clearly having heard the word. The badass redhead who carried around C4 in her purse like some women carried lipstick hated it when anyone used the word pussy in a derogatory manner. Savage had learned that the hard way. And probably still had the bruise to prove it.
“Sorry.” Savage threw his hands up in apology.
Olivia just rolled her eyes at her fiancé and Savage apologized again—this time more sincerely.
Brooks snorted. “No, I haven’t gone to see her. I only just found out the truth right at Thanksgiving. We had so much shit going on, then I was on that job and—”
“Sounds like a whole lot of excuses, my man.”
“I need to do it in person.” That was at least the truth.
He didn’t even want to be having this conversation with his friend. Guys didn’t talk about this kind of stuff. At least he didn’t. And…he’d sent her a few things. In hindsight, it had been stupid to send her anything before apologizing in person. No, not just stupid, but cowardly. His head was all screwed up where she was concerned and he had no one to blame but himself.
“Then apologize. Tell her you’re a dumbass, that you’re sorry. In person. Simple as that.”
But it wasn’t simple. Not with Darcy’s history. No, Brooks had screwed up. Instead of responding, he lifted a shoulder. “I think I’m going to get out of here for a while.”
“It’s after midnight and it’s New Year’s. Where are you going?”
“None of your damn business.”
“When I said apologize to her, I didn’t mean now.”
Brooks simply headed inside and grabbed his coat, shrugging it on over his flannel button-down. He figured almost everyone would end up staying the night. At least the ones who had been drinking. The ranch was certainly big enough to hold everyone. And it wouldn’t be the first time his friends had stayed over. It was probably rude that he was leaving, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Right now, he wanted to check on Darcy.
Yes, he was aware that it made him a pseudo-stalker, but he also didn’t care. If he had to guess, she was probably working late. Her business was in a safe enough part of Redemption Harbor, but she was still a single woman who worked a lot of late hours. And he didn’t like it. Of course, she wouldn’t care what he did or didn’t like at this point.
Forty minutes later, he cruised down the street where her shop was located and sure enough, there were enough lights on that he knew she was there. It was close to two in the morning and she was working. He loved how driven she was to be successful, and understood why she was the way she was, but hated that she often burned the candle at both ends.
He needed to man up and talk to her. Now wasn’t the time, but when would be the time? After the Miami job, he’d taken on two smaller ones, and convinced himself to wait to see her, to wait until he could apologize in person. Which was just plain stupid.
Waiting only kept them apart longer. Because he could have asked someone else to take one of his jobs, could have stayed and fought for her. But the truth was he was pretty sure that even with an apology, it wouldn’t make a difference. He’d betrayed her trust. He’d doubted who she was at her core, and insulted her.
Basically, he’d screwed up beyond redemption.
And some things couldn’t be undone. Which was the real reason he hadn’t gone to see her in person. Because once she told him to fuck off, that she didn’t care about his apology, it would be final.
In the front two windows stood mannequins dressed in wedding dresses made by a local boutique. Darcy had once worked for Faith Olsen—owner of a bridal shop—and her former boss had encouraged Darcy to start her own wedding planning business. Faith had been sad to see her go, but had been a supportive friend. And now they worked together, both sending each other business. It was a smart collaboration. And Darcy was smart. She’d utilized many of her contacts when she’d worked with Faith and had never gone behind her friend’s back. Everything about her was honest, and loyal.
Something he’d remembered too late.
As he sat there, the conversation between him and his father from a little over a month ago replayed in his head. It had been right around Thanksgiving and the conversation had changed everything.
“So…most of the house is headed to town to see a movie,” his dad said, leaning against the doorframe of Brooks’s office. “I’m going with Martina. Skye wanted me to ask you guys if you wanted to go.”
Brooks straightened the slightest bit as annoyance crept through him. He wasn’t sure he bought this whole “changed man” act by his father. His father had left his ex-wife and moved back to Redemption Harbor. And now he was cooking breakfast, being friendly to everyone, trying to be a father to Brooks. And Brooks wasn’t sure how to deal with it. “Martina’s not like the women you’ve been with in the past.” He couldn’t keep the edge out of his voice when he talked about Martina. She truly was a sweet woman and had already lost a hell of a lot in her life.
Surprising him, his dad snorted. “Yeah, no kidding. It’s why I like her. Really like her.”
Brooks let out a snort of his own. He was so out of here. He didn’t need to stand around and make small talk in his own office with his father. Especially not when Gage was in here, clearly wishing he was anywhere else. It was too damn awkward.
But his father continued, “So when are you going to pull your head out of your ass and go after Darcy? It’s time you started on a family and I’d like some grandchildren.”
Brooks started practically vibrating with anger at the mere mention of the woman who’d broken his heart. “Are you kidding me? Go after the woman you offered a few million if she’d leave me? This is why we can’t ever have a normal relationship! You can never just leave well enough alone! And I don’t buy this whole changed man attitude.” Not one bit.
His father shoved up from the door, put his hands on his hips. “I did it to make sure she loved you and wasn’t after your fortune.”
“Yeah and how’d that work out?” Bitterness laced his voice, but he couldn’t even bother to keep it out. “Looks like you and I have something in common after all. Shitty taste in women.”
His father gave him a strange look. “She didn’t take the money.”
“What?” Brooks rasped out as lead filled his stomach. No. No. He couldn’t have heard that right.
Frowning, his dad nodded. “How do you not know that? She told me to fuck off—though more politely than that. I always wondered why you let that one go. She was a real class act,” he murmured, respect in his voice. “And I know she could have used the money too.”
No. Brooks shook his head, but couldn’t find his voice.
“Son, I’m sorry, I thought you knew that—”
Brooks didn’t respond, just strode out of his office because he couldn’t be in the same room as his father right now.
What the hell had he done?
Chapter 2
—Every time I see her, I stop breathing. For just a second.—
Feeling like a psycho for showing up at two in the morning without calling, Brooks decided to get the hell out of there and vowed to call Darcy tomorrow. The worst she could do was hang up on him. Which she probably would do. But he would still call and apologize. She deserved an in-person apology. Of course, she deserved a better man than him. But he would at least start with a phone call. And if he could convince her to meet in person, he would.
As he pulled into the front strip of parking directly in front of her shop, ready to turn around and leave, a movement from the shadows caught his eye. Looking to the right, it appeared as if someone had ducked around the side of the shops. He’d been inside before, many months ago, and her place, as well as the other five connected to it on this block, all had back doors that exited into an alley. And it wasn’t well lit.
He was probably being paranoid, but he’d been a scout sniper in the Marine Corps and he always trusted his instinct. He wasn’t going to leave without checking out whatever he’d just seen. After turning off the ignition, he slid from his vehicle.
The street was lit well enough but as he stepped around the corner of the building, he wasn’t surprised that it was dark. It took a few moments to adjust to the dimness and as he did, he reached into his jacket and patted his holstered SIG. Not that he planned to use it. But it was always his “just in case” because some habits died hard. He’d seen enough of the world and how shitty people could truly be that he was always prepared to protect himself, and more importantly, the people he considered family.
At a scuffling sound, he picked up his pace, jogging along the side of the brick wall. When he heard a startled, female cry, a jag of adrenaline punched through him as he sprinted to the end of the building.
Though he wanted to barge around the side, he stopped and eased his head around the corner, wanting to assess the situation.
It was dark, but there were a couple lights out back, and when he saw Darcy with her hands up facing a man in a hoodie with a knife, crimson bled into his gaze for a moment. The unknown assailant was next to a dumpster with the top open and it looked as if Darcy had just stepped out of the back door. She parked back here so as not to take up space in the front.
She’d clearly surprised the suspect. The man could be homeless and just looking for food, but he’d pulled a knife on Darcy. That meant Brooks would deal with him.
Sticking to the shadows, Brooks eased around the corner and slowly moved down the wall, grateful for the lack of lights back here. If either of them looked in his direction, they would see him, but Darcy likely had tunnel vision as she stared at the man with the knife, and the man had his hoodie pulled over his face far enough that Brooks couldn’t even see what color his skin was.
“How much cash you got on you?” the man demanded, his voice raspy, as if he was a lifelong smoker.
Only ten feet stood between Darcy and her would-be attacker. She was closer to her shop’s back door than she was to the man but she appeared almost frozen in place. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose braid falling halfway down her back. She didn’t even have her coat on, which told him she’d likely stepped outside to throw something away.
He catalogued all of these unimportant details even as he silently continued moving, using the shadows to cover him. Closer. Closer. Now he was only a few feet away from the man. Brooks was vaguely aware of Darcy telling the man how much money she had, but all his focus was on the threat.
He didn’t bother pulling out his SIG because he wouldn’t need it. Only a few more steps… Darcy turned in his direction, clearly seeing him in her periphery.
And that was it. He’d lost the element of surprise. Which he’d known was coming soon enough. Adrenaline surging through him, he raced at the man, using all his years of training to neutralize this threat.
The man let out a grunt of surprise as he turned in Brooks’s direction. But it was already too late for him. Striking out, Brooks grabbed the wrist holding the knife, and twisted in a sharp, practiced move.
“Ahhhhh!” The man’s scream filled the air as his arm snapped.
Brooks felt no pity as he slammed the man to the ground, face-first. There was no telling what could have happened if he hadn’t been here. Maybe Darcy would have made it back inside. But maybe this man would have attacked her, stabbed her, and she could have bled out… Nope, he couldn’t even let his mind go there as he secured the man’s wrist behind his back.
Pulling out flex ties—because he always had at least two pairs, since he’d started Redemption Harbor Consulting with his friends—he tugged the cuffs into place.
He stood to find Darcy staring at him, her pale green eyes wide with shock and fear. Her mouth opened once, then snapped shut when he stepped toward her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded, still staring.
“I’ve got to call the police,” he said even as he pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. Instead of calling the main dispatch line, he called Miguel Hernandez, a detective he knew from high school. Of all people, he’d never expected Hernandez to go into law enforcement, but after he got out of the Navy, Hernandez had joined the local department.
The call took less than five minutes, with Brooks promising not to go anywhere and to make sure Darcy remained safe. He’d nearly snorted at that. Like him leaving was even a possibility. By the time he’d ended the call, Darcy seem to have gotten her voice back.
“Brooks, what are you doing here?” She’d wrapped her arms tightly around her middle, shivering, probably from the cold and the shock running through her system. In black skinny jeans and a thin-looking tunic-style top, she must be freezing by now.
He wanted to pull her into his arms, comfort her. Keep her warm. Instead of answering, he said, “Why don’t you go grab a coat?” He would have tried to tell her to simply stay inside until the police arrived, but he knew her better than that.
It appeared as if she wanted to argue, but she nodded and hurried back inside. Less than a minute later, she cautiously stepped back outside, bundled up in a knee-length peacoat, a white sparkly cap and a multicolored scarf. She spared a glance at the man on the ground, but he was passed out cold. Probably from the pain or from however much alcohol he’d ingested. Because the man stank of booze.
Not that Brooks cared if the guy was in pain or not. And he didn’t care what that said about him. The threat to Darcy had been neutralized. And he hadn’t been forced to pull a weapon, which was a very good thing. There would be a hell of a lot less paperwork with the cops. And considering what he and his crew did with their consulting company, the less involvement with cops, the better.
“Why are you still parking out back? It’s safer in front.” Brooks immediately winced at his tone. He hadn’t meant to lead with that. Or to say anything at all. At least not right now.
She stiffened, her spine going straight. “I think the more important question is what are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Each word came out whiplash sharp.
“I had a hunch you’d be working late and wanted to stop by and talk to you.” Mostly the truth. He’d gone out and decided not to talk to her at the last minute.
“It’s almost two in the morning on New Year’s. You just assumed I didn’t have plans?”
“No. I just know you.” She was getting her business off the ground and was driven in a way he only saw with the truly successful. If she wanted to take over the damn world, he had no doubt she could do it. Of course, she could have been out with another guy. But that wasn’t something he was going to think about.
She snorted, the sound full of derision. “You never knew me at all.”
Oh, how he deserved that. “Darcy, I’m sorry. I screwed up. There’s no excuse for what I said to you. What I accused you of doing.” That being an understatement. He didn’t want to have this conversation here, out in the cold, next to a dumpster that smelled of old Chinese food, and an unconscious mugger at his feet.
“Do you remember exactly what
you said to me? Because I do.” A mixture of pain and anger sparked in her green eyes as she took a step toward him.
He remembered, but he didn’t respond. Just watched her. She was petite and adorable, but she was all fire and rage right now.
“If you can’t remember, I’ll remind you. You showed me an engagement ring…” She swallowed hard and blinked rapidly for a moment as if fighting back tears, before she continued. “You said you’d planned to give me that ring but that you’d heard your father had already taken care of my ‘bill.’ You called me a whore without actually saying the word. You just assumed I took two million dollars to walk away from you. You didn’t bother coming to me first. No, you made an assumption and treated me like garbage.” She stepped back now, putting a couple feet between them at the sound of sirens in the distance.
“I’m sorry,” Brooks whispered, because it was all he could force out. He remembered that night all too clearly and he hated himself for it.
He’d been in a rage, hadn’t been able to think straight. He’d been ready to propose to her, ready to lock her down for life. Then when his dad had told him what he’d done, he’d lost it. It had been like Maya all over again. Brooks had been in love before Darcy—scratch that, he thought he had been. When he’d gotten out of the Marines, he’d been young and horny and had fallen hard and fast for the first pretty face to come along. It had been so stupid. Looking back, he knew that hadn’t been love. Not even close. But he’d been looking for a way to deal with everything he’d been through. Luckily, his father had been smarter than him. Not that Brooks would ever tell him that he’d done him a favor. That experience had colored his reaction and he’d jumped to conclusions with Darcy that had cost him everything. Hindsight was such a bitch.