The unmistakable sound of heels clicked down the stairs. “Get it done, Xander. I don’t have time for excuses, and we can’t afford any delays.”
The older man followed her down. The sun-darkened olive skin on his face blanched. “We’ll do our best, Amanda.”
She shot a look at the men now crowded around the back door. “See that you do.” She blew out the front door like a tornado and slammed it behind her.
Heat flooded his face. He liked Xander. The guy worked hard and gave things to you straight. Boss or no, the redhead had no right to talk to him the way she did. Judging from the expressions on the other guys’ faces, they felt the same way.
“Stand down,” Xander said tiredly. “We’re all under a lot of pressure. Amanda too.”
“But, Boss,” Will began.
“No. No buts. Sometimes you’ve got to shove it down and keep moving. I’m going to need every one of you to get these projects done on time. Can I count on you?”
One by one, every man nodded.
“Great. If you guys could all work down here for a bit, I have a few calls to make upstairs.”
Kane still hadn’t returned, so he headed over to Matt to team up on the drywall. Together, they loaded the first piece of sheetrock onto the lift to install on the ceiling. Cyrus helped them tack it to the joists, and they made quick work of the dining room.
Robby brought pizza for lunch around one o’clock, and the guys fell onto the boxes like they’d been starving for days. The calories chipped away at the effects of their hard work and stress.
He tossed his trash into the big waste barrel. Before he could get back to work, Will grabbed his left arm.
“Where did you get that?”
He resisted his first instinct, the one to wrench free. The thought it would upset Olivia kept his temper in check. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”
Gripping his arm tighter, Will lifted it into the air and shook it. “The ring. You’re wearing my sister’s ring.”
He had no idea how to respond, so he said nothing.
“Give it back to me, you dirty fuck.”
Cyrus pulled Will back as he tried to rip it off Brick’s finger.
Cradling his hand to his chest, Brick spoke softly. “She gave it to me.”
Will’s face darkened with fury. “Liar. Izzy bought that ring because it looked like one our mom used to wear. It was her good luck charm when she had fucking cancer because it made her feel like Mom was watching over her. She would never give it away. Never.”
It didn’t make any sense. Olivia hadn’t told him the ring was special. “I don’t know what to tell you.” Cancer? “She wanted me to have it. If you don’t believe me, call and ask her yourself.”
Will tried to shake loose, but Cy kept him from lunging again. “Stay away from her. You’re not fit to breathe the same air as my sister, you shit thug. You think I’m scared of you because you chop up people for Sucre de la Cruz?”
The words took the air out of the room.
“Yeah. I said it. I know what you are. Which is exactly why I will do whatever it takes to keep you away from her.”
He couldn’t even get mad. Will only spoke the truth. Still, hearing the words come from someone else hollowed him out. “We’re not together.” No one could know the truth.
“Let. Me. Go, Cy.” Will’s eyes glinted wildly. Cyrus didn’t budge.
He wanted to tell Will he was crazy about his sister. He wanted to keep her safe. If the information got into the wrong hands, though, it could destroy the very thing he was fighting for. He liked the guys he worked with, but he didn’t trust them with Olivia’s life. So instead, he repeated, “We’re not together, Will, and you don’t want to do this here.”
“Don’t tell me what I want to do, motherfucker. What I want to do is bash your ugly face in. You are not good enough for my sister.”
“You’re right.”
Finally, Will stopped struggling.
He shot Liv’s brother a cold look and hardened his voice. “I’m everything you say I am, and your sister is a sweet little school teacher with a crush. But I don’t even remember the last time I saw her.” Lie. “We’re not playing house. I didn’t even fuck her. So, cool your jets.” He stepped forward, crowding Will, but no one got in his way. His stone-cold killer voice fit like a glove. “Don’t come at me again. There will be consequences.”
Xander cleared his throat from the staircase. “Do we have a problem here?”
“No problem.” He raised his eyebrows at Will, daring him to argue.
Silence.
“Let’s keep it that way. We don’t have time for petty squabbles. Let’s get back to work.”
Kane stomped back onto the property right as their boss made his pronouncement. Judging by the look on his face, the three-hour coffee run had done little to cool the heat of his anger.
There was no sign of any coffee, but Brick wasn’t dumb enough to say a word.
Chapter 17
Liv
The banging outside Liv’s front door had so much force behind it, the windows rattled in their frames. She hesitated to answer until Will’s voice boomed from the front porch.
“Open up the goddamn door, Liv.”
No matter how angry he sounded, she could never consider her brother a threat. An annoyance, yes, but the man was all bark and no bite.
The second she turned the knob, he barreled in, still dusty from his worksite. “You don’t fucking listen! Dammit, Liv. I told you to stay away from Brick Barlow.” His cheeks flushed red, and he paced with unspent anger.
She closed the door gently. “Calm down, Will.” He didn’t acknowledge her words, so she settled in on the sofa. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
He slammed the heel of his hand against the wall, leaving a black smudge on the cream-colored paint. “You keep fooling around with Brick, you won’t be talking to anybody.” He wasn’t getting calmer. “You’ll be too busy getting ass-raped by one of Sucre’s other goons, or if you’re lucky, you’ll only be dead.”
“Will—”
“You don’t understand the kind of people you’re dealing with.” He strode to the sofa then knelt in front of her. “When I went to prison, I learned fast, you don’t mess with Sucre’s crew. I saw one of his guys pop out somebody’s eye with a fucking spoon, Liv.”
His voice shook. Will never talked about the time he was in prison. “Those guys had no fear. They had no limits. They even scared the guards.”
She reached out to cup his jaw. “He isn’t like them.”
He clenched her hand. “You don’t understand. Brick was the one those guys whispered about. The one they were afraid of. You are letting a monster into your life.” His eyes glistened with tears. “I can’t protect you from these people, Liv. Please listen to me.”
Her stomach churned with his warning.
She’d never seen her brother scared before, and he was clearly terrified right now. As she pulled him into a hug, the wetness from his cheek soaked through her shirt. “Whatever was between us is over. I haven’t heard from him in months. Not since before Carol…”
He pulled back to search her face. “I don’t get it. I know he wants you. I’m not blind.”
“He said he wanted to keep me safe. I guess you two have something in common.”
Will climbed up from the floor and clasped his hands behind his neck. He stared up at the ceiling. “I pray to God what you say is true.” His gaze cut back to her. “You and Izzy are everything to me. I’d die before I let something happen to either one of you. I couldn’t do anything when you were sick; I was stuck in fucking jail. Please don’t make me feel so fucking useless again.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and walked straight out the door.
She took a shuddering breath. She believed him when he said he would die to protect her. It was a promise she prayed he would never have to see through.
***
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Thank God for Google Maps. Without the app, Liv would have never found her way to the address in Devon’s student file. He hadn’t come back to class, even after their chat at Burger King, and she couldn’t help but wonder if his brother knew he’d been skipping out.
Will’s meltdown reminded her big brothers tended to put their siblings first. No way would he have been okay with her ditching school. Will would’ve found a way to keep her in class, even if he had to work three jobs to do it. Maybe Devon’s brother would feel the same way.
The apartment complex sprawled over a block, but it desperately needed repairs. Boards covered several of the windows. The siding sagged, and a sheen of green mildew obscured the original color. One of the buildings had obviously been damaged in a fire and left in ruin. She stepped carefully over the broken concrete as she tried to figure out which section housed Building E. If there were ever markings on any of the structures, she saw no sign of it now.
She didn’t spot anyone outside, strange for a Saturday afternoon, but the back of her neck prickled, the same way it had when she’d left the burger place. Even if she couldn’t see who, someone watched her. Nerves crept up her spine.
She shook them off. Old Liv would have never set foot in this place.
Go big or go home. The expression had been one of Carol’s favorites.
“You in the right place, lady?” The high-pitched voice almost made her jump out of her skin. Liv swiveled her head to the source, a gangly kid who looked about twelve.
She forced her voice to remain neutral, despite her unease. “Maybe you can tell me. Am I close to Building E?”
The boy narrowed his eyes. “Why you wanna know?”
“I’m looking for the Lowrys. I—”
The kid shook his head quickly and stepped back. “Sorry, lady. I can’t help you.” He moved away like his feet were on fire.
The feeling of someone watching her intensified. Still, she soldiered on, searching for any sign she was closing in on her destination. She spent ten minutes wandering around the ghost town of apartment buildings before finally giving in to the niggling voice she needed to leave.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a clap of thunder in the distance made her surroundings feel even more menacing. She’d just turned into the stiff breeze and headed back toward her car when a man’s voice cut through the silence. “I hear you’re looking for me?”
The guy couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Devon, but she had no doubt she’d found his big brother. He had the same arresting good looks, dark skin, and lean build, though there was something different in the eyes.
“Trevaughn? Trevaughn Lowry?” She approached him slowly.
He shot her a lazy smile. “Depends on who’s asking.”
“My name is Olivia Turner. I’m one of your brother Devon’s teachers. I was hoping I could talk to you about him, if you have a minute. He’s—he’s one of my most gifted students.”
Trevaughn lifted his eyebrows. “You want to talk about my little brother?”
She nodded.
“All right. Follow me.”
He led her past the burned-out unit, toward the building behind a rusted basketball hoop without a net. It was nearly a block away from where she’d parked. They went in the second door on the left.
She wasn’t exactly sure what she expected the inside to look like, but definitely not like this. Two lamps bathed the room in red light. A black leather sofa dominated the center of the room, and a giant plasma TV hung on the wall. A glass and chrome coffee table matched the end tables, one sporting a Bose sound system. The other had an Amazon Echo.
Devon’s brother gestured to the sofa, and she sat down. “What seems to be the problem, Miss—”
“Turner.” She cleared her throat. “As I told you, your brother is one of the brightest young men I’ve ever taught. He scores off the charts on the state benchmarks. I’ve told him many times, I think he’s scholarship material.”
“Scholarship, hmm?” Trevaughn joined her on the sofa, nodding for her to continue.
“Yes. He told me he couldn’t leave home, and you needed him here.”
He nodded. “All true.”
“There are some wonderful schools right here in Atlanta, though. He could stay home and still go to college. All he would need to do is take his ACTs and apply.” Her voice rose in earnest. “I would be happy to write him a recommendation. I know some of the other teachers would as well.”
“You came all the way out here to talk about D going to college?” His voice sounded dubious.
“Yes and no. I mean, I would love it if you could help me convince him to go, but the more immediate reason I’m here is because Devon hasn’t been in school for a while.”
“What do you consider a while, Miss Turner?”
“Not at all this school year.” She clasped her hands together in her lap. “I have an older brother, too. I kept thinking if something were going on with me, he’d want to know. He’d want to help fix it.”
Trevaughn leaned back and propped his feet up on the glass table, crossing one ankle over the other. “I see. You make house calls for all of your students or only the special ones?”
She tried to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. “I’ve never gone to a student’s home before. I guess I shouldn’t have this time, either, but Devon is special. I’d hate to see him fall through the cracks.”
“I had a teacher like you once.” His eyes looked far away. “Mrs. Muniz. She tried to help me, get me on the right track when Moms died.” He shook off the memory. “I remember her…fondly.”
Muniz? The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “I’m sorry for your loss. My older brother took care of me, too, after our parents passed away.”
Trevaughn didn’t seem to be listening anymore.
“Mr. Lowry?”
His gaze focused on her again. This time his gaze looked sharper, more assessing. “Sorry. I got a little lost in the memory.” He climbed to his feet, and Liv followed suit. “I appreciate your interest in my little brother. I promise, he and I are going to have a talk about this.”
She smiled as he walked her to the door. “I’m so glad to hear it. I knew any young man as smart and special as Devon had to have someone at home who would want to know what’s going on. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lowry.”
This time, when he smiled, it wasn’t relaxed or easy, the way it was before. Now, he looked more like a shark, his gold tooth glinting. The red lights and his red leather jacket only made him seem more like a predator.
“The pleasure was all mine. And please, call me Tre.”
***
Tre
Tre laughed softly to himself as the pretty little blonde teacher scurried out the door.
Like a lamb to the slaughter.
Maybe he should’ve kept her here. Shown her some of the skills that made him so special. He didn’t want to spoil the chase, though.
No. He’d give her a minute or two to try and make it to her car. Let her feel the hunt on her heels.
Then, he’d drag her back screaming.
His dick hardened in his jeans.
It was so much more fun when they ran.
Chapter 18
Brick
Brick couldn’t believe his eyes when his Olivia walked out of Tre’s apartment. He didn’t know what she was doing there, and he didn’t care. It was bad enough he had to spend so much time here collecting cash and busting ass—like he had already tonight—but this was exactly the kind of place he’d fought so hard to keep her away from. Nothing good could come of this.
He sped into the shadow of the neighboring building. As soon as she got close enough, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the darkness beside him. He cut off her yelp of surprise with his hand over her mouth.
“Quiet,” he hissed in her ear. “I need you to trust me.”
Her tense muscles relaxed slightly against him, and she nodded beneath his ho
ld. Her hand slid up to cover his and gently pulled his fingers from her mouth. She didn’t make a sound.
Keeping her hand in his, he led her into the burned-out shell of Building D. He knew this place like the back of his hand and could navigate it easily, despite the quickly setting sun. He had no doubt in his mind Tre would be looking for her soon, if he wasn’t already.
Sure enough, he could hear someone whistling “Time Is on My Side” moments after they stepped into the darkness. Heart in his throat, he pulled her deep into the back bathroom where the ceiling had given way, then readjusted his backpack and boosted her up to the second floor. An old toilet seat gave him enough height to grab hold of the broken boards above to pull himself up beside her. The place stank of charred wood, and there were probably rats, but Olivia was a hell of a lot safer in here than she’d be outside.
“I would take you higher, but there are some places in the building where the floor could give out on us. Especially in the third-floor hallway. This will have to be good enough for now. We have to stay out of sight,” he breathed into her hair. “He won’t give up easy.”
Though he couldn’t see her, he felt her lift her head toward his. “You mean Tre?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “You know his name. Does he know yours?”
“He knows it,” she whispered, and he felt a shiver go through her small frame. He pulled her into his arms. For warmth, of course. Not because he needed to reassure himself she was all right. And definitely not because he’d been little better than an empty shell since he’d touched her last.
“Why did you pull me in here? What’s going on?” Her voice cracked on the last word.
He needed answers first. “What are you doing here, baby?” Her cheek pressed tightly against his chest. She could probably hear his racing heart.
“I was worried about one of my students. Devon Lowry.” Lowry? Shit. “He hasn’t been in class since the school year began. I thought—” Her hands reached up to curl around his bicep. “I don’t know what I thought.”
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