by Mandy Morgan
Quitting time finally rolled around, and I hightailed it to my favorite watering hole, looking forward to drowning my sorrows in local craft brew and ladies.
Just the sight and smell of the Cloud Nine soothed me. It was all exhaled smoke, spilled booze, and a touch of desperation. I breathed it in with satisfaction as I made my way over to my usual spot in the back.
I wasn’t even halfway done with my first drink when I saw a stick-thin blonde woman with obviously fake tits headed my way. She was already drunk, by the looks of the way she stumbled in her stilettos.
Not exactly my preferred type, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. I needed some distraction from my thoughts, so I smiled as she approached.
“Hello, sweetie. Care to join me?”
I watched her struggle to climb up onto the stool next to mine. It was hard not to grimace at the sight, and I worried she’d topple over from the weight of all that silicone.
“I usually don’t do this kind of thing, but you look like a nice guy, so I figured, what the hell?”
“I’m Mason, by the way, and you are?”
“I’m Katy, but all my friends call me Kiki.”
Is that what we are? Friends? And how perfect is that name?
I shook off my scathing thoughts. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but things were not going the way I’d planned. This was supposed to be fun.
“What brings you into the Cloud Nine, Kiki?”
She droned on about her visit with friends in Scarlet Springs, and how much she was loving Colorado, and the way she couldn’t get over how pretty the mountains were.
Finally, I couldn’t take any more of Kiki, and I excused myself to grab another drink. When I got back, she was gone, and I’d never been more grateful to be alone.
My thoughts suddenly turned to Blair. This was where I’d not only met her, but lost her, too. On our third date, I’d blown it by chatting up a cute brunette. I’d been on Blair’s shit list from then on out.
Being around Blair had been so much more pleasurable than dealing with Kiki. We’d laughed and flirted, and it was like being around an old friend.
Why did I have to screw it up?
My internal moan of frustration was cut short by the memory of the hatred on Blair’s face. And I knew the real question was why couldn’t I get her off my damn mind?
I had a better chance of charming a rattle snake than that woman, and she’d made it abundantly clear she wanted nothing to do with me. If that was how she wanted it, so be it—there were plenty of other options right here.
I settled back with my second of many more drinks to come, kept an eye on the door, and hoped against hope I could find someone better suited to me and my needs than the dagger-tongued Miss Thomas.
Chapter Five
Blair
Going back to an empty apartment was like a kick in the gut. I was ticked off, tired to the bone, and had nobody to turn to for a little bit of solace.
Lily had even taken her damn cat over to Brock’s with her, since Kiwi and Nitro seemed to love each other as much as their owners did.
“Ugh!”
My cry of disgust bounced around the living room and did nothing to make me feel any better. I thought about kicking the couch, but with my luck, I would just break my freaking foot.
So instead, I wandered into the kitchen, threw a frozen pizza into the oven, and grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge. It was five o’clock somewhere, right? And I had a feeling I’d need all the help I could get to fall asleep, exhausted or not.
Hoping some mindless entertainment would improve my mood, I flipped on the TV as I waited for my pizza, found a Teen Mom 2 marathon, and prepared to indulge my secret love of reality shows.
I gritted my teeth as Mason’s face suddenly flashed through my mind, blocking out what was on the screen, and looking more gorgeous in my memory than it had in person.
It was like that son-of-a-bitch was haunting me. I took a long drink of wine straight out of the bottle. But it didn’t help. It made me a little woozy, but did nothing to still my rage.
Before I’d met Mason or any of the other members of Bourne Protective Services, I’d been carefree and sociable. I’d been the bubbly best friend. I’d been happy, dammit!
And now, I was sitting alone, day drinking and dejected, trying to convince myself that it was okay—I worked the night shift and deserved to have some relaxation in my life.
My vision went red as I thought about the pretty playboy who’d drawn me in and made me feel special, only to crush me with his indifference and wandering eye. I’d never had a man do that to me before, and it felt like I’d been poisoned.
Mason Hanson had come along and made me think—for a brief, shining moment—that things could be different. I could actually have a real connection with someone.
But when he’d set me aside for another woman that night in the Cloud Nine, I’d seen the truth again. Men were all the same. Period.
Lily had tried to convince me I was blowing things out of proportion. But what the hell did she know? She’d been single for most of her adult life.
And then she had stumbled into a relationship with her soulmate. Brock had never treated her like a toy to be tossed to one side for another.
Nobody was ever going to be able to talk me into giving Mason another chance. He’d had his shot and blown it. Simple as that.
I shook my head to try and push my toxic anger to the side long enough to get up and eat. It was no use. I couldn’t imagine consuming the pizza I’d made.
I pulled it out of the oven, left it sitting on the counter, and grabbed another bottle of wine before going back to the couch.
After an hour or so, I felt myself drifting, so I laid back and prayed for dreamless sleep. Before much longer, I was out like a light.
And I never heard the sound of the front door I’d forgotten to lock being opened.
It was dark when my eyes popped open, and I had no idea how long I’d slept there on the couch. I sat upright too quickly in my panicked confusion and groaned as my head tightened in a vice.
I squinted at the face of my Apple Watch and saw that it was almost two in the morning. It was a damn good thing I didn’t have to report back to work until the following night.
But as my eyes adapted to the dark, it hit me that showing up late for a shift was the least of my worries. The front door was wide open and there was a piece of paper taped to the middle of the TV screen.
Hauling myself to my feet, I staggered over to the door and closed it, making sure to turn the deadbolt this time. I flipped on the overhead light and scanned the living room for any other signs of trouble.
Nothing else was out of place or looked different, so I headed for the TV, my heart starting to pound as I peeled the paper off the glass. I read it once and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
I rubbed my eyes and read it again. The scrawling, handwritten words remained the same, and I felt the world drop out from under my feet.
Like it or not, there was only one place I could turn to for help now…
Chapter Six
Mason
I’d only been asleep for a few hours when Brock called and jolted me awake. I wasn’t happy about being disturbed, but I went from groggy irritation to high-alert concern as he told me why he’d called.
Someone had entered Blair’s apartment uninvited and left her a threatening note. Brock wasn’t sure what it said exactly. All he knew was Blair sounded terrified.
That was enough to get me out of bed and dressed in no time at all. I hadn’t wanted this assignment, but now shit was getting real. I felt instantly protective of Blair and knew I wouldn’t stop until she was safe.
I jumped into my truck and raced over to her place, ready for anything and everything, my heart pounding as I parked and checked to make sure my handgun was locked and loaded.
It was three in the morning and the apartment complex was as quiet as a graveyard. I looked around for obvious s
igns of trouble but didn’t see any, so I made my way to Blair’s door and knocked. Loudly.
She answered with a scowl. “Do you want to wake the entire building with that pounding?”
How could one woman both repel and attract me so much at the same time? Blair’s long, chestnut curls were tousled in the sexiest way I’d ever seen. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink and her eyes flashed.
I’d heard of “confused boner syndrome” from other men. But this was my first time experiencing it. Blair should be in the dictionary as the visual aid for the definition.
She was wearing a pair of jeans that outlined her curves to perfection. And she had on a low-cut top that thrust her breasts into view as her chest heaved.
I had to clench my hands into fists to keep from ravaging her on the spot. And bite my lip to stop myself from snapping at her with as much anger as she’d sent flying at me.
“Brock told me what happened. Are you going to let me in or not?”
Blair hesitated and then sighed. “Come on in, I guess. You’re my best option at this point.”
I walked past Blair and did my best to ignore the mouth-watering scent of her vanilla body spray. After scanning the living room, I told her to wait there, and went to check the rest of the apartment.
It was clear and I returned to Blair. “Let’s see this note you found on the TV.”
Something other than irritation showed on Blair’s face for the first time. Fear shone in her eyes as she passed me a wrinkled piece of paper. But then our fingers touched and she retreated behind her mask.
I couldn’t blame her for snatching her hand away. I’d felt a jolt of heat when her fingers brushed mine. It took everything I had to keep myself from groaning with frustration and longing.
I shook my head to clear it and read the letter out loud. “Miss Thomas, I hope this finds you well, and in a state of mind to do the smart thing.”
I felt my anger building as I read on. “We have a bit of a problem, don’t we? You’ve seen my associates taking care of some business. I wonder, can you keep your mouth shut? Or will I have to do it for you?”
I was really seeing red by the time I reached the end. “Only time will tell. But rest assured, I will be watching you from here on out. Hopefully, you can be trusted, Miss Thomas. For both our sakes. Regards, Mr. Brooks.”
All I could for a few seconds was stare at Blair in open-mouthed amazement. I couldn’t believe how much trouble she’d managed to get herself into.
But just as I was about to let her have it for being so foolish, her mask of righteous indignation slipped, and I got a glimpse of the real her. My heart went out to her at that moment.
“You know, I thought about you while I was at the Cloud Nine earlier. About how much fun we had together there. You’re nothing like the blonde I was talking to…”
I realized too late that I’d made a crucial error by mentioning another woman. Blair’s face turned brick red and she reared back like I’d just punched her in the gut.
“Get out, you dumb asshole. Get out, right now!”
Her words came out as an angry hiss and she pressed her hands into my chest to push me toward the door. I stumbled over my feet as I backed away from her and almost fell over on my ass.
“You can’t kick me out, Blair. You need my help, dammit.”
“I don’t need anything from you. Ever!”
With that, she shoved me out into the night, slammed the door in my face, and left me standing there in total shock and utter frustration.
Chapter Seven
Blair
After I’d kicked Mason out, I just stood there staring at the door. I was exhausted, scared, and angrier then I’d ever been in my entire life. I was shaking like a leaf in a wind storm.
Why had I thought that idiot would bring me anything other than more trouble? I’d almost let him slip through my defenses again. Just to find out he still couldn’t stay away from other women.
I was just thinking about ripping the door open and asking Mason how stupid he could possibly be, along with sharing some choice words on what I thought about him.
But then my phone rang. I saw Lily’s face pop up on the screen and I felt a rush of relief. She must have heard what was going on from Brock. Hell, she was probably on her way over to stay with me, right then.
“Blair, are you alright?”
I could hear the concern in my best friend’s voice and my shoulders dropped as my fury at Mason fled. I should have known Lily would be there for me, no matter how wrapped up in Brock she was.
“I’m hanging in there,” I replied with a shaky laugh. “Do you want me to make us some coffee? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep anymore tonight.”
There was silence on the other line. “Brock told me Mason was going over to stay with you, sweetie, so I wasn’t planning on coming, to be honest.”
I deflated like a balloon. Lily had no intention of helping me. She was too busy starting her life with Brock. Turns out Mason wasn’t the only raging idiot. I was right up there with him.
Lily knew me well enough to sense my displeasure through the phone line. She cleared her throat and started to say something. But then I heard Brock calling to her in the background.
“Did you find a wedding dress yet, lovely?”
Lily tried to shush him, but the damage was already done. It was the middle of the night, I’d received a threatening letter and had to kick a womanizing asshole out of my house, and my best friend was planning a freaking wedding.
A wedding I’d known nothing about. I had to sink down onto the couch to keep from falling. Suddenly, the world grew dim and distant, and it hit me that I was in shock. Real-deal, seek medical treatment shock.
“Blair? Are you there? Blair!”
Lily’s voice cut through the fog and I squeezed my eyes closed. I took some deep breaths and focused on nothing more than air coming in and going out.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged?”
It was all I could manage to get out. At first, I wasn’t sure Lily was going to answer, but then I heard her squeak out a reply that was so soft, I had to strain to hear it.
“I didn’t want to make you any more upset than you already were…”
I was struck by the fact that my best friend was worried about pushing me over the edge. So much so, she had actually hidden happy news from me. I felt something inside of me snap at that realization.
That’s it. Enough already. I have to get a grip!
“Maybe you should come over here, Blair.”
I sat up straight. “No, I’m fine, I swear. I’ve got Mason here, after all, and you and Brock have enough going on without me as a house guest.”
“Are you sure? It’s no problem, really. Or maybe you’d be more comfortable with going over to stay with Luna or Amelia?”
Bringing our All Saints lab tech friends into this mess was even less appealing to me than going over to Brock’s place to watch him and Lily being all lovey-dovey with each other.
“No, no, I don’t want to involve work people.”
“Well, if you’re sure you’ll be alright…”
I forced myself to smile, knowing Lily would be able to hear it in my voice. “I’ll be as right as rain.”
There was rumbling in the background as Brock put in his two cents. Lily came back to our convo and confronted me about how I’d literally pushed my personal protector out the door.
Mason had ratted me out, dammit! I grimaced and tried to sound calm. “I’m going to fix that right now, I promise.”
“Brock thinks Mason is the right man for the job, Blair. You should trust him on this. Keeping people safe is what they both do for a living, after all.”
“I know, I know,” I sighed and stood up. “I’m on it.”
“Glad to hear it. Take care of yourself, alright? I love you, best friend of mine.”
“Love you too, Lil. Now, get back to your life.”
I ended the call and cracked my nec
k. I felt like I was about to go to war. It was going to take every ounce of strength I had to do what came next.
I gritted my teeth and dialed the number of the man I considered to be my worst enemy. And who, like it or not, I was also starting to see as my best chance at staying alive.
Chapter Eight
Mason
Blair Thomas might drive me crazy in every way imaginable. She might have kicked me out of her house. Hell, she might not even want a single thing to do with me.
But there was no way I was going to leave her unprotected. Plain and simple. So, I stayed put and called in to tell the boss man what was going on with my assignment.
Brock told me I’d done the right thing by not leaving and warned me there were plenty of places to hide at the back of Blair’s apartment building. I was happy to get the accolades and glad for the tip.
Of course, I wouldn’t have left, no matter what Brock had said. Boss or not, I was too deep into things with Blair to just walk away now.
She set me on fire and made my blood boil. I just had to figure out which one she did the most. And that meant keeping her mouth-watering curves and knife-sharp tongue safe.
I was coming back around to the front after taking a look behind the building when I saw Blair. She was standing in the doorway of her apartment with her curls looking like molten gold in the light coming from the living room lamp behind her.
My heart swelled at the sight. And so did another part of me. I was very familiar with a woman making my pants tight. It was what Blair did to me above the belt that made me gasp.
She was looking out into the parking lot and didn’t see me approaching. For a few seconds, the real Blair was there again, without a scowl on her face or harsh words in her mouth.
I wanted to take her into my arms and see if she tasted as sweet as she looked. But then Blair turned and saw me staring at her with my mouth hanging open and the moment was shattered.