Nightingale: A Reed Security Romance

by Giulia Lagomarsino

  I couldn’t accept that. I knew I had fucked up majorly with Florrie, but I couldn’t let her go. I would beg on my fucking knees to get her back. I had been pissed that night and my pride had been hurt, but if I hadn’t just walked away, maybe things would have turned out differently. I should have tried harder. I should have fought to stay together instead of taking everything we had and destroying it.

  “You know,” Rob drawled. “You’re overlooking one person in the place that is very good at locating people.”

  “Who?”

  “Who do you think, asshole? Who’s the one person around here that makes it his mission in life to stalk his-”

  I was out the door before he could finish his thought. Of course, I should have thought of Knight sooner. He’s like the stalker whisperer or something, and even though I wasn’t too happy with him killing the senator, he had taken my side in the battle over Reid. He had some common sense and he was awfully good with his particular skill sets. Hell, I would crawl on my knees begging him if only he could help me find Florrie.

  I raced down to the training center and burst through the doors, searching frantically for him. I glanced at my watch. It was eight o’clock in the morning. He should be here by now. I ran to his office and flipped on the light, thinking maybe he was hiding out or something, but he wasn’t there. I ran everywhere, asking anyone if they had seen him, but no one had.

  “Pappy!” I shouted down the hall when I saw Hunter coming out of one of the locker rooms. “Have you seen Knight?”

  “He’s not coming in today.”

  “Why the fuck now?”

  “Well, he said something about going to get his hair done and then he was going for a mani/pedi,” Hunter said sarcastically. “I don’t know. Knight doesn’t actually tell anyone anything.”

  I growled in frustration and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going? We’re supposed to train in fifteen!”

  “I’m going to find Florrie!”

  “It’s about time, asshole.”

  I ran out of the building and jumped in my truck. If Knight wasn’t here, there was only one other place he could be. I drove like a maniac to his house, arriving just a few minutes later on the very edge of the property. His motorcycle was still outside, so he hadn’t gone anywhere. I ran to his door and banged as loud as I could.

  He answered the door with his typical scowl, standing in front of me in only jeans with a baby on his hip. It was a side of Knight that no one ever really saw. However, I wasn’t at all surprised when I saw the gun sticking out of the back of his jeans as he turned around and walked back into his house.

  “What the fuck do you want? You’re ruining my day off.”

  “I need your help.”

  “Too fucking bad.”

  “It’s about Florrie.”

  “Don’t care.”

  “I need to find her. I need to get her back.”

  He spun around and glared at me. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have fucked another woman.”

  “Look, I know that I fucked up, but a lot of shit has happened lately. I need to go get her now before I lose her for good.”

  “I. Don’t. Care.” He turned and headed into the kitchen, setting the baby up in the highchair.

  “Don’t be such a heartless bastard,” I snapped. “If it was Kate, there’s nothing that would stop you from finding her.”

  He took a step toward me, getting in my face. “That’s the difference between us. I wouldn’t have cheated on her to begin with, asshole. Leave her the fuck alone. If she wants you, she’ll come back.”

  “And that would be good enough for you?”

  “Like I said, I’m not stupid enough to cheat on Kate.”

  Kate walked into the room with a smile on her face, still dressed in her pajamas. “Stop being such a hard ass. Go help the poor man.”

  “No, he’s ruining my family day.”

  She placed her hand on his chest and lowered her voice. “You’ll have a million family days to come. Help him for the next hour and I promise that you won’t regret it.”

  I could have sworn I heard him growl at her right before he swept her up in his arms and kissed her with the same possession that I once kissed Florrie. I turned around to give him some privacy. He clapped me on the shoulder and jerked his head toward the door. “Give me five.”

  I waited by the front door, my irritation growing by the second. I was wasting time over here, waiting for him to put on a fucking shirt. Every second felt like a ticking time bomb. When he finally appeared, he looked irritated with me, like I was the one taking forever to put some fucking clothes on.

  “Let’s go.”

  He got on his motorcycle and headed for Reed Security. I didn’t waste any time following. When we got back inside, he went right for the IT room and started searching. It only took him five minutes to find her.

  “New York City.”

  “What? How do you know?”

  He spun in his seat and quirked his head at me. “Who do you know that Florrie would run to if she needed someplace to hide out?”

  “No one.”

  “Really? There’s not a certain someone that has come between the two of you before?”

  Reality dawned on me and I cursed myself for not thinking of him sooner. How could I have been so fucking stupid?

  “Seriously, I can’t believe that I had to drag my ass away from my family for this shit.”

  “Thanks, man. I’ll pay you back somehow.”

  “Oh, you’ll pay. The question is when.”

  I looked at him strangely. Sometimes it took a minute to remember that Knight was not like most people and his threats weren’t idle. Whatever, I would deal with him later. I ran out to my truck, not even bothering to pack a bag. I had a woman to bring home.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  Florrie

  When I woke up Sunday morning and saw the bright light shining through the window, I thought I would feel rested and peaceful. Instead, I stretched and grimaced at how out of shape I felt. Just a week of lounging around made me feel useless and lethargic. I needed a good workout and I needed to start eating something better than the junk food I had been gorging on.

  I was shocked to see that it was already nine in the morning. I was used to being up at the crack of dawn and getting in my workouts early. If I were home right now, I would be heading out on a job. I missed going out with Craig and Rocco. Even though we hadn’t been on that many jobs together as this new team, we had easily slipped into a new routine. I wondered what they were doing with me gone. They were probably pissed that I had just left without a word. I knew Craig wasn’t too happy about it, and I had shut off my phone so Cap couldn’t contact me. If I stayed away too much longer, Cap might not give me my job back.

  “Breakfast?” Jamie asked from the doorway. He was holding a tray of pancakes in his hands and grinning at me. His hair was tousled from sleep and his sleepy smile was so charming. Craig was right, he did look like JFK Jr. I rolled over and sat up in bed, patting the bed beside me. He sat down, putting the tray between us. It was quite the spread and I wondered how much of this he actually did himself.

  “Did you make me pancakes?”

  He laughed, his smile sending shivers through me. “I have a cook that does that stuff for me. I did pour the coffee though.”

  “Well, I guess I should feel special then.”

  “You should.”

  I took a bite of my pancakes and moaned in appreciation. They tasted so good. “You’re spoiling me. These are the best pancakes I’ve ever had.”

  He smiled, his eyes narrowing in on my lips. I flicked my tongue out, catching a drip of syrup. He brought his thumb up to my lip and swiped slowly, catching the last of the syrup. There was an intensity to him that I really liked, but it wasn’t the same as when I was with Alec. There was definitely an attraction, but I didn’t feel the same need. It was more a want. I wanted to like Jamie. He was a good guy and I knew he would do anythi
ng for me. I could have a good life with him, if only I would try.

  I leaned across the bed and pressed my lips to his. I felt a soft huff of breath across my lips as he opened up and slid his tongue inside my mouth. His hand slipped around my neck and pulled me in closer. As his tongue danced with mine, I started comparing him to the way Alec kissed me. It wasn’t the same. There wasn’t the same passion and urgency in his kisses. It was good, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Still, if I could only try…

  He kissed me one last time and then pulled back, resting his forehead against mine. “You have no idea how badly I want you, Florrie.”

  As I stared at him, I wanted to take that leap with him, just to feel something other than the utter devastation that still shook me. I knew it wasn’t really him that I wanted, but maybe it would feel good to let go. I leaned in again, but he pulled away, shaking his head slightly.

  He chuckled, his thumb running across my cheek. “I want you so much, and that’s why I have to stop.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not me you want, Florrie. You may think this is a good idea, but you’ll regret it. And I don’t want to be someone you regret. I think if you stick around here any longer, I’ll fall in love with you, and then I’ll be devastated when you realize that I’m not what you want.”

  “I could want you. I’m just hurting right now. I need time,” I said, trying to buy more time with him when deep down I knew it was pointless. He was right. I didn’t want him, no matter what my head was saying at the moment.

  “Florrie, I could give you all the time in the world and it wouldn’t matter. I could buy you anything you want. I could give you all the love I have, and it still wouldn’t matter a single bit. You only have eyes for one man, and although you’re hurting right now, when that passes, you’ll run back to him because you two were meant for each other. I’ve known it since the first time I met you. That man would do anything for you, and if you could just set aside your anger, you’d see that you feel exactly the same way. You just have to allow yourself to feel it.”

  I slumped back against the pillows, my eyes filling with tears. I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to believe him. “How can I love someone so much that would hurt me like that?”

  “Are you sure you’re the only one that’s hurting? Florrie, you’re no angel.”

  I huffed out a laugh, swiping at my face. I had never cried so much in my life, and I hated it.

  “I hope someday a woman loves me enough to cry over me the way you’ve cried for him. He’s very lucky.”

  I rolled my head to the side to look at him. “I wanted to want you.”

  “I know, but you’re not mine to have. No matter how much I want you, I’d eventually resent you because you’ll always have a nicer body than me. And you’ll have to defend me everywhere we go. It’ll start to feel emasculating. Not to mention that you would probably stab me with a high heeled shoe when we go to all those fancy parties that you hate.”

  I knew he was right. It was nice to be here this week, to get away from my life, but I was already feeling antsy. We finished up breakfast and I packed my bags. Jamie was right about something, I wanted Alec more than anything in this life, and if I wanted to keep him, I was going to have to admit that he wasn’t the only person that had been wrong. If I wanted to keep him, I was going to have to fight for him.

  “Thanks for letting me crash here this week,” I said as I walked to the door.

  Jamie grabbed me and pulled me into a hug, whispering in my ear, “You always have a place here. If you need me, just call me. For anything.”

  “Thank you,” I said, squeezing him tight. Tears pricked my eyes. I felt like this was the last time I would see him, and I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. I pulled back and smiled. “Well, I should go.”

  He squeezed my hand and pulled the door open, but my smile faded when I turned and stared right into Alec’s pissed off eyes. He looked me up and down, and then his eyes caught my hand wrapped in Jamie’s. I opened my mouth to explain just a second too late. Alec tackled Jamie to the floor and punched him in the face.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Alec

  I knew that Florrie was here visiting Jamie, but I never imagined the rage I would feel seeing them together like that. She was smiling for him, and she hadn’t smiled for me in months. But that was nothing compared to the surge of jealousy that shot through me when I saw him holding her hand. I completely lost it, rushing into his apartment and throwing him to the ground. I pounded my fist into his jaw as Florrie fought to pull me off him, but I was so lost in my anger that I actually tossed her off me to get back to him.

  “Alec! Stop! He was sending me home to you!”

  My breath stuttered in my chest and I stared down at Jamie. His face was bloodied from my fist, but he had a cocky grin on his face, like I hadn’t just pummeled him. I slowly lowered my fist and pushed back from him. Florrie rushed to his side, but Jamie held up his hand, stopping her from coming closer.

  “Florrie, don’t do anything to make him want to kick my ass any more.”

  Florrie spun on me in anger. “How could you do that? He was walking me to the door!”

  “He was holding your fucking hand!”

  “He’s the reason I was coming home to you,” she shouted.

  I was about to rush him again when it finally clicked in my head what she said. My eyes locked with hers and hope surged inside me. “You were coming home to me?”

  “Yeah, well, I’m regretting that decision now.”

  “Florrie, put the poor man out of his misery,” Jamie said as he pushed off the floor. “He may deserve to suffer, but he did come all the way out here to get you back.”

  She bristled in irritation, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine, I was going back.”

  I glanced at Jamie, wondering what caused this sudden change of heart, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Florrie turned to Jamie and pulled him in for a hug.

  “Thank you for having me and for dealing with my crazy…Alec.”

  “I told you, any time.”

  She smiled at him and pushed past me out the door. There was so much left unsaid as I stood there with him. I turned to leave when he spoke.

  “I really fucking hate you for what you did to her.”

  I stopped walking and glanced over my shoulder. “Me too.”

  “She doesn’t want me, you know. I know you think that she came here to get back at you, but it’s not like that, as much as I may want it that way. She only wants you. Make sure you earn it.”

  I turned and faced him, holding out my hand to him. “I will, every fucking day.”

  He nodded, shaking my hand. “Good, because I’d really hate to have to come kick your ass.”

  I chuckled and turned for the door. “Thanks for taking care of my woman.”

  Florrie was waiting in the hallway, her eyebrow quirked as I walked toward her.

  “Florrie, I-”

  She grabbed me by the shirt and yanked me to her, kissing me hard and making my knees go weak. When she pulled back, she glared at me and punched me across the jaw. My head whipped to the side and blood pooled in my mouth. I worked my jaw, rubbing at the bruise that I could already feel forming.

  She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Just be happy I didn’t use my gun this time.”

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  It was a long fucking drive, and Florrie wasn’t with me. She had her own truck, so the drive back was all by myself. There was so much that I had to say, and I went over it in my head, preparing for when we got home. But when we pulled in, nothing went as planned. Neither of us knew how to start or what to say. And it was so late at night that neither of us was really interested in diving into that conversation. So, we both went to bed instead. I laid there the whole fucking night, just waiting for my opportunity to talk to her in the morning.

  When the sun came up, I rolled out of bed and went downstairs to make coffee. Flo
rrie wasn’t too far behind me. I poured her a cup and we sat at the table staring at each other.

  “I’m sorry,” I finally said. I hadn’t said it that night, and it probably should have been the first thing out of my mouth.

  She pursed her lips and took a sip of her coffee. “I’m sorry I blamed you for Reid being taken. I’m not saying that I’m over the way things happened, but I know it wasn’t solely your fault.”

  “You know, that feels like a backhanded way of saying that you still blame me for what happened.”

  She dropped her eyes for a moment, but then seemed to resolve herself to talking about this. “I do, but I also know that the Fullers were the ones that initially came after Reid. Our chances in court were never good, and I can see that now. But I hate that you made decisions without me. It feels like you were fighting for them instead of us.”

  I nodded and went for the truth. “I guess I was. I told you, I’ve been there before. I never wanted to lose Reid, but I couldn’t help wanting him to have what I never did, even if that didn’t include me. And I know you can’t understand that. I don’t expect you to. But I hope you realize that I never did any of this to hurt you.”

  “It’s just going to take some time. I think it’s something that I can get past with time. I just…”

  Her jaw clenched as her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t look at me, so I reached across the table to let her know that I was here for her. Shock crossed her face and she tried to pull back, but I wasn’t letting go this time. I held on and I was never letting go.

  “I miss him,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to let him go. He was supposed to be mine.”

  “I know,” I croaked, feeling the pain she was in. I wasn’t heartless. I knew this was devastating for her.

  She cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I can get past that. I know I can, but I’m not sure about the…the cheating. Alec, that hurt more than losing Reid.” She pulled her hand away and I let her for now. That subject was still too painful for her, and I could imagine that holding my hand while talking about me fucking another woman was something she just couldn’t do. “I didn’t realize until I found out that you slept with…whoever she was…that it hurt me more to know that you would do something like that to me. And then I realized that I had done it to myself. I pushed you away and made you feel like you didn’t mean as much to me as Reid.” She laughed slightly. “Actually, it was Jamie that made me realize that.”