“Not long enough,” Tanner said through clenched teeth.
Scarlett ran her palm over his knuckles, trying to calm him by sheer touch.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
Victor shrugged. “It’s a free country, even for me. I can come and go as I please. I like checking out how well you’ve done for yourself. It shows me how far you can fall.”
Oh, this man was slick. He didn’t issue a direct threat yet he managed to make his words sound like a warning anyway.
“Get the fuck out of here,” Tanner growled.
“Make me.” Victor took a step forward, obviously taunting Tanner.
And Tanner’s entire body vibrated with a combination of anger and tension. He’d released his hold on her and had his hands balled into tight fists.
Her stomach churned and she glanced over her shoulder, but no one was in sight. She wished she could go find one of his partners inside, but she refused to leave him alone with Victor.
“No? Not going to take a swing? You’ve learned to control that nasty temper of yours? We’ll see how long that lasts.” He turned his gaze from Tanner to Scarlett. “Nice to see you again, Ms. Davis.”
Tanner pulled her roughly against him.
“How do you know who I am?” she asked.
Even his smile frightened her. “I make it my business to know everything about the men who put me away. Even their side pieces.”
A low growl sounded from Tanner’s throat. “She has nothing to do with history, Vic. Leave her out of it.”
“Out of what?” he asked with fake innocence.
“Cut the bullshit. Everything you’ve done around here. What’s your endgame?”
Victor shrugged. “Afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if you’ve got problems, maybe you just have more enemies than you know what to do with.” He chuckled, the sound low and menacing.
“Lying sack of–”
Tanner rolled back on his heels and Scarlett feared he’d let loose any second.
“What’s going on?” Landon’s voice reverberated through the dark night.
A glance told Scarlett that Jason and the big, bald bodyguard was with him, and relief filled her at the sight of them.
His gaze landed on Vic. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Taking a walk and talking to an old friend. Now excuse me. I have somewhere to be.” And just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving Tanner seething beside her.
She’d never seen him like this, eyes glittering with anger, unable to really see anything but the opponent he viewed in front of him. She wasn’t worried for herself. She wasn’t scared of Tanner. She was scared for him.
* * *
Tanner barely remembered how they’d gotten from the street to the office, where Jason shoved a glass of Scotch into his hand. “Drink. You need it to calm down.”
Aware of everyone’s eyes on him, including Scarlett, he accepted the amber liquid and pulled a long sip, letting the burn make its way down his chest as he focused on breathing slowly and steadily.
“How did you know to come outside?” Scarlett, who was sitting on the sofa on the other side of the room from Tanner, asked.
“Video cameras. Every time something happens, we install another one so we don’t miss a damn thing.”
“You did good,” Jason told Tanner. “Kept your temper in check, talked but didn’t go after him.”
“Don’t fucking patronize me,” he said, hating feeling weak in front of anyone but particularly Scarlett, whose opinion of him mattered most.
He’d been going out of his way to show her the man he was today and fucking Victor arrived and all Tanner could see was a haze of anger in front of him.
“Just telling it like I see it.”
Scarlett rose and walked over to him, hesitantly, as if unsure of him. “Tanner, he’s right. You didn’t let him goad you into a fight. That’s what he wanted. You didn’t give him that.” Taking him by surprise, she wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. “Can we go home?” she asked softly.
Relaxing for the first time since he’d seen Vic, he shifted so he was holding her in his arms. “Just a few more minutes.” He glanced at the guys. “So?”
“So nothing. Yet. But we’ve got a guy watching Sutherland’s home and his club. If Vic shows up there, at least we’ll have our connection. Because we know Daniel was involved at least with the initial vandalism. What we don’t know is at what point Vic stepped in.”
Tanner nodded. “Keep me posted. We’re leaving.”
Jason stood up and walked over. “You okay?”
He nodded. “Come on.” He took Scarlett’s hand and they headed home.
In the car, he remained silent and she respected his withdrawal. Once at the house, he set the alarm. He wasn’t taking any chances.
A little while later, he’d washed up and climbed into bed. He knew better than to think he could sleep. Scarlett joined him, sliding between the sheets, smelling fruity and sweet.
“You smell good.” And in her pale pink satiny camisole that hit her mid-thigh, she looked even better.
She grinned. “When I picked up flowers for your sister, I also stopped at the pharmacy and grabbed some toiletries for me. I hope you don’t mind, but you’re now officially sharing your bathroom with a woman … with all the little bottles and things that entails.”
As long as the items belonged to her, he was good. But how was she feeling after what she’d witnessed tonight? He might have kept his cool to an outside observer, but inside he’d been a mess, and he knew Scarlett was observant enough to have noticed.
“Hey.” She pushed herself over to his side of the bed, picked up his arm, and put it around her, then rested her head on his chest. “You’re miles away and I don’t like it.”
Unable to help himself, he relaxed and let her cuddle up against him. His dick reacted but that wasn’t what he wanted or needed from her tonight.
“What did you see tonight? In me? When dealing with Victor?” he asked her.
She stiffened at the question, then took her time answering. “I saw … a man struggling to maintain control and not lose his temper or let his anger get the best of him. I also saw a man who accomplished all of those things.”
“What you didn’t see was the haze of anger inside me. If he’d pushed just the right button, I’m afraid I might have gone off on him.” He admitted the truth out loud because she deserved to hear it from him before getting involved. Or more involved, as they case might be.
She sighed, her hands trailing over his bare chest. “So you’re a work in progress in that area. The important thing is you’re aware. And you know what you have to lose. I think you need to trust yourself more. The guys do.”
But did she? He wasn’t ready to ask.
“We all have our challenges. The key is how we rise to face them.” Tanner nodded in agreement.
Somehow this amazing woman was in his life and he’d do everything he could to keep her there. He only hoped his best was good enough and the past didn’t keep returning to threaten the present.
* * *
One week after running into Vic, and Tanner was finished with the self-pitying attitude. In the days that had passed, he took a step back and really looked at himself and how he’d behaved with his biggest enemy, the one person capable of sending him over the edge and potentially causing him to ruin his own life. Because if Victor’s actions got to him, Tanner had no one to blame but himself.
He also thought back to his talk with Scarlett and let her words wash over him. She hadn’t said she saw a man free of his behavior, she’d said she saw a man working on controlling it. And she was right. He was working … and succeeding, Vic be damned.
But they had a bigger problem than Vic at this moment. The bomb threat had affected their bottom line, customers obviously uncertain about returning. They were going to have to work to bring their patrons back, and Tanner, along with his
partners, was pissed. In particular, Tanner wasn’t as red-hazy angry with Vic as he was fucking determined to turn things around. His sole focus was and always would be the club and not the asshole causing trouble, although he had every intention of making him pay.
He called the guys together late in the day while Scarlett was at work and he could meet at the club without disrupting her schedule.
“I have an idea,” he said to them. “One that will take a lot of money for security but it’ll definitely bring the customers back in.” He’d stayed up all night thinking and he finally realized what they needed to do.
“I’m listening,” Landon said.
“Same.” Jason walked to the fridge, pulled out bottles of water, and tossed one to each of them.
“How did we put ourselves on the map with live entertainment?” Tanner asked the men.
They glanced at each other.
“Lola and Charlotte’s opening-night performance,” Jason said, his voice rising with excitement.
Tanner nodded. “Right. So what if we bring in an equally big draw? Announce it soon and give people a chance to see, get excited, and come back to the club?”
“Got anyone in mind?” Landon asked.
Tanner looked to Jason. “Grey Kingston. Your brother-in-law couldn’t make it last time but maybe he can now.” His wife, Avery, Jason’s half sister, had found out she was pregnant and her first trimester had been a bitch. She was further along now so hopefully Grey wouldn’t mind coming for a performance.
Jason rubbed a hand over his face, as he thought. “Grey seemed disappointed he couldn’t make it last time. I think he’d enjoy coming back for a one-shot performance since he usually writes songs and hasn’t been on stage in a while.” He let out a low hum. “I wonder if the old band would get back together with him.”
Grey had been part of the rock band Tangled Royal with Lola Corbin, who’d already performed at their opening night. Ultimately Grey had grown tired of the road, retired, and the band went their own way. But Grey had pull. He could get the band back if he wanted to.
“I like it,” Tanner said, excitement pulsing in his veins.
“It’s a solid idea. I’ll give Grey a call,” Jason said. “But I want this shit wrapped up and a lock on Vic before we bring in big talent.”
Tanner nodded. “Agreed. My gut tells me Vic is gearing up for something. He’s not going to be satisfied just toying with us. He wants to destroy us.” His stomach churned at the thought.
“Then we need to make sure if we can’t outsmart him in advance, that we can at least be ready when whatever it is hits,” Tanner said. “How about we talk to Sutherland? Owner to owner? See what he has to say? Because somehow there has to be a link between them. It doesn’t make sense that they’d both be targeting the club.”
Landon nodded. “It’s too close to opening tonight to pay the man a visit now, but what if we plan to go over there first thing in the morning?”
“Agreed.” Tanner and Jason spoke at the same time.
“Meanwhile I’ll call Grey and get a date set up. Then we can work on publicity,” Jason said.
“Perfect. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a woman to pick up from work.” Tanner stood and started for the door.
Scarlett had told him to wear a jacket tonight when he picked her up, which left him confused. But far be it for him to deny her. He’d stop upstairs and change on his way out.
“I like her for you,” Jason said as Tanner’s hand reached for the doorknob.
He glanced over his shoulder at his friend. “I like her for me too.”
He just didn’t have a handle on her feelings on the relationship or the future. He knew she felt something for him but he also understood she was allowing this time away from work because of the threat. When Vic was back behind bars where he belonged and Tanner didn’t have an excuse to be by her side, would she pull away again?
Or could he convince her to make permanent time in her life for a real relationship? The kind she tended to avoid.
* * *
As hard as it was for Scarlett to admit, she looked forward to Tanner’s arrival at night to take her home to his house. As the clock ticked down, she packed up her things and was ready to leave when Tanner showed up in her doorway.
“Looks like someone is ready and waiting for me.” He leaned against the frame, his broad shoulders and large presence a sexy sight.
“I am.”
“And are you going to tell me why I’m dressed up?” He fingered the lapels of his black jacket that had obviously been tailored just for him.
She smiled. “I have a surprise for you.” She’d worked hard all week for this moment.
He raised an eyebrow and stepped into the room, coming up to her and pulling her into his arms. “Yeah? What’s that?”
She inhaled his seductive masculine scent. Unable to help herself, she leaned in and pressed her nose against his neck, nuzzling her lips there but really giving herself a better whiff and taste. The man was delicious. “I’m taking you out for dinner. To a nice restaurant. No rushed takeout or delivery.”
“No work from home tonight?”
She understood the question. She did a lot of work in bed surrounded by file folders and her laptop and he was always patient about it, never complaining. “Not tonight. I’m all yours.”
He grinned and kissed her lips. “Let’s go.”
She further surprised him by taking them to Daniel, a five-star restaurant on Sixty-Fifth Street, where she’d pulled strings and gotten them a reservation. Chef Daniel Boulud had opened an eatery with a fabulous wine cellar and stellar reputation for French and European cuisine.
They each had a delicious meal of grilled swordfish and butternut squash and wine recommended by the sommelier. Tanner eyed her warmly throughout the meal, his eyes always focused on her, and they talked about easy, comfortable things. Nothing heavy or serious. They just enjoyed.
Tonight clearly meant something to him and she was glad. He deserved to feel special. He’d made her feel that way often enough, and after all he’d gone through with Vic, she wanted him to know she viewed him as someone worthy and important.
The waiter handed them the dessert menu and stepped away so they could decide.
“I want something chocolate,” she murmured, determined not to miss a course in this fabulous restaurant.
He chuckled, reaching across the table and lacing his fingers with hers. “Whatever you want.”
She ordered a pecan infused chocolate dish with salted caramel praline that tasted even better than it looked if such a thing were possible.
She held out her spoon for Tanner to try. He opened his mouth and wrapped those talented lips around the dessert, closing his eyes as he sampled the treat. “Mmm.”
Her body reacted to the sexy sound, her panties dampening as he groaned in delight.
“Fucking delicious,” he muttered.
She grinned. “Isn’t it?”
His eyes darkened. “Not as good as you taste, but definitely second-best.”
She laughed and wagged a finger at him. “Dirty man.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? You make me crazy.”
She leaned closer but there was still a table between them. She couldn’t wait to get home and let him do what he was alluding to. Then she could taste him too.
His gaze never left hers and she could see the desire in his eyes and his expression. Until the sound of his cell phone interrupted the moment.
He frowned at the unwanted noise and hit his phone, ending the call without checking it. Until the ring sounded again.
“I’m sorry.” He held up a finger and pulled out his phone, frowning as he looked at the screen. He answered the call. “Jason, it’s a really bad time.”
She waited not so patiently to find out what his partner wanted.
“Say that again?” Tanner listened, his eyes opening in disbelief. “I’ll be right there.” He disconnected the call and slammed the phone onto th
e table. “A raid. A fucking police raid because there’ve been reports that we serve underage kids.”
Anger and disbelief rushed through her. “That’s ridiculous.”
He gestured for the check.
“Don’t kill me but it’s already covered. I left my credit card when I made the reservation.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “Why?”
“Because I wanted to take you out. I wanted to reciprocate for all you’ve done for me, but mostly I wanted you to know that you’re a special man.” She reached out and touched his hand. “I’m just sorry it ended this way.”
She’d planned a much different finale at home in bed. She’d even bought a new nightie for the occasion. She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t get use out of that garment tonight.
He drew a deep breath and smiled. “Thank you, beautiful. That means a lot.”
They spoke to the waiter, she placed her napkin on the table, and they rushed out.
Chapter Ten
Tanner sweat as they sat in a dark, dingy room at the police station answering questions. He’d sent Scarlett home with one of the bodyguards from the club, leaving the man with instructions to walk her inside, wait until she set the alarm, and not to leave the grounds until Tanner returned.
The memories this interrogation brought back were not good ones. Him, barely an adult, sitting without a lawyer as the cops yelled questions at him from across the table. Until Jason called Gabe and sent Thomas Culhane to bail him out. The man was now a friend and still their lawyer.
Jason had already called him, and the man had met them there, sitting by their side during the interrogation about how they ran their business.
“What gives you the right to haul my clients in on a so-called tip?” Tommy asked.
The lead detective slid a picture across the table. “We have a photo of someone who’s underage and was served at your club. And we have reason to believe he’s not the only one.”
“I happen to know we’re vigilant,” Landon said. “This is bullshit.”
Tanner picked up the photo of a New York State driver’s license. Although it was grainy, he studied it because the young man in the picture looked familiar. “How do we know him?” He slid the paper to Landon.
Sexy Hers Page 12