July Flames

by Mari Carr

  They’d determined that already. What they couldn’t figure out was who was helping him.

  “Dammit,” Fergus muttered. “I’m tired of always being two steps behind that guy.” The fact that Doug, who was eleven donuts short of a dozen, kept eluding him was starting to chafe.

  “And then, there’s this. One of the stagehands found it a couple of minutes ago, near the stage.”

  It was another rose with a note. The difference between this and the others was the envelope. Fergus’s name was on it.

  He opened it quickly, his heart stopping when he read the words, You’ll never touch her again.

  “Shit,” Fergus muttered, kicking himself for letting Aubrey out of his sight. If anything happened to her…

  He took off for the stage, slowing when he got there and taking a deep breath. Aubrey was doing her usual checks and nothing looked amiss. She turned, smiling when he stepped onto the stage.

  Aubrey gave him a curious look when he didn’t return her smile. He started to walk toward her—

  A loud crack sounded from overhead.

  Aubrey’s eyes widened as he heard someone yell, “Look out!”

  He acted on instinct, diving to the side—just as one of the lighting rigs crashed a few feet away from him, glass shattering everywhere. Sparks flashed, stinging any part of him that wasn’t covered.

  If he’d taken two more steps toward her, he would have been directly under the rig and probably dead at the moment. The entire strip of lights had to weigh close to a hundred pounds, maybe even two.

  Aubrey started toward him, but he held up his hand to stop her.

  “Don’t, Aubrey! There’s too much glass.” Mercifully, the thick denim of his jeans protected his legs.

  Finn and Miguel, who’d been on the other side of the stage, flanked Aubrey, pulling her out from under the remaining lights as Landon came and helped him up.

  “Jesus, man!” Landon was obviously shaken up. “When that thing came down, I thought…”

  “Yeah,” Fergus said. “Me too.”

  He could have been killed.

  The stage was soon swarmed with crew members and union workers hired by the concert arena, studying the damage. Fergus used his walkie-talkie, demanding that the security team inspect the rig to confirm what he already knew.

  He didn’t doubt for a second they’d discover the thing had been tampered with.

  He made his way backstage, Aubrey racing into his arms, trembling as she clung to him. “It almost hit you,” she said, her voice muffled against his shirt.

  “I’m okay, Aubrey.”

  “Listen, man. This place is too crowded. Get Aubrey somewhere secure and we’ll stick around. See what we can learn,” Landon said.

  “There was a rose. By the stage. One of the hands found it. Question them…all of them. Someone had to have seen something.”

  Until they determined the rest of the area was safe, he wanted Aubrey tucked away somewhere private.

  “Come on,” he said, holding her tight against him. “We’ll go to your dressing room.”

  They passed Ailis and Hunter in the hallway. “What happened?” Ailis asked.

  Fergus jerked his head toward the stage. “A lighting rig fell. Miguel, Landon and Finn are checking it out.”

  “Jesus,” Hunter muttered. “Someone could have been killed.”

  Fergus didn’t bother to say that someone was him. He and Aubrey continued on, not stopping until he’d locked them inside her dressing room.

  He leaned against the door, trying to catch his breath. Aubrey didn’t give him a chance. She turned, kissing him hard, desperately.

  Fergus reacted without thought, gripping her waist and pushing her backwards, toward the dressing table. Once there, he pulled her T-shirt off and tugged her jeans down.

  Aubrey’s hands weren’t idle as she sought to strip him of his clothing just as quickly. He was shirtless by the time he had her naked. He lifted her onto the table, knocking over all the bottles, her makeup crashing to the floor.

  Aubrey unfastened his jeans, briefly distracted by a nick on his arm. She looked up at him, and he wondered for a moment if the two of them were in shock. He felt wild, out of control.

  He pulled his cock out, pressing her legs open with his hips. He was buried inside her in one hard, quick thrust.

  Gripping her ass, he pulled her to the edge of the dressing table. Aubrey’s lips slid from his, placing soft, wet kisses on his shoulder, his chest, her tongue stroking his nipples.

  Through it all, Fergus pounded inside her. She leaned back as far as she could, her legs twining around his waist so that she could use her heels to draw him even closer, deeper.

  “Harder!” she pleaded. “Need so much more.”

  He gave her what she wanted because he needed the same. Their bodies slapped out a vicious rhythm as her fingers dug into his arms.

  “Please,” she begged.

  Fergus pulled out, lifting her off the table and turning her around. Their eyes met through their reflection in the mirror. He started to push back in—then stopped.

  “Condom. Jesus.” He was breathless, fighting to regain his wits.

  Aubrey shook her head as she thrust her ass back toward him. “No. Finish now.”

  “Aubrey.”

  “I’m safe. Pill. Please, I need—”

  He didn’t need to hear more. He slammed back inside as she cried out in pleasure. Reaching up, he took a handful of her hair in his fist, tugging until he could see her face once more in the mirror.

  Her inner muscles clenched tightly.

  “Yes,” she hissed. “Pull it harder.”

  He gave her everything she asked for and more. With his free hand, he reached around her, pinching one of her tight nipples. “Going to buy you nipple clamps,” he said, his words broken up by each hard thrust.

  “God, yes.”

  “Can’t get enough of you. Never enough.”

  “Fergus…I’m going to—” That was all she got out before her orgasm hit.

  She took him down hard, and he came as well.

  He’d never had sex without a condom. Now, he couldn’t imagine ever using one with her again.

  She was his.

  “Mine.” The unbidden word slipped out.

  Maybe if Aubrey had been in a more stable state of mind, his continual assertion that she belonged to him would have freaked her out. This whole thing was too new, and Aubrey was nowhere near ready for what he wanted from her.

  Time. Commitment. God willing, a long, long future.

  Aubrey remained bent over the table, not stirring as he pulled out of her.

  His legs felt like rubber, so he grabbed the dressing table chair and sank down on it, reaching out to stroke her ass.

  The touch prompted her to move, to stand upright. She squeezed her thighs together.

  Fergus grasped one of her hands, pulling her closer so he could swipe his finger along her slit, touching the wetness there. She shivered in response, still sensitive from her orgasm.

  “You could have been killed,” she whispered, tears wetting her lashes.

  Fergus drew her down on his lap, kissing her gently. “I’m okay.”

  “Those lights…someone meant for them to fall on you, didn’t they?” Aubrey had finally connected all the dots.

  The stalker had seen their kiss—and found his new target.

  Him.

  “It’s going to be okay, Aubrey.”

  His words didn’t soothe her. “No. It’s not.”

  “Listen to me,” he said again. “It’s okay. I’m okay. We’re going to catch this son of a bitch and see him put behind bars.”

  She studied his face. “That kiss last night…”

  He clenched his teeth, hating the look in her eyes.

  “You meant for this to happen.”

  Fergus sucked in a shallow, shaky breath, then nodded. “I want this guy caught.”

  “At what cost? You could have been killed.”

>   “I wasn’t.”

  “Fuck that!” she shouted. “Only because of luck. Jesus, Fergus.”

  “I swore to keep you safe, Aubrey. I’ll do whatever it takes. You have to believe that, trust me. Please.”

  The comfort he hoped to offer wasn’t sinking in.

  The anger and fear in her eyes abated, but not in a good way. Fergus didn’t like the sudden calmness, resolve he saw there. “No one else is going to get hurt because of me.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “No one is getting hurt because of you now. None of this is your fault. Don’t ever let me hear you take the blame for this.”

  She rose slowly, reaching for her T-shirt. He watched her tug it over her head, donning it like a knight wore armor. She was retreating from him.

  “Stop it, Aubrey.”

  She didn’t listen. Instead, she pulled on her jeans and slid her sandals back on. “I’m supposed to be in hair and makeup.” There was a wooden tone to her voice that pissed him off.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  She started across the room. He stood up, quickly fastening his pants and pulling his own shirt back on. “Don’t open that door, Aubrey. We’re not finished here.”

  He would tie her to the chair and keep her here all night—concert be damned—if that was what it took to convince her she wasn’t at fault, that she wasn’t going to walk away from this, from him, under the guise of keeping him safe.

  She kept walking, opening the door.

  “Goddammit,” he said, marching toward her. She slipped into the hall just before he could reach her.

  There were countless people around, and he realized that she’d planned on that audience. He saw Finn, who’d been speaking to Rich, look in their direction. It hadn’t taken his cousin—his best friend—more than one glance to see something was wrong.

  “Aubrey,” Fergus murmured softly. “Get back in the dressing room.”

  “This is done,” she said, her voice loud. “That kiss meant nothing. You mean nothing. I’m calling Isaac and requesting a new bodyguard. You can pack your things.”

  He crossed his arms. She was crazy if she thought this was going to end here.

  “I’m not leaving,” he said.

  She sniffed, the haughty Aubrey from his first days on the job, returning. “Suit yourself. Just know that this is over. I don’t need you. I don’t want you.”

  He stepped in front of her, intent on stopping her escape. “Aubrey,” he started.

  Her eyes met his, her gaze rife with fear and determination.

  “Please, listen to me,” he said softly.

  She shook her head. “Rottweiler,” she whispered as she stepped around him, walking away.

  He didn’t move for five full seconds, then he followed her. The door to the room set up for hair and makeup was closed. Fergus wanted to open it, wanted to walk inside, but he’d seen her face and for the first time in his life, he sensed he’d only be marching into a battle he couldn’t win. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring at the doorknob, fighting for the courage to open it, but he knew it was long enough to prove he was a coward.

  “Fergus.”

  He turned to see Finn standing next to him. His cousin had seen everything. “I called Colm. Told them about....”

  “She thinks she’s protecting me.” Fergus snorted miserably. “There’s some irony for you. I’m her bodyguard, but she’s trying to…”

  “It’s not a good time for either of you to try to make decisions. You’re both riding some pretty powerful emotions with that lighting rig falling and all the other shit that’s been going down. The guys are with Hunter and Ailis on their bus. Go on. Take a break, buddy, you need one. Be with them for a little while. Talk it out. I’ll watch Aubrey while she’s in makeup. No one will get to her. I promise.”

  Fergus didn’t want to let her out of his sight, but his feelings—like hers—were too close to the surface. They were clouding his vision. “Finn, she—”

  “I know, man. I know what she means to you. I won’t let you down.”

  Fergus walked out of the arena, toward Ailis and Hunter’s bus, then changed direction, heading instead toward Aubrey’s. He slowed his approach when he saw Colm standing by the door, a flower in his hand.

  He looked up as Fergus approached. From the frown on his face, he knew what his cousin was holding.

  “Let me guess,” Fergus said, “it says ‘You’ll never touch her again.’”

  Colm shook his head. “No.” He handed Fergus the card.

  There, in the same handwriting as all the other notes, were new words, chilling words.

  You’ll both pay for this.

  Fergus dropped the card and turned back toward the arena.

  Colm caught him by the arm. “Fergus.”

  He tried to shrug off his cousin’s grip. “Colm. I have to get to her!”

  “We were all headed to the arena to find you when Miguel spotted this. Finn called back and said you were headed this way. Miguel and Landon have gone to help Finn guard her.” Then he gave him a rueful grin. “I drew the short straw.”

  Fergus frowned. “What? Colm, I don’t have time for—”

  “Wait a second.”

  “I can’t.” Fergus’s insides were in knots.

  “You need a break. Some distance. Some time to think it out. You’re too close to this…to her.”

  “She’s in danger,” Fergus said, still wanting to run back to the arena.

  “So are you.”

  “I don’t care!”

  Colm blew out a long breath. “I know you don’t. But we care about you. Finn heard Aubrey, heard her break things off. He called to tell us she freaked out and pushed you away. She didn’t realize what was behind that kiss at the bar last night, did she?”

  Fergus rubbed his eyes wearily. Sometimes it was great to have a close family. Sometimes—like now—it was a total pain in the ass. “I appreciate what you’re trying—”

  Colm chuckled. “No, you don’t. But you’re going to listen to someone who has some distance from this whole thing, some perspective. You and Aubrey are acting on emotion and all that’s doing is putting you both in danger. It’s time to play the game smarter.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This stalker, whoever he is, has fixated on both of you now.”

  “It was supposed to just be me.”

  Colm nodded. “I get that. Just like I can see that Aubrey’s intentions were good when she staged that public breakup just now.”

  “Finn acts fast.”

  “The game has changed. That note proves it. He’s not reacting to perceived threats to Aubrey anymore. He’s pissed off at her now. Is there anyone on the crew you’ve discounted as the stalker?”

  Fergus shook his head, realizing how much he’d let his interest in Aubrey interfere with doing his job. He shouldn’t have taken his focus away from the pursuit of the stalker for even one second. Instead, he’d been distracted by her, her pain, her fears, and how much he wanted her.

  He should have been devoting every single second to finding the bastard trying to hurt her.

  “She pushed me away, Colm.”

  “So what?”

  Fergus snickered. Jesus. The Collins men were all cut from the same cloth. Colm, a dominant man in his own right, didn’t see Aubrey’s dismissal as anything Fergus couldn’t overcome.

  “She said the safe word.”

  “What?” Colm asked.

  “I gave her a safe word. She just used it.”

  Colm frowned. “That’s not how it works.”

  Fergus grinned, despite the fact he didn’t find any of this funny. Colm was a lawyer—a no-nonsense guy who saw the world in black and white. He was also a bachelor who hadn’t quite perfected the concept of a long-term love affair. As such, his cousin was lacking in firsthand experience regarding women.

  He was fully capable of commanding lovers, women there for the night, but he fell short when it came to the compromises
required to make a true relationship.

  “She’s been hurt, Colm. And I don’t mean by lovers. Her mother wrecked her in so many ways, I can’t even start to explain them. She’s spent her entire life feeling as if she meant nothing more than a paycheck. She doesn’t understand how amazing, how beautiful, how incredible she is.”

  Colm rolled his eyes, even though he grinned. “Jesus. You haven’t even been back a year and you’ve already succumbed to the curse.”

  “You wait, Colm. Wait until you fall. You’re going to give it a different name then.”

  Colm shook his head. “Never going to happen. But we’re straying from the topic at hand. Here’s what will happen. What you’re going to make happen. You’re going to explain to that headstrong lady of yours exactly what a safe word is for. Then you’re going to keep her close, never let her out of your sight. She’ll do the bare minimum as far as public appearances go and the rest of the time, the two of you hunker down in your hotel room or on the bus.

  “Finn, Landon, Miguel and I want the files. All of them. You can’t keep trying to do this solo. Send us the information, let us sift through the personnel data and see what we can find. You only have to keep her safe for two more weeks, then we’ll all be together again for that last show in Baltimore. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a suspect. If not, there will be enough of us there to protect her. Okay?”

  Fergus had spent the last month feeling very, very alone in his attempts to keep Aubrey safe. He’d been a fool. He had a partner in the security company, and more than that, he had family…a big family that would always be there to help him.

  “Okay,” he said, realizing for the first time just how hard it had always been for him to let go of the control. “I should have asked for help.”

  Colm reached over and gripped his shoulder in a caring, brotherly way. “You’ve always been a part of this family, Fergus, but I’m not sure you ever really understood the benefits package.”

  Fergus laughed. “Only-child syndrome?”

  Colm nodded. “I had a twin brother. We loved the same things at the same time. I learned from the cradle what it meant to share my toys, but along with that, I also understood there would always be someone to share the load. We may not be brothers, man, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do the same for you.”