Savage (Park Avenue Kings #1)

31. Cooper

31

COOPER

I T WAS AMAZING how a night of taking out your frustration inside someone could relax a man, but it had done wonders for Lachlan.

Usually he paced during a work call, but at the moment he was lounged on one end of the couch, his bare feet kicked up on the coffee table as he spoke with the VP of his company.

And how did I know that? Because I’d asked. And he’d answered.

As a matter of fact, he’d been a hell of a lot more chatty, for him at least, and I was taking full advantage of his loosened-up state to get a little closer.

On the other end of the couch, I mimicked his position, only I had my legs spread out along the cushions. At some point during the call, Lachlan rested his arm across my ankles, and that simple move that he probably didn’t even realize he’d done tightened my chest.

It felt possessive, made me feel wanted in a way I couldn’t ever remember feeling, and that was when realization hit, hard and fast.

I was falling for Lachlan. And I had a crazy thought that he felt the same way, even as he was trying to fight it.

His fingers trailed along the top of my foot absently. “If anything else comes up, I trust you to handle it… That’s fine… No, don’t contact me for that… Right. I’ll be in touch.” He ended the call and tossed his cell on the table before leaning back with a sigh.

“A man in demand,” I said. “But that’s where you thrive, isn’t it? Being the boss.”

“Not always the boss.”

“Maybe not in name, but you don’t seem to listen much to him either, do you?”

Lachlan snorted out a laugh, surprising me, and I grinned. He knew it was true. Bossy, independent, insubordinate—all things that were blatantly obvious after days with him, but that I couldn’t help but find super hot. Especially when all that protective, dominating energy was focused my way.

Well, maybe I’d had a moment of being pissed that he thought I was some helpless guy he had to take care of, but that had been put to rest pretty damn fast last night.

After all, a guy like Lachlan wouldn’t have anything to do with someone they considered weak. He’d all but spelled that out for me.

“You,” he said, running his thumb along my ankle, “are entirely too observant for your own good.”

“Which gets me in trouble, yeah, yeah, I know. But that’s where you come in, right? When I go too far?”

I was teasing, but I couldn’t help but hold my breath for his response. What if he said he wouldn’t always be there? That would tell me he viewed what was happening between us as temporary, and I really didn’t want to hear that.

Instead, he reached for my hand and pulled me forward until I straddled his lap. A strong hand gripped the back of my neck, but his thumb grazed my jaw as dark eyes stared into mine.

“You like to try my patience,” he murmured.

“I didn’t know you had any,” I shot back.

“I have enough to rein you in when need be.”

“And who’s there to rein you in? Wait, let me guess.”

Lachlan cocked a brow, waiting for me to take my best shot.

“Alessio,” I finished.

He scoffed and shook his head. “Like I said, you’re far too observant.”

I shrugged off his words, but I had to admit, the compliment made me want to puff out my chest a little. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

“No?”

“No. Down at that meeting when everyone was coming at you, he was the one you looked to for support, and when we got back last night, he, um…”

“He what?”

“He just gave me some advice. He watches out for you. Has your back or six? Isn’t that what they say?”

Lachlan chuckled. “We’re not in the military.”

“I know, but you’re in security. Means the same thing, right?”

Lachlan’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

“So, how’d you two meet?”

“Through King.”

My lips twitched. “Is that it?”

“Sorry. Did you want more?”

I shoved Lachlan in the shoulder. “More than a two-word answer? I was kind of hoping. But if you can’t tell me about him, how about you? You can talk about yourself, I presume.”

When he pulled a face, I tipped my head back and let out an exasperated sound. “Ugh, talking to you is so frustrating. I get you’re in security and have to keep things on the down-low, but can’t you give me something? Anything? ”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. How’d did you get into security?”

His smirk instantly vanished, and it didn’t take a genius to realize I’d just touched on something unpleasant.

Great job, you nosy bastard. Why didn’t I just shut my mouth and keep things light, fun, and sexy instead of probing for more information?

I was about to change the subject when Lachlan shocked the hell out of me and said, “My parents died.”

That was not what I’d expected him to say, but now that he had, I wasn’t quite sure how to reply. The last thing I’d wanted to do was bring up a painful topic, but now that I had inadvertently put my foot in it, I wasn’t sure how to remove it.

“Lachlan, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago. When I was a boy.”

“Oh.” It wasn’t the most eloquent response, but it was all I had right then.God, why I couldn’t I ever just enjoy a silence?“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

His dark eyes found mine, a question of his own now swirling in their depths. “You don’t want to know?”

I did, of course. I wanted to know everything there was to know about him. But I also didn’t want to push him into a place he wasn’t comfortable talking about.

“Only if you want to tell me.”

Lachlan wound his arms around my waist and pulled me down until I was settled against his chest, where the steady beat of his heart thumped beneath my ear.

“I’ve never told anyone outside of my brothers before, but… I was ten years old when it happened. We lived in a place north of the city, Westchester County. My family came from old money, and life was pretty much perfect as far as I was concerned.”

I felt the dread of what was coming settle in the pit of my stomach.

“It was a Tuesday, just a day like any other. My father had been teaching me chess, and I’d challenged him to a game after dinner. I’d just swiped his bishop when the neighbors’ dogs began to bark like crazy. I only remember that because my mother came running in, and something about the look on her face had my father getting up. Which, of course, made me want to follow, but my mother wrapped her arms around me from behind while he went to check the security camera.”

Lachlan swallowed, and I flexed my hand on his chest, wanting to comfort him.

“I remember we started running… We had a safe room in the house, and she had me go in there, and I thought she would join me, but my father wasn’t back yet. She kissed my forehead, told me she loved me. Told me to stay inside no matter what, and that her and my father would be right back.”

He went silent, and that was all I needed to fill in the gaps. It made my blood run cold, and like he knew how horrified I was for him, he ran his hand along my back.

“I don’t know how long I was in there. I just remember that it was still dark when SWAT came and told me my parents were gone. I didn’t find out until much later that it was a home invasion. Some assholes who wanted money and were willing to kill to get it.”

“I’m so sorry.” It was all I knew to say, yet again, because what else did you say to something so horrible? “Where did you go? Did you have anyone?”

“I was shipped off to live with my aunt here in the city.”

“Saying ‘shipped off’ doesn’t make it sound like a good thing.”

Lachlan shrugged. “It wasn’t terrible. She was cold, but rich, so I never lacked for anything.”

Except the warmth of his parents’ love. That was enough to ruin anyone’s life, but somehow he’d survived. Hell, more than that—he’d succeeded in ways I couldn’t even fathom.

“I hate that you went through that,” I said softly.

“I’m fine.”

I lifted my head. “But are you really?”

He stared at me for a long moment before his lips curved in a sad smile. “I am.”

“I’m sure it helps to make your own family.” When his brow furrowed, I added, “Your brothers. Like Alessio.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I can understand why something like what happened to your family would make you want to get involved in security.”

He continued to nod, his arms wrapped around me tightening.“That safe room saved my life. It kept me hidden from the men who broke in. I wouldn’t be here without the security systems my parents implemented, and when SWAT rolled in, I… I don’t know, it stuck with me. The idea that there were people out there that could help others. That could protect people without a four-by-four room. I was just a kid, but I never wanted to be in a position where I ran from a fight again. I wanted to help .”

I nodded, unable to comprehend what he must’ve felt sitting in that room alone and helpless. No wonder he went into the line of work he did.

“What made you choose private security over SWAT?”

“The benefits.” Lachlan chuckled. “Do you see the penthouse you’re sitting in?”

“I do.”

“You think I’d get this on a government salary?”

“Be serious.”

“I am being serious.” He smirked. “I originally wanted to sign up for the police force after high school and work my way toward becoming a SWAT officer. But my aunt flipped out. She leaned heavily on my guilt, and the fact that my parents had put aside money so I could attend their university as a legacy student, so I ended up at Astor University for four years instead.”

“That doesn’t seem fair. If you knew what you wanted, she shouldn’t have guilted you into doing something else.”

Lachlan shrugged. “I was pissed at first, and felt the exact same way, but she thought she was doing the right thing. Plus, I wasn’t exactly the easiest teenager.”

“No? Do say more.”

“I liked getting into trouble. Usually with my fists. I was angry, sad, and privileged enough that if I got into a fight at Astor, nothing really ever came of it. I fell into a group of guys that came from the same kind of money as I did, and one night when things got a little out of hand at a bar, I got into a fight, passed out, and when I woke up…King was standing over me.”

“ King? Your boss?”

Lachlan’s chest rumbled with laughter. “One and the same.”

“And what, he offered you a job?”

“He offered me an…opportunity. One that was difficult to refuse.”

I looked around the lavishly decorated suite, wondering what exactly that opportunity was. “You’re not going to tell me any more than that, are you?”

Lachlan leaned forward and brushed his lips over mine. “Nope.”

“What if I guess, and you just nod if I’m right?”

When Lachlan didn’t immediately nix that plan, I jumped right in.

“Okay, so during my recent tour of this building and my visit to someplace unknown where I met people I have already wiped from my brain, I have made several…observations.”

“Have you now?”

“I have.”

“And what might they be?”

“Well, first off, this private organization, at first I thought it was like a city thing, a New York Athletics Club or the Friars Club, but I think it’s bigger than that. I think it’s international, you know, since I met that prince that I’ve already forgotten about.”

Lachlan said nothing but nodded once.

“Aha.” I held my index finger up in victory. “I knew it. So that would mean your security company is global, right? You have locations all around the world protecting some of the most important people—like the forgotten prince and maybe a past president’s son? Who I’ve never met in my life.”

Again, Lachlan nodded, and my mouth fell open.

“Wow. So they’re obviously not part of the security company, and yet they were all in that super-secret meeting, eager to help you take down Mick’s drug operation. So are you working for the government?”

Lachlan laughed heartily at that. “No benefits, remember?”

“Okay, so, private contractors?”

Lachlan screwed his nose up, and suddenly it dawned on me.

“You don’t work for others—you work for yourselves .” I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. “You’re like a secret team of powerful guys who take down the bad guys.”

Lachlan seemed to ponder that for a moment, then said, “Let’s go with that.”

Was he crazy? He’d just given me way more than a silent nod, and now he expected me to be satisfied. Did he even know me at all?

“What do you mean by that? Are they not always bad guys? Are you the bad guy?”

Lachlan’s lips thinned and he shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m not always the good guy.”

My mouth opened, a million and one questions on the tip of my tongue. But instead of asking any of them, I reached for him, trailing my fingers down his stubble-lined jaw.

Lachlan had shared so much with me just now, way more than I’d ever expected. He’d given me a glimpse into his life, to what had helped shape him, and if he had to color outside the lines at times to keep people safe, who was I to judge?

Look at my vigilante, for God’s sake. I had no idea what he’d done to Mick’s guys that night. But if he hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been alive to pick up the key card that had led me to Lachlan—and that , I now realized, would’ve been my biggest regret of all.

Lachlan was such a beautiful man, both inside and out. His face was one of the most breathtaking I’d ever seen. Even as he stared at me with serious eyes that seemed full of warning, all I could seem to do was run faster toward him.

I leaned forward and grazed my lips over his. “So you’re a good guy who occasionally does bad things, but…you’ve always been good to me.”

“I’ll always be good to you.”

“Then that’s all I can ask for.”