Chapter 6
Veronica woke up slowly. Her dreams had been filled with Brayden’s heated kisses and her body craved more.
Was she in love with him?
Probably. She really should be sure about this entirely new situation before she allowed things to go any further. Practicality was low on her emotional priority list, although it was central to her core values.
Stretching, her first instinct was to call Natalie. That was an immediate red flag that her hormones had commandeered her brain, seeking validation for the giddy feelings over making the smart decisions.
Well, if Natalie could be responsible on occasion, why couldn’t she be carefree?
Because this was Brayden. Aside from her sisters, there wasn’t a more important person in her life. She owed it to him to stay smart, even with toe-curling, bone-melting kisses on offer.
For a few golden seconds, she wallowed in the best possible outcome. One where they stayed friends, became lovers, and somehow managed to live happily ever after. The potential warmed her from the inside out.
Rolling to her feet, she noticed she was alone in the suite. Either Brayden hadn’t slept or he was already up and working. Both possibilities troubled her—it was way too early. Smelling coffee brewing in the kitchen, she hurried to get around and catch up with him.
She was halfway through a fast shower when she realized it was not only way too early, it was way too quiet. Had the Guardian Agency worked some miracle and managed to run off the developers?
Probably not, but a girl could hope. She dressed for a day with clients—Abigail was expecting her in a few hours—and pulled her damp hair into a twist. As she applied sunscreen and lip balm, her mind drifted right back to Brayden’s mouth.
She could kiss him whenever she liked now.
That felt so wonderfully, deliciously right.
For years, she had tried to keep her longing for Brayden in check.
Guarding her heart, terrified that crossing the line from best friends to lovers would shatter the most stable relationship in her life.
Instead, now that he’d made the first move, it felt as if the final piece of her soul had clicked into place.
She walked into the kitchen and discovered a new substitute for her normal wake-up hit of caffeine: Brayden. He stood at the island, tall, broad, and commanding in an island print button-up shirt and khaki shorts. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was dressed for a day of sightseeing.
He was on the phone, dealing with something unpleasant based on his flat, hard tone. When he saw her, his dark eyes instantly softened, a flash of deep, protective tenderness passing over his features before his professional mask slid back into place.
A sudden chill of apprehension chased away the lingering warmth of her dreams and trumped her thoughts of anything beyond the immediate situation. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she tried not to listen to his end of the conversation.
“Understood,” Brayden said, his back to her. “We’ll be ready. Thanks for keeping me in the loop. I’ll check in once the dust settles.” He swiped the screen to end the call and set the phone on the counter.
“Good morning?” Veronica asked. “Did you get any sleep at all?”
“I did.” Walking over, he brushed a kiss to her cheek. “A few hot dreams,” he teased.
She gave in, winding her arms around his neck and indulging her desires. Nothing had changed. Kissing Brayden remained a decidedly incomparable experience. Addictive really, but leaning into his strength, she could feel the hum of tension under his skin. Something was going down.
Whatever it was, she trusted him to be with her, guiding or helping her through this bizarre situation.
“I wanted to let you sleep a little longer,” he murmured against her skin. “I wanted a lot of things this morning. Unfortunately, our timeline just got cut to zero.”
He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers, grave and intensely focused. “Roni, I need you to listen to me very carefully. When you and your sisters were planning, I checked the property, remember?”
She nodded.
“I found signs that someone has been poking around the garden shed. Before we got the extra cameras up,” he explained. “I’ve been watching the area closely since I noticed the issue.”
Veronica frowned. “The shed?” They had a water valve there too. “Did they start a leak?” Her mind was racing through an inventory of the items stored there and the potential damage.
“Worse.” That muscle in his jaw jumped. “Someone planted something on the property. I found a heavy-duty crate, covered with a tarp, hidden behind the stack of wicker chairs in the back corner. Inside the crate were cases of ECMs, the electronic control modules for the big machinery used next door. Along with their diagnostic programming tablets.”
Veronica stared at him, her mind struggling to process the information. “Control modules? From the construction site? Is that why it’s so quiet today?”
“Yes,” Brayden replied, tersely. “But things were still operational when I stumbled across the drag marks that led me to the crate.”
“You think they plan to blame me?” She was floored. “I wouldn’t know how to begin to do something like that.”
“It’s a textbook frame-job, Roni. Someone will claim you learned how to do it online.” Ignoring her scoffing, he continued. “Their first offer was declined. The nuisances and surveyor stuff isn’t moving y’all fast enough. Whoever is calling the shots is getting impatient.
“That was Patrick Gamble on the phone,” he continued.
“You know the research team has been digging into this mess with Indigo Reef. They learned that a search warrant was issued following a statement that a witness saw you sneaking off the property with the case last night.” Her hands were blocks of ice and she pulled them from his warm grasp.
“This would be a felony. The ECMs are expensive. They’re likely to pile on charges and try to tie up the Hideaway in a lengthy legal battle. ”
Veronica’s breath hitched. The ice in her hands spread and a cold, suffocating panic clawed at her throat. This couldn’t be happening. Why create such a fabrication? Who had dreamed up this deliberate, malicious attempt to destroy her life?
“They’ve already called the police?” She didn’t recognize her trembling voice.
“Yes,” Brayden confirmed. “Gamble and Swann will go on record as your attorneys—”
“Oh my god,” Veronica gasped, her eyes darting to the slider. “We have to move that crate. We have to hide it. Return it—”
“Take a breath,” he murmured. “Look at me, Roni. Breathe with me.”
She tried. Failed. Tried again. “We can’t just sit here, Brayden.”
He held her, caressing her shoulders. “We aren’t. You’re covered. Protected, I promise. Things are in process behind the scenes to safeguard you, your sisters, and the Hideaway. We have to deal with the warrant as politely as possible, that’s all. Remember where we were last night?”
“On the beach,” she murmured. “Together. Watching the stars.”
“That’s right. We were together. Only I was out there alone—”
“No. You can’t take the fall for this,” she protested.
His smile was a cold, sharp slash in his handsome face.
“I won’t. We will provide security logs, thanks to the system showing when we went out and when each of us returned.
Plus, the camera feeds show both of us and match the security logs.
They won’t succeed in pinning this on you today.
It’s just going to be unpleasant until the tide turns on them. ”
“Okay.” She met his gaze and realized this was likely connected to what he couldn’t talk about before. “I trust you.” He’d never let her down. Not once since the day they’d met. “I’d be lost trying to figure out this mess without you.”
This mess, life, or most anything else. Brayden made everything easier.
“You’ll never be without me.”
It sounded suspiciously like a vow. “Thanks,” she whispered, overcome. “I’d still like to move the stuff.”
He gave a raspy laugh, his fingers gently massaging her shoulders.
“If we’re caught moving stolen property, we play right into their hands.
If we’re stopped by law enforcement with fifty thousand dollars of stolen construction components, we’re both done.
And if we just hide them elsewhere on the property, they’ll be found eventually.
Your job when they arrive is to be polite.
That’s it. You had nothing to do with it and that will be clear soon enough. Stay tough.”
She nodded as his phone chimed with a security system alert. “You’ll give me the whole story when you can?”
“Absolutely.” Another slow, dangerous smile spread across Brayden’s face. A predator watching his prey step directly into the trap.
The normal quiet serenity of the Hideaway seemed ominous, now that she realized it was about to be used against her. She had one job, to be polite. She could manage that, especially with Brayden at her side.
She watched with him as two police cars arrived. One blocked in Brayden’s truck, the other stayed out front on the street. Both cars had their emergency lights swirling, but the sirens were off. Thankfully.
A third car, black and glossy, parked across the street. She had the sinking feeling the folks in that car were watching and waiting for her imminent demise. She probably should’ve called to warn her sisters about the rumors about to burn up the local gossip grapevine.
Brayden’s razor-sharp smile vanished. He might be in civilian clothing, but his posture radiated defensive mode. He pulled her up off the counter stool. “Here we go. They think they’ve caught us completely off guard.”
“Be polite,” Veronica murmured to herself, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Brayden kept her panic at bay, made it easier to tap into her cool resolve.
She was Veronica Hargrave. She was a professional, a business owner, the perpetual peacekeeper, and she wouldn’t let these developers tear her down.