33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
B rooke had spent the whole morning training her new employees in preparation for the big opening tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to start working in the shop and café. Nervous butterflies swarmed in her belly.
What if no one came?
What if she failed?
What if she had to close?
Those were the same questions she’d asked Cody this morning over breakfast—which she could barely eat—when he’d tugged her out of her chair and into his lap and told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to be a rousing success. He assured her she had nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be amazing, because she’d planned and executed everything to ensure success.
She loved him so much for being so supportive and one of her biggest cheerleaders. Her mom had also been right there to echo Cody’s thoughts.
She was so lucky to have them.
And since she hadn’t eaten very much of her breakfast, she’d left her mom in the café overseeing the final prep for tomorrow’s grand opening and headed out to grab some lunch.
She loved the downtown area but not the traffic. Even at this hour, just as the time was nearing the end of lunch for most, who’d head back to their nearby offices, the car and pedestrian traffic was rather busy.
She hit the end of the street and stood with a group of others waiting for the light to turn green so she could cross the street and meet Cody at the pizza place on the corner. They would check it out before she made her offer next month.
Cars were whizzing by as she stood shoulder to shoulder with about six other people. Just as the light turned yellow for the cars driving past them, Brooke felt a hand slam into her back, sending her into the street. A minivan came barreling at her as her feet hit the pavement and she fell forward.
Tires screeched. People gasped.
Someone yelled her name, though it seemed to echo.
Her right hand hit the pavement first. The brace still on her arm took most of the hit. She held her left hand up toward the car skidding toward her and her palm connected to the hot grill. Her knees hit the ground just before the force of the car pushing on her hand shoved her back. She landed on her hip and side and slid a couple feet.
Suddenly, everything stopped and she crumpled to the ground, her heart pounding as she heaved for breath.
Then it seemed like chaos with so many bystanders asking if she was all right.
The driver rushed out of the car and squatted next to her. “I’m a nurse. Don’t move. Stay still until we assess your injuries.” She ran a shaking hand through her long brown hair. “I didn’t think I could make the yellow, so I started slowing down. Thank God. But then you jumped out in front of me and I slammed on the breaks.”
Brooke locked eyes with the nurse. “Someone pushed me.”
“What?” Cody suddenly appeared next to her.
She nearly smiled with relief, but caught a face in the crowd of bystanders on the sidewalk she’d just been pushed from. Her gaze locked on the monster who starred in all her nightmares. “Adam.” His name barely came out a whisper.
From one blink to the next, he was gone.
She searched the crowd with her gaze, but it was like he’d never even been there.
Cody cupped her cheek. “Brooke, baby, are you okay?”
She grabbed Cody’s shirt and shook him. “Did you see him?”
“Who?” He pulled her hand from him and stared at it. “You’re bleeding. What else hurts?”
Nothing hurt. She couldn’t feel anything but the cold, paralyzing fear. “Did you see him? Did you see Adam?”
Cody’s gaze followed hers to the crowd, then they stared at each other. “Baby, he’s locked up. You were in a car accident. You fell in front of a car and nearly got killed. I saw it from the window of the pizzeria.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t fall. I was pushed from behind.”
“What?” Cody’s eyes filled with fury. “Who the fuck would do something like that?”
She grabbed his shirt again, smearing more blood on it. “Adam.”
Cody shook his head. “It can’t be him.”
She pleaded with her eyes. “I saw him.”
He shook his head and brushed her hair behind her ear. “It was just your imagination. You’re scared. I get it.”
“I saw him.”
Cody scooted closer and put his leg under her head. “Okay. I hear you. Be still, baby. Did you hit your head? What hurts?”
“My hand. Maybe my knees and hip.” With the adrenaline still running along with her fear, it was hard to tell.
A police car pulled up and two officers took over the scene, ordering bystanders to be on their way after they got their statements. The driver was distraught but consistent with her story that it appeared Brooke had stepped into the road.
Cody held her hand as a paramedic checked her out. The worst she’d suffered was scrapes on her palm, ripped pants, bruised and scraped knees, and maybe a few bumps and bruises on her hip and thigh from when she landed and skidded.
After Cody gave his statement to the cop, it was her turn, and it was obvious Cody had told the cop what she’d said about Adam and that Adam was locked up because the cop’s first question to her was, “At the time of the accident, did you have any thoughts of harming yourself?”
Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked up at Cody. “You don’t believe me?”
He squatted down next to her as she sat on the curb. “Sweetheart, I love you. I will always have your back. No matter what. But what you say you saw can’t be true. And if you were having some sort of waking nightmare or something, I could understand that.”
“Someone pushed me.” The cop and Cody both stared at her with pity in their eyes. “Why would I want to harm myself now? I’m about to open my stores. You know I’ve been excited about it for days.” She held up her left hand, showing off her ring. “I’m going to marry you. Do you think there is anything I want more than that? Because there isn’t. I’m not suicidal. I’m as happy as I can be. I’m looking forward to my life with you . I don’t want to end things. I’m anxious for our dreams to start right now.”
Cody brushed his hand over her hair and kissed her on the forehead. “You scared me half to death. I thought I lost you there for a second and my heart stopped. My mind is just…stuck on that.”
She couldn’t blame him for that. “I would never do that to you, Cody. Ever. I swear it.”
“Promise me you’ll call your therapist immediately and talk to him about this. I need to know that you’re okay.”
“I will. I’ll call him once this is cleared up.”
“Promise.
“I promise, Cody, but I need you to listen to me.” She hooked her hand at the back of his neck and looked him dead in the eye. “He. Was. Here.”
Cody stared at her for one long moment, then turned to the cop. “Can you pull any video from this corner to see what happened? If someone pushed her, that’s…a crime.” It was like Cody couldn’t bring himself to admit that someone tried to kill her. Again.
“It’ll take some time, but yes, we’ll check out her story.” The cop went off to talk to his partner.
Cody squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure this out.”
The paramedic finished cleaning her scrapes and bandaging her knees. “You’re all set, Miss Banks. Are you sure you don’t want to get checked out at the hospital?”
“I’m sure. But thank you for taking care of me.” She signed the forms he held out to her and gave her a copy.
Cody took them and stuffed them in her purse, which he must have pulled out of the street because she didn’t remember dropping it or whatever during the accident. “I’m taking you home.”
“I still have some things to do at the café before tomorrow.”
Cody clenched his jaw so tight the muscle along his jaw twitched. “Fine. I’ll take you back there, where your mother can tell you you need to go home and rest.”
She stood and dusted off her pants with her left hand, then walked right into Cody’s chest. His arms immediately wrapped around her and held her close, without crushing her, probably because he was afraid of hurting her. “I’m fine. Just some scrapes and bruises.”
“Not if someone tried to kill you,” he bit out.
“It was Adam.”
“He’s going to be sorry he ever touched you.” Cody pulled back and stared at her. “Can you make it down the street to your shop? I can grab my car and drive you.”
“I’ll walk. I feel like if I stay still, everything will seize up.”
Cody growled under his breath.
She patted his chest. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not. Let’s go.” He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her down the street. Several people asked if she was okay as they passed. She assured everyone she was fine, but that only made Cody’s body tense even more.
They walked into the café and Susanne grinned at both of them before her smile fell with one look at Cody and then the rips in Brooke’s pants. “What happened?” she asked as she came around the counter.
“Brooke nearly got run over by a car.”
“What?” Her mother dropped into the seat next to where Cody deposited her in a chair at one of the café tables.
Brooke took her mom’s hand. “I was standing at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change when someone pushed me into the street and oncoming traffic. Luckily, the driver was able to stop before she hit me.”
Cody scoffed, his eyes narrowed. “She did hit you. But it could have been a hell of a lot worse.”
“Who would do such a thing?” Her mom stared at her with shocked eyes and the same panic Cody still bore, that she’d almost lost Brooke again.
Cody fell into the chair next to her and took her hand, pulling it up to his mouth so he could kiss her palm. “Brooke saw Adam there.”
“What?” Susanne gasped. “No. That’s not possible. He’s supposed to be locked up.”
Cody pulled out his phone and hit one of his frequent contacts. “Doug. You’ve been in touch with the psychiatric facility. I need you to verify that Adam is still on lockdown. Someone just tried to kill Brooke. She’s okay. No major injuries, but she swears she saw Adam at the scene.” Cody listened for a moment, then said, “Thanks.” He hung up. “We’ll know for sure in a minute.”
Susanne stood. “I’ll make you something. Coffee? Tea? How about a hot chocolate?”
“I’ll take the hot chocolate.” She didn’t really want it, but it would give her mom something to do.
“Coffee, Cody?”
“Sure.” He gave her hand a gentle tug. It didn’t take much to get her to rise and slide into his lap. He wrapped her up close in his strong arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I’m sorry it took me a minute to believe you saw Adam. I don’t want it to be true.”
“I know. It’s the last thing I want, too. I can’t live with him out there stalking me. Not again, Cody.” She shook her head and squeezed him tighter.
Cody kissed her forehead. “I’ll protect you. I can’t lose you again.”
She leaned into him. “Never going to happen.”
His phone rang and Cody answered, putting it on speaker. “Tell me he’s there.”
“Funny thing. Last time I spoke to the director, they confirmed he was there immediately. Today I was told Governor Harris has rescinded my authorization. They won’t give out patient information to me anymore.”
“Fuck.” Cody raked his fingers through his hair. “He could have done that after Brooke signed the NDA.”
“Or he did it to conceal the fact that Adam is out.”
“But we don’t know that for sure. That would mean that Brooke could go to the cops.”
“What good would that do if the governor gets Adam out of the country?”
“Fuck.” Cody slammed his hand on the table.
“After I called the facility, I tried the governor. He’s not answering. Maybe he’s busy. I don’t know. But if I were you, I’d keep a close eye on Brooke. Cancel the store opening.”
“No!” Brooke shook her head. “I’m not letting him ruin this for me. He took her. He’s not taking this, too.”
Cody’s arm tightened around her. “Brooke.”
She stared hard at him. “No. I’m opening my stores. There will be a ton of people here. People we know. He won’t get to me. We’ll talk about what happens after the opening if he’s not caught.” Because she had to believe that if Adam was out, the governor would get him back, or at least warn her.
Cody sighed. “I’ll agree to the opening, but after, you’ll have to let your employees take care of things until we know for sure what’s happened with Adam.”
“I’ll see you two at the grand opening tomorrow,” Doug said.
“The more eyes on her, the better. Thanks, Doug. As you can imagine, I’ll be working the rest of the day from home with Brooke.”
“Not a problem. I’ve got you covered. I’ve got some contacts at the PD. I’ll make some calls about the accident and see what they have to say.”
“Thanks. Appreciate it.”
“Partners, remember. Take care.” Doug hung up.
Susanne arrived with Brooke’s hot chocolate and Cody’s coffee. “What does this mean? Is he after her again?”
“If he is, he’s not going to live long enough to regret it.” Cody looked Brooke dead in the eye. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe and happy.”
She turned fully in his lap, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him close. “I love you.”
“I love you more than anything. I will do anything and everything to protect you.”
Susanne brushed her hand over Cody’s head and smiled at Brooke. “Seeing you two together makes me so happy. I wish Harland was here to see it, too.”
“He knows,” Brooke said. “Before he passed, he told me, ‘keep loving Cody hard.’ And I did. I always will.”
Cody’s eyes met hers. “He said that?”
She nodded. “I think maybe he knew I’d never let you go.” She took a sip of her hot chocolate, getting a milk mustache from it.
Cody hooked his hand at the back of her neck and drew her in for a kiss, where he licked off the sweet treat and melted her panties.
The man knew how to kiss.
Then he stood, effectively scootching her right off his lap. “Susanne, if you’ll excuse us, I’m taking my fiancée home and putting her in a hot bath after her ordeal today.”
Cody walked out of the bathroom and found Brooke finishing her call with Dr. Wick. She put the phone on speaker. “Can you please tell Cody that I am of sound mind and not having any self-harm thoughts?”
“Hey, Cody, Brooke told me of your concerns after what happened today and I’m glad you encouraged her to reach out to me. We’ve had a really good talk and I am satisfied that while Brooke still needs to process what happened and how she reacted to seeing Adam, whether he was real or imagined, that she’s not a danger to herself or others. In fact, she seems excited about opening her shops tomorrow despite her fears that Adam could be out there trying to get to her. I hope the police will have a solid answer soon. Until then, keep supporting each other through this and talking to each other.”
Cody hugged Brooke to his side. “Thank you for reassuring me. I appreciate you taking the unscheduled call and making time for Brooke.”
“Talk to you at our next session, Brooke. You both have a good night.”
Brooke hung up and sniffed the air. “Do I smell vanilla?”
“Come with me. Your bubble bath awaits.” They were in his room because he had a freestanding bathtub big enough for two. Up until now, they’d shared Brooke’s room because she was more comfortable in her surroundings after her attack. But there was nothing he’d like more than for her to be in his bed.
Brooke started shedding her clothes on the way to the tub. “Do you have a bag to go over my brace?”
“Everything is ready.”
They stepped into the bathroom together. She discarded the rest of her clothes and stood naked before him and the full-length mirror as she twisted her dark hair up into a floppy bun. He stood in just his boxer briefs behind her, mesmerized by her gorgeous body reflected in the mirror. The scars were mere pink lines. Badges of her strength, ability to fight, and her survival. They didn’t detract from her beauty; they made her magnificent.
His warrior.
Even now, she stood proud and defiant against Adam. She wouldn’t let him scare her away from accomplishing her goals. She’d fight. And she’d keep on fighting until he paid for what he did.
But tonight…Cody got to hold her in his arms. Love her. Be loved by her.
She raised a brow and gave him a flirty grin. “Like what you see?”
“I love everything I see.” He slipped up behind her, nibbled kisses from the outside of her shoulder to her neck and up to behind her ear. “You are so fucking beautiful. And mine.” He bit her neck and soothed it with his tongue as he held her hips between his hands. He slid one around her hip to her mound, sliding his fingers down her slit, then back up to her clit. He used his foot to tap hers to get her to open her legs wider. She obliged, her eyes locked on his in the mirror as he stroked her soft folds, his fingers sliding deeper and deeper until he had one finger, then two thrusting into her.
She rocked against his hand and he thrust harder and deeper as she rode his fingers.
“That’s it, baby, take what you need.”
“More,” she begged.
“You want my tongue.”
“Yes. Pleeease.”
“Keep watching.” He stepped around her, shifted her so she could see him and her in the mirror, then kissed a trail down her neck, over her chest to one taut nipple, then the other, sucking it deep and licking it while he rubbed his thumb over her clit and fucked her with his fingers.
He kissed his way down her belly as he fell to his knees on the white marble floor. He nuzzled his nose over her pussy and inhaled her heady scent. “Fuck, Brooke. The things you do to me.” He pulled his fingers from her dripping channel and sucked them into his mouth. “You taste so good, baby.” He hooked her leg over his shoulder, opening her wide to him, then pressed his face into her heat and licked her slit, diving his tongue deep.
Her fingers slid through his hair as she held him to her. “Oh my god, yes.”
He worked her over good, licking her sweet pussy and nibbling her swollen clit until he knew she was close. To send her over the edge, he sucked her clit and thrust two fingers deep inside her, hooking them to hit that sweet spot that sent her right into oblivion.
Her walls clamped down on his fingers as the orgasm quaked through her.
He wrapped his arms around her hips and lifted her up before her legs gave out. He set her in the tub filled with hot water. “Sink in. Relax.”
“What about you?” She eyed his hard cock, then reached for it.
He dropped his boxers and stepped into the tub before she could wrap her fingers around him and sank down across from her. “You need to soak and relax.”
She shifted forward. “I need you.” She pushed his legs down and straddled his lap.
“Baby, are you sure?” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she was sliding down his hard shaft with a satisfied moan.
He didn’t need to worry about a pregnancy. She’d taken care of that at one of her many doctor appointments.
“That’s what I need.” She rode him slow and deep, rocking her hips against his as they kissed, their tongues sliding over each other’s the way their bodies were gliding against each other’s.
It was a slow rise to the razor’s edge, where they both kept themselves until he couldn’t take it. He reached between them and rubbed his finger over her clit in circles, setting off her orgasm as he thrust into her hard and deep, once, twice, then over that edge and into bliss he went with her.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, holding each other before he lifted her off him, helped her turn around, and she sat between his legs, her back to his chest, and they soaked away the day and languished in tranquility a little while longer.
Tomorrow they could think about the opening of the bookstore, the car accident, and Adam. Right now, they had each other.
Tomorrow Cody would go after Adam if he truly was the one who’d tried to kill Brooke.
Until then, he’d love her through the night and keep her nightmares at bay.