Chapter 10 Sutton
Sutton
I push out the last set, my bench press done, sweat running down my body, yet my mind still not exhausted. Ripping my singlet from my frame, I wipe my face before throwing it on the floor. My mind is full of one thing and one thing only. Her.
Nikki doesn’t work today, and I’ve been here in Sawyer’s gym all morning, wondering what she does on the weekends. Does she sleep in? Does she garden? Does she make a big breakfast? Does she walk to town?
“Told you he’d be in here.” My brother's voice filters in from the doorway, and I look up, seeing him walk in with Tanner and Griffin. He isn’t wrong.
Aside from my daily visits to the diner, the next place I spend most of my time is the gym.
I work out every day. Both strength and stamina.
I run for an hour, and then I lift heavy for another hour.
Usually, I also swim and steam, my body put through its paces for at least four hours a day.
I was buff before, but all this work is really getting my physique toned.
Besides, I need to work off all the chicken pies I eat at the diner.
“Boys. Come for a session?” My comment is a flyaway because none of them are dressed for the gym. Sawyer is in his signature suit, one that looks completely odd in this small town. Tanner stands tall and proud in his jeans and shirt, Griffin dressed similarly by his side.
“Are you getting your body ready for the shoots?” Tanner looks at me with a lifted eyebrow, and I flex my bicep. I’m happy that I’m in prime condition to be the face of his latest release.
“I don’t need to get ready. I’m always ready.
” It’s true. If LA has taught me anything, it’s that a healthy body is what’s constantly needed.
You never know when the next offer will land, and you never know what the role will entail, and after Nikki got mugged this week, I want my muscles ready for that takedown as well.
“I’m here going over the new accommodation build at the distillery, so thought I’d drop by to chat with you to finalize your plans and get started,” Griffin says, holding some paperwork.
He and I are new friends, having only met a few weeks ago.
As soon as I told my brother I bought a plot of land next to his, he immediately called Griffin.
“I can’t believe you’re moving here.” Sawyer shakes his head, but his smile is wide.
“Well, maybe not to live permanently, but I might base myself out of Whispers, at least for a while.” I have no idea what my future is going to be like.
I’ve lived in LA for my entire career. I have a penthouse in New York right next to Sawyer, too, as well as a house in Hawaii, a lodge in Colorado, and even have a loft in Paris.
My investment in real estate is in depth.
“Believe me, you won’t find anywhere better than Whispers.” Tanner grins, happy to have a global celebrity in his town.
“You should fund a tourism commercial,” I quip, because his love for this town is well known.
“Want to star in it?” He looks at me seriously, and I frown. I hadn’t thought about that, but it could be yet another project for me to consider.
“First the whiskey and now Whispers. God, I’m so sick of seeing your face,” my brother says as only a brother can.
I shrug, chuckling. “Better looking than yours.”
“I love a bit of sibling rivalry. Does that mean your place is going to be bigger than this one?” Griffin grins with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Known for his luxury builds, Griffin likes doing new and different things.
Which comes with people with money. He charges well, but his portfolio is detailed and seemingly endless.
“I have low skin in the game. I just need something secure, with a theater room, a pool, a gym, a few bedrooms, an office, maybe a tennis court…”
“That’s a yes, then,” Tanner cuts in, making me laugh.
“I just need the basics.”
Sawyer joins in. “Do you need a secret entrance for all your models to come and go unseen?”
I look at him sharply. Once upon a time, I may have thought about that. But now it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“No models,” I grit out, thinking about the one person I’d like to visit me and how she’s probably the last person who would.
“Alright, well, I’m also getting started on mine next week, so I’ll finalize the plans for you, and we can get it sorted quickly.
I’ll put two teams here. One on each house, making it a fast build; they can work on both sites, in tandem, around the clock.
Deliveries will be structured, cutting the usual time frame in half.
” I see Griffin mentally calculating his to-do list. This is why he’s the country’s best builder.
He works fast, has the best teams, and is always two steps ahead.
“Glad you’re gonna make a home here, even if it’s not your only one. There really is no better place to be.” Tanner’s smirk reeks of I told you so. Again, his love for this town is unmatched.
But what he says reminds me of something. “Speaking of that…” I frown as soon as I say it, wondering if I should bring this up.
“What’s going on?” Sawyer’s already on guard, obviously knowing my uneasy look.
I clear my throat. “Well, did you know that Nikki got mugged?”
Tanner’s head rears back, eyes widening in a way I haven’t seen from him. “Mugged?”
“What happened?” Sawyer asks, his tone taking on an edge, already in detective mode.
“A journalist came in the other day, and she put on a great act. It was pretty funny, actually.” I can’t help but smile, remembering her bad country accent and how the journalist believed it immediately.
“So the journalist mugged her?” Griffin needs to stick to building. I mentally note never to be his partner in a murder mystery game.
“No, I gave her a tip. A hundred. To say thanks.”
All three pairs of eyes stare right at me in silence before Tanner breaks it.
“Mighty generous,” he murmurs.
“Whatever. Anyway, some guys saw it and followed her when her shift ended. They jumped her and James at the back of the diner on their way home.”
“What the hell?” Tanner is ropeable, nearly barking his outrage.
“What did the sheriff say?” Griffin frowns.
My lips purse, knowing this won’t go over well. “That’s the thing… No sheriff.”
“No sheriff?” he pushes.
“Yeah, Nikki keeps to herself,” I add, looking at Griffin, and I see the moment it registers.
“She has secrets,” Tanner says with a pinched expression, rubbing his chin like he’s coming up with a plan.
“Have you had anything like this happen around town before?” I ask him.
“No. No petty crime. Sure, the local kids can be a bit troublesome at times, but they’re all usually okay and certainly wouldn’t hurt someone deliberately like that.”
My brother looks concerned. “Is Nikki alright?”
“Yeah. I drove her home last night. I didn’t want her walking.” I swallow the fury building inside me, hating that she won’t feel safe now. Glancing at the bench, I wonder if I can push out a few more, needing to expel this frustration from my body.
“You drove her home?” Sawyer confirms.
I nod mindlessly. “Yeah. Did you know she walks over three miles per day?”
“She’s up the back of town, in the middle of the pines, isn’t she?” Of course Tanner would know.
I nearly shiver. “In the middle of the fucking serial killer forest, you mean? The ones so dense, I don’t think you would hear anyone scream?”
He raises an eyebrow at me.
“Slightly dramatic, but yes, those would be the ones.”
“She’s an adult, Sutton. She chose to live there.” My brother, as usual, tries to be the voice of reason.
“Yeaaaah, I’m not sure it was a choice.”
“Me neither,” Tanner agrees, and we have a silent conversation with our eyes.
He’s just as worried as I am. But his perspective is ensuring everyone in his town is safe and happy. Me, I just want Nikki to be safe and happy. Maybe even safe and happy with me.
“We’ll keep an eye out. I’ll tell Connor and Hudson too. I assume Rochelle knows, which means the sheriff will find out?” Tanner adds, and I feel somewhat better that others now know and will be on the lookout in case it happens to anyone else.
“Yeah, I guess.” I should ask Nikki, but I don't want to push her. But if I saw her face, then so did Rochelle and she’s a smart woman. She would know something isn’t right.
“Let’s go for a walk, check out the site, and talk more about what you want.
Sounds like security needs to be a priority for you.
These two assholes can stay here and talk business.
” Griffin nods to Sawyer and Tanner, who are already talking about Gertie’s Soaps, the small brand that has just exploded, all thanks to a strategic business deal from Sawyer and some perfectly timed celebrity endorsement from me on my social media.
At the thought of social media, I grab my cell from where I left it on the floor near my towel and internally curse when I see a message from Nikki. Shit, I missed it. But I grin. She sent me a text, with an image of my face on some magazines.
Even the library has you all over their shelves.
I’m a literary genius.
I’m quick with my response. Keeping it light, fun, hoping to make her smile. I also like knowing more about her, that she goes to the library on her days off.
They say you’re in the Maldives with a model.
Just goes to show you can’t believe a word they’re saying.
If they only knew you hang out at a small-town diner all day.
I like the scenery there better.
So do I…
She sends an image with the last text, one of the Whispers landscape. The scenery is amazing on the back roads that lead to her place. But while the landscape is beautiful, there’s something else that catches my eye.
You got bikes?
Toy store was giving them away. We saw a notice on the community noticeboard. James loves it.
She’s fucking resourceful, and while I prefer she has a car, bikes are better than nothing.
“Ahhhh, Sutton?” Griffin prods, and I look up from my phone, seeing the three men staring at me. My wide grin falters a little, as they have that “gotcha” smirk on their faces.
“Alright, let’s go.” Reluctantly, I pocket my cell. Probably better, since she needs to concentrate on the road anyway.
“I also want a library,” I tell Griffin as we start to walk out of the gym and make our way over to the vacant plot of land next door. “A big one.”
He chuckles. “Of course you do.”
“You don’t even fucking read!” Sawyer yells from behind me, and I hear Tanner laugh in response.
Yeah, life in Whispers is feeling better and better with every passing minute.
It kind of makes me want to stay more permanently.