Chapter 3
Blake paused at the end of the walkway, almost to where it met the front stairs, and raised a brow. “Is there any reason you felt you needed to yank on your front door ten times to make sure it was secure, tigress?” she asked casually, putting her hands on her lean hips.
Recovering quickly, Brooke snarked, “Don’t be as ass, Seibert.” Her gray eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry about my door. What are you doing here?”
“Well, you see, baby, things aren’t adding up with you lately.” Blake moved closer, causing Brooke to stiffen. “If you think you’re flying under the radar or that no one has noticed you’re acting weird, you’re fooling yourself. APS has noticed. Your girls have noticed. I’ve noticed.
“And,” she continued, cutting Brooke off as she opened her mouth, “if you think you’re going to hand me a line of bullshit about only being aggravated because of your current project, you’re going to find yourself over my knee with that pretty little ass in the air before you know it.
” Brooke’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, her eyes growing huge before they narrowed.
“I’m not playing with you, Brooke. Something’s very wrong, and I want to know what it is. ”
Her temper getting the better of her, Brooke exploded.
“Are you fucking serious right now?” She marched down the stairs until she was in front of Blake, jabbing her forefinger into the APS team lead’s chest. “Nothing’s wrong!
Even if I do have something going on, it’s no concern of yours! Nor that of APS!”
Holding Brooke by her shoulders, Blake growled, “What about your girls? You don’t give a shit they’re worried sick about you, just like the rest of us are?
” Brooke froze. “Jaime says Alyssa is beside herself, trying to figure out what the fuck is up with you. So is Nova, according to Trill. Kelly, Piper, and Sabine are ready to beat someone’s ass.
Friends do not let friends worry like this, Brooke.
” She wrapped her arms around Brooke tightly.
“Especially when they care about them as much as we do you.”
Unable to help the tears that sprang to her eyes, her anger gone, Brooke stammered, “Even—even if I told you, this isn’t something th-that APS or my girls can help with.
What I’m dealing with is far outside the scope of anything APS handles.
And the girls couldn’t do a thing.” She sniffled.
“Besides, I don’t want them anywhere near this situation, particularly since they could get hurt.
” Her face blanched as the words fell out of her mouth, clearly realizing immediately that what she’d said was a mistake.
Blake’s sunlit green eyes grew dark. “Are you in danger, tigress?” she asked calmly, holding the suddenly subdued femme closer. Brooke gulped.
“I don’t—I don’t think so, not at the moment at least. But…
I wasn’t lying when I told you this was something APS couldn’t help me with, Blake.
It has absolutely nothing to do with protection and security for women, and that’s what you need to keep focusing on.
You can’t be wasting your time and resources on—” Brooke stopped, her jaws snapping together.
Bending forward, Blake rested her forehead against Brooke’s.
“You have me scared to death, baby,” she said softly.
Brooke closed her eyes, tears slipping out from between her lashes.
“I want to go back into your apartment so you can pack a bag.” Her eyes flying open, the startled femme drew in a deep breath.
“We can send some associates to get your art shit and anything else you might need in the next week or so. Lys can come over with Jaime to tell them what to bring. You’re coming home with me. ”
She put her finger over Brooke’s mouth and shushed her.
“You don’t feel safe here, tigress. I saw that the minute I watched you shake your front door the way you did to make sure it was secure.
That is not acceptable to me…but one thing at a time.
For right now, you’re going to pack some clothes and whatever else you think you’ll need for the next week or two, then I’m taking you out to lunch.
In the meantime, one of my people can bring your car to the APS complex, and I’ll get you a remote for access.
“And then, my tigress, you are going to tell me just what the fuck has been going on, from start to finish. What have you been hiding from everyone, why are you so worried these days, why don’t you think APS can help you…
and whose goddamn ass do I have to kick for putting you in this state in the first place? ”
?ω?ω?ω?
Brooke held Blake’s hand as the head of Utopia led her to the larger of the two conference rooms inside the massive APS headquarters complex.
Over lunch, Brooke had come completely clean about the embezzlement fiasco that had her buried up to her earlobes.
“The whole entire clusterfuck is why I’ve been so standoffish with everyone,” she had admitted to Blake as they were eating.
“These aren’t nice guys, Blake. Of course I’m pissed they are putting my reputation and the good standing of my business in jeopardy by what they’re doing.
“But to take advantage of a man whose wife has been battling breast cancer, to exploit him by using his inattention and distraction to rob him blind? The fuck those pieces of shit ballsacs are hurting that man on my watch.” Brooke’s gray eyes had flamed.
“Eugene’s wife is cancer-free now, thank God, but I still can’t believe there are people out there who would take advantage of someone’s misfortune like this. It’s sick.”
“We see it every day at APS, baby.” Blake had speared a piece of broiled fish and ate it.
After swallowing, she’d pierced Brooke with her penetrating green gaze.
“Now, we’re going to talk about why you didn’t come to me about any of this in the first place.
” After Brooke had told Blake about why she had been so reticent about coming to them, the Utopia head had immediately texted the rest of the management team, telling them to meet her in Conference Room A in one hour.
Now, as they entered the conference room, Brooke was surprised to see every single one of the APS management team there, including Kelly and Piper.
To her astonishment, Kelly smacked the side of Brooke’s head lightly before pulling her into a tight hug.
“The next time you pull this bullshit, sister, I’ll do more than tap you upside the head,” the redhead glowered.
“You don’t keep secrets like this from your girls.
Ever. You’ve had us scared shitless, homeslice. ”
After Brooke had hugged everyone else, Blake seated her, then handed her a bottle of cold water.
When everyone else was settled in their chairs, Blake began.
“To Brooke’s credit, she wasn’t keeping secrets from us for any reason other than that her situation has nothing to do with the protection and security business.
Because of that, she didn’t feel right taking any time or attention away from our charter.
“She now knows,” Blake arched a pointed brow at Brooke, who actually blushed, “that we could give a shit less if a problem has to do with our charter when one of our friends needs help. At the very least, we’re always here for our APS family and friends, no matter the reason.
Maybe we can help, maybe we can’t, but we can give them suggestions on avenues to explore, at a bare minimum.
However, in this particular case, I told Brooke we can definitely assist, even though we’re not talking about anything protection- or security-related.
“Baby,” Blake looked at her, “I want you to tell everyone what you told me when we were at lunch. This is not a situation I’m particularly happy about, although I actually do think we can provide some assistance, Trill and her crew especially.
” Trill cocked her head to the side, even more interested.
Riley added her own pointed stare. “The management team has known you practically all our lives, little sis. Tell me something: did Lulu Emerson have anything to do with the craft brewery industry when you put your ass on the line to help Casey and Sabine keep her safe?” Brooke shook her head no.
With an equally direct look, Jaime said, “Hermana, we are family. We help each other when we need it, regardless of the reason. You should never hesitate to come to us if you have a situation you’re trying to figure out all by yourself, especially something that’s potentially dangerous.
” Her dark brown eyes glinted. “I can’t guarantee you that Alyssa isn’t going to beat your ass for hiding whatever this is from her, but why don’t you tell us what’s going on? ”
Blowing out a deep breath, Brooke grumbled, “Fine.” Once again reiterating in detail what she had told Blake at lunch, she ended with, “You need to understand… I have no proof of anything. Nothing. But I also think you know I’m not a fucking idiot.
My gut instinct is screaming that these four assholes plan to rob Cask & Canvas blind—not to mention the other three microbreweries they have ownership in—before they disappear into the night with all the assets.
“I would also bet every red cent I have that this is by far not the first time they’ve done something like this either.
Jack Webb, one of the Reflex Rebranding Group partners, told me they were fairly new to the craft microbrewery space, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t pulled the same shit in other industries.
Webb made it a point to say they have their fingers in several different pies, so Gene Wheeler is simply their latest victim in general. ”
A wave of anger hit her face. “The fact that they’re fucking over a man who could have lost his wife to breast cancer and took advantage of his inattention because he was taking care of her instead of fully minding his microbrewery has me seeing red.”