Chapter 16
“ A re you smiling?”
I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket, my narrowed eyes snapping up to see Rush leaning against my doorframe with a knowing smirk.
Pushing from his position, he shut the office door behind him, seeming to think as he did. “That’s the...I dunno, fifth time I’ve ever seen you smile?” he said, making the statement sound like a question. “On an unrelated note, I’m sure, how are things working out with the nanny? Has there been a second kiss?”
I rolled my eyes and asked, “What do you need?” as I focused on my computer, trying to figure out what I was looking at and what I’d been working on before Lainey had texted me with a video of Kaia crawling.
Because it hadn’t been Kaia’s excited screech or giggles, or even the fact that she was crawling, that had me playing the video again and again. It’d been Lainey’s soft, adoring laughter as she’d gently encouraged Kaia to crawl to her. It’d been the light in her eyes and that bright smile I couldn’t get enough of when she’d flipped the camera around so it’d been on her. The way she’d playfully whispered, “No stopping her now,” before ending the video.
Because that dangerous girl was all I could think about, and she was dating someone who hurt her.
Over the weekend, I’d tried telling myself my attraction to her had been the product of finding the girl I’d thought about for so long in the middle of an emotionally stressful week. Even still, I’d found myself staring at all the additions to my living room, equally hating them and admiring the girl behind them. I’d bought things for her just so she would feel more comfortable at my place. I’d looked at the time far too often because days without a glimpse of her felt excruciating after months of hoping she would fall back into my life.
When she’d finally shown this morning—long after I’d started worrying something had happened to her—I’d nearly forgotten about my company and every responsibility. There’d only been her and my indescribable need to be near her...until I’d seen the red marks on her jaw.
Small and subtle but discernable enough to let me know what they were and how she’d gotten them, even before she’d flinched.
It didn’t matter how many women in abusive relationships we encountered, my anger for them never dimmed, but the rage I’d felt in that moment was unlike anything I’ve ever known. It was consuming and dark, and I’ve never wanted to give into anything so much.
So, before I could upset Lainey more, I’d forced myself to leave.
Hadn’t stopped me from casually asking for her boyfriend’s name when I’d finally made it to the office. Hadn’t stopped me from visualizing a dozen ways to make Jackson McCoy pay in the slowest, most painful ways when Ada had told me he was sure to propose any day now. Hadn’t stopped me from doing every background check on him because I had no intention of letting Lainey’s tear-streaked face, or those marks on her body, go.
“I’m sure whatever I came in here for was important,” Rush began, his tone almost goading when he added, “but your constant evasion when it comes to the nanny is?—”
“Lainey,” I said over him, correcting him.
And I knew in the way his meaningful smirk widened that I’d fallen into a trap I should’ve seen. “Yeah,” he muttered as he sank into one of the chairs, “this is much more interesting.”
“We’re not doing this, Rush. What’d you come in here for?”
“And why aren’t we?” he challenged. “I’ve never seen you like this. You were looking for her, Briggs; you can’t pretend nothing’s happening.”
“Nothing’s happening,” I confirmed. “She just sent a video of Kaia.”
“Right,” he mumbled disbelievingly. “Kaia isn’t why you’re smiling. You’ve been different since the day Lainey walked into your apartment.”
“What, five days ago? Right about the same time my brother died and a baby was dropped into my lap?” I challenged before maintaining, “There’s nothing. She’s Kaia’s nanny.” When Rush’s mouth parted with an obvious denial, I hurried to add, “Nearly every time I’ve seen her, my blood pressure has spiked because of what she’s done to mess up my apartment that day. She’s unpredictable. Even the way Lainey looks is the definition of chaotic.”
It was true. Every word. But as much as it grated on me and unleashed every memory I wanted to keep locked up, I respected the way she kept unintentionally finding ways to push me out of my comfort zone. The rest—her unpredictable personality, unruly curls, and wild eyes—were all things I was attracted to most.
Still, I’d known what using words like mess and chaotic to describe her would mean to Rush. He knew my past. And after a scrutinizing, disappointed look, he nodded and switched gears. “Our Donut closed out about ten minutes ago.”
One of my eyebrows ticked up. “Five days, Rush.”
His head dipped slowly, but he just waited.
“What took so long?”
Rush shifted in the chair in an uncharacteristic move that captured my entire attention. “Gray and Monroe found out the partner had ties.”
From the hesitance in his tone, I had a feeling I already knew what his response would be, but I still asked, “Ties to who?”
“Wrecker, Briggs. Significant ones.”
I swallowed a curse and rocked back in my chair, scuffing my fingers through the growth on my jaw as I did.
To anyone visiting Dallas, Wrecker was a must-visit upscale restaurant and lounge. To dirty politicians, law enforcement, and the like, it was a money-laundering front for the mafia family of the same name.
We only knew because their underboss let us live after an encounter with them.
During a break after our first deployment, I’d gone to Rush’s, needing to vent. I’d had another argument with Wyatt before unleashing all my frustration on his dealer, warning him from selling to my brother again. Few hours later, I’d looked over to find Rush statue-still with a gun aimed at the back of his head.
Neither of us had moved as the underboss of the Wreckers had introduced himself and informed us of a world I’d never expected to know—informed me that the guy I’d gone after had been so much more than an ordinary street dealer.
We’d accepted the warning. They’d stopped selling to Wyatt. And ever since starting Shadow Industries, we’d been exceedingly careful whenever crossing a Wrecker because we knew there wouldn’t be a second warning.
Didn’t mean they hadn’t caught onto the work we did against them, or that they wouldn’t soon.
With a harsh sigh, I asked, “How significant?”
“His older brother’s the assassin.”
I nodded, accepting the detail, even as my mind raced. Only worrying about my team for a moment before my thoughts shifted to Lainey and Kaia. This... this was why I’d shoved Lainey away and told her to hide when Peyton had unexpectedly come up the other night. This was why I’d been so anxious the day we’d met...because I was known by Wreckers, and even though I’d saved her that day, they’d seen her with me.
“Maybe she didn’t go to the cops,” I said after a while. At Rush’s questioning hum, I clarified, “The victim. Evans asked why she hadn’t gone to the cops—maybe she never did. If he’s that high up, she would know Wrecker has some of the department on their payroll.”
“Probably.”
“How’d you resolve it?” I asked, needing to know how my team had gotten the victim away from her partner and hating even more that Rush had kept me from the case. “And why are you already here? You said it only closed out ten minutes ago.”
“I handled it,” he said firmly, a look of offense crossing his face at the doubt and concern lining my words. “And I handled it the same way you would’ve—the same way you have when dealing with Wrecker cases.”
I tipped my chin in both acceptance and prompting for him to go on.
“Soon as Gray and Monroe brought me the information, I called that company we’ve used a few times in North Carolina—ARCK. Told them we had a mafia wife that needed relocating.”
“When did they arrive?”
“Late last night.” He lifted one of his eyebrows meaningfully when he added, “It closed out ten minutes ago because that’s when I got the confirmation she’d been safely relocated.”
My head bobbed subtly as I fought the urge to demand for Rush’s tablet so I could read through his notes before he destroyed them since this was now a Wrecker case. I trusted Rush with my life and my company—I knew he’d done everything the same as I would’ve. I just hated not knowing every detail to make sure nothing had been missed.
“Which of the ARCK people showed to relocate her?” I asked.
“That guy who scares you.”
The beginnings of a smirk edged at the corner of my mouth as I slanted Rush with a look. “He scares everyone,” I defended. “And I’m still not convinced they’re all that different from the Wreckers.”
“We still use them,” Rush reminded me pointedly.
“Not gonna fault them for their blood or old lives when they choose to save people the same way we do.” I shrugged. “Especially when they can do it better than us.”
Feigned shock stole across Rush’s face. “Can I quote you on that?”
“Shut up, man.”
His chest pitched with a muted laugh. “Before you ask, I have the rest of the team following the partner for another week.”
“Let me?—”
“You’re still out.”
An edgy laugh crept up my throat and ended with a frustrated sigh. “My company, Rush.”
“Shouldn’t have made me lead.”
“See if I ever make you lead again after this,” I challenged darkly.
“You will,” he said undoubtedly and without a hint of arrogance. “Because you know and trust me, just as you know I made the right call on keeping you out.”
“Maybe last week,” I admitted reluctantly. “Now? I need to be pulling my weight, giving the rest of my team breaks on a case they’ve been working nonstop.”
“Nothing’s changed for you in the last five days,” he began as he stood, a grin slowly stealing across his face as he backed up toward the door. “Except that you were smiling because of the nanny.”
“Rush—”
“Heard what you said about her.” He lifted a shoulder as he clicked open the door. “I’ll believe it when you do.”
I sat there, unable to respond as he slipped out of my office and shut the door behind him. Because he was right...I hadn’t once lied in what I’d said about Lainey, but I’d clearly twisted the truth. And even though I hadn’t fooled Rush, there was a pit in my stomach for even trying.
I demanded honesty from everyone in my life because that’s what I’d always given everyone.
Except then.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I hesitated when I saw the screen was still unlocked and opened to Lainey’s messages. But instead of playing the video again, I tapped on the screen until I was in the thread with Rush and sent off a message.
She’s someone I need to talk myself out of for so many reasons. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Seconds passed before Rush responded, forcing my eyes to roll as I hurriedly tapped out another message to him.
Cameron Rush
Can’t think of one reason why you have to.
Still my employee. And Ada just told me her boyfriend is proposing soon.
Cameron Rush
Ah.
That changes things then.
I stared at the text as flashes of this morning assaulted me, bringing back all that fury in an instant.
She showed up last week and this morning with bruises from him...
I watched the screen, waiting for the little dots to appear. But just as I started setting my phone on my desk, my door was thrown open as Rush stormed back in and demanded, “Where does he live?”