Chapter 4
Dax
Months ago
“Cousin Hazel gets really angry when I bring you into her kitchen,” I say to Finch.
She whimpers. “It’s not that she doesn’t love you, but she doesn’t think her restaurant is the place for a dog.
” I rub behind her ears. “But you’re much more than that, aren’t you?
You’re my baby.” I let her lick my hand, grateful that Hazel can’t see it.
I love my cousin, but she’s a stickler and will tell me to get lost if she smells the dog on me.
“How about a walk in the parking lot, and then you can sit here and wait for me for a bit? Don’t bark at people like you did last time I brought you here.
When you do, you contribute to the stigma about Dobermans, but we know the truth, don’t we?
” Finch barks and licks my hand. “You’re just a little sweetheart. ”
I let her out of the car, but don’t put her on the leash. She hates the small Civic I drive when I’m in town. I do too. I much prefer one of my sports cars or a luxury SUV, but either would be too flashy when I’m trying to blend in.
Shadow Cove is the perfect place for me to live in plain sight. Despite living in one of their neighboring towns, I’m here frequently. Moreso recently. I let Finch off the leash. She’s well-trained and won’t hurt anyone, despite the Doberman's looks and size.
The parking lot is full, but quiet. I spot my associate, Rip, holding the hand of his girlfriend, and I shake my head at the sight.
I still don’t understand how that mean motherfucker went after the sheriff’s daughter.
Not only did he get her, but he’s making it work, and they’re both happy.
That mean asshole has never been happy before, but he is now, and I wish him well.
Hell, I wish I had some of that kind of happiness for myself.
Our line of business can be lonely, and part of the reason I picked him and let him into my inner circle was that he is comfortable and prefers being a loner.
That, and he has no vices. He doesn't drink, do drugs, or chase women. He’s big, fearless, and can kick anyone’s ass.
He doesn’t start trouble or look for it, but if you bring it to him, he handles it.
All of those things are still true. All that’s changed is that he’s in a relationship now.
I hear a high-pitched scream, followed by a loud, irritating cackle as I walk through the parking lot.
Then, a woman runs in my direction with my dog on her heels.
She sees me, looks back, and jumps into my arms, barely giving me time to catch her.
We almost fall, but I wrap my arms around her while she climbs up my body and screams loud enough to perforate my eardrum.
“He’s going to eat me,” the beautiful woman in my arms yells. Once she’s situated in my arms, I notice how nice she feels against my body.
“Shhh,” I coo. “It’s okay. Finch won’t hurt you.
She’s just a baby.” I whistle at the dog, but she’s rambunctious today.
She gets on her hind legs and nips at the woman’s pants, sending her into another screaming frenzy.
“You’re going to make me go deaf, Bella.
” From the corner of my eye, I see Rip roll his eyes.
“Calm down.” I use my most soothing voice. “Look at me.”
The most beautiful pair of light brown eyes locks with mine.
And the eyes are the least of them. Just inches from mine are a pair of gorgeous, plump lips.
She has an adorable cleft in her chin, and it takes some willpower for me not to kiss her.
A splattering of freckles spread across her high cheekbones.
They don’t look like they belong on her.
Her skin is too rich for freckles, but they’re perfect on her.
Those full, kissable lips part, and she exhales a breath.
Her chest moves, and I break our stare to look down and wonder how in the world this perfect angel managed to run into my arms.
“Get it away,” she yells while she tries to climb on me. Finch jumps and tries to nip at her pant leg.
“Down, Finch,” I order, but she won’t listen. The beauty climbs higher.
“If you want to sit on my face, we’ll have to go somewhere private. I don’t want anyone else to see.”
She’s tall. I can feel her long legs wrapped around me. She feels strong. My hands press onto her back, pushing her closer to me.
“Put me down,” she orders.
“Do I have to? This is the best thing to happen to me in a long time.” She doesn’t reply, but her eyes don’t leave mine.
“What’s your name, Bella?” Our eyes resume their dance.
“Cori Lamb,” she says in the most musical voice. I already knew her name. I know who she is. I’ve seen her before, but I’ve never paid attention. I was a fool.
“Now, tell me why you’re scared of dogs.”
“On my first day of kindergarten, my mom was walking me to school, and a dog barked at me.” Her voice sounds like raw honey.
“Barked at you? Have you had therapy?” I do everything in my power not to laugh at her.
“I was late for my first day of school.” It’s like we’re both in a trance while we stare at each other.
“Yeah, because she pissed her pants, and my aunt had to take her back home so she could change. We laugh about it at every family function still.” Her loud, annoying companion snorts and giggles at the memory, but she doesn’t seem phased by Finch, who now rests its head on her stomach while she rubs behind its ears.
“Shut up, Selene.” Ah, yes. Selene Wilde. Her cousin. “What’s your name?” Cori asks me.
“That’s not important.”
I rub my hands on her back while we gaze into each other’s eyes. If a crowd didn’t surround us, I’d kiss her right here in the middle of the parking lot.
“Um, please put me down,” she whispers. I slowly put her to her feet, making sure that her body rubs against mine.
She runs to her car and, moments later, drives away from me. King looks at me with an uninterested smirk. He pulls his girlfriend’s hand, and they walk away without a word, but Eden Rose turns her head and looks at me.
When I can no longer see Cori Lamb’s car, I walk to the restaurant and enter through the service entrance.
“You’re late.”
“Sorry, Mom.” Mom’s a stickler for punctuality, but she hugs me.
“Hazel left us some food, and you know how she is if you let her food get cold.”
“I get violent.” Cousin Hazel pinches my cheek like she did when I was a kid. She points to her office and gestures for my mother and me to go. I follow, determined now not to go through with the plan.
Mom pulls out a binder for me to flip through.
“It seems so clinical.” I cut into the pancakes Hazel has for me.
“Do you want to buy the motel chain or not?” Mom puts her hand on top of mine. It’s warm like always, and her voice has a tinge of worry.
“I do, but I don’t want to pick a wife from a catalog.”
“It’s just a wife on paper, son. Once the sale goes through, you pay her and file for a divorce, but you might find someone you do like.”
My mind flashes to the beautiful, warm woman who was just in my arms, but I shake my head at the idea.
The owner of the motel chain needs an answer in the next sixty days.
That’s not enough time. It’s a moderate-sized motel chain, but it’s family-run, and despite their liberal politics, they are conservative when it comes to family dynamics.
The owners, a husband-and-wife team who have been together for almost forty years, want to sell to another family.
That’s why they didn’t bend and sell to a bigger chain.
They say their business is personal, and they want to keep it that way.
That’s where I come in. I was referred to them by someone I’ve worked with in the past. Although they are all about family values, they didn’t earn their money legally, which is why they are willing to sell it to me.
“Like, Mom?” I shake my head.
“You know what I mean, but she would be going into this knowing it’s a business deal, although I would love it if you could fall in love.”
“Yeah, because that’s so easy.”
“It could be if you’d put yourself out there instead of hanging out with nothing but a bunch of guys.” Mom waves me off with one hand and flips through the catalog of women with the other. “Look at all these beautiful women.”
“It’s not like picking out a couch,” I almost snap.
Hazel, who was listening by the door, enters. “Feelings always enter the picture. Don’t be na?ve. If you want no strings, keep it in your pants.”
“Hazel, I don’t want to hear no talk like that about my child.” Mom waves her hand around.
“Your child is thirty-six. He’s closer to forty than he is to being a child. He’s a grown man.” Hazel puts a hand on my shoulder and pinches my cheek again. Then she kisses the top of my head. “Find a wife and have some damn babies.”
“Son, Hazel has a point. You’ve got to put yourself out there and find someone, and this motel chain is a good investment. Your sister can work for you after she graduates from college. It’s a legitimate business, and it’s going to get you one step closer to not dealing with criminals anymore.”
She flips through the book of eligible women, but none of them appeals to me.
“Or,” Hazel says. “You can find yourself a girl in Shadow Cove. We have good stock here. If Ripley can fall in love—" Hazel leaves the rest of the statement hanging.
“See?” Mom adds. “If he can, it should be easy for my baby.”
Now
I hate to admit defeat, and it’s too early to call it, but it’s not looking good. Stubborn ass woman. I never shy away from a challenge. I’m not ready for her to go, and I want more of what we had on the couch. Only, the next time, I want us to be naked while we take our time exploring each other.
Her back is to me. She’s rigid, so I put my hand on her shoulder. For a fraction of a second, she melts, but she catches herself and tightens her body, however, that fraction is all I need. I pick her up bridal style and return to the kitchen.
She still won’t eat. I kiss the side of her neck and put my hand on her breast. She tries to remove it.
“You want to cook something for yourself?” I ask. “You need to eat. Your stomach keeps growling.”
“I want to leave.”
“No.”
“Then I won’t eat or drink.”
“That would piss me off,” I warn.
“That’s good because I’m already pissed off.” She stomps on my foot, but it hurts her more than me. I can tell by the way she flares her nostrils that she’s in pain.
“I won’t eat either,” I announce. I stand with her in my arms and go up the back stairs.
“Really? You just scarfed about three pounds of pasta down your throat. Too bad you didn’t choke, you fucking psycho.”
I ignore her while I make the trek upstairs.
Finch silently follows behind us. She hits me, but the hits don’t have much impact.
We finally get to the second level. As I go down the hall, she kicks the wall, knocking down a picture I have of my mother.
Then she grabs a vase and throws it down, shattering it.
Finch whines and runs in the opposite direction.
We finally get through the double doors to my bedroom. She grabs the frame, but she eventually lets it go when I keep walking until I drop her on the bed.
She looks around, but I don’t think she appreciates the beauty and the architecture of the room.
It’s better than the house I grew up in, and it has more amenities.
She gets off the bed and runs for the door, and she’s met with disappointment.
She goes into the bathroom and slams the door behind her.
There’s no lock. Seconds later, I hear something shatter. I get in, in time to see her bending down to pick up a piece of the mirror she broke.
“You’ll cut yourself,” I warn.
“As long as I cut you, too.” She takes a towel, wraps it around her hand, and picks up the broken glass.
“You think you’re going to stab me with that?”
She lunges for me, but I move and wrap my hand around her wrist. I twist until she drops the glass. I kick it under the bed to ensure Finch doesn’t get to it later, then I toss her on the bed.
“I’m going to get even with you if it’s the last thing I do,” she threatens. “The only way you’ll be saved from my wrath is if you kill me. If you don’t, I’m going to gut you like a fish one day soon.”
“Oh, Bella, it’s that fire of yours that I love.” I lean closer to her and inhale the side of her neck. “You want to come after me?” She doesn’t answer. Her body tenses while I leave a wet, open-mouth kiss on her neck. “I’d prefer it if we both come.”
“You think you’re invincible.”
“I am, sweetheart,” I taunt. “I’ve been here in plain sight, and I get to do whatever the fuck I want.” I leave her neck only to lick the shell of her ear. “Try me.”
I turn her head to face me and almost melt from the fire in her eyes. I don’t see fear, though. I’m not surprised. She’s angry, but she’s never been afraid. From the stubborn tilt of her chin, I know she’s planning her revenge, but I don’t want to think about that tonight.
I don’t want to fight. This was never about fighting. This is phase one.
“You’re not afraid,” I murmur in her ear. “Maybe you’re mad at yourself for wanting me, but there’s always been this heat between us, hasn’t there?”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I silence her with a kiss.