Page 7

Chapter Six

Jeff

Shoving all thoughts of my sister out of my mind, I look at Lu. She’s calmer now, more relaxed since unbarring herself that little bit.

“Want to tell me what that was about?” I ask, examining her face for any change in expression. Her face remains impassive. “Lu,” I call, her name a whisper on my lips. “I want to help you.”

She swallows, her throat working hard, before she turns more fully. “No.” Her eyes are stony. “You can’t. And you’re the one who needs help.” She points at my cheek before leaning forward to her cart, grabbing a blue bag with white writing on it. A first-aid kit.

“I can,” I say, and it sounds like pleading. My gaze falls to her neck where redness is blossoming darker, the start of purple bruising. I want to touch the inflamed skin, to soothe. But as I reach for her, she knocks my hand away and shoves me back onto my ass .

“Not worth it.” Her answer is void of all emotion as she opens the kit and cleans up my face.

I’m the one swallowing now. Did she mean she wasn’t worth it? Jesus. “Yes, you are! You don’t have to do this alone.”

Her brow lifts and she shakes her head, looking every bit the bitch she’s been pretending to be.

“Not that, Grizzly Daddy. For fuck’s sake. I’m not having a pity party here.” She stands then, making a sound of annoyance, tossing the kit back onto her cart. “I didn’t mean I’m not worth it. I’m a goddamn peach. I meant stop trying to rescue me. I don’t need it. It’s not worth you getting mixed up in it because I know exactly what I’m doing. And actually, if I’m being honest here, you fucked things up far worse for me now.” She looks down a second before finding my eyes again. “Your cheek’s fine, by the way. Cut’s shallow.”

She starts to walk away, pushing her cart, but I’m on my feet in a flash. I grab her and shove her against the wall, caging her there between my arms. “You have no idea what they’re capable of, babydoll.” The words come out sounding like a growl.

Stowing my empathy, I give her a hard glare. She tries to turn her face away, but I grab her chin and force her face back to mine. She rolls her eyes at me, but there’s something else in her expression—it’s fleeting but it’s branded in my mind. Lu’s vulnerability.

“I’m done asking, Lu,” I add through my teeth. “You’re not doing this alone. Fight me on this, and you’ll lose.”

Her cheeks flush and it’s not just from anger. With her mouth in a hard line, she glares at me, but it’s the heat in that stare that tells me Lu responds well to a little manhandling.

Before I can decide my next move, she reaches up, knocking my hand from her chin and grabs me by my collar. I open my mouth to speak but she yanks me down to her. And her mouth, that hard angry mouth, turns soft as the plump of her lips finds mine.

Damn.

Double damn.

Lu can kiss.

My walkie chirps, startling us and breaking our contact. I curse, lowering one of my arms to grab it off my belt.

“We need the janitor on four. Have you seen her? Her walkie’s off.” I glance down at Lu still leaning against the wall looking part lust-drunk, part pissed off. “The cooler tipped. There’s a damn flood up there.” It’s Brad’s voice and he sounds frustrated. But the way I feel, staring at Lu’s well-kissed mouth, he has no clue what real frustration is.

“I’m with her now. Her walkie isn’t working. I’ll send her up and bring her a new one,” I say before signing off.

Lu ducks under my arm and walks away before I can even clip my walkie back in place.

“Hey, Grizz” she says, glancing back over her shoulder at me. “I’m used to losing, but I won’t lose this one.” She turns back, her strides purposeful. “Thanks for the kiss, though.” And she leaves me standing there with a waggle of her fingers.

I spend the rest of the night in the office, looking through my notes while simultaneously watching Lu on the monitors. I need more evidence—I want solid proof of what Satan’s Ransom are up to before I make my move. But Lu’s in more trouble than I thought. Something’s going down and I no longer have the luxury of time.

She’s been on her cell a lot tonight, which isn’t normal. I need to know what the Ransom asked of her, what she promised them in exchange for my safety. But I know I won’t get it from her.

“It’s fucking snowing out there,” Bale says, walking in and plopping into the chair next to me. He’d relieved Johnson so he could go for a break, temporarily taking over perimeter duty. “I’m glad Johnson’s back. Supposed to drop well below freezing tonight. Did you know he grew up in Whitehorse? Fucking guy’s built for this shit.”

I grunt a reply, because Bale’s not really expecting one, he’s just bitching. And now my mind’s on another immediate danger for Lu.

She sleeps in her car. And she won’t accept help from me or anyone else. Damn stubborn woman would rather freeze to death in her car overnight than take a handout.

Fuck.

“Bale?”

His head pops up from his phone where I know he’s chatting up some girl from Tinder.

“What’s up?”

“I’m taking your night shift.”

“Sweet. Got a honey on the hook here.” He nods his chin at his phone before he turns it to me so I can see. A brunette with brown eyes, a wide white smile, and a killer rack stares back. “She says the only strings required are the G kind.” He laughs, tipping back in his rolling office chair.

“Just your type then,” I say absently, but in my head I’m thinking she’s got nothing on Lu. Only that’s not really the case and I know it. When Lu was healthy it would be no contest, but now? Well, the brunette had never known trouble like Lu, and hopefully never would.

I size up Bale. “You ever see these women more than once?”

He looks up at me, a leftover smile from his chat still hanging on his lips. “Huh?”

“Never mind. I’m going to grab some coffee, you want anything?”

I take coffee requests from both Bale and Johnson and head out to grab food for Lu. She won’t outright take it, especially now that she’s called my bluff on getting her fired, but I have a plan.

I pass the line at the punch clock a few hours later, where most of the employees, including Lu, are waiting for the final two or three minutes to tick by so they can clock out. Most of them are bundled up in winter gear and carry lunch bags. Not Lu though. She’s removed her coveralls and is wearing a baggy, threadbare hoodie, and too-loose jeans. Jeans that were tight only a few months ago. And even though her shoes are an expensive brand, they’ve seen better days, much better days, and they’re not winter wear. It’s like a damn ice rink out there and the property management crew hasn’t been by yet to plow and salt the lot.

“Careful out there, everyone,” I say as I take my place by the punch clock. “Plow and salter haven’t been through yet.”

“I bet it’s slicker than a dolphin’s cunt out there,” the head mechanic pipes up.

I groan. “Thanks for the visual.”

“And you know all about dolphin holes, too, huh, Donnie? Worked on a fishing boat out east for a while, didn’t ya?”

“No more than I do about your wife’s hole, Dale. It gets nice and slippery for me too.”

I tune out their banter and focus on the end of the line where Lu stands rolling her eyes.

Our little run-in with Satan’s Ransom, and likely the spill on four, put her behind. Her face is flushed, probably from the rush. “It’s cold out there, Lu,” I say when she finally walks up to hand me her card. “You forget your coat? I think I saw it on the bench in the staff room.”

Her brow furrows. I know she doesn’t have a coat and when she starts to say it’s not hers I shake my head once.

“Can’t go out in this weather like that,” I add, loud enough to get the attention of the last few people readying themselves to walk out into the blowing snow.

“He’s right,” Donnie says, as he pulls his hood up. “You did bring one, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, course I did,” she grumbles, eyeing Donnie’s back before shooting me a dirty look.

I lean forward, to her ear. “Maybe you no longer care if I get you fired, but I think you’ll care if I tell everyone you sleep in your car. That’ll get you just the kind of attention you love. Sympathy and pity.” I glance up at one of the guys only a few months from retirement. “Bet Grandpa Kent there will feel obligated to invite you home to his place.”

He would too, and we both know it.

“Hear his wife makes a mighty good lasagna,” I continue. “And what a fuss she’ll make over you!”

I hiss when she jabs an elbow into my ribs as she passes me. But since she headed toward the staff locker room, I smile through my next words. “You’re asking for it, babydoll,” I say to her back.

“What was that?” Kent asks as he opens the door, wind gusting in past me.

“Nothing, Kent. Have a good night.”

He nods and walks out into the cold blustery night, flurries dancing in the light.

I watch, waiting for the others to warm up their cars and leave. When Lu returns with the coat she shoves it at me, just out of reach, and drops it.

“I’m not a dog and I won’t fetch your coat again.”

I shake my head, looking at the parka with the bear emblem on it lying on the floor.

“At least the floor is clean,” I say and scoop it up. Then I hold a finger up, checking the lot. The last car’s taillights turn out onto the road. I take her card out of her hand and swipe it through the machine but then block the door with my body.

“Keep the coat. It’s an extra small. It was sent as a sample from the company I purchase our uniforms from. It’s been taking up space. You’d be doing me a favor.”

She rolls her eyes. “You must think I’m an idiot with that story.”

“You’re only an idiot if you don’t take it. And I know you’re not.”

This time her eyeroll is followed with an exasperated sigh, but she still doesn’t take the coat.

“Lu, remember you forced my hand on this one, okay?” Grabbing her keys from her hand, I toss them across the floor. Her mouth drops open and she curses as she turns to watch them slide several yards away. Growling, she storms off to grab them.

I punch in the numbers to enable the security system. With three steady beeps the system engages. Lu’s frowning at me from her place by the wall, keys now in hand, as the door slowly shuts.

“Have a good night, babydoll,” I say when the door is almost closed and she’s rushing for it. “I’ll be back at 5 am to let you out. I left you something in the infirmary.” On the bed, I’d put a full footlong sub sandwich, cookies, and milk. She pounds on the door and I hear her muffled voice as she cusses me out.

Smiling, I walk away to prowl the perimeter. I’ll keep her safe, from the winter weather and Satan’s Ransom, whether she likes it or not.

It’s time Lu learns to accept help.

I thought I’d bested her until my walkie went off a few minutes later. I’d forgotten to put it on the cradle for the night in my distraction. I’m staring at it on my belt when her voice chirps through.

“I will pull the fire alarm, bud.” Lu’s voice is a growl through the staticky line.

I curse but keep my voice playful as I answer. “It’s Daddy, not bud, babydoll, and you wouldn’t dare.”

I hear her frustrated chuff through the static. “I admit, you’re quite cute, but I’m not playing any more games tonight. Let me out.”

“I’m not letting you sleep in your car. And besides, I have a feeling your friends will be back.”

“That’s temporary. And you can’t save me from my life, Jeff.”

I clear my throat. At least she’s not insulting my intelligence by denying that she’s been sleeping in her car. “It’s Daddy, Lu.” When I release the talk button I catch her mid-curse.

“I’m pulling the alarm right now.”

“Pull it, go ahead. Just know two things are going to happen if you do.” I wait for her to reply.

“Oh yeah?”

“Uh-huh, and you won’t like either.” She cuts me off before I can say any more.

“You gonna spank me and tie me to the bed, Daddy Grizz?”

The saucy tone of her voice has heat stirring inside me, but her words send a jolt of lightning straight to my cock.

“Well, if you think I won’t like that, you’re wrong.”

Hell.

As if she sucker-punched me in the gut, I groan.

“You’ve been pushing for one of those for a while now, babydoll.” I reply, keeping my cool despite my painfully hard dick. “And I’ll gladly oblige, but no, that’s not what I was going to say.”

She laughs. “Uh-huh. Please enlighten me then.”

But before I can answer her, an alert chimes from my phone. I yank it out of my pocket and see it’s a silent alarm. One for another door. The same door she went out of the last time.

“You little brat,” I blurt with a growl, and run. It’s on the other side of the building along with her car.

Damn you, you should have kept her keys.

When I round the corner, I come up short as she runs right into me, rushing toward her car. My own panting blocks out her curses but only temporarily and then both the eff bomb and a sharp crack assault my ears. I spin, still holding Lu, and see a man dressed in black, swinging a baseball bat. The thud of it hitting her door panel makes me wince. I yank her around the corner and shove her against the wall.

“Stay!” I demand, giving her my best ‘I mean business look’ and taking off for the car.

“What the hell are you doing?” I holler at the dude destroying Lu’s vehicle.

The guy stops, looks at me and runs. I take off after him but then stop so quickly I slide several feet across the icy pavement. The roar of a motorcycle has me spinning back.

Fuck!

Lu is gone when I get back around the corner where I left her. But thankfully there are no bike tracks in the snow; only Lu’s footprints, and clearly by the distance between them, she took off at a run.

I curse again, yanking out my phone.

“Date’s over, Bale. We’ve got a problem.”