Page 24

G rayson’s grin turned to a scowl when he saw the drop of blood on her mouth. He touched his finger to her swollen lip. “Did he do this?” She nodded, and he fiercely regretted that the man wasn’t still here when he’d arrived. Although, it was probably for the best because he’d likely be in handcuffs and on his way to jail.

“He bit me,” she said, her voice trembling.

Not wanting to scare her with his rage, he took a deep breath to calm down. “Why did you open the door to him?” That question had been bugging him. He moved to sit next to her and wrapped his hand around hers. “Start from the beginning and tell me everything.”

“I had no intention of opening the door, but then I heard Tyler’s voice, and when I looked through the peephole, there was my boy. Then I was angry that the woman I’d caught kissing Anthony was holding him. I didn’t even think about it. Tyler was on the other side, and I had to get to him. But by the time I got the door opened, Tyler was gone. It was just Anthony in the hallway.”

The bastard had used their son to trick her. What kind of man used his child like that?

“He wants me back because he’s going to run for mayor, and I’m good for his image.”

“Going to be hard for him to run for mayor from prison.” The goal of this mission had started as a simple one. Help her get her son back. That goal had changed. Now he intended to see Pressley behind bars.

“All he had to do was agree to a reasonable custody arrangement, and I would have been happy.”

“But he didn’t, although in the end, he’s going to wish he had. What happened after he got inside?” When she got to the part where Pressley was dragging her to her bedroom, intending to rape her, he shot up, unable to remain still. What if they hadn’t installed the Ring camera? What if Cooper hadn’t been close enough to arrive in time to stop Pressley’s assault?

“Grayson?”

He stopped his pacing and faced her. “What?” After hearing her story, he wouldn’t have cared if he’d landed in jail if it meant teaching that man a lesson for biting her, for throwing Einstein against the wall, and he could barely bring himself to think about her almost being raped.

“I’m okay.”

Well, he wasn’t. Not even close. He’d been on missions that had gone south in the worst of ways, and he’d kept his calm. He’d been shot at so many times he’d lost count, and he’d kept his calm. He’d sweated off pounds in desert temperatures that threatened to give him heatstroke, and he’d kept his calm. He’d barely avoided dying from hypothermia when the thermometer dropped below zero and his SEAL team was hunkered down in the middle of nowhere, and he’d kept his calm.

Yet, standing here in her living room where no one was shooting at him and there was no chance of the weather killing him, he was not calm. But he had to be…for her. He took a deep breath and crushed the rage burning inside him.

The plan was going to be set in motion this week if Cooper could get Pressley’s driver onboard, and Grayson was counting on that happening. He returned to the sofa. Once he stepped into the role of driver, it would be risky for him to be seen coming or going to her apartment. He could have the rest of the day and tonight with her before he became Richie Kaplan, first cousin to Pressley’s driver.

“Come here.” He sat back and lifted her over his lap. The soft smile she gave him as she straddled his legs stirred something deep inside him.

She trailed her fingers over his cheek. “I’ve never seen you with scruff before. It’s kind of sexy.”

“Maybe I’ll keep it, then.” He preferred to be clean-shaven, but he was growing the beard to help disguise his face since Pressley’s man had seen him.

“Can you stay awhile? Maybe take this to my bedroom?”

“Are you sure…after what just happened?” She was just attacked, her lip was cut, and the last thing he wanted was to take her to a place she wasn’t ready for.

“I need you to hold me. I feel safe with you.” She pressed her forehead against his. “Please.”

There she went, taking another piece of his heart. He stood with her legs wrapped around his hips and carried her to the bedroom.

Einstein, chattering away like a magpie, was close on his heels, and Grayson kicked the door closed before he could follow them in. Sorry, buddy, but you’re not invited to this party.

* * *

“Kitten, wake up.” He chuckled when she buried her face in her pillow. They’d talked late into the night, shared childhood stories and played twenty questions. She’d had her first kiss at fifteen, her favorite color was yellow be cause it was cheerful, her favorite food was cheese and her dream was to take Tyler on a safari when he was older.

He’d answered the same questions, and she now knew more about him than any woman he’d ever been with. He couldn’t explain why she was different or why the chemistry between them was off the charts. But the reason didn’t matter.

In the early morning hours, they’d made love. Every minute spent with her, every touch, every word shared between them only reinforced the growing feeling that she could be the one . He hadn’t been looking for her but now that he’d found her, he wanted to keep her.

He’d never been so motivated to successfully complete a mission, but he’d never had a reward as great as Harlow waiting at the finish line.

“Harlow.” He leaned down and kissed her. “I need you to wake up.”

“Hmm?” She blinked sleepy eyes at him. “What time is it?”

“Early. I need to go, but I want to talk to you a minute.”

She pushed up and leaned back against the headboard, keeping the sheet pulled up over her chest. He wanted nothing more than to pull the sheet down and worship her body all day long.

Her gaze slid over him. “Why are you dressed?”

“Because I have to go.” He’d considered not telling her what he had planned, but he didn’t want any secrets between them. And she had a right to know. “Unless it’s an emergency, I can’t see you again until we have the proof of what Pressley did and he’s in handcuffs.”

“Oh. Okay. I guess you’ll be too busy?”

The disappointment in her eyes twisted him up inside. “I’ll never be too busy for you. What I’m going to tell you, you can’t repeat to anyone, not even Einstein because that boy can’t keep a secret to save his life.”

She chuckled, which was his goal. “True, but tell them what?”

“I’m going undercover, and we can’t have your ex find out that there’s any connection between us.”

“Undercover? Like going to work for Anthony?”

“Yes.”

“That’s too dangerous, Grayson. If Anthony even suspects you of spying on him…” She shuddered.

“Hey, I’ll be fine. I just need to know you’re safe until this is over. Cooper and Liam will be watching over you, and you have their numbers. No matter how minor, if anything happens, you call one of them. Promise you will.”

“I can’t call you?”

“No. I can’t take the chance of Pressley getting a hold of my personal phone, so I won’t have it on me. I’ll be using a burner that will be set up to look like my personal phone.”

“This is all so—”

“James Bondish?”

“I was going for scary . Don’t ask me not to worry about you, because that I can’t promise.”

“Everything’s going to be fine.” He glanced out the window. The sky was turning gray, and the sun would be up soon. “I need to go.”

“Please, be careful.”

“I always am. Come here.” He held out his arms. “I need a kiss to hold me over until I see you again.” She leaned toward him, and he cradled her cheeks with his hands and lowered his mouth to hers, careful to gently kiss her because of her sore lip. She sighed against his mouth, and he was tempted to crawl back into bed with her, but he had a long list of things to do to put the operation in motion.

When he finally broke away, they were both breathing hard. He smiled as he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, damp from their kiss. “I love this look on you. Your sultry eyes and flushed cheeks.”

“Sultry, huh?”

“Oh, yeah.” He gave her a quick kiss before standing. “Take care, kitten.”

“Bye.” She waved her fingers at him.

He forced a smile he didn’t feel as he walked away from her. In the back of his mind lived a fear that once this was over and her son returned to her, she wouldn’t want him back in her life. But from this point on, he had to stay focused on the mission, so he slammed a door on that fear.

Outside her apartment, he blended into the shadows. He’d texted Liam when getting dressed, telling him to come and scout the parking lot to make sure Pressley or one of his minions wasn’t hanging around. That he had to be so secretive at seeing her chafed. She was a single woman, entitled to have him spend the night with her if that was what she wanted.

Liam texted back as Grayson stepped outside. All clear .

He typed another message. Meet me at that diner outside of town. Mel’s?

Yep. See ya there.

Next, he texted Cooper to meet them at the diner. Liam was already seated at a booth in the back when Grayson arrived. “Cooper will be here in a few.”

“I guess we’re getting close to go time?”

“Hopefully this week. It all depends on Pressley’s driver and if he’s bribable.”

“Since he works for a man like Pressley, I’d say it’s a good chance he is.”

“Let’s hope.” Plan B was to break into Pressley’s house, but he wasn’t keen on doing that. It was too risky.

The server, a woman who looked to be in her sixties, came to their table. “Morning, boys. I’m Ria. What can I get y’all?”

“There’s one more joining us in a few,” Grayson said. “We’ll start with coffee and order when our friend arrives.”

“You got it, sugar.” She left them with menus and returned a minute later with a coffeepot.

Cooper arrived as Ria was filling the cups, and he slid into the booth next to Liam. He flashed her a smile. “Morning…” His gaze landed on her name tag. “Ria. How are you this fine day?”

Ria seemed startled for a moment, then an ear-to-ear smile appeared. “Much better now that you handsome boys showed up.”

She probably didn’t get asked often how she was, and not for the first time, Grayson was amused by how Cooper could draw out a smile from anyone…man, woman or child.

“Y’all ready to order?” she said once their coffee cups were filled.

After they ordered and were alone, Grayson said, “Considering what Pressley pulled yesterday and what he would have done if you—” he glanced at Cooper “—hadn’t arrived in time to stop him, it’s go time. You need to get his driver onboard.”

“I did a deep dive into him, and he’s got a sick wife and some big medical bills. Not that I wish anyone to be sick, but that should work in our favor,” Cooper said. “How much are we going to offer him to disappear for a week or so?”

“Whatever it takes.” And he meant that literally. He’d pay however much it took to make sure Harlow was safe. “Let’s start with a hundred thou, see if he bites.”

Cooper’s eyes widened as he sat back in the booth. “I doubt it will take that much. I was thinking ten or twenty thousand.”

“I don’t want to get in a drawn-out negotiation over his price. If he accepts the offer, he’ll feel more indebted than he would the lesser amount. Less likely to betray us. Besides, he’s going to be out of a job when we take down Pressley, and with a sick wife, I’d feel better if he had some money in the bank.” He’d barely notice the trifling dent in his bank account.

“And if the hundred’s not enough?”

“Everyone has a price. Find out what his is and agree to it.”

Ria returned with plates stacked up her arms, and as she sorted them out, Cooper chatted with her. By the time they each had the right breakfast, he’d learned that Ria’s husband was a long-haul truck driver, and that they had seven grown children and fifteen grandchildren.

Liam laughed as he bumped Cooper’s shoulder after Ria left. “Man, you can charm the birds out of the trees. I need to take lessons. That skill could come in handy with the ladies.”

“Like you have a problem charming ladies,” Grayson said. “You do that Irish accent, and a woman goes all soft and buttery.” It was true. Liam didn’t normally speak with an accent, but he had a perfect one that Grayson had witnessed him do on more than one occasion. Women loved it.

“Buttery?” Liam rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know what that means.”

Cooper pointed his fork at Liam. “It means when you go all Irish on a woman, she melts into a puddle at your feet.”

“Aye, sure, ’tis a grand gift, it is.”

Ria walked up with a coffeepot just as Liam spoke, and her gaze locked on him. “Sugar, I’ll leave my husband if you promise to talk like that to me.”

Liam winked at her. “Well, now, Ria, luv, ye know I can’t go breakin’ up a happy home. But I’ll be happy to bless yer ears with me Irish charm anytime ye fancy.”

“Buttery,” Cooper muttered.

Grayson chuckled as he scooped up a forkful of hash browns. After Ria snapped out of her Liam trance and refilled their coffee cups, she left to refresh another customer’s coffee. “I have things to do today, so let’s get back to business. Coop, I’m counting on you to get Pressley’s driver onboard. I want to take his place ASAP.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Also, can you pay a visit to Veronica’s real estate office sometime today? See if there’s anything to learn? Specifically, I’d like to know if anyone there knew she was seeing Pressley.”

“Can do.”

“Want to know about my date with Alisha Austin?” Liam said.

“She have anything useful to say about Pressley?”

“Nothing big, but she didn’t hesitate to badmouth him. He told her he loved her and made her all kinds of promises. By the time his divorce was final, he’d lost interest in her and moved on to his next conquest. She did find out later that he was seeing Veronica at the same time as her. She’s really pissed about that.”

“Can’t say I blame her.” Grayson pushed his empty plate aside. “Anything else?”

“Only that when she heard Veronica was missing, she immediately thought that Pressley had something to do with that. She told me about several times he got physical with her. Nothing serious, just yelled at her or grabbed her arm when she displeased him, and once, he pushed her.”

“Basically, she confirmed what we already know.” He grabbed the bill Ria left on the table, glanced at it, then pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of his wallet. “Tell Ria we don’t need change,” he said, sliding it across the table. “I’ve got a PI to see this morning.” The man wasn’t going to enjoy his visit.