Wishing I had her fashion sense and the body to carry off the peplum dress and killer heels, I welcomed her. "Hi, Lena. Thank you so much for coming."
She air-kissed my cheek. "We're happy to help."
Ty gave me a hug. "How you doing, sugar?"
"Okay," I lied. Looking over at Kelly, I asked, "Would you guys mind moving to the conference room while I chat with Lena and Ty?"
Kelly's eyes narrowed fractionally but he didn't argue. "Sure."
"Thanks." I gestured for Lena and Ty to join me at the table Sully and Winn were clearing. Kelly caught my hand and dragged me toward my desk. I fought the urge to look at my computer monitor lest it draw his attention.
He cupped the back of my head and brushed his knuckles along my cheek. "Are you okay?"
"It's stress. I'll be fine once this whole thing is over."
"I'm taking you to see Jack this evening while I’m training. He's got a self-defense class with an opening." Kelly touched the tip of my nose. "It will be good for you to knock the crap out of some dummies tonight."
"I can't think of a better stress reliever than punching and kicking a dummy."
Lowering his face, he grazed his lips across mine. "I can."
Blushing, I let him give me a sweet kiss. His smoldering eyes warmed me right through to the core. I had a feeling tonight might finally be the night.
"Don't leave this office without calling for one of us."
"I won't."
Backing away, Kelly accepted an armload of files from Sully and left the room. I followed them out and shut the door. The sound of the lock engaging drew Ty's interested gaze. "Everything all right, sugar?"
With a sigh, I fell back against the door and rubbed my face. "How good are you two when it comes to blackmail?"
Ty actually chortled. "Sweetheart, how long have we known each other? I made my first million peddling gossip online. It's a very subtle line." His mood turned somber. He must have realized that the only thing I knew worth blackmailing were my brother's secret penchants—details Ty knew only too well. "This isn't about your business, is it? It's about Jeb."
We shared a private look as Lena asked, "What does that mean?"
Ty exhaled loudly and retrieved his phone from his pocket. "It means we need to clear our schedules for the afternoon." He started to dial a number, probably that of their receptionist. "It also means we might need help from some of those rather interesting contacts that Yuri has."
Lena didn't even bat an eyelash. "That bad, huh?"
Pushing off the door, I sank down into a chair across from them. "It's a really long story."
Lena settled into her seat. "Then let's start at the beginning…"
* * *
Kelly checked his watch and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Glancing around the parking lot of the bar where loan shark John Hagen operated the illicit side of his business, he wondered where the hell his brothers were. His agitation increased with every minute that passed. More than anything, he wanted to return to Bee.
Every time he left her, a knot formed in his stomach. Right now, it throbbed angrily and made his chest ache. He hated leaving her. Sure, she was safe with Sully and Winn, but he didn't like it.
Something was else was eating at him. He couldn't prove it but he felt certain she wasn't telling him everything. When Lena and Ty had arrived at Bee's office, she'd looked almost panicked. He'd squashed the instinct to confront her because he trusted her to confide in him. He hoped she wouldn’t take too long to come to him. Standing on the sidelines while she was hurting wasn't easy for him. His urge to protect and help her was so strong.
Needing to get back to her, Kelly reached for his phone but spotted Jack's truck rolling onto the lot. Annoyed by their tardiness, he climbed out of his vehicle and gruffly greeted them as they spilled out of Jack's truck. "You're late."
"We had a run-in with Pop." Jack didn't elaborate but gestured to the bar. "Let's get this over with."
Kelly fell into step behind his older brothers. While he'd handled the Besian connection, Jack and Finn would deal with Hagen. The gym and the building were their livelihoods, after all.
Inside the bar, they were greeted by a couple of goons who escorted them to a back office. There were no chairs for guests in the small but tidy space. Shoulder to shoulder, they stood in front of the desk and waited for the behemoth loan shark to acknowledge them. Kelly had to wonder how much a bespoke suit like the one Hagen wore cost. It couldn't be easy to fit a giant like that.
"Gentlemen." Hagen leaned back in his chair and studied them. "Unless you're here to settle the debt your father owes in full, I'm not sure that we have much to discuss."
"Pop didn't have the right to use the building as collateral without my consent," Jack stated.
"He only used his half of the building as collateral," Hagen corrected. "So, when he defaults, you and I will be partners."
"I have a feeling we have different definitions of the word partner."
"You could always let me buy you out," Hagen offered.
"Like hell," Jack said. "We've put everything into that business. We're not going to lose it now."
"Then I would highly suggest you bet smart on the upcoming tournament," Hagen replied. "I hear Nikolai's man has good odds."
"We don't bet against our own."
Jack's remark seemed to soften up Hagen. The loan shark's gaze drifted to a picture frame on his desk. From Kelly's vantage point, he had a clear view of the pretty, smiling blonde. Whoever she was, she had a surprising effect on Hagen.
With a forceful breath, he sat forward. "Fifteenth of June, all of this," he motioned around him, "goes to Jackie Riccio's nephew. I'm out."
"Out?" Jack echoed Kelly's shock.
"It's been in the works for a while now. I’m tying up loose ends before I go totally legit."
For the blonde? Kelly's interest in her increased. She must be something special to make a man like Hagen walk away from the only life he'd ever known.
"Good for you, man, but what does that have to do with us?" Jack asked the question they were all thinking.
Hagen's mouth settled into an annoyed line. "If you don't close your account with me by the fourteenth of June, it's going to roll onto Jackie Boy's books—and you really don't want that."
"What do you propose?"
"Give me the building and we'll call it even. I'll take the hit and settle the balance out of my own pocket."
"What's so important about the building?" Jack asked. "You wouldn't take the hit unless you wanted it."
"It's not the building. It's the land."
"It's not for sale," Jack reminded him.
"You're not really in a position to be making that decision, Jack."
"We have a few weeks to settle the debt, and we will. You're not getting our building or the land it sits on, Hagen."
The loan shark jotted something down on a notepad, ripped the sheet free and folded it in half. "Your balance."
Jack snatched it from his hand but didn't look at the amount written there. "You'll get your money."
"It's not personal, Jack. It's only business." Hagen sounded almost apologetic. Maybe he wasn't the cruel monster his dark reputation would have them believe.
Without another word, the three brothers left the bar and congregated between their two vehicles. Jack finally opened the sheet of paper and swore loudly. He slapped it against Finn's chest and stalked away from them. From the way Finn paled, Kelly could tell the number written there was much more than they had expected.
When Finn passed the paper to him, Kelly reluctantly glanced at the figure. "Jack's going to kill Pop over this."
"I gave Pop a couple hundred bucks and told him to lay low. We won't be seeing him for a while."
Crumpling up the paper, Kelly stuffed it into his pocket and fished out his keys. "If he knows what's good for him he'll stay away."
Jamming his key into the ignition, Kelly hoped this was the last bit of shit news he would receive t
oday. Of course, the way the week was going, he figured a damn plane was about to fall out the sky and crush his truck. Only the knowledge that Bee waited for him kept him from marching right back into Hagen's bar for a stiff drink.
Thinking of his earlier quip about stress relief, Kelly couldn't wait for the day to end. Tonight, he was going to make love to Bee until she passed out from sheer exhaustion or his legs gave out.
Chapter Nine
"Okay, ladies, that's it for tonight." Jack Connolly clapped his hands together at the front of the room. "We'll meet up again on Wednesday. Y'all did great. If you have any questions, come find me on your way out."
Did Jack's compliment extend to me? I had a bad feeling Kelly's oldest brother wasn't very pleased with my performance in his self-defense class.
"Bee?" Jack crooked a finger at me. "Let's talk."
Biting my lip, I joined the sternest of the Connolly brothers in a corner of the room. Winn followed close behind and rubbed his still-red nose. I winced sympathetically at the reminder of my elbow accidentally jamming right into it as we practiced an evasive maneuver together.
Knuckles on his hips, Jack sighed. "Bee, what am I going to do with you?"
Wringing my hands, I tried to explain myself. "I'm sorry. I'm just really clumsy. I mean—seriously—I was, like, ten years old before Jeb and Mom took the training wheels off my bike."
Jack snorted with amusement. "After watching you trip over your own feet coming in here, I'm not surprised. What the hell was all that laughing when we were escaping holds?"
"He tickled me." I gestured to my bodyguard.
"I absolutely did not," Winn stridently defended himself. "I grabbed her around the waist."
"And it tickled," I countered. "Then you squeezed me tighter and I couldn't stop laughing."
"Let's keep that to ourselves," Jack suggested. "As amped up as Kelly is after his training sessions, he'll blow a damn gasket at the thought of your bodyguard getting so hands-on." His gaze shifted to something just over my shoulder. He raised his hand as if to let someone know he was coming before dropping his gaze back to me. "Look, the first few classes are always the hardest. You'll get the hang of it."
Left with Winn, I glanced at my bodyguard and winced again. "You're bleeding, Winn."
He scowled and gingerly touched his nose. "Don't move. I'll be right back."
While Winn ducked into the nearest restroom, I grabbed my backpack, dug out my metal water bottle and took a long sip. I was dabbing at the beads of sweat along my hairline when a woman from the class struck up a conversation with me.
"I'm Abby." Short like me, she smiled and held out her hand. "You're new in class."
"Yes. I'm Bee." I shook her hand. "Have you been in this class long?"
"A few weeks," Abby answered. Almost nervously, she glanced around the room. "We had an attempted break-in at our shop so I decided I needed to learn to protect myself. What about you?"
I debated how much to tell her. "I've got a stalker."
"Seriously?" She peeled the hot pink elastic band from her sagging ponytail and combed her fingers through her black hair to gather it into a low bun. "That's crappy. Is it because of your company?" She must have seen the distrust in my eyes. "Sorry. I recognized you from that article in the paper last month. You created LookIt, right?"
"Yes. Do you use it?"
"All the time! It's one of my favorite places to hangout online and network with other artists."
"Oh! So you're an artist?"
"A photographer," Abby said. "Well—I'm trying, at least. Right now, I manage my family's pawn shop. I squeeze in classes whenever I can."
As we chatted about the Houston art scene, I noticed the way Jack kept glancing our way. He was talking with two other women in the class and seemed to be struggling with giving them his full, undivided attention. At first, I thought he was keeping an eye on me while Winn was dealing with his bloody nose but then I realized his gaze was trained on Abby.
Like Kelly, he had a hard face to read. I suspected their abusive childhoods might have had something to do with that. Perhaps it was a coping technique or a defensive mechanism to keep their faces such expressionless masks.
The look in his eyes, however, was easy enough for me to decipher. It wasn't simple lust or attraction burning in his green eyes. No, Jack was staring at Abby with the same sort of protective desire often reflected in Kelly's gaze. Was she in trouble? Maybe the break-in?
"Anyways," she said, "I should really get going. It was nice to meet you. I'll see you on Wednesday?"
"Yes."
"Great. Bye."
"Bye." Sipping my water, I watched Jack gently disentangle himself from the two women he'd been chatting with so he could talk to Abby. He seemed completely oblivious to the fallen faces of the women or their irked expressions. The sweet smile he offered Abby reminded me of the one Kelly often had for me.
I couldn't tell if my new friend was even aware of Jack's interest in her. Unlike the preening duo who had done their best to get as close to him as possible while chatting, Abby kept a little distance between her body and Jack's. Judging by his gesture, he was offering to walk her out but she declined. He overrode her protest and she reluctantly accepted his help.
Interesting…
"Where is Winn?"
Kelly's gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.
"Bee?"
Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, "He's in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose."
He looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. "Way to go, sweetheart."
"Um…not exactly. It was an accident."
"An accident?"
"Well, it tickled and I started laughing—"
Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What tickled?"
"Winn's hold on me."
"I see." His lips twitched and I knew he wasn't angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, "I'll have to keep that in mind…for later."
At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. "Oh?"
"We'll practice some of the holds Jack showed you."
"Holds, huh?" I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?
Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action.
I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn't last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.
Remembering Jack's lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.
Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly's back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, "Bee."
Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, "Kiss me."
He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue betwe
en his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.
A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.
Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not a self-defense technique I teach."
Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. "You'd have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "That's exactly the sort of reputation Connolly Fitness needs."
Kelly disentangled our limbs and pushed off the mat. He grasped my hand and hauled me to my feet. The swooping sensation in my belly strengthened when he captured my lips in a possessive kiss. His body heat drew me even closer. It was all I could do not to leap up onto him and beg him to take me home right now.
Kelly gently separated himself from me and grabbed the bag he'd dropped. Picking up my backpack and water bottle, I headed for the door but paused to playfully thump Jack's chest. "Maybe you could ask Abby to be your partner for demonstrating that move."
Jack's cheeks actually flushed. He hastily averted his gaze. "I don't think so."
Wondering at his strange response, I decided not to push it. The last thing I wanted to do was to cause him pain with my teasing. I tapped his chest and drew his gaze. "I'm sorry."
He waved his hand. "It's cool. It's…complicated."
Glancing back at Kelly, I reminded him, "I've been there."
Jack chuckled. "Sweetheart, you're still there."
Certain complicated was the best adjective to describe the relationship blossoming between us, I let Jack's remark slide. Kelly still hadn't bothered with a shirt as he placed his hand between my shoulder blades and escorted me out of the gym with Winn a few steps behind us.
"How did your training go?" I asked as we crossed the parking lot to his parked truck. The hour of his grueling session that I had been able to witness before my self-defense class started had been rough. His physical prowess inside the ring had awed me. I wasn't very fond of the aggressive, harsh way Alexei treated him but I had reminded myself that he was only trying to prepare Kelly for the brutality that awaited him.