Chapter Seven

Bonnie’s fight or flight reflexes kicked in just as the big, sweaty dude advanced on her. Her heart in her throat and adrenaline coursing through her veins, she turned on him. Using the skills her two older brothers had taught her, she stepped in, kicking the inside of his knee and following with a kick to the groin.

The man fell, writhing in agony, giving Bonnie a sick sense of satisfaction. Quinten would be proud of her for dropping a man twice her size without him even laying a hand on her.

But then again, this wasn’t something she was particularly excited to tell Quinten. Jogging around the other side of the building, out of the alleyway, she tried to think about what to do next. If she stuck around, a very pissed-off bruiser would probably do something to exact revenge. On the other hand, if she left, she would lose Zack.

She snorted to herself. Lose Zack. Like she wanted to keep him.

She knew with all her heart this was spite talking, but she clung to it for her own sanity.

Decision made, Bonnie started walking away. Zack was a big boy, and his teammate was a little bigger, so they were probably fine. They didn’t need her following them around like a little kid trying to tag along for the fun of it. She wasn’t eight years old anymore.

But as she wandered away from the burrito place, she found herself examining her surroundings. There were people everywhere. The crowds really were astonishing. Police tried to look conspicuous in an effort to deter unruly behavior, appearing to ignore public drunkenness and the random pot smokers as long as everyone was behaving.

A bearded man wearing a kilt with a set of bagpipes slung over his shoulder walked out of a club next to a guy dressed in a three-piece business suit. Seeing the man in the suit reminded her it wasn’t just a music festival. There was a film aspect to it, as well as an interactive media aspect, which pretty much encompassed everything else under the sun.

Mostly, the whole event was a huge party.

There were scents of foul body odor mingling with strong colognes and perfumes. She was struck by how the elite mixed with the downtrodden and wondered what sort of job Zack was working on that would put him here. Tales of Super Bowls where the criminal element came out in full force to take advantage of traveling businessmen’s tastes filled her mind with human trafficking, prostitution, and drug deals. Could her Zack be combatting something like that?

Her heart fluttered with fear at the thought.

She could remember when Zack had first told her he would be blind as an adult. He was maybe thirteen, and she’d been eleven—already in love with her brother’s best friend. Having found him in a tree in the park behind her house, she’d asked him what was wrong.

“I just came back from the doctor. He told me I’ve got what my grandpa had.”

Bonnie knew his grandpa was blind; everyone who met the man did. He was a jolly old guy but blind as a bat. He used one of those fold-up canes, and Bonnie and Zack had played with it, pretending to be blind and taking turns leading each other around.

“So?” Bonnie had said, trying to cheer him up. “Blind people make amazing ninjas.” And so it had begun. Every time he’d started feeling sorry for himself, she’d reminded him of what a great ninja he was going to make, and he’d gotten better. Bonnie was even the one to suggest he make himself an alter ego, Dude, to help him get through the dark times.

She wondered if Dude was still around.

The further from the burrito place Bonnie got, the worse she felt. So what if he’d been an asshole when they were young? Lord knows she probably hadn’t handled things well. Zack had tried to break up with her before, honorably attempting to cut her loose for college. But she had ignored him, thinking professing her love would overcome any obstacles.

Stupid kids.

Her anger dissipating, she turned around to go back. Hopefully they would still be there, and maybe she and Zack could talk. He’d said he wanted to explain, but she didn’t need explanations. She needed to tell him some stuff.

By the time she’d gotten back to the restaurant, watching carefully for the Italian bruiser to come slinking out of the shadows, they were gone. Disappointment filled her, but she sniffed it back.

She’d just go home and try to call him tomorrow. Besides, he was probably working right now.

Or maybe she could talk some sense into herself and remember exactly why she hated Zack Ward in the first place.

Feeling better about her new turn of events, Bonnie turned in a slow circle, trying to remember where she’d parked her car. Realizing she was probably about three quarters of a mile away, she set off in what she thought was the right direction.

After about five minutes of bumping through crowds, she heard Zack arguing with someone.

“Come on, it’s the best way to do this.” Zack was wheedling, his voice loud and a bit high-pitched in the din of noise.

“NO. I am not pretending to make out with you.”

Turning, she saw Zack and his friend standing outside a club, not ten feet away from her. The Wave. It looked like a nice place with a group of people in front of it. Zack and the other blond stood off to the side, ready to kick each other’s asses.

She approached them, knowing exactly what was about to come out of her mouth, as well as all the consequences, but not caring either way. She and Zack suddenly had unfinished business.

“I’ll do it.”

Zack’s shoulders slumped as his mouth turned down. She couldn’t tell if he was relieved or not. “Bon-Bon, this isn’t the place for you. You need to go home. Seriously. Some shit’s about to go down.”

Taking a step forward, she said, “So fill me in. I want to help.” He was still sporting the erection, and something about that made her giggle.

“Not a laughing matter, Bon-Bon. This isn’t time for games.”

Suddenly angry, she started shouting at him. “I know that, Zackary Gale Ward!” He cringed at the use of his middle name, but she needed him to know she was serious. “I want to help. I’m here, I’m willing to make out with you, and I’m not going home. I haven’t been out of my tower in months and I need to do this. You understand?”

“Do you even know what we’re doing?” the friend asked.

“Making out?”

She nearly laughed at his reaction—face purple and fists clenched—before he turned to Zack. “Dude, y’all are perfect for each other.”

She swallowed. Zack had told him about her. A million questions started swirling around in her brain. What did he say? Is he mad? Does he realize how wrong he was? Is he sorry? Does it matter?

“What are we doing?” Bonnie asked.

Zack nodded to his friend. “Go out on the corner and whistle if you see anything.” He turned to Bonnie, his voice a low growl. “A little recon before we go in. I need your eyes.”

She got it. He knew he was being followed. And whoever the guy was, he had something to do with the job, whatever that was.

“I kicked his ass for you,” she said proudly, as Zack was advancing on her like a predator stalking prey. She tried to blow it off, but the way his eyebrows raised at her words gave her a thrill.

“Who?”

“The guy following you. I laid him out in an alley behind the burrito place.”

Then he was upon her, his body pressed against hers until she was flat against the wall. “Tell me you didn’t engage him.”

“No. He engaged me.”

“Christ, Bon-Bon. Quinten will kill me if he realizes you’re in this.” His mouth was hot on her ear, and she squirmed, despite the seriousness of the conversation.

“Me, too.”

Zack gripped her hips and pressed into her with a groan. “What a way to go. Eyes peeled, princess.” And then he went to work on her while she desperately tried to ignore him.

Bonnie focused on the area while Zack focused on them blending in outside a busy club. She was trying to watch her surroundings and wasn’t really paying attention to Zack, until he tightened his grip on her hips and his hot breath hit her neck.

Oh no. She was in some trouble here. His smell was exactly how she remembered it, and the memories hit her hard. Zack’s sweat washing over her as they spent summer afternoons together. Zack’s cologne invading her nostrils in the backseat of his car. Zack’s fingers at her hips, gripping her tightly.

“Oh … Um, a couple making out at two o’clock,” she mumbled as Zack’s lips found the skin behind her ear. Tingles zapped down her spine, and her knees went weak, but he kept his knee pressed between her legs, holding her up. More memories washed over her of a much less mature Zack doing much the same thing. Some things never change. Like his cologne. The citrusy, spicy scent still turned her upside down five years later.

“Still have that spot, I see,” he breathed into her neck as he pulled her closer, flush against his body. Zack flicked out his tongue and licked her neck down to her shoulders, where he bit her softly.

“Mmmm … yeah. Lots of people walking up and down the street but no one really seems suspicious.” She closed her eyes against the onslaught of Zack’s mouth as one of his hands traveled up her waist to land on her breast. His ragged breathing showed he was still affected by her. It was the same as before, but better, and she struggled with her emotions. She wanted to enjoy this; however, she’d sort of insisted on doing this job, so she needed to actually do it.

But it was obvious he was enjoying this, too. His mouth was still marking her neck and shoulders, sucking and biting, interspersed with hot, open-mouthed kisses as he pushed her against the wall. She couldn’t move if she wanted to, and she certainly didn’t want to. A pulsing rhythm started in her belly, flowing down to her groin, and she mindlessly started grinding on Zack’s knee between her legs, pressing the seam of her jeans against her clit.

Bonnie’s limbs were jelly, and then he made a noise. She felt it start in his chest—his rock-hard chest, so different from the smaller version she’d pressed against in high school—and it rumbled up his throat and out of his mouth, sounding in her ear. A sexy, growly noise that made her breath stop. The hitch in her air flow affected Zack, and he attacked with renewed frenzy.

There was no way she could focus on their surroundings. Zack grabbed a handful of hair, yanking her head to the side, and refocused his energies on that spot behind her ear while his other thumb toyed with her nipple through her clothes.

Eyes closed, she stretched her neck further to give him better access. Bonnie was hot, her skin flushed from the adrenaline pulsing just beneath it, and she wanted nothing more than for Zack to take her right here.

“Are you watching?” If she hadn’t heard the grin in his voice, she certainly would have felt it right before his teeth nipped at her neck.

Snapping her eyes open, she tried to see through the lusty fog he’d put her in, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t concentrate on anything.

That was, until she saw a familiar pair of angry, brown eyes focused intently on her and not nearly far enough away.

“Shit, nine o’clock.” But she was too late. Quinten had a handful of Zack’s shirt and spun him around. Zack’s hands went up defensively, but he couldn’t compete with an angry Quinten. “Stop it!” Bonnie yelled at Quinten. Ryan was running from his station at the corner, eyes wide.

Too late. Her brother punched Zack in the gut, doubling him over. Bonnie grabbed at Quinten, but it was futile.

“Quinten, I said stop it!” With one heaving push, Quinten was done, but Zack was sprawled out on the ground. Ryan grabbed Quinten from behind, but he’d quit fighting. He shook off Ryan and started yelling, his face red.

“My fucking sister?! You are such an asshole if you think I’m just going to stand by and let you use her like a Kleenex. She is not a conquest for you anymore. This will stop.” Quinten’s intensity was scary, and she hadn’t seen it often but knew it must terrify opponents in the fight rings. Fortunately for Bonnie, she was his sister and not scared of him in the least.

“What about me, Quinten?” Putting herself in front of her brother’s massive frame, Bonnie pushed him, never mind he was a foot and a half taller and probably had a hundred pounds on her. “When do I get a say? You’ve devoted your life to keeping us apart, and I’m sick of it. I’m twenty-four fucking years old, and if you don’t stop it, I may just run off with him.”

Zack had gotten up and caught Quinten off guard, pinning him against the wall with his forearm. Everyone knew Quinten could easily throw him off, but he stilled to listen to the words Zack gritted out.

“Listen, asshole, I know you don’t like me for something I did years ago, but your brother sent me here on an assignment. Bonnie is helping me out.”

She sidled closer to hear the conversation.

“How’s it coming?” Quinten asked, still visibly angry but seemingly trying to get a handle on himself.

“It could be better.” Zack didn’t let up on Quinten, and the bigger man allowed him to have his say. Bonnie had to admit, she was a little jealous of the respect Quinten seemed to have for Zack, even pissed at him. “I’m a blind man, Q. How do you think I was going to see anything out here? Bonnie was being my eyes, while some stinky motherfucker has been following us around. We’ve got a lead that the girl is in this club, and we’re going in to find her. So fuck off and let me do this. Oh, and Andrew slipped me some little blue pills that aren’t anti-inflammatories.” Zack ground his erection into Quinten’s thigh, and the look of disgust that crossed her brother’s face brought a giggle to Bonnie’s throat.

Quinten threw him off, and they both stood there, staring each other down.

Just like old times. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

Knowing her brothers relished the damsels in distress told her the girl they were talking about was most likely in peril, probably scared and vulnerable. Bonnie had been there, and that’s what motivated her now, the men’s stupidity forgotten.

“There’s a girl in danger in there?” She cocked her head toward the big neon sign for The Wave.

She was being ignored. Zack spat at Quinten’s feet, intent on getting the last word, while Quinten was still staring him down. Bonnie took a step forward. “Can we go in now?”

Zack shook himself and walked toward her voice. “Yeah, we can.” Turning back to Quinten, he said, “When this is over, I’m going to talk with your sister, and I don’t need your fucking permission. You feel me?”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you.” Then quieter, “You covering us?”

“Bet your ass. I got a camera/mic system from Evan that will help you out.” Quinten held out a handful of tiny buttons and stickers, shaking his head. “I can’t fucking believe this.”

They ducked into an alley, and Bonnie watched in awe as her brother helped Zack get mic’d up. Everything was so small it wouldn’t be seen in the dark club. A clear, matte sticker on his neck served as a microphone, she guessed. There were tiny cameras hidden on various parts of his body. All undetectable. Hopefully. Finally, Zack was finished, and he spoke softly, testing the equipment. Nodding to himself, he winked in Bonnie’s direction.

Without another look behind him, Zack threw his arm around Bonnie’s shoulder, drawing her close. Together, they walked inside the club. Stuffing her confusion into the recesses of her brain, she decided she would examine what was happening later.