CHAPTER 8

Brock

I held the phone to my ear and left the room. Even though the Haweses owned a car dealership, I knew I couldn’t ask them for a car. It would raise too many red flags. They all knew about my Chevelle. How I fixed it up with my dad and I wouldn’t be seen driving anything else unless I was working. But their dealership helped me make connections throughout the state. The phone connected.

“What’s your punk ass want?” Henry asked with a laugh.

“To beat your ass at cards again. I could use a few extra bucks.”

“Funny asshole. I’m sure we can find a time to grab a game at Miller’s.” Henry had lost almost twenty-five thousand to me a few months back, and I knew he was looking for a rematch. If only the shit hadn’t hit the fan in the last twenty-four hours.

“I’m sure that can be arranged, but that’s not why I called. I need a favor.”

“You know it’s almost three in the morning, right?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I know. Don’t act all pious like you were in bed sleeping. You’re probably just walking in the door.”

He laughed again. “I think you know me too well. I just left the chick’s place I’d gone home with tonight.”

“At least you’re getting some.” I chuckled.

He groaned. “I’ve had better.”

“I’m sure you have. Now can you help me out?”

“What’s up?” The change in the tone of his voice was instant. Henry knew I’d only ask for something if I was desperate, normally preferring to do things on my own.

“I need to trade a car. One that can’t be traced easily and doesn’t draw attention. No paperwork and tags in a dummy name.”

The sound of car door shutting hit my ears. “I can do it. You’ve got to give me until midday tomorrow to get it set up, but it’s gonna cost.”

“Money isn’t a problem.” I made my way through the dark to the garage and entered the side door. Even without the light I could see two cars were parked inside. A Land Rover SUV and an Audi R8. “They’ll be bringing an Audi R8 to leave there.”

“Title signed over and intact.”

“Unsure if the title is on hand. If not, you know I’ll get it to you. This needs to happen today.”

Henry groaned. “If this were anyone else, I’d tell you hell no, but I know you won’t fuck me over.”

“Damn straight. I always pay my debts. Can you do it?”

“Give me until noon and it’ll be ready.”

“Noon. I’ll send them in to see you directly.”

“It’ll be done.”

I disconnected the call and shoved my phone into my pocket. With Henry willing to handle the car, I had to get them on the road. It would only take them an hour to get to the dealership from the hotel I was sending them to for the night, but there were a few stops they would have to make first. I walked back into the house. Amanda paced in front of the window. Michael and her mother were still sitting at the table talking quietly. All of the heads turned in my direction when I walked inside.

“Well?” Amanda came around the table to stand in front of me.

“The car is taken care of.” I looked over at Michael. “But you’ll need to give him your R8.”

“I don’t give a shit about my car.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever it takes to keep my sister out of this mess.”

“Good, because you’re not getting the car without it. Do you have the title?”

Michael nodded. “Somewhere in my office.”

“Get it,” I snapped, knowing they needed to get on the road. Not to mention, the sooner they get on the road, the sooner Amanda was out of my head and I could go back to my life.

“I’m tempted to tell you to fuck off. Not many men tell me what to do.”

I scoffed. “Nathan Marcello has been telling you what to do for the last nine years. Trust me when I tell you, I might be more deadly than him, but at least I have more compassion. Now get the goddamn title.”

Michael snarled and opened his mouth to speak when Amanda cut him off. “Get the title, Michael.”

He narrowed his eyes at Amanda and stormed from the room. Mrs. Renville walked over to where Amanda and I stood. “Don’t mind Michael. He still blames himself for not being able to save Amanda in the first place.” She placed her hand on my arm. “Thank you for helping us. Where do we need to pick up the car?”

Amanda handed me a piece of paper and pen. I wrote down the address and the place they would be staying tonight, along with the address for an apartment they could use after that, then handed it to her mother. It was another favor I’d have to call in when they left, but at least I knew Charlotte would let them stay in the apartment until they could find somewhere to live. They could work out the rest of the details later. “When you arrive you need to ask for Henry. Don’t talk to anyone else. I’ve also included a place for you to stay tonight until it’s time to pick up the car at noon. After that, head to the last address on the list.”

She nodded. “We will.”

Michael came back into the room, grumbling, but he had the title in hand. “Now what?”

“Can I see both your phones?” I held out my hand. When they placed them in my palm, I dropped them both to the floor and stomped on them.

“What the hell was that for?” Michael yelled.

“If they’ve been watching you that closely, they can track your phone. The car won’t be ready until noon. You can’t head to the new apartment until you’ve picked up the new car, so go right to the hotel for the rest of the night. Grab any cash you have in the house. You can  get disposable phones and new clothes on the way to pick up the car. No designers. Nothing that stands out in any way. No credit cards or debit cards to shop. If you need more cash use an ATM far out of your way in another direction and don’t ever go back that way. Don’t waste any time leaving for the dealership in the morning.” I pulled out the envelope I’d stuffed in my pants pocket before we left and handed it to Amanda. “There should be enough to get you there and get started.”

Amanda pushed the envelope toward her mother. “I’m not going with them.”

“What do you mean you’re not fucking going with them?”

“I mean I’m staying here. You’re not going to fight my battle for me,” she snapped.

“And I told you this isn’t your battle. Marcello started this shit when he fucked with Tess.”

“Amanda, Brock’s right,” her mother pleaded.

She held a hand up in her mother’s direction. “No, Mom, he’s not.” Amanda turned back to me. “Are you saying that what happened with me isn’t as bad as what happened to Tess?”

“That’s not the same thing. Tess is Miller’s girlfriend. She’s family.”

Amanda flinched, taking a step back. “And I’m the enemy?”

“I don’t even know you anymore. I haven’t seen you in nine years. Your family is the one leaving and you should go with them.”

“Screw you, Brock. My family needs me here to stop those assholes from going after them.”

I ground my teeth together. I couldn’t believe she was being this fucking stupid. “And how are you going to do that? You don’t have those same assholes at your disposal to do your bidding.”

Her lip curled into a sneer. “I’ll find a way, the same as I’ve been doing.”

“Which has gotten you so far, hasn’t it?” I asked, sarcasm pouring from my words.

“Fuck you.” She stepped closer to me, and the scent of cherries filled my senses. Something that hadn’t been there in a long ass time. “Whether you like it or not, I’m staying here. If it hadn’t been for my dad wanting to keep us apart, neither of us would be where we are now. Since we are, I’m going to end it.”

She was right. Her dad had refused to pay for any school but the ones farthest away from here. That didn’t change a thing, though. What would climb in our way this time? Besides the fact that two very powerful families in the city would soon want her head on a platter. “Maybe being apart was good because I wouldn’t change my life for anything.”

Was this the life I imagined for myself at seventeen? No. It was the life I had, though. My family was safe, and I’d found brothers in Ashton and Miller. They may not be related by blood, but they were my family just as much as my own parents. I didn’t need the complication that was Amanda sticking around, even if my body wanted her with an urgency I hadn’t ever had with another woman.

“I’m not leaving.” Amanda turned to face her mother. “Mom, you need to go. I need to stay here and finish this. I know you think I’ve suffered enough, but I need to show these assholes that with their boss dead, they have no control over me anymore. That I will not be a part of their so-called empire. I’m out.”

Her mother watched her for long moments, then she leaned forward and kissed Amanda on the cheek. “Be careful,” she whispered.

Amanda peeked at me out of the corner of her eye. “I will. Now go.”

Before Michael or I could protest, Mrs. Renville took Michael’s hand and pulled him out the door. I grabbed Amanda’s arm and forced her to walk forward to the garage.

“You. Are. Not. Staying. Here.” Each word was punctuated by a step of our feet.

Amanda tried to wrench free of my grip. “Yes, I am.”

The Audi backed out of the garage and I fully expected to see Michael sitting behind the steering wheel. I knew he’d stop so I could force his sister into the car. He wanted to protect her as much as I did. I may not want her back in my life, but that didn’t mean I wanted her to suffer, and getting her out of town was the best way to keep her safe. As we got closer, I saw her mom was driving the car and before I could step in front of it to stop her, the engine roared and she sped down the drive.

I let go of Amanda’s arm, roughly shoving her away from me. “Jesus Christ. You have no sense of well-being. Get in the fucking car.”

Not one word of argument left her lips as she opened the door and lowered herself into the passenger seat of the car. It was good, because I wasn’t sure how long I could rein in my temper. I should have known better with Amanda. The second the door shut and the engine came to life she started.

“You’re an asshole. You think I’d run away from this? Those assholes are going to die by my hand.”

I glanced over at her before moving my eyes back to the road. “Not many people have the balls to talk to me that way.”

“Oh, please. Shove the tough guy shit up your ass. I’ve been around plenty of guys who think like that and somehow I’ve managed to get them to bow at my feet. Besides, we need to talk.”

“What the hell is there to talk about, except for the fact that you’re a fucking lunatic who doesn’t give two shits about her life? You realize right now you have two. That’s right, two different crime families looking for you.”

“How many more times do I need to tell you I can handle myself?”

“If the Haweses decide they want you, I’m the one they’d send to find you . . .” I let my words die off. She knew why they would send me to find her. No reason to elaborate.

“You think I don’t know that? Brock, someone’s coming after me no matter what. Here with you, I have the truth on my side. Out there with my mom and brother, I have nothing but their word. No one has to believe a dead girl is alive.”

I gripped the steering wheel, hard enough for my hands to cramp. “Fucking stupid.”

She shrugged. “Maybe, but I won’t let these assholes run my life anymore.”

I swerved through the streets, hoping to get all the aggression out before we reached my house. Without a game and a human punching bag for the night, I’d have to make do with the one in my basement. The rest of the ride was made in complete silence. Amanda sat slumped in the passenger seat of the car, arms crossed over her chest. She focused her gaze out the window, and I had a feeling there was more on her mind that she wanted to say. The moment the car was in park, I leapt from the car, hitting the button to close the garage on the way. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight and ready to let loose.

I stormed into the house, letting the door slam behind me. How could she be so fucking stupid? The door flew open, smacking into the wall. Amanda stood there, eyes blazing.

“What the hell, Brock?”

Ignoring her, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and downed half of it before facing her. “You have a goddamn death wish and you don’t see a problem with it.”

She threw her hands up into the air. “I didn’t run the last time, and I knew what I was getting myself into. Why would I run this time?”

I slammed the bottle down, stalking forward, backing her into the counter. “Last time you were protecting Michael.”

She shoved her hands into my chest. “And this time I’m protecting you.”

I grabbed her wrists, pulling her tighter against me. “Goddammit! Why the fuck would I need protecting? I’m one of the people you need protection from.”

“Really? You’re almighty powerful and no one—”

I didn’t give her a chance to finish, capturing her lips with mine. Without thought or reason, I did exactly what I told myself I wouldn’t do. Yet, there I stood, her body flush against mine, and I wanted nothing more than to strip her naked and fuck her on every surface of my kitchen, consequences be dammed. Amanda’s hands fisted tightly into the fabric of my shirt. I let go of her wrists, sliding my hand around the back of her neck and sinking into her hair. I pushed my tongue in her mouth, keeping my grip on her as she kept her grip on me.

She tore her mouth from mine. “You know this doesn’t mean I agree with you.”

The fire in her eyes made my dick flex in my pants. I pulled the hem of her skirt up around her waist, pushing aside her thong. “I know that.” I slid my hand between her thighs, slipping a finger through her wet folds. “This means we both want to fuck.”

I pressed one finger inside, stroking her clit with my thumb, and a low rumble left her lips. She was already wet and my cock wanted inside. She groaned when I brought both hands up to her shoulders and spun her around so her back was flush against my front.

“Jesus, Brock. Just ’cause you didn’t get your way doesn’t mean you need to tease me.”

“You think this is about teasing.”

The neckline of her dress was barely covering all that I wanted to see and touch. I gripped the edge, yanking it to the side to expose her breasts. How did I miss the fact she hadn’t been wearing a bra? Well, lucky fucking me. I cupped a breast in each hand, thumbing the tight buds, all while I pressed my hips into her naked ass. Even through my pants, I could feel the heat of her body.

“Isn’t it?” she panted.

Kissing and sucking along the base of her neck, I unzipped my pants and took my cock out and covered it with a condom from my wallet. “No.” Without giving her any warning, I bent her over the counter and thrust inside. Her fingers grabbed for purchase on the counter as I held her hips tight enough to leave bruises.

“Shit,” she cried out as things on the counter went tumbling to the floor.

The smooth friction on my dick made my balls tighten. I reached around Amanda, knowing I couldn’t hold off much longer, and pinched her clit. Her body quivered around mine, forcing me to shoot into her. My body jerked over and over again until I could barely stand. I dropped forward, bracing myself on the counter. The lust that had consumed me only moments ago started to fade, and the anger from her brother’s house magnified tenfold. I pushed away from the counter, ditching the condom and yanking my pants back in place.

Amanda glanced over her shoulder, slowly standing up and letting the skirt she wore drop back into place. “Brock?”

With Amanda staying in town, I had no choice but to keep her at my place. If she wasn’t interested in keeping herself safe, then I’d have to do it for her. Didn’t mean I needed to be in the same room as her, and at this point it was fucking obvious I couldn’t be trusted to be anywhere near her and keep my hands to myself. My house had four bedrooms and I planned to set her up in the one farthest from my room. I stormed up the stairs and switched into a pair of gym shorts, all before Amanda had a chance to say anything else. I was on the way to the basement when she came around the corner.

“Make yourself at home. I’ll show you to your room when I come back up.”

“I thought I’d stay with you.” Gone was the ice queen and in her place was a temptress to haunt my dreams.

I scoffed. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.” I turned and went down the steps, shutting the basement door behind me to block out her sound and her scent.

Ignoring the gloves on the shelf, I went right to the bag. A little pain wouldn’t hurt anyone and hopefully it would take my mind off the infuriating, sexy as fuck woman upstairs.

Holy fuck.

Things were an absolute mess. Punch. Now, I not only had to protect the Hawes family from Marcello’s men and any other idiot they came across, I had to also protect Amanda from both the Hawes family and Marcello’s men. Punch. At least until I spoke with Ashton. I figured that was my best bet at getting Malcolm to listen. Punch. Miller could be too much of a hothead at times, usually saying something to piss his dad off, and the importance of the conversation would be washed away in their fight.

I knew both brothers would be willing to listen. Just had to find a way to prove to them that the woman they knew as Isobel wasn’t what they thought. Fuck, even I had to wonder if I was being played for a fool. Deep down, I knew this Amanda and the woman I knew truly wouldn’t be able to stomach anything like the shit her husband pulled, even if I didn’t know her anymore.

How in the hell had I not figured it out? Maybe I could have gotten her out of there before now. And what would that accomplish? It would still leave us in a place where she’d already seen too much to not have changed and I wouldn’t give the fuckers in the world an extra target on my back. That was when I really let loose on the bag. My knuckles burned where I’d punched the wall earlier. Even on the black leather, I could see the smear of liquid. I had no doubt I’d busted open a knuckle, but that didn’t stop me. Sweat dripped into my eyes and my lungs burned trying to draw breath, yet I still kept punching.

When the muscles in my arms burned so badly they felt like rubber, I gave up. The creak of the metal chains and my heavy breathing were the only sounds to fill the room. I grabbed a towel from the side wall and dropped my ass onto the lifting bench. From the beginning this job was an absolute clusterfuck and it was still screwing with my life. I wiped the sweat from my brow, giving myself a few more minutes before I had to deal with my shit.

There was a game in two days that would give me the best option to talk to Ashton. It would give me the chance to get Amanda settled. She needed new clothes to start with and who the fuck knew what else. Who was I kidding? Most of me believed in Amanda and the girl I knew, but the part of me whose job was to question everything had to wonder if I was letting the past cloud my judgment. Would she fuck us all over in the end? The cold, detached way she’d sent off her brother and mother told me the woman upstairs could be capable of anything

Jesus Christ.

Never had I questioned myself like this. I ran a hand through my hair. My job was to read people and figure out the best way to deal with the situation. There was no reason I couldn’t handle this. I’d watch her over the next few days, and by the time I went to the game with Ashton I’d figure out what to do with Amanda.

Who knew how much her time with Marcello had changed her.