Slade acknowledges me with a nod of his head, then he heads out the front door for God knows what. It’s something I’ve noticed about these men—they can’t sit still. Half the time they’re in and out of the office several times a day.
I meander my way looking into Leo and Drake’s offices. Both are empty, so I make my way to Bridger’s. The tension that has been building between us is off the charts. There’s something about him. He’s the jokester of the group, always drops one-liners, makes me laugh when I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Too bad my guard is so high, I’m not sure I’ll ever allow a man into my world again.
Two
Bridger
I can hear the click of her heels coming down the hallway. My office is the last one she’ll come to. It doesn’t matter though. With my hearing, I knew right away what Slade was offering, I’ll be surprised if Taylor is even coming this way. It’s more likely he’ll go to her.
She makes her way to just inside my office. She’s come out of her shell some over the last few months. When she first landed at Nighthawk Security, I swear she was scared of her own shadow. There was something about her though. The three of us—Slade, Drake, and myself—knew we needed someone to help man the day-to-day bullshit, and since we lived in this small town, there weren’t a whole lot of prospects.
Kellie walked in the door with a small smile on her face. The way her eyes would dart to each of us as we rattled off questions told me she was hesitant at first, then she loosened up as the clock ticked by. I still remember exactly what she was wearing: the black pant suit she wore complimented her body. The way her blouse was buttoned all the way to the column of her throat, not giving a hint of any skin. Her pants, though, they might as well have been painted on her body. It gave the perfect sophisticated look with a hint of something dark and decadent. Her dirty blonde hair was long and she had it curled. It was so long it was hanging well past her breasts, much like she wears it still to this day.
When she got up to leave, my eyes were glued to her shapely legs and an ass that I knew I wanted my hands full of. Slade cleared his throat, narrowed his gaze, and I sat up straighter in my chair. I knew it wasn’t the time or the place, and Kellie looked like she wanted and needed the job. The three of us talked, I ran a background check, and even with what I came back with, we hired her. If anyone could keep this woman safe, it would not only be me, but my brothers as well.
“Hey, I’m heading to run an errand and get lunch. Want me to bring you anything back from the deli?” Kellie asks. Her head is down, her hair in her signature soft curls, hiding eyes the color of Spanish moss hanging on a tree and lips that form the perfect pout without actually pouting. Today, she’s wearing a green top that’s tucked into a flowy floral skirt. It stops above her knee, showcasing her legs, and the shoes only elongate them.
“Hey, how about we ride together? I have something I need to do myself.” I stand up, not giving her the option to allow me to go with her or not. I’ll even drive us. Kellie may not think we don’t know about her past, but you can bet your ass I know everything and then some, including the email she got about her abuser.
It was hard to sit on that bit of information when I learned about it earlier this week. I brought it to Slade and Drake’s attention when we had our weekly Monday meeting. None of us could tell Kellie we knew Liam Fitzpatrick was out even when he’s on probation. The likeliness of him actually staying in Arkansas and checking in with his parole officer is highly unlikely, which is why, while we’re dropping off paperwork for Slade, I’m going to ease her into this conversation. Kellie may not know it yet, but she’s as good as mine. The meeting Monday morning solidified it. Neither Drake nor Slade were surprised.
“I can just bring you something back,” she suggests.
“That’s okay. I have something I need to check into while you’re there.” I’m already standing, sliding my phone and wallet into my pocket, then going for my keys. There’s no way I’ll be riding in her car. We’ll take the company Tahoe.
Her head is down as she faces her toes, her foot drawing an imaginary line along the floor. “Kellie, sunshine.” My hand touches to her soft hair, tugging at the ends lightly to get her attention.