Page 18 of Has-Been
“Not gonna apologise for offering a lady comfort, Pres. What are we doing to keep her safe until we know more?”
Reacher cursed, and I moved in Has-Been’s hold so I could look at him too. He looked conflicted, his eyes darting to the door every few moments.
“This is going to epically blow up in your face if you’re still touching Elise when he comes back.”
I let out a hiss of anger, and pushed free of Has-Been’s arms, even though it was the last thing I ever wanted to do.
“Better? Isn’t it enough that Seth won’t let me have any friends, or anyone in my life? I just needed a damn hug and some comfort, after he pissed off Cammy and she left.”
Reacher looked like he regretted opening his mouth.
“I’m sorry, girly, I’m just trying to keep the peace here. We have a fucking serial rapist and killer in the area, we’ve lost a member of the Phoenix family to him already, you’re being harassed by someone who may or may not be the same person, and I really don’t need two members of my club beating the shit out of each other just now.”
He dropped heavily into his chair, and firmly pointed at the two chairs in front of him, so we bowed to his leadership and sat down.
“In terms of protecting you, Elise, you said you didn’t feel safe all night. Would you feel safer in another room?” Yes, Has-Been’s. I even looked in his direction, and Reacher cursed again.
“Don’t do this to me,please. I can see if Stitch wants to make up a bed in his room with him and Cammy, or we can look at reinforcing the room you’re in. Those are your options.” Wow, how firm had his voice just become? I sure as hell didn’t want to share with my damn brother and his new wife.
“My room is going to need a proper door, not that stupid flimsy thing, and I need more locks. A lot of them. Anyone could kick their way into the room with the stupid door it has.”
Reacher took a breath and glanced at Has-Been, who’d chuckled at my words.
“Nice of you to volunteer for the handyman job there, brother. Enlist someone else if you need to, as long as it’s someone who won’t unnerve Elise. Both of you know that right now we only have a few members of the club we’re certain aren’t likely to be a risk, and it fucking kills me that I can’t say that confidently about everyone in the club right now.”
Has-Been cleared his throat this time.
“I should mention that three club members red flagged last night at Rossi’s tech lair. Ice sent you the files on all three, but we already ruled Torch out. There’s no way he’s doing this.”
Reacher nodded. “I’m inclined to agree. He’s a perverted little shit, but I’ve never known him to hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it.” Yikes. I wasn’t about to rule him out, god no. He’d been in the bar last night, along with Micro. I still didn’t trust either of them, but I also didn’t know how the hell anyone might have got hold of my number.
Seth and Ice re-entered the room then, and they both looked pissed off.
“Oh god, what now?”
Ice cursed, kicking the one remaining chair across the floor.
“Someone fucking hacked my system. They’ve accessed everything; our personnel files, our financials, and that means all contact information for club members and family.”
Family as inme. Oh god. So it was a club member after all?
Twelve
Strangely,insteadofbeingdragged into more of the situation Ice had just discovered, Reacher stayed true to his word, and sent me to go and fortify Elise’s room for her. Stitch looked pissed, but he knew it had to happen, and even though he didn’t trust me for some unknown reason, he also knew they needed to work out who’d hacked them.
Don’t get me wrong, because I kinda liked that Tesio guy, but I wasn’t convinced it wasn’t him, even if he just did it to prove some kind of hacker superiority or some shit.
The most important part of what had just happened was that I was alone with Elise, and able to offer her the comfort I was risking my life to act on right there in Reacher’s office.
“You were gone all night.” She was standing in her room with her arms tight around her again. Was she doing that because I wasn’t holding her? Was it her way of trying to replicate the comfort Cammy and I had offered when we held her?
I turned the lock on the door and made my way over to hold her again. Damn… it felt like everything in the world went away when she was in my arms. How was she affecting me so intensely when we barely even knew each other? Every time I had the opportunity to pull her into my arms, she never hesitated, almost like she was being thrown against me. Her body crashed against mine, every sweet soft inch pressing against me, and I groaned.
“Worst possible time to get a boner. I’m sorry, babe. You don’t need that from me right now.” I tried angling away so she couldn’t feel it, but every move away from her was chased by her body as she pressed close again.
“I was so scared last night. I wished I could call you and hear your voice as I sat here in the dark, and watched the door until the sun came up.”
“Jesus. I wish I’d been here for you. I hate the idea of you being that afraid, especially here, in the only place I’ve ever been happy. It’s a good place, Elise.”
