Page 9 of Gunner

Chapter 6

Lacey stretchedand rolled over in bed, taking in the sunlight coming in through her bedroom window. She could tell it was early, the August morning bright and full of hope, and she wanted desperately to share that hope. A new day full of promise and excitement, and it was all of those things but she couldn’t get rid of the melancholy at waking up alone in her hotel room three days ago had brought her.

She’d looked for Gunner but hadn’t been able to find him, his clothes and belongings already gone when she woke. The hotel wouldn’t tell her if he’d checked into another room so she’d had to reluctantly accept that he was gone and would call her—or not.

Nate had picked her up at the airport. He, Skye, and some of the other guys from Fortis and Eidolon had very kindly helped her move her stuff into her new home. She’d barely had a second alone since she’d arrived. Lacey swung her legs out of bed, and throwing on a cream silk dressing gown, she went downstairs to her beautiful new kitchen to make herself a coffee.

Flicking the switch, she made herself some fruit and yoghurt, and taking her coffee went back upstairs to eat it on the balcony off her bedroom. Sitting on the rattan chair, she cupped the frothy latte and took her first sip of the sweet heaven that would bring the rest of her tired brain awake as she looked over at the view which had made her fall in love with this house.

The river Wye meandering in all its beauty was the most peaceful thing she could remember, and the body of water instantly made her think of Gunner and what he’d told her about his sister. It was hard not to let her heart break for the man who blamed himself for something which wasn’t his fault.

The love he had for his sister was so pure, and she hated that he couldn’t see himself how she saw him. Her body still ached in places from the things they’d done, and it made her want more. More of the bone tingling orgasms he could give her but not just that, although God knew the man was magnificent.

It was the way that despite his size and training, he never made her feel weak or scared or less. Not like Carmine had done—always telling her she was pathetic, throwing mock punches just to see her flinch and then laughing and putting his arms around her like it was all a big joke, but she knew it wasn’t. The occasional slaps when they had a falling out had turned to hits and hair-pulling. Never enough to mark her body, because that was his cash cow—her modelling career his ticket to the lavish lifestyle and the prestige he thought he deserved.

As the youngest in the Russo crime family, Carmine had been treated as the family idiot by his father and older brothers. He’d allowed their treatment of him to make him into a bully. It had taken her a while to see it, but by then she’d felt trapped, weak like it was her fault he behaved the way he had.

She could ignore the affairs he had, the call girls and the waitresses. If it meant he left her alone she was glad for it, but when he began to pursue the models she worked with, she knew it was time to get out while she still had the tiniest bit of strength. It had been what happened with Skye and Noah that had been the final straw. Carmine had hidden her passport to stop her flying home to support her friend when she needed her, and that was when she’d left him.

Carmine had thought it all a game at first, but when he realised she meant it, he’d begun to send her gifts and turn up at her shoots until she’d known she had to leave and make a fresh start. She never expected it to be her friend’s wedding where she’d make a clean break and in such a fashion.

The scars from that still had the power to break her if she let them but with therapy and support from good friends like Skye, Lizzie, and surprisingly Roz, she’d managed to get her life back on track.

Deciding to move here to this tranquil piece of England and work with Callie Lund, another model and who was now engaged to Reid, one of the guys who had saved her that day, had felt right—good.

Her phone rang on her nightstand, where it was charging, and she moved to answer it, wondering who it was at this time of the morning—barely seven am.

Lacey smiled as she saw the name on the ID said ‘Skye’ and answered.

“Morning, sweetie. Hope I didn’t wake you, but I wanted to catch you before you got busy in the office and forgot the outside world existed.”

Lacey couldn’t deny that when she started to design her kids and teens range she got utterly lost in it.

“Actually, I have a meeting with Callie and Taamira today to go over the range for next summer. I want their take on it.”

“Oh, good. That makes my life easier.”

Lacey could hear Nancy in the background and knew Skye was probably feeding the kids breakfast while she talked. The sound of Nate’s deep voice close to the phone, calling hello, and then kissing his wife before heading out made her smile for her friend. Skye deserved every second of happiness she got, and anyone could see that man loved her to bits.

Ignoring the little bite of longing, she concentrated on what Skye had said instead. “Life easier how?”

“Girls night tonight, all of us are going. It’s time to leave the kids with their dads and head out on the town. Can you invite Callie, and Taamira? I’ll get Roz to ask Evelyn, Pax, and the others. I already asked Autumn, and she’s up for it too.”

Lacey was about to try and wriggle out of it but then realised a girl’s night was exactly what she needed. “Fine, I’ll speak to them. What’s the plan?”

“Why don’t you come here and get ready with me like we used to, minus the Lambrini and grape 20/20.” Skye gave a mock shudder over the phone, which made Lacey smile. “Autumn is coming here too. She’s awesome and you’re going to love her.”

“Sounds good. What time?”

“Come over around six, and we can get some food in before we get ready. I’m way too old for drinking on an empty stomach. Eating is definitely not cheating.”

Lacey laughed, and a few minutes later they hung up. Lacey was still smiling as she walked back out onto the balcony and froze as she saw a man standing at the tree line to her property that led toward the river. Stepping back, she reached for her phone, and when she spun around, he was gone.

She looked for any sign of someone hanging around but found nothing and then felt silly. The break-in at the hotel had been a disgruntled hotel employee, and hers hadn’t been the only room trashed. She’d been grateful when the hotel manager called to tell her and decided against filing charges, just wanting a quiet life but now she saw threats where there was only sunshine, and she cursed her paranoia.

With a shake of her head, she brushed the silliness away and went to get ready for her day, a spring in her step at the thought of girl’s night with her new friends. It was Friday night, she had plans for the first time in ages, and it felt good. The only thing she had to do was to get through tonight without drinking or arousing her friend’s suspicions about it. Explaining her one-night stand with Gunner wasn’t something she was ready for just yet.

Eight hours later, Lacey realised that not spilling her guts to her friends was going to be more challenging than she thought. They had eaten dinner of homemade fajitas, and she’d met Autumn who was every bit as lovely as Skye had said she was. Mitch had walked her over to Nate and Skye’s home, which was just a few doors away despite her telling him it wasn’t necessary.