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“Yeah, I suppose,” he answers, giving me another side look before continuing, “Although I don’t think Luke will be thrilledabout it. Maybe you need to give us a few days to look into all this stuff happening to you, make sure there’s no immediate threat to your safety, then you can find another job.” I shake my head to argue with him.
“Luke doesn’t get to decide what I do with my life,” I say defiantly, straightening my spine, jutting my chin out. Rosco side glances me again. His jaw tightening, but he nods.
“Don’t hold what you overhead at the house against him,” Rosco murmurs. “It was my fault, and I’ll feel terrible if that comes between you two. I have enough to worry over without adding that to the mix.” I glare over at him not sure if I heard him correctly. “Yeah, I know,” he says when he notices my glare. “I’m being selfish, but I’m thinking of my brother, too. I’ve never seen him so worked up over a woman before. You’ve definitely gotten under his skin. I can tell you don’t trust him fully, but believe me when I tell you. You won’t find a better man than Luke. He’s a straight shooter. He’ll be honest with you and always put your needs ahead of his own.”
I don’t respond. I just settle back in my seat and ponder on his words. He takes me to several places to pick up paper applications, waiting patiently while I fill them out and turn them in. We manage to pass the rest of the morning in a comfortable silence. As we are driving, I notice a help wanted sign at a truck stop. Rosco doesn’t look happy about even stopping here, but he relents when I insist. I get an interview, and an hour later when I emerge with a smile on my face, he looks really uncomfortable.
“Don’t tell me.” He begins the minute I’m inside the truck, “You got the job?” I grin triumphantly. He groans at the sight, muttering about Luke cutting off his balls.
“I start tomorrow afternoon,” I reply happily until I remember I don’t have my car. “Um, would you be able to take me? I should get enough in tips to get an Uber or taxi back after my shift.”
“Fuck!” he exclaims, causing me to jump in fear. “I’m notabout to let you take an Uber or taxi, and neither will Luke. I’ll take you and pick you up,IFand that’s a big if, my brother doesn’t murder me the instant he finds out where you’re working.” He blows out a big breath, again muttering to himself.
“What’s that?” I ask in my most coy voice, knowing full well he wasn’t talking to me.
“I said…” He grumbles, “I’m going to be dick-less and ball-less when we get to Luke’s”—he glares over at me— “all thanks to you! You’ll have to apologize to my future wife when I can’t give her orgasms and children.” My face heats at his words, but then my snarky side emerges.
“You can still give her orgasms,” I counter. He looks at me wide-eyed as if shocked I dared to banter with him. “You never said he’d cut your tongue out or fingers off,” I offer. He barks out a laugh, and I can’t help laughing along with him.
“Damn,” he says laughing. “I see why Luke is all in. Beauty, brains, and sass. The perfect combination.” I gush at his flattery. We arrive back at Luke’s in the late afternoon. Everyone is gone. We enter the house, and Rosco turns to me. “Will you be all right here by yourself for a while? Luke should be back home in a few hours. I need to head to the office.”
“Of course,” I reply. “I mean if he’s comfortable me being here unattended.” It just occurred to me, he might not want to leave a virtual stranger, who he fucked senseless just hours ago, here alone in his house.
“Luke wants you in his home, Marley,” Rosco says confidently. “Never doubt that. As long as the perimeter alarm is set so we are alerted if anyone approaches, you’ll be fine. Oh! I need to show you the panic rooms, just in case.” He leads me to a room on the first level of the home near the half bathroom. He shows me a small panel hidden behind a beautiful framed photograph of the ocean at sunrise. It looks as if it was taken from Luke’s deck. Rosco teaches me a code to enter in the panel so I can get inside. The room is larger than I expected. It has a couch, a table, arefrigerator, microwave, and cabinets that are lined with convenience foods. A side door reveals a full bathroom. A handle in the wall reveals a pull-down bed complete with bed linens.
“Wow!” I comment. “He’s thought of everything hasn’t he?” Rosco nods as he looks around the room one more time before we leave the space behind.
“Yeah, he has prepared for the worst,” Rosco says as he secures the room once more. “Now if you feel threatened, if someone tries to get in when none of us are here, you go in this room and stay put until we get here to get you out, understand?”
“Yes,” I answer somberly. I never dreamed I’d need such instructions, but after yesterday, I realize I can’t continue to have my head in the sand and pretend this isn’t happening. “I understand Rosco.”
“Good girl,” he says with a smile. He is a handsome man but not like his brother. He doesn’t give me the nest of butterflies wanting to break free like Luke does with just a glance in my direction. Despite how hurt I feel over Luke’s words this morning, I find myself eager for Luke to come home. Next, Rosco takes me upstairs to reveal a similar room inside Luke’s bedroom. I learn the code, and when he certain I can reach safety if needed, he takes his leave.
I head up to my room with the intention of taking a nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and my body is still deliciously sore from the morning’s activities. Slipping back into the sleep set, I sink into the bed, and I’m out in mere seconds.
LUKE
Ican’t concentrate on the file in front of me. My mind is on the brown-haired beauty that my brother is taking around town, looking for a job. I wanted it to be me who was driving her wherever she needed or wanted to go, but I know she needs some space to think things through. I want her, but it will be her decision, and I’ll not manipulate her into doing what I want by always being in her business. When Rosco texted and told me what she was up to, I wanted to rage and tell him to bring her to the office so I could talk her out of it, but that would be too caveman, too over-the-top. I want Marley to trust me completely, and that’ll never happen if I try to control every aspect of her life.
I pitch the file into the to-do-stack. I can’t concentrate. I check the searches I have running in an effort to track the keystrokes that lead to Marley’s accounts being emptied. It’s still running, but it’s making progress. I just have to hope I can follow the trail back to the fucker who took her hard-earned money. I hear the front door open, and my secretary, Kristen, greets the newcomer. Seconds later, Rosco enters my office.
“Where’s Marley?” I look over his shoulder hoping to see herbeautiful face behind him, but I’m greeted with empty air. “Why aren’t you guarding her?”
“Chill, man.” Rosco flops into one of the chairs in front of my desk. “She’s at your place with the perimeter alarm on, and I showed her how to access both the upstairs and the downstairs panic rooms.” I relax slightly at this, but it still doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t want her unprotected. Someone needs to be watching over her. I pull out my phone shooting off a text to Kelvin and Dalton. Hopefully one of them can swing by and check on things until I can finish up here.
“Any word on Daisy?” he asks when I lay my phone back on my desk.
“No change at this time,” I mimic the updates I’ve gotten every two hours. I sigh, lowering my head into my hands. Neither of us wanting to voice our fears for our sister.
“So.” Rosco grins at me to change the subject. “Big brother has fallen, huh?” I grin back at him, because the truth is, I have fallen head over fucking heels. Now that I’ve had her in my bed, I can’t go back to just thinking about her. I need her in my life.
“Yeah, so it would seem,” I agree. “How did it go at the police station?” Rosco’s whole demeaner changes, setting me on guard. He sits up straighter in his chair before leaning forward to place his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands together in front of him.
“Good, I guess.” He shrugs, looking uncomfortable. “Atwood was going at her about her past relationships pretty hard. I almost stepped in once to stop it, but she handled everything well.” He has my curiosity piqued.
“What do you mean by all that?” I question. He leans back to slouch in the chair, once more.
“She only spoke of two boyfriends.” Rosco looks up to see my reaction. “The most recent seems innocuous. Mutually broke things off after a few weeks of dating, about a year ago, no spark she said.” He gives me a knowing smirk before continuing. Thereare definitely sparks where she and I are concerned as he overheard this morning. “The other one has been over much longer, about five years she said, but how that one ended…Dude, I’m surprised she even tried to date again after that messed up shit.” Fear shoots through me at the thought she has been mistreated.
