Hard To Stay Page 3

  Rage flashed in his eyes as he narrowed them into slits. It was clear to me that this guy had no clue as to how close I was to smashing his head up against the wall. He stared back, his eyes undeterred and body seemingly unthreatened. This was a man who wasn’t used to backing down from anyone and it wouldn’t take much to get him to lose his composure. I would bet money that if he had a loaded gun on him, he would have no problem pulling the trigger.

  “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with Detective?”

  The bite to his words was undeniable and I could feel my hands starting to ball into fists. “Mr. Hunt. I’m very well aware of who your daddy is.” I cleared my throat. “But as you already know, you’re not in Georgia anymore and I’m the sheriff in these parts. Now I’m only going to tell you this just once and I will say it slowly so a redneck hick from the South like you can understand me. Leave Miss Manning alone.”

  “Or what?” he asked, folding his arms in front of his chest trying to intimidate me. He reminded me of a little boy who threw a temper tantrum whenever his toys were taken away. People were just possessions to him. I had no doubt that he viewed Lexi as one of his most prized possessions. You could tell by his demeanor that he came from old money and was comfortable knowing that his family connections could and would fix any trouble he decided to create.

  Men like him never walked away from a challenge. He wasn’t going to go away without a fight. But it seemed as though he was more comfortable fighting with Lexi than wanting to fight me.

  I kept my face straight and my temper in check. I was a professional and trained to deal with shit heads like this. “Or Mr. Hunt, you’ll be dealing with me.”

  I didn’t know why this was so important to me. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have enough on my plate, but for some reason I felt compelled to help her. There was no denying my attraction to her, but it was also something else too. It was subtle, but I could still feel it. It had been a long time since I’d felt anything.

  He faked a condescending laugh, sending my defenses into high alert. “Detective Morgan, right? Since you’re somewhat familiar with who I am, you should also know that I never back down from a challenge.”

  And there it was. This was about me trying to take away his possession.

  “Really? Is that a threat?” I asked wanting to clarify his statement.

  “Oh, it’s not a threat, Detective. It’s a promise!” He said without a bit of hesitation, taking in our surroundings. I noticed his confidence drop a few levels when my buddies Sawyer and Lucas came up from behind me. Colton was an asshole, but he wasn’t stupid. Guys like him were always calculating the odds, taking cheap shots when they could get away with them and tucking their tail to fight another day when it was clear they might lose. I’d bet my small inheritance that he had just realized that he wasn’t going to win today. His pride meant too much to him to stick to his guns and slug it out.

  “Is there a problem here?” Sawyer asked with his head moving back and forth between us.

  Colton turned his face to my friends and smiled. “No problem.” he said in that cool, sarcastic tone of his. “I’m just having a friendly conversation with Detective Morgan here.”

  Sawyer squinted his eyes and studied me, noticing my clenched fist by my side. “You sure about the friendly part? Because it looks to me like you are about a half second away from getting a fist in your face.”

  Colton brought his hand up to his jaw, seeming unsure how to respond. “I assume these are friends of yours, Mr. Morgan. You haven’t even introduced them to me.” He said with a smug grin—what a controlling son of a bitch.

  Lucas reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. “What’s going on here?”

  My muscles were so tense they were straining against my dress shirt. Colton was built but my experience was that gutless cowards who hit women were rarely willing to physically square up against someone who could actually put up a fight. We both knew that the odds were stacked against him and it was time for him to use his brains over his brawn.

  Colton clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes on mine. “I’m afraid you’re overstepping your boundaries here, Detective. I would be very careful if I were you. The press doesn’t take lightly to the men in blue abusing their power.”

  “Well, then it’s a good thing for both us that I’m not wearing blue, isn’t it?”

  Lucas looked at Sawyer and then back at me. There was a smile playing on his lips when he spoke “That’s funny, because everyone knows you don’t look good in blue anyway.”

  Colton didn’t like being the butt of anyone’s joke. In fact, he looked like he was ready to blow.

  “Let me tell you something. Lexi belongs with me.” He hissed out. “I’m going to chalk up this conversation to a simple misunderstanding on your part. You can tell my fiancée that I’ll be back. I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.” And with that he turned and walked away.

  Once Colton was gone, Lucas spun on his heels. “What the fuck was that about?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling my pulse start to return to normal. “I’ll fill you in later.” I said then stopped and turned around. “Do me a solid and make sure that clown leaves the building. Please?” They both knew I was not one to lose my cool easily, so their curiosity was understandable. Instead of drilling me with questions, they simply nodded and followed Colton out of the building.

  Once I was sure that he was gone, I walked over to the bathroom and tapped gently on the door. “You can both come out now. He’s gone.”

  Abby greeted me, standing off to the side. “How did it go?” She asked as I made my way into the room.

  Lexi rose from the chair, the relief I saw was all the confirmation I needed in knowing that I had done the right thing.

  Meeting her ex had explained two things. First, he was an asshole of gigantic proportions and second, Lexi had every right to be afraid of him.

  “Your ex-fiancé is quite the guy, huh?”

  She ran her hands down her face in frustration. “God, I’m sorry to involve you in this mess.”

  “Hey, no worries.” I put my hand out stopping her. “It’s fine. Besides, protecting and serving the public is my job!” I added with a wry grin trying to lighten the mood.

  “Thank you, Detective. Is he really gone?” She asked hopefully. Her long eyelashes flickered making her look even more breathtaking than I remembered.

  My grin faltered a bit. “He is for now.” I stressed, choosing my words carefully.

  Her shoulders sagged when all I wanted to do was comfort her. “It’s okay, I know it’s only a matter of time before I run into him again.” She said sadly, reading between the lines.

  Abby chimed in. “Lexi, don’t say that. You’re not alone anymore. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

  Lexi bit down on her bottom lip, and I was suddenly turned on. What the hell was wrong with me? This poor girl’s life had been turned upside and my dick chose that moment to make an appearance.

  “You’re right.” She piped up with the sound of determination in her voice. “I’m done being the victim here. I can’t run forever and he can’t make me go back. I won’t allow him to take more from me than he already has.”

  I knew I was skating on very thin ice and her confidence was definitely a turn on. But she needed to keep a level head about this.

  So, I told her honestly, “I’m not going to lie, he doesn’t seem like the type that’s going to disappear. But I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

  Her head snapped towards mine in surprise. The way she stared at me had me feeling nervous and uncomfortable, and I never got nervous. That should have been my first warning. “You would do that for me?”

  “Absolutely!” I swallowed, trying to mask the way my body was reacting to her.

  Abby leaned in, grabbing both of her shoulders. “See, I told you he was a great guy!”

  Abby’s eyes flickered to mine; the affection was obvious. A big part
of me wished I could feel more than friendship for her but I just couldn’t seem to get there. I wished I could say the same about the lovely southern belle standing in front of me.

  “Well, I think I should get going now,” Lexi sighed, picking her purse up off the floor. “Thank you both for all your help tonight.”

  Why did the thought of this girl walking away bother me so much? I wasn’t ready for our time to come to an end just yet and I started to think of any excuse to spend a little more time together.

  “You know what, I was about ready to call it a night, anyway. I’d like to make sure you get home safely.”

  Both sets of eyes darted towards mine. “Thank you, but I think you have already done enough tonight.” She said, fastening the strap of her purse along her shoulder.

  “I insist.” There was no way she was walking out of here alone. I had no idea where Colton, the asshole, went after we chased him out of the building and I wasn’t taking any chances. While feeling the need to protect her was new to me, it felt almost instinctive.

  She still looked unsure. I didn’t want to scare her, but I wanted her to be prepared. “Lexi, you know your ex better than I do. But I know his type well. He wasn’t happy when he left. I would feel a lot better knowing that you made it home safe and sound. Tomorrow, I also think you and I should discuss getting an order of protection against him.”

  She looked like she was about to give me a dozen reasons on why that wasn’t going to happen when to my surprise, she nodded slowly and said. “Okay.”

  I had been involved in too many domestic situations over the years to naively think we had seen the last of Colton Hunt. I knew from experience that things were likely to get worse—a whole lot worse—before they started to get better.

  Chapter Four

  Brad

  I got back to my apartment and stripped down to a pair of boxers and a plain white t-shirt. After grabbing a cold Stella out of the fridge, I flopped down onto the couch and pulled my computer onto my lap. Once the Google screen popped up, I typed Colton Hunt into the search bar and a whole different world appeared before my eyes. What came up didn’t necessarily surprise me. Even though Lexi told me that he came from money, it was easy to see that from the hundreds of links that I could follow, bringing me to various articles. What struck me the most wasn’t the wealth that was on full display or the political power that caught my eye, no, it was a picture of him and Lexi walking into a ribbon cutting ceremony looking like the perfect couple.

  I leaned back in my seat and studied the photo more closely. God, she was breathtaking. During the entire car ride home I couldn’t help but steal a glance every chance I got. She seemed nervous and unsettled even though I wanted to remind her that she was perfectly safe with me.

  When we finally pulled up to her building, I was surprised to learn that she only lived a couple of blocks from me. Knowing she was so close had me thinking about her even more.

  I ran my hands through my hair and looked up at the ceiling. I could not get this girl out of my head. Her building had security, but I still found myself concerned for her safety. It had a doorman guarding the entrance, which was enough to keep the street people out of the lobby. It would however be no match for a man who knew no boundaries, and who had a pocket full of money to buy his way into anything or anywhere.

  I checked my phone to see if she had texted me. I’d made her program my number into her phone before I’d dropped her off. I had half hoped she would call me and was half glad she didn’t have to. The disappointment of seeing no new messages from her had me doubting my ability to keep things professional.

  I tossed my phone across the table and leaned back into the couch lost in my own head. It was obvious that underneath that beautiful exterior was someone who was hiding a great deal of pain and sadness. My muscles tightened at that thought. The smile on the screen in front of me was far different than the one I had seen tonight. It was clear that she let her guard down with me and it also reminded me that I needed to be careful of the trust she placed in me.

  I closed my laptop, convinced that once I ran a full background check on him tomorrow, I would discover a hell of a lot more than a few tabloid articles. I turned off the light and dragged my ass to bed for the night. Every time I closed my eyes, her face would pop up in my head making for one hell of a restless night.

  Morning came too quickly and after pressing the snooze button for the third time, I forced myself out of bed and into the shower. The steam from the shower filled the glass stall as I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the cool tiles. I felt my dick tighten and rise every time her face and perfect little body popped into my head.

  She was everything I wasn’t looking for, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about her. Her life was messy and complicated. She had more baggage then the cargo holds at JFK International airport, yet I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what it would be like to be with her. What her lips would feel like, and what she tasted like.

  I was so lost in those images that I didn’t even realize that I had wrapped my hand around my soapy cock. I massaged myself imagining what she sounded like when she came. My climax started to climb with my mind’s visuals of me driving deep inside her. It didn’t take long for my balls to tighten and for the evidence of my arousal to squirt from out of my clenched hand.

  I threw my arm over my eyes knowing that I was screwed. This girl was trouble, and she needed my help, not my cock.

  I toweled off, got dressed, grabbed my badge, gun and wallet off the dresser and made my way out the door. I dialed Sawyer who picked up on the second ring.

  “Dude, it’s fucking 7:30 in the morning.” He answered, still half asleep. He sounded hung over, too. He and Lucas were throwing them back pretty good last night.

  “Sorry to wake you up, man, but I really need a favor.”

  “What’s up?” He asked, his voice picking up on the urgency in my tone.

  Sighing into the phone, I pushed the round button as I entered the elevator. “I need to talk to you about Lexi.”

  “Who?” I could almost picture him frowning in confusion.

  “The girl from last night? Abby’s friend with the douchebag ex.”

  “Abby’s friend, huh?” A short laugh came through the line. “Is this the same ‘friend’ you left with last night?”

  “It’s not like that, Sawyer.” It shouldn’t have surprised me that he had me all figured out. If he only knew that I spent the last five minutes of my shower jerking off to images of her, he would be busting my balls all the way into next week. The last thing I needed was to deal with his teasing while I tried to figure things out.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore his sarcasm. “Yes, the girl from last night. Can you help me out? I mean, can you help her out?” I quickly added trying to correct myself.

  What the fuck?

  He chucked again. “Ok, stud. What exactly do you need help with?”

  My lips turned down into a frown as the elevator doors opened to another floor where a couple more people shuffled in. Inching my way into the back of the car, I lowered my voice into a whisper. “After I dropped her off last night, I did some poking around on the internet. I didn’t like what I saw. Not to mention, after what happened in the lobby, I got a bad vibe. Her ex is a bad dude.” My eyes bounced around making sure no one was listening to our conversation. “I want you to help her get a restraining order against him.”

  Sawyer exhaled, and I found myself clutching the phone tightly with the visual of last night running on repeat in my head. I was trying to mask how much I was ready to lose my shit while waiting for his response. “I’ll see what I can do. Give her my number and have her call me at a respectable hour. Now that I’m up, I might as well hit the shower.”

  “Thanks man, I owe you.” I ended the call before he had a chance to respond and run his mouth. Knowing him he would only start saying shit that would piss me off. When the elevator doors opened, I stepped ou
tside, feeling the warm sun hit my face.

  I walked to the Starbucks down the street. It seemed like their stores outnumbered the homeless people in the city by two to one. I really didn’t care for their coffee, but thought it would be a good excuse to go check in on her. Not knowing how she took her coffee, or even if she drank it, I ordered one black and another with cream and sugar to go.

  While standing outside her building, I allowed myself a moment to sweep my surroundings. Everything looked normal. The street was filled with people making their daily commute to the nearest subway station. I pulled out my phone to check the time and was glad that I still had a few moments to spare. A couple of Wall Street guys in pressed Armani suits walked blindly towards me and accidently bumped my elbow. I heard one of the guys say sorry as I reflexively stuck out my hands, saving the coffee from spilling all over my dress shirt. I snapped my head up just in time to see Lexi walking out of her building.

  She was wearing a pale blue sundress with a white belt around her waist. My eyes traveled down the length of her long, tanned legs landing on the white-strapped sandals she was wearing. Her natural beauty was completely disarming. She looked like she had just been kissed by the morning sun.

  I forced myself to smile and ignored the strain that grew in my slacks. The look of surprise in her eyes when she noticed me caused me to tense.

  “Brad?” she said, slowly making her way down the sidewalk towards me. “What are you doing here?” She asked, blinking her long lashes at me with curiosity. It was obvious by her expression that she wasn’t expecting me, but she didn’t seem too disappointed either.

  I swallowed hard and returned her greeting. “I wanted to make sure everything went okay after I left you last night.”