Grayson's Angel_Brotherhood Protectors World Page 4

  She felt Grayson’s gaze as he looked her over. She had examined herself in the bathroom mirror, so she knew what he was seeing. She looked exhausted. Dark circles had formed under her eyes. She felt Grayson’s body go tense when he looked at her neck, where Rovshan’s grip had left dark bruises.

  “What the fuck happened to your neck?” he asked loudly.

  “Rovshan,” she muttered, giving him her profile. She reached for her neck to cover the bruising. “He didn’t like my back talk.”

  “He won’t put his hands on you again.” Kara went to speak, but Grayson shook his head and continued. “From what you’ve said, Rovshan Nikitovich wants you as his wife. When was the last time you crossed paths with him?” She noticed he was gritting his teeth.

  “Today was the first day I’ve ever met him,” Kara stated in an irritated tone.

  “Russian thugs kidnapped you from baggage claim and took you straight to a church so you could marry a man you’ve never met. You are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. But why would one of the largest crime bosses in the country want to get married?”

  Kara didn’t answer his question right away. She was wringing her hands in her lap, her appetite completely gone. “My father owes him a large debt. Rovshan said the debt would be forgiven if I married him.”

  “The marriage is to pay a debt,” he repeated under his breath. “It still makes little sense. We need to figure out why he needs a wife.”

  “I overheard something when I was running out of the building.”

  Grayson pulled her into his arms, and his eyes were full of anger. “Kara, I need to know everything. Even if you think the detail is too small.”

  Her chest ached at the thought of her mom’s ranch. She’d always wanted to live close to it. She had dreamed of her kids learning to ride and spending time with her mother. After her mom had died, living on the ranch wasn’t an appealing option. Everywhere she looked, there were reminders of her. Kara knew she would need to go out to the ranch one last time to say goodbye to her mom.

  She pursed her lips and blinked hard a few times. Thinking about the ranch or her mother always brought tears to her eyes. She hadn’t cried since her mom had died, but the past six hours had turned her into a crier. She couldn’t stop the tears.

  “He was talking to another man about a trust, and if we were to get married, the ranch would be his.” She didn’t understand. “The ranch is my father’s. How would marrying me get him the ranch? If he wants the ranch so badly, why doesn’t my father just give it to him?”

  “Are you sure the ranch is in your father’s name?”

  “No.” She realized she was still wrapped in Grayson’s arms and went to pull back. He tightened his grip, holding her in place.

  “Were you able talk to your dad today?” he asked.

  “No. Rovshan kept saying I would see him at the wedding. There was supposed to be a meeting tonight at nine. I didn’t hear the location. The man Rovshan was talking to—his voice sounded familiar. I’m still trying to place it, but I never saw his face.” Her voice came out shaky.

  He pulled her in tighter. “I’m sorry.”

  Kara wasn’t sure why he was sorry, but it felt good to be safe in his arms.

  “We will find your dad and take care of Rovshan,” he told her in a gravelly voice.

  “You can’t know that!” she said, her voice too loud with emotion.

  Grayson didn’t shy away when she raised her voice. “I do. I will send your information to my brother, Noah. If there is a trust or land out there in your name, I have faith he can find it. When it comes to computers and finding things on the internet, he can do it.” He cleared his throat. “Do you trust me to take care of this and help protect you?”

  For only meeting him a few hours ago, she trusted him. It was something in his eyes that made her feel like he would protect her from the world. “I know we only met this morning, but something deep down tells me to trust you,” she explained.

  Grayson nodded. “I will call my brother and see what he can dig up.”

  “Grayson, why are you helping me?”

  Grayson stood from the couch. He bit his bottom lip and looked at her for a few seconds too long to be polite. “Not sure. Like you, it’s something in my gut. After I make a call, we’ll contact the local sheriff and let him know what is going on.”

  “Oh.” She had forgotten about contacting the police. “Are you sure we have to?”

  “Yes.” He reached for her hand and pulled her off the couch. The amount of force he used catapulted her into his arms, and she let out a loud squeal of surprise. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she gazed up at his blue eyes.

  Slowly, he dragged his fingers up her back and wrapped them in her hair. Grayson tilted her head back. Slowly lowering his head until his mouth was just inches away from her lips, he whispered, “If you don’t want me to kiss you, say something now.”

  Her breath hitched, and he leaned down the last few inches. His lips were soft and tasted like the cheeseburger he’d been eating. He swiped his tongue across her lips, demanding entrance. She opened them and leaned farther into his kiss.

  Kara ran her hands up and down Grayson’s back and gripped his T-shirt tightly. He deepened the kiss, demanding more. A fire ignited in her belly. She wanted to crawl up the man as if he were a tree and wrap her legs around his waist.

  The kiss was causing her knees to become weak. Had he not been holding her up, she would have collapsed to the ground.

  Grayson pulled back from the kiss. They were both panting. He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered, “Angel.”

  The moment was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Grayson groaned in frustration before picking up the call.

  Kara couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling up from her chest at the noise Grayson made.

  Chapter 7

  Grayson stared at Kara’s sleeping body. Her blond hair fanned across the white pillowcase, and one curl lay across her face. His fingers itched to slide the blond curl behind her ear.

  He had just returned from the gift shop in the motel. The shop was stocked with women’s clothes, and he was able to find her a pair of jeans and a black fitted T-shirt. Kara wearing Grayson’s clothes settled the cave man inside him, but they needed to head to the sheriff’s office and meet up with Hank.

  Hank’s call last night had interrupted the passionate kiss he’d been enjoying with Kara, but Grayson had explained everything that had transpired. Hank agreed to let them use the cabin while they worked on a game plan. Bear would stock the cabin with guns and food for them before he arrived.

  After his call with Hank, he called the local sheriff. They agreed to meet the sheriff at his office around eight o’clock the next morning. After the meeting, they would head over to the diner and meet with Hank to get the keys to the cabin.

  Movement in the bed caught Grayson’s attention.

  Kara stretched, her arms reaching above her head. She let out a long sigh before opening her eyes. The bedspread had worked its way down, and her shirt had ridden up. The underside of her boob was peeking out the bottom of her shirt.

  Grayson couldn’t pry his eyes away from her body. She was stunning and made his pants uncomfortable. When she noticed how exposed she was, she let out a loud squeak and a nice rosy blush crept up her neck. She quickly pulled down her shirt. “Sorry,” she rumbled in a hoarse voice.

  “Don’t cover up on my account. I was enjoying the view.”

  Kara grabbed the pillow from behind her head and threw it in Grayson’s direction. He caught it easily and threw it on the couch.

  “How can you look so good in the morning?” she mumbled as she rolled out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

  The corner of his lip twitched. “You do look beautiful this morning, angel.”

  “You’re just saying that,” she complained.

  Grayson took three large steps across the room and engulfed Kara in his arms.
“I need my good-morning kiss,” he mumbled across her lips.

  Kara’s eyes dilated. “Then why are you talk—”

  He captured her lips before she had time to sass him. She felt like heaven in his arms. His angel. Grayson’s tongue demanded entrance, and when she opened her lips slightly, he used it to his advantage. A slight moan escaped the back of her throat, and he deepened the kiss.

  He gripped the nape of Kara’s neck and pulled her closer. Kara worked her hands up his back. After a moment, Grayson pulled away, trying to end the kiss before things went too far, but Kara reached up and pulled his head back down for another.

  When she finally released him, her words came out breathless. “Good morning. I’ll jump in the shower.”

  She unwrapped herself from Grayson’s arms, but he grabbed her hand and swung her back for one more kiss. Kara giggled like a schoolgirl at his antics. When he released her from his hold, she scooted by him toward the bathroom. Grayson playfully swatted her ass. He heard a yelp come from her lips before she opened the bathroom door.

  “Angel?”

  “Yes?”

  “I picked up a change of clothes for you.” He tossed her a bag from the gift shop. “After your shower, we’ll get you a phone then stop by the sheriff’s office to fill out a report.”

  “I’ll hurry,” she chirped before closing the door.

  Since Kara had walked into his life, his dick had been permanently hard. The cold shower and the session with his hand this morning had done nothing to solve the issue. The image of her spread out in the bed with her boob slightly showing would be permanently etched into his head.

  Grayson’s cell vibrated in his pocket and brought him out of his musings. The number of the local sheriff’s office flashed across the screen.

  “Hello.”

  The phone line crackled. It sounded like the sheriff was calling from a landline. “Mr. Steele, this is Sheriff Barron. I was wondering if you could meet me at Al’s Diner at nine instead of the office.”

  “No problem,” he replied. “We were planning on going there for breakfast.”

  Grayson could hear talking in the background. “Hank will meet us there too. See you in a few.”

  “We’ll be there at nine.”

  Grayson clicked the phone off. It felt good to have friends that had your back.

  Kara came out of the bathroom, drying her golden-blond locks with a towel. “Was that the sheriff?”

  “Yes. He asked us to meet him at the diner instead of the sheriff’s office.”

  “Did he mention whether they were able to send someone out to my dad’s ranch?”

  “No. We’ll ask him when we meet with him.”

  A flicker of worry flashed across her face. “Do you think he’s still alive?”

  Grayson didn’t know how to answer the question. If her father was alive, he might wish he were dead. The mafia didn’t have the friendliest methods of retrieving information. Normally, the mafia tortured people with pliers or electricity. After Kara’s escape yesterday, they might be too angry to continue with the original plan.

  “I don’t know, Angel, but we’ll work the case as if he is alive.”

  “Okay,” she said sadly. “Do you think I’m weird for still caring about what happens to my father?”

  If it were up to Grayson, he would take her father out along with the other men that hurt her. But the man in question was her father, and he still meant something to her. “It doesn’t matter what I think. We will try to help your father.” He shrugged. “Now hurry up. We need to get going.”

  Grayson spotted the sheriff’s dark-brown shirt the moment he walked into the diner. Hank was seated with him. It had been a few years since Grayson had seen Hank in person, but he looked just the same.

  After spotting them, Hank got up and met them halfway down the diner’s long aisle. He held out his hand, and when Grayson took it, Hank pulled him into a one-armed hug.

  “It's good to see you, Gray Wolf.” The man turned from Grayson and gave his full attention to Kara. “You must be Kara Davidson.”

  She reached out to shake his hand, but instead, Hank pulled her into a hug.

  Frowning, Grayson reached around her waist and pulled her out of his friend’s embrace. “You’ve hugged her long enough. If you need hugs, hug your wife and kid,” he grumbled.

  “Why did you call him Gray Wolf?” Kara asked.

  “In the military, we all go by nicknames. Grayson's nickname is Gray Wolf, but it’s up to him to tell you how he got it.” Hank motioned to the corner booth. “The sheriff and I were talking about the case.”

  They made their way to the booth and introduced themselves to the sheriff.

  Kara had barely settled into the seat before she fired off the first question. “Were you able to find my father?”

  If Grayson’s dad had been alive, he would have done anything to save him. His father had always been there for him and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. When they failed, Devin Steele had been there to pick his boys up. Kara’s dad might have been a good man before her mom passed, but he sounded like an awful man presently, from what she had told him. Grayson had a feeling she was holding on to the good times, deep down. But she was in trouble because of her father, and he wasn’t the same person he used to be. He had turned evil, and most men didn’t recover once they were too far gone.

  The sheriff rubbed the back of his neck. “We sent a deputy out to Montana Gold. The foreman said they haven’t seen your father in over two weeks. He normally shows up at the beginning of each month to get his allowance and then leaves.” The sheriff let out a long sigh. “When was the last time you talked to your dad?”

  Kara blushed. “Six months ago. He needed money to get out of a bind. I wired him five grand and haven’t spoken to him since.”

  “Your father has racked up a big rap sheet along with a lot of enemies.” He tapped the file in front of him. The folder was around an inch thick. She could see her father’s name on the tab poking out of the top of the folder. She knew without being told that the file was filled with her father’s troubles.

  The conversation about Kara’s father came to a halt as the waitress walked up to the table, pulling out her pad and pencil to take the order. Grayson noticed that her name tag read “Daisy.” She motioned to Kara and Grayson. “Now that everyone is here, are you ready to order?”

  Everyone at the table ordered the morning special. Grayson heard Kara’s stomach rumbling. She hadn’t eaten much the night before because the conversation had upset her. He would make sure she ate something for breakfast. She needed her strength to deal with what was coming.

  When the waitress walked away, Kara gestured toward the manila file and asked, “Is this my father’s arrest record?”

  “Yes, for the past year.”

  “Can I see the file?” Not waiting for his reply, she reached across the table and snatched it from his hands.

  “Kara, you might not like what you see in the folder.”

  She rolled her eyes. “After my mother died, my dad turned to alcohol and gambling. I have a pretty good idea what’s in the folder. He wasn’t always a bad man. When my mom was alive, we were his everything. Dad never missed one of my basketball games. The day I graduated from college, he was in the front row, cheering me on.”

  “People change when something traumatic happens,” Grayson said quietly.

  Hank was tapping his finger on the table. “Have your deputies been able to bring Rovshan and his crew in?”

  “Rovshan stopped by the office this morning.” The sheriff leaned back in the booth before continuing. “He said he has no clue what you’re talking about. He has video footage showing him arriving late last night at the airport, and his hotel sent footage of him at one of his hotels during the day. I know you're telling the truth, but we need to find more evidence.”

  Kara was about to speak but stopped when Daisy came back with their food.

  “One special for everyone. If you
need anything else, please let me know.”

  Grayson replied, “Thank you.”

  Kara didn’t even wait for Daisy to turn before she asked the sheriff the same question that was burning in Grayson’s head. “Why hasn’t someone pulled the video of the airport baggage claim? His men grabbed me there. They shoved a gun in my back. To top it off, Rovshan’s thugs stand out like a sore thumb in Montana. They’re wearing velour, for god’s sake. I can’t believe they can still find those ugly tracksuits. There has to be video footage of the airport.”

  The sheriff wouldn’t look her in the eye. “The airport’s cameras had a glitch during the time of your arrival. There is no video footage.”

  Grayson wasn’t surprised. Rovshan had connections and enough money to make lots of things, including security footage, disappear. Would Grayson be able to keep her safe? He needed to get her to the cabin, where he could protect her, and get his hands on a gun so he’d have something to protect her with. He knew it was just a matter of time before Rovshan struck again.

  “I’m putting you all in danger,” she whispered. It was a statement, not a question. She wasn’t expecting an answer. Kara folded her arms across her chest. Grayson had a very good idea of what she must be thinking.

  “Stop that train of thought right now,” Grayson demanded. He pulled her into his side. “You will not sacrifice yourself because you're worried about us.”

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  The sheriff stood up from his seat. “Keep me posted. I believe you, Kara. I just don’t have enough evidence to bring him in. We’ll watch the hotel to make sure he stays in town and doesn’t head north.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff,” Grayson said, and the sheriff took his leave.

  Grayson and his companions finished their breakfasts in silence. Then Grayson asked, “Is the cabin ready for us to head up?”

  Hank was staring into his coffee cup, still and serious. “Yes, but I wish you would let Bear stay up at the cabin with you.”