Just Go (18 page)

Chapter 17

Annaliese

“You didn’t listen to me, Annie,” Joe sighs as I get in the car. He’s glaring at me like I shouldn’t be here and I’m still not certain why.

“Excuse me? I was here at quarter ‘til just so I wouldn’t make you run late,” I say looking at him like he’s crazy.

“Not to be blunt, but I can see your fucking bra through your shirt. Jesus,” he sighs and shakes his head. “Don’t get out of the car tonight and you should be fine. We don’t have time for this. We’re going to be late.”

Great, I’ve already managed to piss him off, and I have to now spend the next few hours in the car with a man who’s pissed at me, not able to get out for fear of… something. I don’t even know why tonight is any different than the other night I drove with him. I looked over the maps and it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

At least that’s what I think at the first pick up, when we pick up two men in business pants and button down shirts. Good looking men, chiseled jaw, nice cut hair. Men wearing wedding bands but looking at me in the mirror like I am fresh meat.

“Who’s the chick, Joe?”

“Ah… Vick’s daughter,” he chose to answer, which pisses me off. I shake my head and stay silent, watching the men in the backseat stare at me the whole ride.

The minute we start heading north, I know something’s not right about the schedule. Why’s he going this direction?

“Joe—” I start but he cuts me off quickly.

“No. Just ride along, Annie. Please, for the love of God, don’t ask any questions. I’m not sure what he was thinking having you here tonight, but just… don’t ask any questions,” he grinds out, hands gripping the wheel like it’s a lifeline. He won’t look at me anymore and I’m getting a bad feeling in my gut about this.

I’ve already been sick for hours since Adam was so harsh with me. I’m not taking the job. I already decided that before our phone call, but I wanted to get a feel for it from him. Apparently he wanted to jump to conclusions, though, and not let me talk. I just need to talk to him in person, and I plan on doing that as soon as I get off tonight, no matter how late this night runs. I need him to understand I don’t want to leave him, and from today’s conversation, he sounded more hurt than anything. Sure he was mean, but I get it. I’d be upset too if he pulled something big like that on me. We promised the truth—no lies, nothing hidden, and open books. And I didn’t give that to him.

Pulling up to our destination, I look around and it all looks very familiar. This is the building that we picked Adam up at the night he called Joe for a ride. My breath quickens and pulse speeds up. I look over at Joe, panicked that I’m really not supposed to be here, and he lays a hand on my knee. The warmth that spreads over my body soothes me.

“You’re fine, Annie,” he whispers. “Just stay in the car.” His eyes pin mine and all I can do is nod my head. Joe doesn’t know about the fight Adam and I had. He doesn’t know about the job offer in St. Louis.

I watch as Joe opens the door for the two men in the backseat, and hear them tell me that they’d see me later before closing the door. Joe knocks on the front door of the old warehouse building and looks around nervously as the three men wait. The door cracks open and Joe leans in to say something to the person on the inside. I have a bad feeling about all of this so I stay put in the locked car. The door closes, just to be opened a second later, just enough for the two men to slide quickly inside. Joe looks around then jogs back to the car. He gets in, buckles up, starts the car, and drives off. All without saying a word to me.

“So… where to next?”

He sighs and looks over at me. His hand comes across the car to mine and he grasps it.

“I can take you home, Annie. Tonight’s… it’s gonna be like what you just watched. All night. And the later it gets, the rowdier they get.”

“Orders from the boss. I stay.” That, and I really do want to find out just what this operation is.

The next hour goes exactly as the first drop had been. Each time Joe reassured me that everything would be fine, each time the strange behavior was recorded, and each time he sped away from the building before anyone could see us.

I have to see what’s in there.

After making a drop of three older men, ones that stared at me blatantly the entire drive to the warehouse, I knew something was up. All men. All wealthy. All being dropped off in the same spot. And all the while, the books back at Ryder Inc. state that the cars tonight are driving people to and from multiple functions. Someone’s messing with someone, and my dad’s going to be pissed.

“Where are we going?” I ask as Joe moves the car to a nearby empty lot and puts it in park. He sighs and lays his head back on the seat. His hand reaches over and rests on my knee, a movement that gets me warm in areas that I shouldn’t be warm in when with him.

“You know I’d do anything for you, Annie. This… this isn’t what it looks like.”

“What does it look like, Joe? Please, enlighten me.” I’m starting to get irritated that all this shit’s being hidden from me.

“I know you’re thinking that it’s something terrible, but it’s not.”

“Then why can’t I get out of the car? Why can’t I see what’s on the other side of that door, Joe? And why do I get the suspicion this is all being hidden from my father?!” I’m pissed now, and the anger keeps getting worse the longer I sit here.

“Annie, I can’t—”

“Fuck that, Joe! You’ve been keeping this from me and I’m not doing this anymore.”

I open the car door as quickly as I can and book it across the parking lot. Running every day helps me get to my destination faster than Joe can, but it doesn’t help me figure out how to get into the building. I hear him coming up from behind me, but don’t expect his next move. His hands come around my shoulders, pushing me hard against the side of the building. His body is hard against mine, and his breathing in my ear is turning me on in a frantic time when I should be scared of this man.

“What the fuck are you doing, Annie,” Joe growls in my ear, not letting loose of me.

“I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on, Joe. Since no one here is going to tell me anything, I plan on finding out myself.” I try to fight my way out of his grip but it’s to no avail.

“What the fuck’s going on?!?” I hear a familiar voice yell, but the way Joe has my head pushed to the wall, I can’t turn to see who’s witnessing our struggle.

“Go. I’ve got this,” Joe grinds out, obviously pissed that he’s been caught.

That makes two of us.

“Let her go,” the voice says, closer now. I know that voice. “I said let her go!” he yells, then a cool burst of air hits my back and the pressure is gone. Instead of sticking around to see the shit get beaten out of Joe, I do the only other thing I know how to do. I run.

I run until the streets don’t look familiar. Until the dark alleys are hauntingly scary. I run until I’m all alone.

Or so I think.

When I hear the footsteps behind me, I gasp and turn, looking into the eyes of a man that have been haunting me for weeks.

“Adam,” I whisper, more like a question than anything, then I run to him and throw myself into his arms. I’m not sure if it’s the adrenaline or the fact that I already miss him so much, but I can’t think of any other place I’d rather be right now. His arms come around me and he squeezes like he never wants to let go.

Please don’t let go, Adam.

“Annaliese, what were you doing back there?” he whispers into my hair, a muffled sigh escaping his lips.

“I… I have to know, Adam. And….” I pull back and look at him. He’s dressed in his suit and tie. The same outfit he left for work in this morning. “What the hell were you doing there?” I ask, it suddenly dawning on me that he was inside the building we had been dropping clients off at all night. “What the fuck?!?” I yell and storm away from him, pissed that he’s in on this too.

“Stop, Annaliese. Hear me out,” he pleads as his hand comes around my arm.

“Oh that’s funny, just like you heard me out today on the phone? Really, you’re going to ask me to listen, when you couldn’t even listen to what I had to say about my future?” I spit at him, yanking my arm out of his grasp and keep on walking.

“Please, just listen.” He doesn’t touch me again, but his pace is consistent with mine, so he’s not falling behind at all. I’m not sure where I’m walking, and I’m certain I’ll end up getting us lost, but I have to burn off some of my anger before I do something stupid.

“Adam, this isn’t how relationships work. You’re the one that said no lies, yet you’ve been so secretive with things. This building, whatever happens inside, will end up ruining us!”

He sighs and stands in front of me so I have to stop walking.

“I know,” he says. “I know, and I need to tell you everything. I want to tell you everything. But not here. We need to go back to my place.”

He looks around anxiously and I get the feeling he knows we’re in a bad area. Pulling out his phone, he dials a number and tells the person on the other line where we’re at, then hangs up.

“What’s going on, Adam?” I ask wearily.

“Jesus… there’s so much I have to tell you. Just wait, okay? We need to get off these streets.” He looks around again and a minute later the car pulls up.

The car I was riding in with Joe.

“Adam, I’m not getting in his car,” I say shaking my head. What happened with Joe is enough to make me never be able to trust him again. No way I’m getting back into a car with him.

“It’s not Joe, doll.” He smiles and the door opens. A man in his early thirties gets out of the car. He’s got a bloody lip, a swollen eye, and dried blood on his forehead.

Jesus Christ. What’s going on here?

“Annaliese, this is Benton. Benton, Annaliese,” Adam introduces us and we both look at each other strange. Like we’re both a big part of Adam’s life, but have yet to hear each other’s name muttered, even in passing. “Listen, I know this is strange, but can we please get the fuck out of here before someone shanks us?” He sounds nervous, but Benton laughs and smiles, walking towards the car.

“I’m not your damn chauffer. Open you own damn door,” he grunts getting in the driver's seat.

Chapter 18

Adam

I find it hard to laugh in a situation like this. I’m about to tell Annaliese everything about… well... everything. I’d rather not have it this way, but after Joe’s insane behavior, I have a feeling her dad has more reasoning behind not wanting me to be with her than just protecting his little girl. Something was weird with him tonight, he was more reserved and distracted than normal. My plan was to get to him after the fight, after the crowd dispersed. When Benton and I saw the scuffle on the side of the building, he went running. Naturally, Benton always runs towards trouble. I had to follow, frustrated that he’d get involved in something in this neighborhood. When I saw her face, though, my rage exploded. B had to pull me off and show me that she ran. I’m not sure what Joe ended up looking like, but whatever it is, it’s not half of what he’s going to endure next time I see him.

“Get in, Sweet,” I say watching her waiver with her decision.

I just want to take her in my arms, tell her it’ll all be okay, but I’m not even certain of that anymore. She looks at me, pissed, but also weary. That’s good, I can work with that. Sighing, she walks towards the car and opens the front passenger door.

“Back, Annaliese,” I growl and hear Benton laugh from the driver’s seat.

She turns and looks at me, then cocks her head.

“No,” she simply states, getting in the car and buckling her seatbelt immediately.

Shit. She will be the end of me. I thought I’d be able to let her go. I thought I’d be able to watch her move to St. Louis, five hours away from me, because she’d be doing something she loves, but I can’t.

I can’t let her leave.

Shaking my head, I get in the back seat of the car that we took from Joe. I was using him as a ride home tonight anyway, so it’s really not stealing. Even if Vick gets pissed, I couldn’t care any less right now. His driver had the woman I love pushed up against a brick wall in the worst part of the city, and that woman happens to be Vick’s only daughter left. He should just be happy we didn’t kill the man. I think. Maybe B did kill him; he was pretty pissed.

On the entire drive to my place, I hear Annaliese talking to Benton, but I can’t tell what they are saying. I wish I could be holding her right now. I need to feel her warmth under me to know that I didn’t royally screw things up with her because I couldn’t rein in my anger earlier. Jesus, I was stupid. The drive sucks worse than normal having to watch her interact with Benton and completely ignore me. When she ran to my arms in the alley I was convinced I hadn’t lost her, but now seeing her reaction to me in the car I’m starting to think differently.

Why do women have to give off so many mixed signals?

For the rest of the drive I try to take my mind off the beautiful woman ignoring me from the front seat and make mental notes of everything I need to tell her. Everything I need to apologize for. Maybe if I start with the apologies, then tell her about her father, then go into more apologies it won’t be as bad.

Who am I kidding? There’s nothing good that can come out of this conversation, but I’m going to try my hardest to make it okay.
It has to be okay.

By the time we make it to my place, I’m so nervous I feel my hands shaking. I know she needs to know, and I know I’m the only one in her world that’s going to tell her, but that doesn’t make it any easier. We ride the elevator in silence. She doesn’t look mad, but she’s not all over me either. My spirits are lifted a bit when she lets me hold her hand, and just the heat from that small connection has my dick screaming at me to pause the elevator ride and screw her, but I can’t. This has to happen tonight, and we can’t be in a post orgasmic haze when it does. We need clear heads and clear hearts.

Even though my heart will forever belong to her.

“You go on in. I need to take Thor out,” I say unlocking the door.

“Hey!” my sister yells from the couch, curled up with a sleeping puppy.

What the hell is she doing here?

“What’re you doing here, Bug?” I growl. Running my hands through my hair, I stare at her but she doesn’t see me. The only thing she sees is Annaliese, who recently ripped her hand away from mine and is wide eyed and pissed beyond belief.

“Hi.” My sister smiles widely and gets up, holding Thor, and walks over to Annaliese. She holds her hand out but Annaliese just stares at it.

“Wonderful,” Annaliese whispers in disbelief, and I suddenly realize why she looks so mad. It’s not because my sister is here, taking over our alone time. It’s because she doesn’t know that the beautiful specimen—crazy as she may be—standing in front of her is my sister.

“Shit, sorry. Annaliese, this is Cara.” I smile as Annaliese stares her down. “My sister.”

I watch the anger on her face morph into pure embarrassment, and the reddening of her cheeks makes my heart swell. I laugh and my sister chuckles and shakes her head.

“You probably didn’t know this asshole had a sister, did you?” she asks Annaliese, still laughing.

“No. Apparently there’s a lot I don’t know about him.” Her glare moves to me and I’m suddenly scared for what’s about to come.

“Well, just so you know, his teddy from childhood is in the guest bedroom, but he only puts it there every morning after waking up from snuggling it all night.” She grins and pets Thor. “So, Adam. I’m guessing you want some privacy?”

“Please,” I growl. “We’ll visit the fact that you’re at my place at almost midnight randomly another day.”

She smiles and shrugs.

“Okay. I’ll take Thor with me. You look like hell, Adam. Annaliese, you’re beautiful. Let me know if I need to throat punch my big brother.”

“Out, Bug,” I growl, growing impatient with her as the seconds tick on.

“Nice to meet you, Annaliese,” she whispers then waves lightly as she takes my puppy and leaves.

Typically, I’d be worried about where she’s going or why she’s here, but all I can think of is how to get Annaliese on my good side again. Especially after what I have to tell her.

“So let’s hear it then,” she bluntly states then sits on the single chair across from my couch.

“You want a drink?” I ask, my mouth suddenly parched.

“No. I want you to tell me what the hell’s going on, Adam.” She crosses her arms and it takes all I have not to stare at her gorgeous tits.

I sigh, “Well, I’m getting a water. I’ll be back, then you can ask me anything you want.”

I grab a bottle from the mini-fridge in my wet-bar in the living room and sit on the couch, as close to her as I can get. She crosses her legs away from me and raises her eyebrows, expecting me to start talking.

“So, where do you want me to start?”

“How about what all of that was about tonight? How about the fact that Joe pinned me to the building, Adam! Just because I tried to find out what was inside the building!”

“Joe shouldn’t have done that,” I grind, remembering my rage when I saw him pressed up against her.

“No, he shouldn’t have, but you’re not answering my question. Look, if you’re gonna keep this from me, fine, but I’m not staying here tonight with you lying to me.” She goes to stand and I take her hand.

“Please stop. Sit back down. I’ll tell you everything.”

She sighs and sits hard, back in the same chair. It’d be easier to do this with her next to me, touching me. Instead, I lean forward and reach over to take her hand in mine. She looks up at me and my heart breaks a little for the hurt and sadness and anger I see in them.

“Annaliese, I met your father a few years back as you know. About a month after meeting him and using Ryder, Inc. as my driving service, I learned how he really makes his money.”

I pause and watch her take a deep breath. Her hands tighten in mine and her eyes narrow at me, but she sits still, quietly waiting for me to continue, so I push on.

“I was accidentally dropped off at the building we were at tonight. When the driver realized it, she was already five city blocks back, enough time for me to throw a huge fit that she got it wrong. Huge enough for your father to be called outside the building and take me in before anyone called the cops. The poor men at the door hadn’t ever been screamed at like that before.” I shake my head at the memory. “When he took me in, I saw a whole new world open up in front of me.”

“Get to the point, Adam,” she whispers.

“It’s not as bad as what you’re thinking, Sweet.” She glares at me and I try to smile. “Annie, we don’t kill anyone.”

“Don’t call me that,” she growls. “Don’t.”

“Fine. But it’s not horrible. Annaliese, he runs an underground fight ring. The biggest in the city. High roller betting, fights almost every night. Your dad gets a cut of all the bets, and bets aren’t allowed if they’re under one grand.”

She narrows her eyes at me.

“Fighting? My father runs a fight ring? What kind of fight ring, Adam?”

“A human fight ring?” I chuckle at her question but she apparently doesn’t find it funny. “It’s MMA style, but no rules. The man you met tonight, Benton, he’s my fighter.” I sigh as she takes her hand from mine.

I see it the minute she realizes what that means.

“Your
fighter
?” She stresses the word ‘fighter’ like it’s poison or something. She stands and paces the room in front of me. “How much do you drop a fight? Huh? How much money have you been practically supplying our family with for years?”

“It’s not like that, Annaliese,” I say, trying to keep my calm.

“Then please explain it to me,” she growls, hands on her hips.

Damn, she’s sexy when she’s mad.

“I don’t pay your dad directly. He’s just the middle man, between the winners, the losers, and the schmucks that think they can outsmart him.”

“How much, Adam?” Her eyes narrow at me. Shit.

“A few grand a week,” I say then pause. “On a slow week.” I hear her laugh then she shakes her head.

“A few grand a week?!? That’s insane! How much does my dad get?!?” she screams.

“I’m not certain. Winnings are different every fight, but most nights the winner goes home with ten to twenty grand in his pocket, and that’s not including the fighter that won or your dad’s cut.” Jesus, I already feel defeated and I haven’t even started in on my apologies, or my groveling, or telling her the rest of everything I still need to tell her.

“Son of a bitch,” she sighs and sits again, this time in a chair further away from me. “So all this time I thought my dad’s business was just that good, but in all honestly, he’s just been running illegal shit in the basement of a run-down warehouse.” She shakes her head. “Wow.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you,” I whisper, waiting for her eyes to meet mine, but they never do. My heart starts to hurt from fear that I’ve lost her, but I have to go on. It’s now or never. “Annaliese, that’s not all.”

Her head moves up to look at me and I see the unshed tears in her eyes.

“Baby, no,” I say, standing and moving to her before I’m even sure what my body is doing. I kneel down in front of her and place my hand under her chin, gently raising her eyes to mine. “I…” I want to tell her I love her. I want to tell her that nothing else matters. I want to, and I almost do, but I have to get the rest out so instead I lean in and kiss her gently. Her lips soft, she gently kisses back and I pull back before it gets out of hand. “I’m sorry, but there’s still more,” I say. “Can you just… please sit with me,” I say, taking her hand. She puts up no fight walking over to the couch and sitting down, and I’m scared she’s already gone numb to her feelings tonight.

“Just get it out, Adam. I’m tired and need to get home,” she whispers.

No. She’s not leaving here tonight. I don’t care if she sleeps on my couch, I’m not letting her walk out of that door upset with me.

“Baby, listen… when I met your dad, and learned about the fight ring he has going on… well he only let me in under one circumstance.”

“Let me guess… he told you never to look at me, never to fuck me, and pretty much never to talk to me?”

What?

“Uh… yeah. How’d you—“

“He’s been warning people off from me my entire life Adam. I get it; he’s protective, but he’s harmless.”

“He threatened me, Annaliese. He’s been rigging fights and I’ve lost thousands because of it. He threatened my company, and he threatened Benton. Don’t tell me he’s harmless. I feel like I know him better than you do at this point,” I snap, and hear her gasp. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of this, Annaliese, but I just couldn’t stay away.”

“I know the feeling.” She smiles and looks at me, her eyes still glistening. “So what now?”

“Well….” I start, then my phone interrupts us.

“Aren’t you gonna get that?” she asks as it continues to freak out from my pocket.

“It can wait.” I have to get these words out. Three measly words that are eating at my insides. I have to tell her.

“You’re the ‘most important man in the city’,” she uses air quotes to mock me and I smile. “Answer your damn phone. I’m not going anywhere,” she says, then lays her head back on the couch. I pull my phone out and see it’s Benton.