Page 18 of Hacker Auction

It got worse when Wes squatted down next to me and picked up the toy I planned to use. “Purple?”

I grabbed it out of his hand and grabbed the box off the ground. My hand hit a wet fluid at the bottom of the box. I glanced down to see a little river coming from my car.

“What’s this.”

Wes’s faces morphed from fun-loving to serious as his fingers touched the fluid on the box and went to his nose. “It’s brake fluid.” He squatted and looked under my SUV. “Someone cut your brakes.”

My world tilted. He had to be wrong.

CHAPTER7

Wes

Rachelle hadn’t saidmuch during dinner, and I knew her mind was on the cut brake wires. She kept telling me it must be an accident, but the pictures Brock sent me during dinner only proved what I already knew. The cut was straight through with a knife. No wear and tear. Someone cut her lines.

The house she lived in was large, but I hadn’t seen much security. When I tried to broach the subject over our drinks, she said it was nothing to worry about because of the security guard at the front gate was enough. I wanted to point out someone had still managed to cut her brake lines with the armed guard.

One part of me wanted to lock her away in a room and not let her out until the danger passed. Another part of me wanted to fuck her until she listened to what I had to say. I know she was lost in her own thoughts because she hadn’t said a word since I got on the freeway heading the opposite way from her house. Brock and his team looked around the neighborhood and couldn’t find anything.

Years of special ops training had me knowing the brake lines were something more, so I planned to take her to the apartment I was staying at. She could stay in the guest room since I had a one night rule. But when it came to Rachelle, many of the rules I made up years ago seemed to not make as much sense.

I wanted to hear her laugh again or watch her cheeks turn red. When I spotted Sylvia’s books on her kindle, I wanted to flip through her library and see what else she had. The sight of her nipples pebbling through her shirt when I pointed out the books on her kindle almost made me want to throw her over my shoulder and take her back to the bedroom.

“Wait, I thought you were taking me home?” Rachelle’s eyes darted from me to the large building I parked behind. From the outside, the three-story building looked like a small manufacturing facility. There weren’t many windows. Mostly because Brock and Sam were both paranoid, worried they would be entrance points or places people could spy. The windows in the place are all bulletproof, with film added to reflect so nobody could see in.

“I don’t think it’s safe for you to go home.”

“And a manufacturing building in the middle of nowhere is safe?” Rachelle’s fingers gripped the side door.

“This is Blackwood Security Company headquarters. You can stay in my apartment, and I’ll stay with Brock. It’s not safe for you to go home.”

Rachelle glanced from the building to me. “I can stay at my parent’s house. I have to think about Sage.” She grabbed her phone out of her purse and unlocked the screen.

I reached across and put my hand over the phone. “It’s safer for you here. We aren’t sure where you picked up a stalker. Your parent’s house has more security, and if someone is after you, it’s safer for your boy to be with your parents.”

“I should really call my parents and let them know what’s going on. You could be overreacting; we aren’t even sure this wasn’t a defect in my car.”

“We do. Brock sent me photos of the cut. There’s more, but let’s get inside, and we can talk about it. I didn’t want to bring it up during dinner. We can talk with Brock, and then you can call your mom and dad. I think Brock already communicated with your father. You know he has Blackwood hired for the hospital.”

“I don’t like being kept out of the loop. Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean you can make all the decisions for me without talking to me first. This was supposed to be a one-dinner thing. Not once did I ask for you to implant yourself into my world and tell people what to do, but it seems we can’t go back now. Let’s see what Brock has to say, and I’ll decide what to do from there. But as of now, I want to be told about anything that leads back to me.”

I knew I fucked up, but when I saw the brake fluid, I immediately worried. “Deal.” I glanced up to see club members heading for the unmarked door. Rex, one of the new bodyguards, was outside checking photos before he allowed anyone into the building. “One thing. Blackwood Security’s lower floors are a BDSM club on Thursday through Saturday night. You might see people dressed a little different.”

“Uh, okay,” Rachelle said, her eyes glanced back to the main building. “Well, Mr. Barley, you didn’t have to slash my brake lines to get me to a BDSM club. You could have just asked. I didn’t put any underwear on, so does that mean I’ll have to go naked through the club because of what I read online. My current outfit wouldn’t be appropriate either.” Her cute little nose scrunched. “My ass is pretty big. I’m not sure I want to walk around with it hanging out.”

I couldn’t help but blink. It wasn’t often I was left speechless, but the woman next to me had managed it. The only thing I could think about was the fact she didn’t have underwear on. The sexy black pants she had on molded perfectly to her ass. I wasn’t ashamed that I checked it out when I let her walk through the door to the restaurant in front of me. My phone buzzed, reminding me she was in danger. “This is serious. Someone is out to hurt you. If the club interests you, I can have Brock set you up with someone to give you a tour.”

Jealousy washed over me as I thought about someone else putting their hands on her sexy curves, but I had a onetime deal. The more time I spent with Rachelle, the harder it was to remember why I put that in place to start with.

“You’re right. We never agreed to more than one date. Why would you want to be seen with me here? Let’s get this done with.” Rachelle threw open the door to the SUV and climbed out before I could reply. I was kicking myself when I saw the light sheen in her eyes.

I had to jog to catch up to her. Before she made it to Rex, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. “Don’t ever think I wouldn’t want to be seen with you. It’s not you— “

“So help me. If you finish that sentence, I’m going to punch you. I’ve looked in the mirror. I know men don’t want to be seen with me.”

“The second I showed up at your house, I wanted to strip you down and worship your body. At the restaurant, men stared at your sexy ass as you walked by. So don’t think for one second I’m not attracted to you. I have my own issues. One date so I won’t get attached because I’ve been burned, and I promised never to let that happen again.”

“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” Rachelle pulled out of my arms. “You would rather spend the rest of your life alone than open up to someone new. Let’s go talk with your boss and end the night.”

---