Chapter 11
Bourbon. Bourbon. More bourbon.
-Flint’s shopping list
I was glad to be back at work the Monday after New Year’s. Everyone else at Luke Saber Security appeared hungover as they grumbled about “Mondays.” But I was happy. I needed something to do.
Luke gave me the rest of the year off after the Tampa Police detectives released Celia from custody. He said I’d helped enough and to go home to my own family. But my own family couldn’t come here for a visit. And I wasn’t very welcome in my hometown.
So, I did what every other single dude did for the holidays. I grilled a lot of beef. Drank a lot of bourbon. And worked out until I nearly collapsed.
The days were endless.
I was glad to be back at work.
My phone pinged from Ryker at the front gate.
Ryker:
Lady here to see Luke
Sez she’s his sister
Me:
Name?
Ryker:
Celia Cruz
Me:
Send her in.
I couldn’t wait for the elevator, so I took the stairs down to the ground floor. Two at a time. My heart rate spiked, probably from the run down the stairs.
Yeah. That’s what it was.
When I saw her in the lobby, a sense of calm settled over me that I hadn’t felt since the night we went to Cibu. The sunlight coming in through the lobby windows hit her hair, highlighting the natural cinnamon streaks. Today’s skirt suit showed off those shapely legs that once again got my cock in a tizzy.
But there was something wrong. I snapped my gaze to her brown eyes and saw the torment in there.
My dick wisely decided to stand down while I got to the bottom of the problem.
“What’s wrong?” I moved to her side in a flash.
“I need Luke’s help,” Celia bit her lower lip.
My heart was pounding out of my chest. “Let’s go upstairs to my office and talk.”
She remained silent in the elevator, looking down at her feet, and it was all I could do to calm down. She’d tell me what was wrong when she was ready. Me demanding something would only make her clam up.
We settled on the couch in my office. Celia on one end, as far from me as she could get.
I waited.
And waited.
