Page 30 of Wicked Rush

Chapter Nine

Braelynn stared at her reddened eyes in the mirror. Holding her arms around her waist, she fought the tears that threatened to fall. Lars Elliott shouldn’t matter to her. Before yesterday, he’d been nothing more than a crush. Yet the past twenty-four hours had changed everything. He’d toyed with her, making her want him even more.

After he’d left her stark naked on the patio, she attempted to reconcile what had happened. She recalled his fingers in her pussy, and a shiver ran through her. She brushed her hand through her hair, remembering the sting to her scalp as he’d pulled on it. Yet, he hadn’t come, wouldn’t even let her touch him. He’d sought to demonstrate control, dominance, and she’d given in to what he’d sought. After it was all said and done, he’d kept his word, had given her the key.

Braelynn glanced to the clock, shaking her head. It was nearly noon. She slid her feet into her damp sneakers, and cringed, thinking she had little choice but to set forth on her original mission. Yet as she reached for the door handle, she remained determined to get the research, and destroy the remaining files. Once she delivered it all on a silver platter to Garrett and Dean and left San Diego, she’d be free of her uncle forever.

Gathering her strength, she intrepidly stepped out of the guest room. Her nerves danced, as she was aware she’d have to face Lars. She wanted to hate him for leaving her at the pool, put him out of her thoughts forever. But as she stepped into the kitchen and he came into view, Braelynn’s heart skipped a beat. Her anger dissolved into arousal with one flash of his sexy smile, and she knew the struggle to resist him would be difficult.

His gaze painted over her body, and she averted her eyes, warmth churning inside her. Desire. Temptation. Deception. The touch of his lips on hers fresh in her mind, Braelynn struggled with reality, knowing she was leaving. Eventually Garrett would tell him everything and she’d disappear. She’d have to find a way to cleanse him from her mind, before he ripped her heart to shreds.

Braelynn parked her car in the garage, noting that there were no other cars parked on the street. Although the upscale neighborhood was generally safe, she’d become obsessive about her surroundings. From the black van that occasionally drove down her street, to her neighbor, who seemed all too interested in her recent activities, she’d become paranoid.

She’d been unable to prove it, but suspected that what she’d thought was luck in acquiring a low rent oceanfront condo had actually been arranged by her uncle. Playing along and acquiescing to her uncle’s demands had become the easiest way to infiltrate his business. Though she’d been careful to ensure neither Shane nor her uncle knew her whereabouts, she was concerned they’d grow suspicious.

Braelynn turned off the engine and yawned, leaning on the steering wheel. It was nearly one in the afternoon, and she considered that she should nap before trying to go back to the lab. But as she ran through her plan in her mind, she decided it would be best to get to the office as soon as possible. If she played her cards right, today would be the last time she walked the halls of Bart-Aqua. She’d retrieve the data, and after the deed was done, she’d drive directly to Emerson Industries. She’d already packed most of her personal belongings in the trunk. Her cat, Benny, would have to wait in the car. A childhood pet, the elderly feline was the only tie she still had with her parents.

“Benny?” she called as she exited the car and walked into the kitchen entryway.

Greeted with silence, Braelynn repeated his name and slid open the slider, revealing a spectacular view of the ocean. She breathed in the rush of fresh air, and placed her purse on the counter. As she opened the refrigerator to reach for a bottle of water, the hair stood up on the back of her neck at the sound of mewling. Benny’s muffled cry soon followed, spearing panic straight through her.

Braelynn sprinted down the hallway, and gasped as Shane and her uncle came into view. Both men were sitting in her living room. Shane propped his feet on her coffee table, his expression grim. Her uncle held her cat tightly yet it made no movement.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?” she screamed. Braelynn had never lost her temper with them. Always the actress, she’d pasted a smile across her face. A demure and obedient employee, she’d tried to give them no reason to question her actions.

“Did you forget something?” Shane glared, crossing his arms.

“Last night,” her uncle began.

“What’s wrong with Benny?” Braelynn’s heart pounded at the sight of the lifeless animal.

“Don’t interrupt.”

“What’s wrong with Benny?” she repeated, louder. She caught Shane glancing at the cream-colored couch, a scarlet stain smeared across its fibers.

“This.” Her uncle gave a cruel grin, holding the limp black mass in the air. “It scratched me.”

“You didn’t!” Braelynn brought her hands to her mouth.

“When I call you, I expect an answer.” He threw the animal at her feet.

“How could you?” Falling to her knees, she scooped up the cat, its broken neck flopping to the side. She shook her head, burying her face in its still warm body. Pressing her lips to its head, she sobbed uncontrollably. “No, no, no.”

In her grief, she didn’t notice them approach her. A thick fist seized Braelynn by her hair, dragging her onto her feet. Her arms fell open, and the dead feline rolled onto the floor. She sucked a hard breath, the excruciating grief slicing through her chest. Without warning her uncle slapped his open hand across her face. Shock rolled through her as the pain registered; iron-tanged blood dripped into her mouth. As he lifted his arm again, Shane intervened, throwing her onto the sofa.

“Hold her for me,” her uncle demanded.

“We are in a sensitive situation, Mr. Giordano. She can’t go to the office with a bruise on her face.”

“Listen to me, you little slut,” her uncle continued. “The next time you decide to whore your body around at a company function, you’d better think twice. Lars Elliott fucks anything that has legs. Is that who you spread open for last night? Tell me!”

“What are you talking about? Last night, you weren’t upset. You said he was there as a guest. I was entertaining him.” Braelynn crept backward on the sofa, scanning the room for an object she could use as a weapon. She wiped the blood from her mouth. “Besides, where I go when I’m not at work is none of your business.”

As her uncle attempted to go after her, Shane blocked him. “Sir. Please. We don’t know if she’s even done anything. We still need her.”

“We’ll hire another scientist.”

“But how would you explain her absence? She’s well known. Brings respectability to the west coast operation.”