Chapter Six

Helena

M Y HEART WAS in my throat as I pulled into the driveway of Cullen’s waterfront home. The workers were gone, and his truck wasn’t there, so I’d obviously beaten him there. Luckily, it wasn’t long before I saw headlights, and he pulled in beside me. I mean, I’d already chewed my thumb nail to the quick, so if he hadn’t gotten there when he did, I was in danger of gnawing off my whole damn hand.

I slid out of my car and gave him a tentative smile as he did the same and then he led me inside.

Closing us in, he turned on the foyer light and faced me. “My wife died.”

“Oh.” I gasped. “God, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t.” He shook his head. “Please, let me get this out.”

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“It was a long time ago. Fifteen years in fact.” He crossed his arms, almost like he needed to keep himself in check. “We were only married two years when a brain tumor took her, and I made a vow that I’d never be with anyone else.”

I pressed my lips together to keep myself from commenting.

“She’d argued with me about it, but I was resolute, and everything was going fine with that resolution until you walked your fine ass into my life. All due respect, but you have fuckin’ messed with absolutely everything and I don’t just mean the fact you’re investigating me and my brothers for arson.”

I again bit back a retort, although, I was starting to feel a few warm fuzzies.

“So, today, when you touched me, you did nothing wrong. Well, other than the fact that you made me want to slam you against the wall and kiss you until you couldn’t breathe.”

“Do it,” I challenged, and then slapped my hands over my mouth suddenly realizing I’d just said that out loud.

His head whipped toward me and his eyes darkened. “Don’t say shit like that unless you mean it, Helena.”

I took a deep breath and licked my lips. “I swear to god, Cullen, if you don’t kiss me—”

I didn’t get the chance to finish my thought because I was suddenly up against the wall and kissed until I couldn’t breathe.

“Fuck,” he hissed as he broke the kiss, gently dropping his forehead to mine. “This is excruciating.”

I smiled. “Sorry, not sorry.”

He stroked my cheek. “This is a conflict of interest for you, beautiful. No one can know about this, and that doesn’t bode well for the start of something solid.”

I met his eyes. “ Is this the start of something solid?”

“Isn’t it?”

“If you keep repeating everything I say, this conversation is going to take exactly twice as long as it needs to be,” I said.

Cullen smirked. “Navy said you’re a straight shooter.”

“When did you speak to Navy?”

“Today.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “My entire family showed up at my place, which meant Cade and Hatch’s women weren’t far behind.”

“Did she say anything?”

He raised an eyebrow. “About you?”

I nodded.

“She did not.” He gave me a squeeze. “If you’d like to share…”

I sighed, setting my palms on his chest. “I will share, but I really like what we’re doing right now, so can it wait?”

“Just tell me how bad it was,” he said.

“Harassment at work. Typical kind of crap you get when you’re a woman in a man’s world.”

“But bad enough to hire Navy.”

I dropped my eyes. “Bad enough to hire Navy, yes.”

“One more kiss, then let’s head out to the back where you can tell me the story.”

He leaned down, but I settled my fingers over his mouth. “Wait. What are we doing here, Cullen?”

“I’d like to start something solid if you’re in agreement.” He grimaced, sliding his hand to my neck. “We’ll have to keep it quiet for a while, which I don’t like, but I can do that if you can.”

“Yes. I can do that for sure.”

“Baby this could get really complicated for you.” He cocked his head and amended, “For us really, but more for you.”

“You keep calling me baby, and it’ll all be okay,” I teased.

He chuckled without mirth. “If only it were that easy, huh?”

I sighed. “Yeah.”

After kissing me one more time, he took my hand, leading me out to the back porch and we sat in the same chairs we’d sat in earlier that morning, although, he shifted his, so he was facing me.

“I don’t know where to start,” I admitted.

“Start at the beginning,” he suggested.

“That’ll take hours.”

He took my hands and ran his thumb over one of my palms. “I’ve got time.”

“My dad did what I do back in the day. Although, he was much higher in the ranks. My mother said I got my investigative gene from him. He died when I was six and sometimes I miss him like I’m missing part of my soul. I was Daddy’s little girl through and through and so it was natural for me to join the fire department. I come from fire royalty. My uncle is my current captain, and he’s a pain in my ass, and my mom, well, she’s the chief.”

Cullen let out a quiet whistle. “Chief over you or chief, chief?”

“Chief, chief,” I confirmed. “She remarried, so we have different last names which helped… at the beginning. My uncle is my mom’s brother, so again, we could keep some familial separation, but someone found out, and the harassment began. Little things at first. Nasty notes in my locker, then it escalated to ‘SLUT’ keyed into the side of my car and used condoms shoved in my boots, stuff like that.”

“Jesus.”

“So unbelievably disgusting.” I shuddered. “For the most part I could ignore it, but I kept the condoms in baggies and handed them off to a friend who did his thing, confidentially of course, testing the DNA, so I could have ammunition if I ever needed it.”

“Smart.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe. But ignoring the problem rather than going to HR initially put a bigger target on my back, I think.”

“How so?”

“It emboldened him.” I swallowed.

“How did it embolden him?”

I dropped my head, biting back angry tears. Really it was the only time tears ever threatened to fall, but they never did. I wasn’t a crier. I never had been. The last time I’d cried was when my dad died, and after that, I’d kind of shut down. Unless I was pissed.

“Helena, how did it embolden him?”

“He followed me home one night and forced me inside where he tried to rape me.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Cullen growled, his chair scraping back as he stood.

“He was unsuccessful,” I rushed to say.

Cullen dragged his hands down his face.

“I fought him off.”

I didn’t go into detail about the fact I had to literally fight for my life because the look on Cullen’s face gave me pause.

“Is he in prison?” he hissed.

Oh, yeah, I wasn’t giving him any details about the day I had to fight for my life.

I nodded. “Yes. Thanks to Roman insisting on my house being wired for video and sound.”

“Who’s Roman?” he asked, his voice quiet and a little lethal.

“Roman Ellerson. He’s the friend—”

“I know Roman.”

I nodded. “I know you do.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“He really is. He’s one of my best friends,” I disclosed.

“But not more?”

“No. Never.” I shuddered. “He’s been like a brother to me since we were kids.”

He took his seat, and my hands, again. “What’s the asshole’s name?”

“Why?”

“Just tell me his name, honey.”

I sighed. “Brent Avery.”

“And he’s the reason you needed Navy?”

I nodded. “Well, that and the boys’ club rallying around him to protect him.”

“Are they still harassing you?”

I shook my head. “It’s calmed down.”

“How much time did this guy get?”

I grimaced.

Cullen frowned. “What?”

“He got seven years, of which he’s served two so far, but he may be released early due to overcrowding.”

“Jesus,” he hissed.

“Navy’s looking into it.”

“Fucking hell.”

“That about sums it up,” I said.

He lifted one of my palms to his mouth and kissed it. “What can I do?”

“Nothing. Navy’s handling it. I just have to wait and let the wheels of justice turn, as they say.” I sighed. “But the truth of the matter is, he’s probably going to get out. This was his first offence, at least the first one where he got caught, so there’s not much we can do if they decide to let him out. The bright side I guess is that because Roman was the one who handled the DNA, and because it was a perfect match to Brent’s if he does any of this again, he’ll go away for life.”

“He won’t do it again,” Cullen growled. “But if he does get out, he sure as hell won’t get near enough to you to do it to you.”

“I don’t need a knight in shining armor, Cullen.”

“Too bad, baby. You got one when you demanded that kiss.”

“I demanded it, huh?”

“Uh, yeah. My plan was to meet you, accept your apology, and go about my merry way. But no, you decided kissing was a better alternative, and now we’re here.”

I gasped. “I’m a monster. ”

“You’re a scorpion,” he corrected.

I chuckled. “This is true, Dandelion.”

“I’m sorry all that shit went down,” he said.

“It’s okay.” I bit my lip. “I have a great support system.”

“Tell me how you know Roman.”

“Our parents were best friends. I mean, they’re still best friends, it’s just my dad’s not here anymore. He’s like my cousin.” I squeezed his hands that were still holding mine. “You?”

“He and Cade met about ten years ago I think. Some charity event. They’ve been tight since then. I’ve crashed a couple of beer nights with them. Roman’s helped out with a few of the charity toy drives Hatch’s club runs over the holidays, so he’s got a good reputation amongst my brothers. He rides with Hatch sometimes. I think he asked my sister, Cricket, out once.”

“He did?”

Cullen nodded.

“He did not mention that to me,” I breathed out.

“She’s pining over someone, so it wasn’t a reflection on him, just bad timing.”

“Oh no, pining over someone is no fun.”

“It is not,” he agreed. “And she’s dramatic about it, so it makes it even harder for us.”

“For you?”

“Well, Hatch.”

“Do I want to know?”

“Probably not. She can fill you in when you meet her if she wants to tell you.” He shook his head. “Correction. She’ll most definitely fill you in whether you want to hear it or not.”

I smiled. “Can’t wait.”

“I wouldn’t speak too soon.”

“If your sister is as awesome as you, then I can’t wait to meet her.”

“She is awesome. She’s just very dramatic.”

I laughed. “Dramatic’s fine. Prudence is dramatic. Dramatic is colorful and fun.”

“Prudence?”

“My sister.”

“Ah.” He smiled. “Well, dramatic is also nosy. At least, in the case of my sister, it is.”

I nodded. “This is true. Pru is the nosiest. But I’m also nosy when it comes to my sister, and I’m not overly dramatic. Maybe it’s just a case of Cricket loving you.”

He waved a finger toward me. “Oh, she’s going to adore you.”

“I hope so.”

His phone beeped in his pocket, and he pulled it out, glancing at the screen. “Speak of the devil.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Christina?” he said as he answered the call. “Why? Hm-mm. And?” He rolled his eyes. “So? I can call you a car. Don’t you have work in the morning? Oh, she did, did she? But this isn’t just a backhanded way to get information out of me? Right.” He chuckled. “Liar.” He continued to listen for a few more seconds, then sighed. “Fine. Yes, you can stay. Sure. Yes. Okay. Not sure. No problem. I’ll see you later. I don’t know , sissy. Later. Okay. Love you too. Bye.”

He hung up and slid his phone back in his pocket.

“I should probably go,” I said.

“Because of that call?”

I nodded.

“No, it’s good. Cricket has decided she’s had too much wine to drive home. Of course, she had three other brothers who could have driven her and her car home. Hatch, particularly, would have ordered a prospect to take care of that, not to mention two almost sisters-in-law who I’d bet my life offered to house her for the night, but she turned all of those choices down because she wants to grill me later on exactly what has transpired here. And Maisie, damn her, has given her the day off.”

“Maisie?”

“Hatch’s woman. Cricket’s boss.”

“Ah.”

“So, despite the fact, my sister insists that she just wants to hang with her ‘favorite’ brother, which unfortunately is true, I am her favorite, she will also grill me for information,” he lamented. “And she wants me to pick up more wine on the way home because she and the aforementioned sisters-to-be went through the near case I had stashed in the garage.”

“So much for keeping this on the downlow.”

“She knows nothing, honey. And she will continue to know nothing,” he assured me. “She’s just nosy and thinks she has all the answers.”

“Well, what does she know?”

“She knows how I feel about you.”

“Wh—What?” My mouth dropped open. “What does that mean?”

“In a moment of weakness this morning, I called her.” He sighed. “She rushed over and made me realize I should probably start to work through those feelings.”

“So she’s the one to thank?”

“For you forcing that kiss?” he teased. “In a round-about way, yes.”

I let out a quiet snort. “Sticking with your story, huh?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he retorted, leaning in for yet another kiss.

“Oh!” I chirped as I broke our connection.

“You okay?”

“Do you have anyone who would have access to you and your brothers’ homes and offices?”

“Uh, can’t really think of anyone off the top of my head. We have folks who work for us, obviously, but not a lot of overlap. Why?”

“Because I keep coming back to the stuff that was left at the scene. We need to figure out where they would have gotten it from and then work back from there. Follow the evidence, find the person who took it, then maybe we can find the motive.”

“Right.” He sat back with a nod. “Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for that.”

I rose to my feet. “I should really get going.”

“Yeah.” He followed me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. “What’s your schedule like over the next week?”

“Busy,” I admitted.

“This weekend?”

“Family dinner Sunday, but I’m free on Saturday.”

“Think you can get to my place on Saturday without being seen?” he asked.

“You don’t appear to have a working kitchen, Cullen.”

He chuckled. “Not this place, my current place.”

“Maybe.” I bit my lip. “Text me your address and I’ll see what I can do.”

He kissed me gently. “Make it happen, yeah?”

I grinned, sliding my hands up his chest. “I will see what I can do.”

He let out a quiet grunt, kissing me again, this time quickly. “Tough nut to crack.”

“You have no idea.”

“You go first, I’ll lock up behind you.”

I nodded, raising my head for one more kiss, then walked out to my car. I hated leaving him, hated that I couldn’t stay longer, hated that we had to keep all of this secret, but vowing that I was going to figure this out as quickly as humanly possible so we could put all of this behind us.