All The Way (All Series Book 3) (23 page)

Brynn could sympathize, because right now she wanted nothing more than to do to Larry what she had to do to protect herself years ago. She didn’t want to look at him either. She took a couple of deep breaths. “You said your piece. If you want forgiveness, you’re not going to get it from me. You shouldn’t have come. I’ll never forget what happened that night. That night cost me a job I loved, it cost me everything I worked so hard for. It stole a piece of me away and
everything I dreamed of my whole life
. All because you were being a selfish, childish prick.”

“I don’t blame you for being angry. I don’t expect forgiveness either, but at least you know the truth now, not that it’s any consolation,” he said.

The truth. That was a joke. All it did was bring up all the frustrations of what had happened, how much she had blamed herself and beat herself up over what had happened. What she could have done differently to prevent it—to have changed any outcome. Only now she knew it really wasn’t something she’d done wrong.

Instead, she’d had to walk away. Walk away from her dream and everything she’d wanted growing up, everything she’d worked so hard for. All because someone couldn’t take no for an answer. The last three years of her life she’d struggled over that night, that horrible night that changed the course of her dreams and goals, not to mention shattering her confidence in men—if not life—for a short period.

She ran her hands through her hair and growled low in her throat, then turned suddenly toward the door and saw Alec standing there, looking more livid than she’d ever seen before.

Answers

Alec was furious. He’d heard everything, from the guy’s obsession with Brynn to the vicious lie that caused Brynn to lose her job. He didn’t know what else they were talking about—what thing she hadn’t felt was his fault until he made that last confession—but he’d find out. After he put his fist through Larry’s face.

He’d never thought he could feel as angry as he had the day he overheard Kyle bad-mouthing Brynn, but he was wrong. That was nothing compared to the anger and frustration inside of him now—the boiling of his blood to the point he thought he was going to erupt.

He took a menacing step toward Larry, only to have Brynn rush in front of him and hold her hand up to his chest. “Don’t, Alec. He isn’t worth it.”

The hell with that. He needed to put his fist into something and it might as well be Larry’s face. “Move out of my way, Brynn,” he growled, brushing her aside and walking closer to Larry, who had scooted quickly away.

“Stop it right this minute.” She turned to Larry, tears pooling in her eyes. “I don’t know what is worse, knowing the truth of what caused that night to happen, or knowing your father knew all along and didn’t say a word. I thought he was helping me because of his guilt that one of his men did that, not that he was covering up for his son.” She sniffled. Alec saw she was trying to pull herself together, and it was only pissing him off more and making him want to reach for Larry. “Get out of here before I change my mind and let Alec have his way.”

Larry didn’t need to be told twice and skittered out the door.

“Why did you stop me?” Alec said, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I didn’t want you to regret anything, and you would have. It’s in the past and it’s over. Let’s just move on. I have.”

“What is in the past? I think it’s time you told me the truth, and all of it, not just bits and pieces.”

“I agree, Brynn,” Drew said from the doorway. “Larry just ran into me turning the corner, looking behind him like the devil was on his tail. Someone want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not now, Drew,” Brynn replied.

“I want answers, but you need to give them to Alec first. It’s time he found out the truth, and you know it.”

Alec watched Brynn nod her head and fight that internal battle she always seemed to have when she was trying to process something. “Can we have some privacy please?” she asked her brother.

“I’ll be back in twenty minutes. It shouldn’t take longer than that.” He turned and walked away.

“Tell me what the hell is going on,” Alec demanded. He wasn’t normally this clueless, and he hated that he knew what she had to tell him was only going to infuriate him more, but he needed to know.

“Sit down,” she told him.

He would have preferred to stand and stalk around, but he went to a chair by the window, pulling her along with him. “Sit next to me then and talk.”

“I don’t even know where to start,” she said when he nudged her in the chair.

“Anywhere. Just start talking.”

“First off, I’ve never been interested in Larry,” she said, imploring him.

“I heard that. I heard him say it and you repeat it, and I didn’t think you would be. He isn’t your type.”

“It’s not that, type or not. Alec, you have to believe me—I’ve never dated anyone I’ve worked with before. Ever. Which is why I fought so hard with you.”

He thought back and realized she was the one that was always putting the brakes on. She was the one who wanted to pretend nothing existed between them. “I believe you, but go on.”

“I’m not a tease. I’ve never been one.” He knew there were a lot of guys who would take friendlessness to a different level. He figured Larry was one of those people, and she confirmed it with her next statement. “I was always nice to him. I felt sorry for him because he seemed to bungle his way through everything. He was spoiled and childish and immature, but he was harmless.”

“I wouldn’t call what he did harmless,” he snarled at her.

“I didn’t know back then though,” she argued, running her hands through her hair again. “Listen, Alec. I’m friendly. I talk to all the guys. I always did and I still do. I’ve always been thought of as
one
of the guys. I like to know about the people I work with and I like to know what is going on in their lives a little to have a better understanding of how they work.”

He knew that; he and Phil were the same way. That was why Brynn fit in so well at Harper’s. She was so much like them in that aspect.

“Anyway, he took it all wrong, only I didn’t
know
that until he asked me out one day. I was stunned, but I declined. Politely, but still declined. I told him that I didn’t date people I worked with, and it was true. He accepted that and moved on. We went back to being friendly.”

“Then what changed?”

“I don’t really know. I had worked there for over a year and moved my way up. I was named the foreman of my own crew on a few jobs. I was thrilled over it and it seemed everything I worked so hard for was coming together. A few months after my promotion, Larry asked me out again.”

“Out of the blue like that?”

“I thought it was. We still talked on and off. We didn’t see that much of each other and I treated him the same as I did everyone else. Maybe that was the problem. He just said he was hurt and mad that I talked to the other crew like I did him. He saw something that wasn’t there,” she said earnestly.

He had no doubt she was telling the truth. “You never suspected anything?”

“No, and when he asked me out again I declined. This time I told him I just saw him as a friend. I’d already told him I didn’t date coworkers, he knew that, but yet he still asked me out again. I was more upfront this time. I never saw him as anything more than a friend, and a loose one at that. There was something about him that just annoyed me, but he was the boss’ son so I kept it cordial.”

“So he got mad and told a lie. Started a rumor with the guys that you were sleeping with him?” he asked, but he’d heard that much.

“Yeah. That’s what he said.”

“Tell me the rest then, because obviously that isn’t what caused you to leave your job.”

***

Brynn took a deep breath, ready to bare it all to Alec. She knew he believed what she was saying so far. It was just that she didn’t want to hash out one of the lowest points in her life. She spent months in fear, then years beating herself up over what she could have done differently to have prevented things.

She was who she was, and she didn’t want to change. All those years of looking back, she just figured she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now she knew differently.

“No. I handled Larry, or so I’d thought. I’d worked there for close to two years by that point. I’d had other men ask me out and flirt with me, but I always said no. I thought everyone understood. I didn’t want anyone to ever say I didn’t earn my job, that I slept my way to the top.”

“I don’t think anyone would believe that of you.”

“Alec,” she said impatiently, “some things never change. Even Kyle made that assumption. You can’t change narrow-mindedness.”

“No, you can’t.”

She reached over and threaded her fingers through his, needing the contact more than ever. Her emotions were all over the place. She never wanted to talk about this again, and here she sat telling the man she loved about the night that all her dreams came crashing down on her, the night that filled her head with nightmares for months.

Her mind drifted back to the past. She was walking through the site, her clipboard in her hand, just checking to make sure everything had been completed on time. Some of the men grumbled over getting their orders from her, but they still did the work…after she had to push and prod them. She knew she had to wear them down and she was. She was stubborn and just wanted to succeed way too much to let bullheadedness stand in her way.

She’d heard a noise behind her. She’d thought she was the only one on the site. Most of the men had left almost thirty minutes ago, but when she turned there was no one there. So she made her way to the second level and into another room. Everything was looking good and she was checking things off her list.

Suddenly she heard a footstep and turned to see Kevin. A slow fear rose up her back. “Did you forget something?” There was something about Kevin she couldn’t put her finger on, but it was enough to make her leery in the past and more so now.

He smiled a smile that made her pause. The hair on her arms rose when he talked to her and now was no exception. “I left my phone on the windowsill.”

She turned and saw it there just like he said, then walked over and grabbed it and brought it to him. She figured he would take it and leave, only he didn’t. He reached for it and wrapped his hand around hers and didn’t let go. “You can let go of my hand,” she told him firmly.

“I don’t think so. Seems to me you’re giving it away. Maybe I’ll take some of it.”

Her eyes shot up, fear crawling up her spine. Everything she learned over the years was flooding her brain and she started to look around the room for an escape. Trying to remain calm, she said, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but it’s time you left. I’ve got work to finish up.”

“You’ve got time still,” he said, smirking at her. She’d always thought he was good-looking, but there was a coldness in his eyes that had always turned her off, made him almost sinister. Now she knew. She should have gone with her gut; she should have walked out when he came in. Too late, now he was blocking her exit.

She tried to tug her hand away, but he wasn’t letting go. Instead he backed her against the wall and pinned her there with his body. Before she could think, he lowered his mouth on hers. Angrily, he sought to take what she wasn’t willing to give.

Turning her head away only seemed to encourage him, like he thought she was playing hard to get. “What? You can give it to the other guys, but not me?” he growled at her, and lowered his head again.

This time she relaxed her body and the minute he tried to force her mouth open she bit his lip hard. Tasting the blood, she tried to push him away, but he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back, the pain in her scalp nothing compared to the terror of knowing that if she didn’t do something fast, he was going to hurt her even more.

Remembering the clipboard in her hand, she twisted her body enough, freed her arm and hit him upside the head with it. It probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do, as it only turned his eyes a deeper shade of mean. Before she could make another move, he backhanded her and her head hit the wall. She let out a scream as loud as she could, praying someone would hear, but she knew no one was around.

She tasted the blood inside of her mouth, some of it pooling out. He only laughed at her. “How does it feel to get a bloody lip? I guess we’re even right now.”

She knew that if she didn’t act fast, she would lose her chance. She had only one shot to escape. He grabbed her again and shoved her with more force against the wall, causing her head to bounce off it again.

Now or never. She twisted down and grabbed the two by four against the wall as fast as she could and swung with everything she had, hitting him right under the arm he was using to reach for her. She heard the disgusting sound of bones breaking and didn’t care. She thought for sure he would go down, but he didn’t.

He yelled out in pain and grabbed his side. “Bitch! You’re going to pay for that.”

She was trapped and knew it. She had to get by him to get to the door. She still had the two by four in her hand, but he was reaching for one of his own. He was bigger and stronger than her, and the odds were stacking up against her.

It was a game of cat and mouse. She moved to one side, and he followed, taunting her. “We’ve got all night as far as I’m concerned. If you want to play rough I’m good with that. I like it that way. It seems to me so do you.”

She swung the piece of wood at him again, but he ducked and moved to the side, wrapping his arm around her waist. She was twisting and turning, kicking out and screaming, but it didn’t matter. She saw everything flash before her. She knew he was going to rape her, maybe even kill her. He looked evil enough right now to do anything.

Closing her eyes, she just prayed it would be over fast. He ran his tongue down the side of her neck, teasing her, prolonging it and she thought she was going to get sick.

She wanted to shout, “Just do it, and get it over with” but bit her tongue. She wouldn’t make it easy for him, but she wasn’t sure what she could do right now either. His hand came to the front of her, gripping her breast hard and popping a few buttons, exposing her bra to him. She started to twist and turn and fight back again, anything she could to get out of his arms, but he only tightened his grip on her more, turning her around to face him.

That’s when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye behind Kevin’s back. Before she could make a sound, she was landing hard on the ground on her elbow and rapping her head against the floor again. She saw stars this time, but when she opened her eyes and focused, she saw Pete standing over her. He had another piece of wood in his hand and he’d knocked Kevin out with it.

“Are you okay?” he asked reaching down for her.