Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset (18 page)

T
he water was
cold against his skin, crushing in against him and making it almost impossible to drink in a deep enough breath as his head surfaced with each stroke. Most people preferred to heat their pools; Riley didn’t. The cold water was a challenge and that was the way he wanted to keep it.

Riley kicked against the water, hard powerful thrusts to match the strong, sure movements of his arms. Each thrust propelled him forward in the pool and the combination of the almost freezing water and his body’s determination to fight against it filled him with satisfaction.

Or at least normally it did.

Tonight there was nothing but the dull ache of his lungs as they burned and fought to power his body with the oxygen needed to keep up the punishing pace he had chosen for himself.

Swimming cleared his mind, and after seeing Holly, he needed something to clear his head. But it just wasn’t working.

Each time he dove beneath the surface his mind played images of Holly over and over. The look of fear on her face. The anger as she’d strode into the office to confront him.

The feel and taste of her lips against his own.

The last thought was enough to throw him off his stride and resulted in him swallowing a mouthful of cold pool water.

Coughing and spluttering, he broke the surface of the water and ran his hand down over his face to clear the droplets from his eyes.

A dark figure watched him from the side of the pool and Riley instantly tensed, his eyes scanning everything within reach in search of a suitable weapon.

“Relax, Riley, it’s just me. Who the hell were you expecting it to be?” Stuart’s voice grated on Riley’s already frayed nerves.

“What do you want, Stuart? I’m a little busy.” He dived beneath the surface of the water once more without waiting for an answer and resurfaced near the edge of the pool.

Stuart stood waiting for him, his usual goofy grin plastered on his face but Riley knew that was simply the expression his brother wore as a cover up. Clearly there was something playing on his mind, and it probably wasn’t going to be something that Riley wanted to hear.

“I wanted to know if you’d found anything else out about Holly?” Stuart’s direct question caught Riley off guard and he hesitated.

“So you
do
know something new. What is it, Riley? I can help, you know I can.” Stuart crouched down near the edge of the pool, his expression telling Riley that he still felt guilty over the mess with Grey Mattheson.

But none of that mattered now. Grey was gone and with him their best lead to whatever was being planned for Breaker’s Point… And of course, Holly.

He’d failed and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. Of course the fact that Holly didn’t feel as though she could confide in him didn’t help.

“I don’t need your help, Stuart, I can take care of this myself.” Riley hoisted himself up against the side of the pool, the muscles in his arms bunching as he lifted himself up onto the edge and onto his feet.

Without a backwards glance at his brother, he strode to the sun-lounger and snatched the towel he had left there, using the white fluffy fabric to hide the anger he knew shone in his eyes.

“I’m sorry about Grey, I’m sorry I didn’t take it all more seriously. I screwed up, Riley, and I know that but what was I supposed to do… I love her.”

The tension in Riley’s body slowly slipped away. How was he supposed to stay angry at his brother, when all he had done was protect the woman he loved? Wasn’t that exactly what he hoped to do too, that was if he could ever get to the bottom of what was going on with Holly and Marcus Stark.

Riley spun around and placed his hand on Stuart’s shoulder. Tension sang down his arm and from the look on his brother’s face it suddenly dawned on him that Stuart had expected a far more different reaction. The fact that he hadn’t flinched, or even tried to take defensive action said everything Riley needed to know about the true remorse he felt.

“None of this is your fault, Stu, I know that. You did what you had to do to protect Ellie and I admire you for that. At least you saved her from Grey. It’s more than I’ve been able to do for Holly.”

“I don’t think I saved Ellie, I’m pretty sure she saved me. I was a dead man until she walked into the hanger with her gun. I can’t ever repay her for that.”

Riley could feel a smile sliding across his face. The way Stu talked about Ellie was utterly unexpected and completely genuine. He’d often wondered if his brother had it in him to ever commit to anything, let alone another person. All he’d ever done in the past was run from one unsuitable situation to another, leaving a trail of destruction in his path.

Of course the last ‘crush’ he’d developed on the wife of one of his employers had concerned Riley. David Ashcroft was not a man to cross, and his sources had told him that Stuart was running dangerously close to making an enemy of Ashcroft for the worst of reasons.

But Ellie had changed him, and Stuart wasn’t the only one who would never be able to repay her. Riley had a feeling that without her, the relationship he was finally beginning to build with his brother would never have been possible.

“What’s making you grin like that? Did some of the pool water get into your brain and turn it into soup?” Stuart teased.

But the colour spreading up over Stuart’s neck and onto his face revealed he knew exactly why Riley was grinning.

“I was just thinking that I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy.”

“I don’t know what I did to get so lucky,” Stuart said, turning towards the house as Riley dragged a dressing gown on and gathered his towel before following his brother.

“I’m happy for you, Stu, really I am.”

Although he was trying to keep his voice upbeat he couldn’t keep the edge of envy from his tone. He’d been a fool and ruined the one chance at happiness he’d been offered and for what? It was a choice he would regret for the rest of his days. But his stupid mistake in letting her go wasn’t something he wanted her to suffer the consequences of for the rest of her life either.

“I sense a ‘but’ in there,” Stuart said, pausing as Riley took the lead and pushed open the patio doors that led into the wide open kitchen.

The evening was beginning to close in, and the light cast odd shadows across the walls.

“Not a ‘but’ to do with you, more my own regret coming back to haunt me.”

“Look, I’ve told you I want to help and I mean it. I feel like it’s the least I can do.”

“It’s pointless. Without her opening up to me, there’s really nothing I can do.”

“Why not tell her how you feel? Maybe a big declaration from you is all she needs.”

“Stuart, she’s engaged to another man. My declaring anything for her isn’t exactly going to change that.”

“How do you know? How do you know she’s not waiting for you to tell her exactly how you feel? Or are you afraid that she doesn’t feel the same way about you?”

Riley shook his head and headed straight for the office and the bottle of brandy he had stashed in the drawer in his desk. This wasn’t the type of conversation he needed to be having; in fact, discussing Holly was the last thing he needed. What he needed was a distraction, something to chase her face from his mind, her face and the softness of her skin.

His fingers tingled as though he could still feel her. She was driving him slowly insane and it was nothing more than he deserved.

Stuart followed him into the office and, without asking, Riley poured a large drink for his brother too.

“Me telling her how I feel wouldn’t change anything because of this.”

Riley fished the brown envelope of photographs out from their hiding place as he pushed the tumbler of brandy across the desk towards Stuart. He dumped the photographs into his brother’s lap before dropping into his seat behind the desk.

He watched as Stuart’s expression changed, anger and confusion sliding across his face in rapid succession.

“Riley, what the hell are these?”

“Pictures I had taken. I’ve known something was up and when Marcus moved in, I…”

Stuart shook his head and plucked one of the pictures from the bunch and held it up so Riley could see it clearly.

The look on Holly’s face was something he had struggled with from the first moment he’d laid eyes on the pictures. Nobody should ever have to be that afraid, especially not her.

“You say you can’t get involved but look at her, Riley, whoever this Marcus is he’s bad news. And whatever he’s saying to her here has her honestly terrified.”

Riley exploded, heat flooding into his face as he slammed his glass down on the desk.

“You think I don’t already know that? You think I want to just walk away and leave her to fend for herself?”

Stuart dropped his gaze back to the pictures. “Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. You had me investigating Grey Mattheson for her and now you’re willing to just back off— just like that.” Stuart snapped his fingers to emphasise his point and Riley felt his anger rising further.

It was easy for his brother to sit there and preach. Ellie hadn’t been attached to anyone. And although he had a feeling that whatever was going on with Holly and the man she was engaged to wasn’t entirely a romantic entanglement, how was he supposed to know for certain when she wouldn’t tell him anything?

“I know you’ve got feelings for her, Riley, I don’t think you should just give up on her just yet.”

As quickly as his anger had appeared, Riley felt it drifting away once more. He’d been a fool once before in the past but he wasn’t about to let history repeat itself. If he walked away now and agreed to stay out of whatever was happening as Holly wanted, he was certain he’d never forgive himself.

“You’d think I’d have learned my lesson once before,” he said, pushing up from behind the desk.

“You can’t keep beating yourself up over past mistakes. You’re not the only one our parents manipulated to fit their plans.”

Riley smiled but he knew it was one filled with bitterness and regret.

“Tell Ellie I said hello.”

“Where are you going?” Stuart said, pushing onto his feet as Riley headed for the door.

“I’m going to prove I’m not the coward my parents tried to make me. And I just hope and pray that I haven’t left it too late.”

S
itting
on the end of the bed, Holly contemplated how best to deal with Marcus. Being a virtual prisoner in her own home wasn’t how she’d imagined her life would turn out.

A headache was forming in the front of her head and as she rubbed her fingers against her temples her stomach grumbled loudly. It was hours since she’d last eaten and the two fistfuls of dry cereal she had managed to sneak wasn’t enough to sustain her.

If she tried now, perhaps she stood a chance of escaping away from the guards and getting into the diner in town. It was risky but it was a risk she was willing to take. It was either that or pass out completely and that level of vulnerability wasn’t something Holly wanted to leave herself open to.

Dragging her boots on, she headed for her bedroom door and paused as the sound of the doorbell echoed through the empty house. The furnishings that her mother had once taken so much pride in were all gone, sold to pay some of her father’s smaller debts, leaving the house with an odd atmosphere. It was like the very heart of the house itself had been carved out, leaving nothing but the shell behind.

Her heart slowed to a crawl as she struggled to listen for the guard’s voice at the door. Marcus wasn’t in the habit of ringing the doorbell, but if it was one of his many ‘associates’ as he liked to call them, then Holly knew she’d be just as trapped.

His
voice was instantly recognisable and Holly found herself slipping back into her bedroom. She stood against the door, ever fibre in her body suddenly awake and attuned to every creak and rumbled sound within the house.

He couldn’t be here. She’d told him to stay away and yet here he was. The memory of Riley’s kiss still tingled across her lips as though it had just happened and she writhed, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had decided to go in.

Life was already impossible enough without adding Riley into the mix.

A soft knock on the door had Holly’s heart pounding in the back of her throat.

“Yes?” she called out, ashamed of the strangled tone her voice had taken on.

“There’s a Mr. Reynolds here to see you.” Victor’s voice rumbled from the other side of the door and Holly shivered. He was one of Marcus’ favourites and whatever he knew, Marcus would soon know, too.

“Tell him I’m not interested in seeing him,” Holly said, her heart continuing to hammer in her throat. The thought of running down the stairs and straight into Riley’s arms was overwhelmingly tempting. But it was an impossible fantasy, and it was dangerous to be even having those thoughts about him.

Keeping him at arm’s length was definitely the only way to keep him and everyone else safe.

“I told him that but he’s insistent, says he has some sort of unfinished business to discuss.”

There was an edge to Victor’s voice as he mentioned the unfinished business and it filled Holly with dread. She could only imagine what he thought and what he would pass on to Marcus.

Dragging the door open, Holly fought to smooth her hair back into place as she struggled to keep a look of irritation on her face. If she could convince Victor that Riley was more of an inconvenience than anything else, perhaps she could get away with minimal damage.

“Fine, then I guess I’ll just have to see him out myself.”

Holly strode ahead of Victor, afraid that if he got the chance to study her face he would easily spot her lie.

He followed behind, silent, and yet Holly could feel his heavy gaze crawling against the back of her neck as he watched her.

Reaching the bottom step, her eyes immediately went to Riley as he stood inside the front door. His dark hair was slicked back from his face as though he’d come straight from the shower and Holly couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like for the hot needles of water to beat against her skin as Riley’s hands caressed every inch of her.

Heat flooded into her face as her mind conjured an image of them tangled together and she fought to push it aside.

“Holly, we need to talk, I…”

“I’m not interested in anything you’ve got to say, Mr Reynolds. I’d like you to leave, please.” There was a fine tremor in her voice and Holly was certain Victor would pick up on it.

Without even thinking about what she was doing she cast a look back over her shoulder, her gaze searching Victor’s face as she tried to assess what he thought of the situation. But as always he was utterly unreadable, his expression completely blank as he stared ahead.

Riley’s hand against her face made Holly jump and she took an unsteady step backwards.

“When did I become ‘Mr Reynolds’? We’ve known each other for years. All I want is a few minutes of your time and if after that you still want me gone, then I’ll go.”

The damage was already done as far as Holly could tell. Victor would tell Marcus anyway and whatever he came up with wouldn’t paint the situation in a flattering light, so what did she have to lose?

“Just a few minutes?”

“Scout’s honour.”

Holly nodded and gestured to him to follow her into the living room. It was stripped back to only a few necessary pieces of furniture and as she turned to face Riley, Holly watched as surprise lit up his features.

“What’s going on?” he said, his tone suggesting just how shocked he truly was.

“I’ve told you, none of this is your business. Why can’t you just leave it alone?”

“Because I’m worried about you and…” Riley’s voice trailed off.

From the look on his face, Holly had a feeling that whatever he was about to come out with would only make the situation more precarious.

“Riley, please, just don’t—don’t say any of it. You and I both know that whatever happened between us, happened a long time ago. And it can’t ever happen again.” She kept her voice low and firm, hoping that her suspicion over Victor listening from the other side of the door was unfounded.

Riley’s expression was one of loss and confusion and it broke Holly’s heart to know she had done it to him.

“Holly, giving up on you, on us, was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“So what? You thought coming here, despite knowing I’m with somebody else, engaged to another man, would somehow change everything? That we’d start up our relationship because you realised you made a mistake?”

Holly fought to push every ounce of hurt and anger she felt over everything that was happening into her voice. It wasn’t Riley’s fault, he’d done nothing wrong, but she needed to make him understand that there was no future for them, no matter how much they both might wish it were different.

“You don’t love him, Holly, I know you don’t.”

She staggered back from him, his words like a slap of cold water to her face.

“And how would you know what I feel for him? How would you know anything about me, Riley? What I do and who I love has nothing—absolutely nothing—to do with you anymore.”

“I know because I know you, and I know you love me.”

Holly started to laugh, the sound bubbling up the back of her throat and catching her unawares as it spilled from her lips.

“Why’s that so funny?” Riley demanded, his voice dripping with irritation.

“I did love you.” Holly fought to control her voice after her laughter. It would be far too easy to slip from laughing straight into tears and that was something she didn’t want to let Riley see.

“Or at least as much as a teenager can love someone else and you took that love and broke my heart, Riley. But I don’t love you anymore.”

“You’re lying,” he said, taking a small step towards her.

“I can’t tell you whatever it is you want to hear. I told you to stay out of my business and instead you burst in here demanding to see me, that you have something you need to tell me. Did you ever think of my feelings in all of this? Did it even cross your mind to listen to what I was telling you?”

“We’ve known each other so long, Holly, I know something’s wrong and I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Riley, I…” She didn’t have the chance to finish her sentence. Riley crossed the space between them, his strong arms wrapping around her body as he dragged her in against his hard chest.

He jerked her body into his with enough force to knock the air from her lungs and her words of protest from her mouth.

His hand cupped the side of her cheek, his fingers gentle against the curve of her face and Holly’s mind went completely blank.

She knew she was supposed to push him away, tell him to keep his hands to himself. Instead, the only thing she was completely sure of was that she didn’t want him to release her, she wanted more.

Riley’s face inched closer, his warm breath fanning across her face as he sank in against her and Holly wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her lips parted as her breath caught in the back of her throat and the moment his mouth brushed against hers, Holly melted into his body. Riley didn’t hesitate and Holly felt him take the invitation her body offered him, his arms tightening around her as his hands roamed down over the curve of her back to the swell of her hips.

The kiss deepened, his mouth still gentle and teasing, and it was enough to drive Holly to the edge.

She wanted him.

Had always wanted him and what he was offering her now was a kind of sweet torture.

Riley’s tongue slid along the curve of her lips and she opened to him, like a flower opening to the first light of morning. His touch rekindled Holly’s passion, something she thought had died the moment he’d taken her heart and smashed it into pieces that fateful night he’d ended it all.

The pain of that night crashed over her and it was enough to cause her to still in Riley’s arms but it didn’t come soon enough.

“What the hell is going on?”

The sound of Marcus’ voice filled Holly with such a cold dread that without thinking about what she was actually doing, she found herself shrinking in against Riley’s chest.

It was the wrong move and the moment she did it, she regretted it.

“So this is what goes on while I’m out?” Marcus’ voice had dropped to a menacing whisper, one that crawled across her skin and made her shudder.

“Holly, I’m here, just say the word and I can help.” Riley’s face was filled with such sincerity and the way he kept his arms around her, cradling her against him made her want to tell him everything.

But one look at Marcus was enough to kill all thoughts of Riley ever finding out the truth.

“I want to be with you, Holly, I…”

She shook her head and pushed out of his arms. The moment she broke free of him the world seemed darker, colder. Of course the look of surprise on Riley’s face didn’t make it any easier.

“I can’t. I told you I want you to leave me alone.”

It hurt to say the words but what choice did she have? Marcus held all the cards and how could she act selfishly if it meant endangering all those she cared about?

“I don’t understand…”

“Riley, please…”

Marcus moved faster than Holly could have possibly anticipated, his hand closing around her arm as he jerked her towards the door.

Pain jolted up through her arm as his hand twisted roughly, drawing a small whimper from her.

“Marcus, please, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” She pleaded with him, the words sticking in the back of her throat as she gritted them out from between her teeth.

The last thing she ever wanted to give him was the satisfaction of having her beg for mercy. But the situation warranted some form of action or Riley was going to believe he should interfere to help her.

“You know the deal, Holly, and I’m nobody’s fool.”

He towed her towards the door, his grip bruising as he shoved her out into the hall.

“Get your hands off her.” Riley’s voice was strained as though he was struggling to control his emotions. Holly stared hard at him, determined to make him understand with her eyes that he needed to just leave but Riley was far too honourable for something like that.

Holly tried to place herself between the two hulking men that towered over her in an attempt to force them apart but it was too late.

The moment Riley’s hand closed over Marcus’ arm the air crackled with tension. The small smile that curled Marcus’ lips told Holly he’d been waiting for Riley to make the first move, an excuse. Not that Marcus had ever needed an excuse for violence in the past, but something had obviously changed to make him more cautious.

Marcus shoved Holly hard, the sudden movement sending her sprawling across the marble tile of the hall.

The dull thud of Marcus’ meaty fist slamming into Riley filled her ears as she scrambled to her feet. Scanning the area for something, anything to help her end the fight, her eyes fell on a glass vase that sat on the only small table left in the hall.

She could still remember the day her mother had brought it home and how pleased she seemed to be with her purchase.

The only reason it still sat in the hall now and hadn’t been sold in the last auction where the rest of the furniture had ended up at was because it was virtually worthless. Sentimental value didn’t have a price tag that could pay debts and so she’d kept it.

A constant reminder of a time when things had been different.

Holly didn’t hesitate. Grabbing the vase, she raised her arm above her head and brought it down hard on the back of Marcus’ neck. The glass shattered, the pieces scattering into the air.

Riley was on the floor, his face bloodied and his eyes closed. Holly’s heart clenched in her chest as she stared down at him, praying for him to breathe, to move, to give her some sign that he was alive and that Marcus’ enjoyment of violence hadn’t driven him to murder.

Of course the vase wasn’t enough to do any real damage to Marcus and he turned on her, rage flashing in his eyes.

“You stupid bitch, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I won’t let you kill him. You told me when we made the deal that the people I cared about wouldn’t get hurt.”

“That was before I walked in on you two humping in my living room.”

“It’s not your living room, not until we’re married. And it was just a kiss.”

Holly stood her ground as Marcus closed in on her, one small shard of the glass vase still clutched in her hand. His hand snaked out. It was large enough to engulf her face if he wanted. Instead he gripped her chin in his fingers, the grip hard and punishing, enough to bring tears to her eyes.