Leverage (The Brannock Siblings) (4 page)

"I knew that warehouse was connected. I knew it in my
gut from the very beginning. I still should have waited," Liam stated in
frustration.

They had raided a warehouse last week, hoping to find some
small players in Banetti's operation that they could break down. Instead, they
found it empty with a message left behind.

They had been tipped off about the raid and they weren't
happy about it. Obviously. The captain knew it was going to be a big break in
the case and didn't want to wait just in case word got out. Apparently, it
didn't matter and the fact that they were tipped off so quickly made everyone
nervous. Especially Lucas. He didn't want to think that any one of the men
around him were corrupt.

"Lucas, I need you to go back to the house. Make sure
Ash doesn't go anywhere yet. She wanted to spread out some resumes today, but
you are right. If anyone knows she is back, they could use it. I can't let that
happen. Neither can you. Banetti wants my head and will do whatever it takes at
this point."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm just parking the car, take a quick look while you
are there so you aren't kept in the dark at all. She shouldn't be going
anywhere soon so I think we have some time. When you are done, I expect you to
get to my home as soon as possible. I'll cover for you in the meeting and make
sure you get any more updates."

"Yes, sir."

Lucas' voice was steady, but the idea of being alone with
Aislinn for most of the day was making his insides quake. He wasn't ready to be
alone with her. He couldn't let on that he had missed her every day she was
gone. It would only make things worse for her. Besides, she seemed like she was
on her way to being completely over him even if she gave subtle hints that he
still affected her.

He didn't realize that the captain had hung up on him
already and he was still standing in the doorway of an empty conference room.
He shoved his phone in his pocket and hurried to the stairwell. The sooner he went
over the letter, the sooner he could make sure Aislinn didn't do anything that
would be too much of a risk.

Great, now he was turning into her brothers. Locking her up
and leaving her to watch her life pass her by.

There really was no other choice.

***

Lucas took a deep, cleansing breath before he lifted his
hand to the doorbell of the Brannock's home. After seeing the letter and
realizing the threat was closer to her than he previously suspected, which was
pretty damn close, he couldn't get there fast enough. He needed to calm himself
down so he wouldn't scare her. She did stupid things when she was scared, or
drunk, or extremely sad. All of which could happen very quickly when she found
out what was going on.

The door opened after a minute of waiting on her porch and
the deep breaths that he thought would calm him rushed out in a flurry. She was
dressed in a tight black skirt that ended just above her knees and a white form
fitting button up sleeveless blouse, all of which showed off the curves she had
developed over the years, she looked soft in all the right places. Her hair was
pinned up into a messy twist with small tendrils falling around her face. But
none of that prepared him for what he would find when his eyes moved down to
her feet.

Already expecting to see some kind of fancy shoe with heels
that said all business, he took his time grazing down her long tan legs, but
there weren't any shoes, which was worse.

She always had the sexiest feet. She painted her toenails
every Sunday to be prepared for the week to come and whenever he had been at
their house on Sunday, he would anticipate what color she would choose. She
usually brought him her two choices and told him to pick one, then she would
choose the other one on purpose causing an argument about why she always asked
him to pick one when she was never going to use the one he suggested. She would
then explain that it had been because it was the one time she could prevent him
from getting what he wanted.

He had loved it.

He would spend the rest of the next 10 minutes trying not to
watch her with her tongue sticking out of the corner of her lips as she
concentrated on painting them perfectly. When she was done, she would wiggle
her toes and gaze at them contentedly. For some reason, that was something he
would never forget. She would never know that seeing her do that every week
made it harder and harder for him not to touch her.

Now, looking down at her bare feet and her bright pink toes,
the color he had always picked, it was nearly impossible
not
to touch
her.

"What's wrong?" she asked as her toes wiggled
under his stare.

He lifted his gaze back to her face and grinned. She must
still have feelings for him because she looked embarrassed that she had been
caught wearing the pink she always refused to wear for years. Too bad he wasn't
going to do anything about it, she was off limits now more than ever before. He
would only hurt her and he couldn't stand the thought of that even if it
didn't
come with the ass kicking of his life once her brothers came for a visit.

"Nothing. You look nice," he said, his voice
breaking on the feeble word.

She glared at him and he couldn't help but decide that it
was the most adorable look she had given him so far.

"Nice? Thanks, I guess. I was going for professional so
I guess that is close enough."

Professional? She looked like a walking fantasy and it was
completely inappropriate to go around and hand out resumes to guys who wouldn't
be able to keep their eyes off of her. He didn't want anyone else to see every
curve that had been emphasized by her choice of clothing.

Every touchable curve.

Taunting him.

He cleared his throat and tried to remember the real reason
he was there in the first place. Spending alone time with her was really going
to test his control. "Your dad wanted me to keep an eye on you today.
Something came up and we both thought it would be best if your return wasn't
announced for a few days."

"What do you mean?"

He gestured to the inside of the house, "Do you mind if
I come inside?"

She blinked a few times before stepping aside just enough to
let him pass. She never knew that he always took his own opportunity to inhale
as he brushed passed
her
. He was just better at hiding it. She had
always smelled so incredible, like vanilla and cinnamon. Nothing had changed
about that.

She led him over to the plush leather sofa in the living
room and sat facing him, ensuring that her skirt didn't ride up as she sunk
into the cushion. He sat on the other end, as far away as possible, and hoped
that the skirt stayed in place long enough for him to tell her what was going
on.

"What's going on, Lucas?"

She always called him Lucas. Her brothers and everyone else
usually called him Luke, but not her and it felt… special somehow.

God, he loved everything about her still. So why did he
continue to torture himself?

"I'm just going to get right to it. I don't think it is
a good idea to keep anything from you since it could only be more
dangerous." He heard her breath hitch, but didn't hesitate. "Your
father received a threat this morning. It was on his desk which means that
whoever is responsible for it is close by. It was personal, Ash. We are really
close to taking down a huge operation that could destroy a lot of the drug
trafficking going on through the port. He has been more involved than a captain
normally is and has been a key player in getting a lot of these guys behind
bars. They know it, Ash, and they want him gone."

She nodded nervously and took a deep breath before wringing
her hands together. He wanted to reach out and clasp her small hands in his,
but he resisted. He couldn't comfort her without getting too close.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked and raised
her chin to show him she wasn't going to fight him.

He was a little surprised, but then what else could he
expect from her but full cooperation. She grew up with cops surrounding her and
instilling in her mind that when it came down to it, she needed to obey without
question.

"Your father and I think it would be best if you stayed
out of sight until we can sort this out. If they know his daughter is back,
they could use you against him."

She nodded in understanding and he couldn't imagine the
scenarios that were running through her head. Even though she had always wanted
excitement in her life, this wasn't the kind of thing she ever asked for.

"I can do that. I haven't contacted anyone. Haven't
left the house since I got here late last night. The only person who knows I'm
back is you… and my brothers."

"Good. I hate to ask you to lock yourself up, but it's
for your own safety."

"I understand, Lucas. I won't complain, I
promise."

He nodded and shifted in his seat. He wasn't sure if he
could do this. He needed to be working on the case, finding the bad guys and
getting rid of them, but he was the only one the captain trusted to take care
of his daughter when he couldn't be here himself and the risk was too high to
let anyone else do it. Until they found the leak.

Hell, he wasn't even sure if he could trust his own partner.
Justin Rains was a good man as far as he could tell, but he knew people were
capable of
anything
. He would have to do a little digging if he was
going to continue working with Rains on this one. He would have to do a lot of
digging on everyone.

"Are you going back to the station then? You need to
make sure he is safe, Lucas."

He met her eyes and the worry in them made his stomach roll.
He didn't like seeing her worried or scared. Hell, he didn't like seeing her
upset about what her douche of an ex-boyfriend did to her, but at least she
could joke about it and she was taking care of it. She couldn't do that now.
Her father was in danger. Her hero. Nothing would make her feel better about
that.

"No, Ash. I'm not going back today. Your dad is safe as
long as he is there. I'm going to stay here with you until he can get back.
Then, we are going to figure out what to do from here."

"Should I leave? Go back to Ohio maybe. Then I won't be
an issue at all."

He had already thought about that. He couldn't let her
leave, though. If not for the fact that there was a possibility someone had
already found out she was back and her being alone
anywhere
wasn't safe,
then for the fact that he couldn't let her go again.

What could he say? He was selfish, even when it would only
make him more miserable.

"You need to stay. Just in case they already know. I -
we - don't want anything to happen to you when we aren't close by to protect
you."

She nodded and looked away again. "Well then, I will
need you to go to the store. I'm making a lasagna tonight and need a few things
and since I can't be seen…"

His stomach rumbled at the thought of her lasagna and his
eyebrows raised to his hairline.

She chuckled weakly. "Seems fitting I guess. Need
something to cheer us all up."

"You're taking this well."

She shrugged, "Do I have a choice? No point in fighting
it."

He smiled at her and she smiled back.

The air between them sizzled and suddenly his tie felt like
a noose around his neck. They gazed at each other a little longer, neither
really wanting to look away first. Warmth spread through him and his fingers
itched to reach out to her. To take what he always wanted to be his.

But he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not right now.

He stood quickly and ran a hand through his hair. "If
you'll write down what you need. I'll hurry and get it. I hate to leave you
alone, but just keep the doors locked and be vigilant until I get back,
okay?"

"Okay," she whispered and stood from the couch,
smoothing her skirt down, then walked over to the stairs. "I guess I'll go
change."

"I'm sorry about all of this. I know you probably
wanted to get settled into a job and everything soon. It will just have to wait
a bit longer."

She looked down at him with a resigned look in her eyes and
shrugged. "I'll be right back with that list."

He watched her climb the stairs, grazing over her long legs
and her perfect… and remembered the short lecture her father gave him this
morning after he smacked him in the back of the head for staring.

"She needs some time, Luke. Don't force anything.
You'll only push her away."

He had replied with a denial. "I'm not planning on
doing anything at all, sir."

"Well, these things never start with a plan, son."

The man was always right, he thought. He never planned on
seeing her again, never planned on still feeling the same way he did seven
years ago, but he did. If anything, the feelings for her had gotten stronger with
the distance, something he hadn't realized until he had seen her this morning
for the first time. Now that this case had taken a dramatic turn, there was
nothing he could completely plan for and there wasn't really time to do
anything about those feelings.

That didn't stop him from wanting her.

Nothing could stop him from wanting her.

But he had to keep her safe, keep her father safe. He had to
solve this case soon, before he lost something or someone he couldn't live
without.

Ash

"I'll be just fine, Conall. Lucas will be here when Dad
can't be. No one knows I'm back, so I really don't think I'm the one everyone
should be worrying about. The threat was to Dad."

Lucas had called my brothers to let them know what was
happening and to make sure they kept an eye out for themselves. We didn't know
how much these people knew about my family, but you could never be too careful,
right?

I had already spoken to Fergus to calm him down and was now
having a very similar conversation with my oldest brother, Conall. He was
furious and wanted to catch the next flight out from Denver so he could get
here to be with us. Fergus had purchased a ticket to fly in from Detroit while
I was still on the phone with him. When I couldn't get him to cancel it, Lucas
had taken the phone back and talked him down. Having them here would only
complicate things.

"I don't like the idea of you being anywhere near these
guys, Ash. Even if they have no idea you are there. I trust Luke, but still…
you gotta look out for yourself, sis."

It was always good to hear Conall's voice. He was the
brother that tried the hardest to keep in touch with me and we spent a lot of
late nights on the phone laughing about the stupid things they had done with
me. Fergus was always partying, not that he was too busy to talk to his little
sister, he was just too crazy for me to really spend a long time talking with
without feeling like I had just run a marathon.

I loved them both - even if they could be total assholes -
and they loved me.

"You know me, Con. I'm always careful. I won't be
leaving the house for anything but a run and even then it will be late so no
one sees me."

I heard Lucas clear his throat behind me. We still hadn't
come to an agreement on my nightly runs. He told me I could use his treadmill,
but I was already going to be inside all day and I knew I would need to get
outside at least once or I would end up going crazy.

"Don't tell me that you sweet talked Luke enough for
him to let you do that," Conall said with a chuckle.

"He doesn't want me to, but I'm 28 years old, and I'm
already cooperating more than anybody else would. I'll be careful. Maybe Dad
will come with me."

"Ha! I don't think so. He doesn't run outside remember?
Too much pollution in the air."

"I forgot about that," I said with a smile.

Dad never liked running outside. Always said he couldn't
breathe right because the air wasn't clean enough. Not like Ireland.

"I'll go with you, Ash," Lucas sighed from behind
me, looking exasperated.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah right. No way I could
keep up with you. Look at you."

He smiled and his cheeks turned a faint pink before he held
his hand out for the phone.

"Hear that, Con? Lucas will run with me, I'll be fine.
Love you. Here he is."

I hurried and handed off the phone to him before my brother
could protest against my small victory. I had a way out of the house and I was
still following the rules.

His fingers brushed mine as I handed him the phone, sending
warmth up my arm from the contact. I caught my breath and all but ran to the
kitchen to check on the lasagna in the oven. He had no idea the amount of power
he held over me. It was pathetic really.

My brothers would kick my own ass if they knew that a guy
could pretty much ask me to do anything and I totally would do it in a heartbeat.
Those were the kinds of girls they spent their time with. They didn't want
their little sister to become one of the hoes they yanked around.

It was already well after six in the evening and I was
anxious to see my dad. He had called Lucas several times, checking up on me
throughout the day, but it wasn't enough. I needed to hug him and hear him tell
me everything would be alright.

My day had been filled with anxiety. Having Lucas here
helped to make me feel safe, but it didn't help with my nerves at all. We
didn't talk much unless it was about the rules I needed to follow or him
telling me what he and my father expected of me. I had asked about his mother
and he hadn't given me much except for "Don't know". He steered clear
of me for a while after getting back from the store with the stuff I needed for
dinner. Didn't help the nervous flutters constantly going on in my stomach and
he moved around the house like a freaking ghost, checking all the windows and
doors, making sure that all my father's weapons were hidden. How he knew where
they were, I had no idea, but he did.

Apparently, him and my father had become close over the last
few years.

I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

By the time I had started making dinner, he had settled himself
on one of the stools at the island and watched me. Or at least, I think he
watched me. I felt his eyes burning into me the whole time, but being the
coward that I am, and completely unprepared to show him how confident I could
actually be, I didn't dare look at him.

When my back was to him, I felt the familiar tingle on the
back of my neck that I had spent my whole life feeling when he was nearby.
After a moment, it would feel as if he was right behind me, running his fingers
down my back and stopping just above my backside. It had to be my imagination.
No way were his eyes on my ass.

My curiosity would get the best of me and when I finally
turned around, I found him looking down at the counter in front of him, looking
at the day's newspaper.

Yep, totally my imagination.

It had been a welcome distraction when we had decided to
call my brothers and it gave me a moment to clear my head. I needed to keep my
head in the present reality, not in my hopeful imagination.

"He should be home by now," I said when Lucas
walked into the kitchen after finishing up with Conall.

I pulled the lasagna out of the oven and he took a deep
inhale and closed his eyes. "Mmm, that smells incredible, Ash. Don't
worry. He should be back any minute. He probably just took a little longer
because he had to get everything on the case gathered so he could bring it to
me. I need to review everything that happened during the meeting, too."

"Are you not going to be able to go back in?" I
asked, worried that my presence was going to cause problems with him figuring
out this case.

"I will once we get a schedule worked out. Your dad
will probably stay with you during the morning while I go in, then we'll switch
in the afternoon. He'll be staying later than normal."

I frowned because I didn't like the sound of that. What if
he ended up alone at the station and something happened?

"Don't worry. Everything will work out," he said
softly and leaned against the counter beside me.

"I just wish I didn't feel like such a burden. If I
hadn't moved back, Dad wouldn't have to worry about me and he could just worry
about himself. I don't want anything to happen to him."

I was starting to get emotional and no matter what I did, I
couldn't swallow passed the lump in my throat. My dad was one of the most
important people in my life. If anything happened to him…

"Hey," Lucas grabbed my shoulders, bending down to
look straight into my eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to him
either, but you are our priority right now, Ash. If anything happened to
you
…"
He squeezed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. "I wouldn't be able to
forgive myself."

Before I could think too deeply about what he had just said
and before I could really soak up the warmth and strength of his arms, the
garage door swung open and Dad walked in with his arms full of paperwork.

Lucas immediately released me and moved away.

My dad grinned as he looked back and forth between us. Lucas
walked over to help him with the stack of files. "Thanks, Luke. Wow, it
smells good, Aislinn. Been a long time since I had a good meal."

I didn't let him say anything more. The second Lucas had
taken the paperwork from him, I was running into my father's arms.

"Whoa, my beauty. Everything is okay," he murmured
in my ear and held me tightly while the anxiety from the day started to melt
away.

"No it's not. Someone has threatened my dad. Everything
is totally fucked up," I mumbled against his shoulder.

"Language, young lady!" he snapped, but I could
feel the deep chuckle that he couldn't hide from me. I think he secretly
enjoyed my swearing. Probably reminded him of Mom.

I pulled away so I could look at him. His dark blue eyes
looked tired and sad, but they still glimmered with humor. His dark hair was
salted with scattered grays and his smile was just as warm as ever, even if the
worry lines on his face seemed a little deeper than they had been early that
morning.

"Promise me you will be careful, Dad. Lucas will be
stuck with me if you aren't around, so be careful for him, too."

He chuckled again and glanced at Lucas who was back to
sitting at the island. "Oh, I don't think he would mind too much, my
beauty."

I snorted in disbelief, but a piece of me wished I could
really believe it. When I turned back to the island to serve dinner, Lucas was
watching me. Our eyes met briefly, but the look he gave me didn't seem to
contradict my father's words. It was the look he got when he was about to go
after something he really wanted, a determined look. It was a shock to my
system. He was always so stoic, never letting his emotions seep through the
cracks. He was always so serious, too, with the exception of a few memories I
had of him laughing with my brothers.

If he did feel anything for me other than brotherly love, I
wouldn't know how to take it. He cared about the people that were important to
him, but never let his emotions get in the way. I wasn't sure if he was even
capable of love. He had never been serious about anyone.

As we all sat to eat, I thought about all the times that I
felt like I actually annoyed him more than anything. I followed my brothers
around a lot, even when we were older, because I had no one else to spend my
time with, thanks to them. They didn't mind too much if they weren't doing
anything special, but Lucas always seemed like he was avoiding me the whole
time. I didn't let it keep me away, though, because it gave me the opportunity
to watch him without him noticing.

I learned a lot about him that way.

He always seemed like he was a player, especially around
Conall and Fergus. They believed he was, too, but what I had observed told me
something completely different. Yes, he was experienced, but he wasn't a jerk
to any of the girls he spent his time with and he never led them on. In fact, I
always thought he was really sweet to the women he dated. He always acted like
a gentleman and he never made them feel like they were an object. Not like my
brothers did.

He was never with the same girl, though. Never brought the
same one out with us more than once, which got him the player label. I don't know
if he slept with every one of them. Part of me felt like he had, but his
actions seemed to tell another story. A man who played like that didn't offer
to take his friends' little sister home while he was leaving with his date. He
always offered and most of the time I would accept, especially when the girl
who was on his arm was one that had taken an opportunity to belittle me
whenever she saw me.

I didn't like being around my brothers when they got too
crazy and there was no point in hanging around if I had nothing to look forward
to at the end of the night, so Lucas would drop me off at home and wait until I
got inside before driving off with his date in the passenger seat.

A guy who wanted in a girl's pants didn't do things like
that and delay the fun.

At least, I didn't think so. But what do I know, right?

My plan to be over Lucas by dessert didn't work out so well.
He kept doing things that reminded me of why I fell in love with him in the
first place, like pouring me another glass of wine without me asking for it,
telling me how much he missed my cooking while I was gone, or just sitting
there looking like he had just stepped out of GQ magazine and didn't even have
to try.

Simple things.

I knew it would be impossible when he stood to clear the
table against my protests and even put all the leftover lasagna away, taking a
container for himself with a goofy grin on his face almost allowing those
perfect dimples to reveal themselves, but holding them back just barely.

After I finished up the dishes, I had come to the conclusion
that I was pretty much going to die without ever losing my virginity. How could
I ever give it up to anyone when none of them measured up to Lucas?

I was drying my hands after cleaning the dishes and scolding
myself for being so pathetic when he walked back into the kitchen with dad after
they had chatted in his office for a while.

"Everything okay?" I asked, my voice a little
higher than normal, giving away my unease. Normally, I wouldn't think anything
of a secret meeting between my father and one of his detectives. It came with
the territory. After this threat, though, I knew they were going to keep some
things from me to protect me and I didn't feel entirely comfortable with that.

Lucas gave me a tight lipped smile while Dad snagged another
beer out of the fridge.

"Everything is fine, sweetheart," Dad reassured
me. "Stop your worrying, Lucas won't let anything happen to you and
neither will I."

"How many times do I have to tell you that it isn't
me
I'm worried about."

"Well it's you that
we
are worried about,"
he stated simply.

I sighed and threw the towel on the counter before crossing
my arms over my chest and propping myself up with my eyes closed.

Men.

Honestly, I don't think they had a cell in their body that
wasn't completely unreasonable.