The Price We Pay (19 page)

Laken

Pacer and I had sex all day. We just couldn’t get enough of each other. I’m sure he was still trying to distract me from what happened with Edgar, and honestly, I wasn’t going to say no. The man was very talented and being with him was different than any other man I’d been with. As much as I liked him, and adored his little quirky things, I didn’t want to get my hopes up. I’ve loved everything about him since I discovered him, but it really hasn’t been that long. I’ve temporarily moved in with him since my home is still a crime scene and we decided to take it one day at a time.

I didn’t have work on my plate at the moment and Miranda hasn’t bothered us since I let her case go, so this was a much-needed break at the moment.

Edgar’s mom was having him cremated with no services but was going to let people come pay their respects whenever they needed. She was keeping his remains at home so she could be with her son.

I was still upset and devastated by the events but there wasn’t anything I could do now, or then, so I was trying to move on from it.

“Pacer fucking Daniels,” I whispered under my breath when he climbed out of bed naked.

“I knew you were obsessed with me.”

I held my hand up and pinched my fingers together. “Only this much.”

He smirked. “I highly doubt that.”

He left the room and I curled back under the covers. It still felt unreal. Like, part of me felt like I would wake up at any moment and it’d just be a dream. There would be no Pacer, and Edgar would still be alive.

Life wasn’t full of flowers and daisies but when I allowed myself to be in my own little world with Pacer, I was happy and looking forward to our future.

But then my phone rang. It was Jaxon and that alone reminded me that it wasn’t a dream.

I answered with a smile, “Hey big brother.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re still fucking him?”

I sat up in bed with one hand hold the sheet on my chest. “Don’t be so crude.”

“I’m just surprised is all.”

“Surprised by what?”

“This is
Pacer Daniels
,” he stressed. “MMA fighter of the year for the last two years. He’s only ever lost two fights in his career.”

“I know all of this.”

“Then you also know he’s got fans and most of them are women. Women who want to fuck him.”

“I know this also.” Pacer was still on his break before his next fight, so I wasn’t sure how crazy it’d get, but I really didn’t want to think about that. We wanted to see what would happen, and we were treading the line between serious and casual.

Could we really do that, though?

“I love the man. He’s very talented, but you’re my sister and I kind of like you,” he joked.

“Fuck off.”

“I know if he fucks up I could take him, but I wouldn’t want to hurt him and ruin his career, but I would have to do some damage.”

“I love you for wanting to protect me. I’m so glad you’re my brother.”

“Thanks.”

“By default that is.”

“Default siblings,” he joked back.

“So,” I dragged on afraid of what he was going to tell me. I’m sure he called to check in on me, but it would also be about Edgar.

“It’s not about Edgar,” he started. “I need to ask you some questions about a man named Arsen Wells. Have you heard of him in the past two years, since you started your business? Any clients mention his name at all?”

“Doesn’t sound familiar.”

“Good. If you ever hear that name or have anything to do with that name, you call me. Immediately.”

I was worried. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not dragging you into this mess. You just stay tucked away with Pacer and keep your mind on him and not work.”

“You can’t think after asking me that, that I’m just going to drop the subject.”

“Please Laken, this isn’t the time to be
you
.”

I was offended. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nosy. Going off on a wild hair. Not thinking and just doing.”

“Well, that is totally me.”

“And I’m asking that you refrain from that. I needed to ask you, to make sure you were safe and you are. Keep it that way.”

“If something was wrong, you’d tell me, right Jaxon?”

He said nothing.

Therefore, something was wrong.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said as he hung up.

“Crap.” I tossed my phone on the nightstand.

“What’s wrong?” Pacer asked handing me a fresh cup of coffee. I took it from him and he crawled into bed. He made me coffee naked! What a man. He knew coffee helped me sleep. Why? I wasn’t sure. It just had the opposite effect on me than most people who drink it in the morning to stay awake.

The coffee was caramel color which meant he put milk and creamer in it, just the way I like it.

“Something is up with my brother,” I said after taking a sip of my coffee.

He sat behind me, wrapped his legs around me and held me close, making me feel protected and safe.

“Something to do with Edgar?” he asked, while he softly trailed his hand up my back, giving me goosebumps. Something he always did, in the best way imaginable.

“No. It had something to do with a different guy. I’m assuming a very bad man if he was making sure I was safe.”

“You are safe,” he whispered in my ear and then brushed my hair aside to kiss my neck.

“He wouldn’t tell me anything else,” I said softly closing my eyes as Pacer trailed more kisses on my body. “He told me to stay here and keep fucking you.”

“I’m sorry?” he sputtered.

I laughed and sat the cup of coffee on the nightstand but not before taking another drink. I turned around so I was facing him and pulled the sheet aside. He glanced down at my chest then back up to me.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he muttered, pulling me into his lap. I kissed him with everything I had, and with everything I wanted to give him. He leaned back and I took it upon myself to continue fucking Pacer fucking Daniels.

Pacer

This woman walked into my life and hasn’t left.

Literally.

She walked across the street and into my house, and I’ve never been happier. I couldn’t get enough of her and she has yet to question or call me out on the many things I do and am strict about. I refuse to let her cook or wash dishes. I refuse to have clothes on the floor.  I clean every day. I refuse to have any trash or trash cans in the house. The trash sits in the garage until it’s taken out. I make sure I turn the door handle several times making sure it's locked and sometimes I drive back home just to make sure it’s locked. I double-check the burners in the middle of the night to make sure they’re off. She just lets me do it. Let’s me be me, and doesn’t question or try to change it. It’s just simple with her.

And the sex?

Best.

Sex.

Ever.

She wasn’t crazy.

She wasn’t clingy.

She was just here. Just her.

I wanted her to stay.

I just had to keep my cool and not fuck it up.

Laken

The next morning, I showered with him but he left me to go make breakfast. I texted Jaxon in the middle of the night to check on him and hadn’t heard back. I also wasn’t getting a response from Gabe. He never did tell me why he wanted to meet up and although he’s checked on me a few times, the last day it was dead silent. He was busier than I was when it came to our work, so I wasn’t too worried about it, and if it were that important then he would have told me by now.

I tossed my hair up in a messy bun, the only thing you could do with the heat wave we were having and skipped my makeup. I put a black and purple striped tank top on with black shorts and headed to the kitchen.

Pacer had his back to me while hovering over the stove. He really loved to cook, and I wasn’t going to complain. It’s hard enough to find a decent man out there, let alone one who knew how to cook. And he cleaned. I totally scored with this one.

I popped up on the island behind him and crossed my legs. He couldn’t see me but he knew I was there, and he knew I did it. I’ve done it before and every time I did, his face would get tight and he’d look away. He never said anything to me but I knew it bothered him.

I kept doing it, just to see if he’d say something.

He didn’t.

I wasn’t doing it to be a bitch. I wasn’t doing it because he took pity on me because of what I’ve been through. I did it because I wanted him to say something. Be honest. I wanted what we had to go forward. I knew being honest and upfront in the beginning was best.

I sat there, watched him cook, and ate the food without him saying anything. We talked while he washed the dishes, got our plan for the day, and planned to go our separate ways. However, when we left the house, my bike was missing.

“Why would someone take my bike!”

“We’ll get a new one.”

“I loved that bike!”

I check around the side of the fence, not there. I checked in the garage, not there.

“My bike was here, right?” I asked him, while he tossed his training bag in the truck.

“Yeah babe, it was here.”

“Stupid assholes,” I muttered and stomped back to the truck. I wanted to go for a ride. I needed air and to feel the wind on my face. I was going to ride around the park and watch the fountains that sat in the middle of the park. People would gather there twice a day to watch the fountains play. It was kind of like those fountain shows at the Vegas casinos. I’ve never been so I couldn’t remember the name but I’ve heard they’re nice.

I chuckled to myself.

“Now you’re laughing?” Pacer commented climbing into the truck.

“I live so close to Vegas, and I’ve never been there.”

“Someone stole your bike and you’re thinking about going to Vegas?” he asked confused and I couldn’t blame him. Sometimes I lose track of my thoughts.

“I wanted to go on a bike ride,” I started and then remembered I wasn’t supposed to be in the truck. “Wait, why am I in the truck?”

“You want to go with me instead?”

I glanced at him, saw his precious smile, and knew he wanted me to go with him.

We can’t spend every single moment together!

“You’re going to train,” I reminded him.

“So?”

“So,” I repeated.

“The guys have women there all the time.”

This brought up a good subject. “Am I the first one?”

“First what?” he asked, turning on the truck. He wasn’t giving me a choice to stay home.

“Am I,” I said, buckling up since this was going to happen, “the first woman to come watch you train.”

He gave me the smile that made his dimples pop and my heart melted at his words. “Yeah babe, you’d be the first.” He put the truck in reverse and we went to the gym.

Two hours later, he was done. His muscles were swollen, his body was full of sweat, and my respect for the man grew beyond words. He was a tough man, I knew that, but watching him train, being hit over and over just to improve his skills, was remarkable. I could tell the way he moved, and the way he threw his punches that he was counting them. They were always even punches.

He was a warrior. A true fighter. His dedication to his training and career told me just how much he loved it.

I honestly think I was falling in love with the man.

Was that possible?

I’ve never been in love so I had no idea what I was going to feel, but I kind of wanted to cry right now. This man had an incredible life, a career, and a home. He was handsome and sexy, and from what I could tell had no faults. He wasn’t on drugs or an alcoholic, and he was clean and tidy.

Who wouldn’t love a man like that?

He held up a finger at me, telling me he needed another minute and I smiled at him.

My phone rang in my hand.

“It’s about time you called me back,” I said answering Gabe’s call.

“This is the plan!” he yelled and I pulled the phone away from my ear then said, “You don’t have to yell.”

I heard some jumbled man’s voice, one that sounded like Jaxon’s, and then realized Gabe butt dialed me.

I laughed and tried to get their attention. “Gabe honey, you butt dialed me.”

“The plan is solid,” Gabe said again, clearly frustrated. “You don’t fuck with a man like this. Arsen Wells is smart and the best way to do this is my way. Out in the open.”

“Then we have to deal with the public.” That was clearly Jaxon’s voice.

They were talking about the man Jaxon called me about. I had no idea who he was but it sounded dangerous.

“My team, my way,” Gabe insisted. “You don’t like it, then don’t go.”