If You Only Knew (Harper Falls Book 3) (36 page)

Not all those mornings were as good as this one. There were
times he hated that the memory was burned into his brain. Then there was now
when he considered every thought, even the bad ones, a blessing.

It was still early, before seven, when he walked into his
office. Neither Jack nor Drew was in yet. They had women keeping their beds
warm. They would be fools to leave, especially when the temperature outside was
below freezing. Lucky bastards.

He planned on being just as lucky. Before the first of
December, if he had his way. Tyler wanted to take it slow. He wanted to speed
up. Supersonic. There had to be a place to meet between the two.

Drew booted up his computer before checking his morning
schedule. Nothing earthshaking. Plenty of time to strategize. Project
Get
Tyler to Move In
was officially underway. How to start?

Smiling, Drew picked up his phone calling the one person he
knew got up earlier than he did.

“
Peony
.”

“This is your private number.”

Lila chuckled. “I had my calls transferred down here
because of an early delivery so I went ahead and opened the shop. You would be
surprised how many people need flowers at seven in the morning.”

“I might be except you’re talking to one.”

“The men who love my friends are becoming very good
customers.”

He liked Alex’s little sister. Smart as a whip, pretty.
Sweet as can be. He also liked sending some business her way. Today, he was
giving her a doozy.

“How many roses do you have in your shop?”

“Lots. How many do you need?”

“Eleven dozen.” Drew thought about it. “And a
half.”

“Well, sure. What would be the point without the
half?”

Exactly. Eleven years, six months. That was how long ago he
and Tyler met. Roses signified love. So what if it wasn’t exactly subtle. He
didn’t have time for that. Full-on assault. That was his plan.

“I can do it if you don’t mind a mixture. Or all
red.”

“Not red.”

Tyler was not traditional.

“A mixture it is.”

“Can you call me right before delivery?”

“Want to be there to reap the benefits?”

“Something like that.”

“I don’t see any reason they won’t get there before
lunch. Sooner, if my assistant is early.”

“Thanks, Lila.” Drew read off his credit card
number.” We need to see about finding a guy to buy
you
flowers.”

“Ugh,” Lila said. “Don’t get me wrong. I
wouldn’t turn down a hot guy for Christmas. If you meet him first, tell him no
thanks.”

“Like someone bringing a chocolate maker candy.”

“Exactly.”

“What does a guy bring you to win you over?”

“Let’s just say I’ll know it when it happens.”

Smiling, Drew hung up. Deciding it was late enough, he
called Tyler. When it went to voicemail, he was disappointed. She was probably
working. He left a quick message inviting her to lunch. Hopefully, the flowers would
arrive the same time he did.

Drew pulled up the latest sales figures for their new
software program. Better than projected. His mind wandered as he wondered what
it was like to make love on a bed of rose petals.

IT WAS ALMOST eight hours since M.J. cold-cocked her.

Her phone rang five times; the fourth call had M.J. hurling
it across the room. That didn’t stop it from ringing; it simply muffled the
sound.

Tyler moved her jaw from side to side, cursing her
stupidity. Don’t open the door. No matter what. Her brother found one of the
few things that would make her throw out her caution. She should know better.
Never trust M.J.

He was a weasel. A thief. He treated women like dirt,
including his own mother. In spite of all that, she never thought he would hit
her. This was the first time.

The shock of it was wearing off. She woke, tied up.
According to the clock on the wall, she was only out a few minutes. In that
time, M.J. managed to secure her to the pipes under the sink, tear through the
drawers in her desk, and find the two bottles of champagne she was saving for
New Year’s Eve.

He grumbled his way through the first, complaining that it
was nothing but fizzing piss with no kick. By the second bottle, he was still
complaining, swaying, and hiccupping the entire time.

When he leaned against the wall, his legs seemed to give
out. He slid to the floor giving Tyler hope that he had passed out. No such
luck. He slept in fits and starts. The sleep period didn’t last long enough for
Tyler to work at the ropes around her wrists. Not long enough for her to make
much progress.

She needed to try reasoning with him. To do that, he had to
be sober, but not too sober. Still sporting a buzz, yet not incoherent. By the
looks of him when he came out of the bathroom, he was as close as she could
hope for.

“If you want money, M.J. I’ll give you my bankcard.
There’s an ATM over at the grocery store.”

“Big, fucking deal. Couple hundred bucks.”

“You can withdraw a thousand dollars. I’ll give you the
pin number.”

“Bet you gave Kyle a hell of a lot more than that to
get him out of town.”

Kyle? That’s what this was about?

“He asked for my help.”

“Kyle is worthless.” M.J. took another drink, most
of the liquid missing his mouth and running down his chin.

“He wanted to start over, try something new.”

Tyler leaned her head against her arm. She was tired,
thirsty — scared. M.J. was unpredictable. His mind didn’t work in a logical,
straight line. The alcohol didn’t help.

“Is that what you want, M.J.? To leave Harper Falls?
I’ll help. Untie me. We can figure this out.”

“I don’t want to leave,” M.J. shouted. He threw
the champagne bottle at Tyler, narrowly missing her head, hitting the sink. The
glass didn’t shatter, thank goodness. But it did break. She was able to grab a
piece, hiding it under her leg. If only he would go back to sleep, or better
pass out, she could cut through the rope.

“This is my town.” He advanced on her. He poked
her in the chest, emphasizing his words. “I was born here. I deserve to
have something…”

“What?”

M.J. swayed backward, catching himself on the side of the
counter. He glared at Tyler.

“Dad hated you, I hate you. Kyle. I thought he hated
you. Now he’s gone.”

He wasn’t making sense. She couldn’t reason with him. Her mind
raced. Drew. He was bound to come looking for her when she failed to return any
of his calls. M.J. didn’t have a weapon; she was certain of that. Physically,
he was no match for Drew. But her brother did have the element of surprise on
his side. There was no telling what a lucky punch might do. She had to get
free. Soon.

“Everything would be fine if you were dead.”

Tyler swallowed hard. No. He couldn’t mean it. The alcohol
was taking over.

“M.J., think about what you’re doing. Leave now. I
won’t tell anyone you were here. It will be like it never happened.”

“Never happened,” his blurry eyes locked on her.
“I like that. I can make it like you never happened.”

M.J. came at her, still a little unsteady, but the look on
his face was determined. Tyler felt a chill run down her spine. Was she going
to die? Would Drew know how she much loved him? It wasn’t fair. She wasn’t
going down that easily.

Tyler searched under her leg for the piece of glass.
Pathetically inadequate, but it was the only weapon she had. She gripped the
shard in her hand, the rope holding her wrists together made movement
difficult. If M.J. came close enough, she would make do. She planned on drawing
blood.

“Car keys.”

Tyler felt a wave of relief. Take the car, you bastard. Just
get out.

“In the bowl by the door.”

“Let’s go.”

“What? No!”

Tyler tried to shrink away from him, but there was no place
for her to go.

“Take the damn car, M.J. Leave me here.”

“Shut up, bitch.”

M.J. slapped her. Tyler’s head snapped back, knocking hard
against the cabinet. Stars swam in front of her eyes, making her wonder if she
was going to pass out. Worried what he would do to her if she did, she lashed
out with the sharp glass. The satisfaction she felt when she heard his scream
was short-lived.

“Goddamn bitch. You cut me.”

M.J. sounded surprised. Outraged that she would dare such a
thing.

This time when he hit her, she knew it was coming.
Unfortunately, that didn’t make it hurt any less. She slumped forward knowing
this was it.

She was going to die.

“HEY, WHERE ARE you off to in such a hurry?”

Drew tried to swerve around Jack’s big body only to have him
use one of the moves from his old football days. The guy was deceptively fast.
It was one of the things that made his partner an All-American. It also made
him a pain in the ass.

Grinning, Jack stayed in front of Drew.

“Want some company?

“Yes,” Drew said, faking left before skirting to
the right. “But not yours.”

Laughing, Jack followed him to the parking lot. Alex was
already gone, meeting with Dani. Rose waited for him at home.

“Do you miss the days when we were free to share our
lunch with random women?”

“You mean like the pizza parlor twins?”

“They were sweet. A little clingy, but sweet.”

“I wouldn’t know. You’re the one who took them home. I
wasn’t interested.”

“Hung up on Tyler.”

“You were soon to be hung up on Rose.”

The old friends exchanged looks, grinning.

“Miss those days?” Jack asked again.

“Hell no.”

“Me neither.”

Drew was still smiling when he pulled his Pontiac GTO to a
stop in front of Tyler’s studio.
Purple
, he grinned as he shut off the
engine,
she would like that
.
Couldn’t have timed it better,
he
thought as Lila’s delivery van pulled up right behind him.

“Personal service from the owner. How do I rate?”

Drew opened the driver’s side door, helping Lila out.

“You and Jack spent most of a day installing that nifty
security system at
Peony
. Seems only fair I return the favor.” She
opened the back, taking out a huge arrangement of white and purple roses in a
cut crystal vase.

“Besides, I want to see Tyler’s face when you give her
these.” She looked around, frowning. “I don’t see her car.”

“In a town this size, she can’t be far. If she isn’t
home, I’ll give her a call. She’ll be back in five minutes — tops.”

She handed the flowers to Drew before pointing to five other
arrangements. Picking one up, Lila said, “I’ll come back for the others.
Lead on, McDuff.”

Drew jogged up the steps. He reached to ring the bell when
he noticed the front door was ajar.

“Is something wrong?

Drew raised a finger to his lips, motioning Lila to the side
and out of the way. His heart raced. Tyler knew better than to leave her door
unsecured. He set the flowers down before slowly opening the door, peering
inside.

The place was a disaster. Overturned furniture, broken
dishes. Papers strewn in every direction. Tyler’s work area was the worst hit.
Broken pots of paint left streaks down the wall, brushes broken in half. A
marble statue was turned over, a crack running across the half-finished face.

Anything that could be smashed, crushed, or broken lay in
random heaps.

“Tyler,” Drew called out.

His dread was now panic. Rushing to the bathroom, he threw
open the door. More destruction, no Tyler.

“Drew.”

He looked to where Lila stood. She was pale, her eyes filled
with horror. Drew rushed to the kitchen to see what she found.

Blood. Not a lot, but it was sprayed everywhere.

He wanted to yell, punch something. He wanted Tyler. Alive.
Unharmed.

He pulled out his phone. Pulling up her number, he chanted
under his breath, “Answer, answer, answer.”

At the first ring, his shoulders slumped. He watched Lila
move across the room and bend down. She held up the ringing phone, tears
forming in her eyes.

Tyler wasn’t going to answer.

“Son of a bitch.”

Drew tried to dial again, his hand shaking so much he kept
missing the button.
Stop
, he told himself.
Pull it together. Tyler
needs you
. He knew how to do this. His training as a bodyguard prepared him
to be calm in pressure situations. Nothing, though, prepared him to deal with
this. The woman he loved was in danger. That wasn’t in any manual.

Taking a deep breath, his steady finger hit speed dial.

“Drew.
Lunch
over already?”

The sound of Jack’s teasing calmed him like nothing else
could. He could count on his partner.

“I need you here, at Tyler’s. Now. Get Alex!” Drew
looked grimly around the trashed room again. “And Jack? Bring guns.”

TYLER WAS AWARE of movement.

Disoriented, her head ached something fierce. Whatever was
causing her body to bump all over the place needed to stop. As she jostled
around, her stomach began to roil, making the bile rise up into her mouth.
Keeping her eyes closed, she took deeper breaths. It helped.

When Tyler was certain the threat of vomiting was over, she
slowly opened her eyes.

Darkness. Pitch black nothingness. She flashed back to being
a little girl trapped in that closet. Hours alone with no light, begging for
help that wouldn’t come. Panic washed over her, a clammy sweat breaking out on
her body. This was her worse nightmare come to life. Closing her eyes again,
she curled into a ball.

Breathe. In, out, in, out. You aren’t a child. You don’t
need to give in to your fear. Think of something else. Think of what makes you
happy.

Drew’s face popped into her mind. The way he smiled. How
easy it was for him to make her laugh. The way he touched her — held her. Tyler
felt her heartbeat start to slow. Her breathing became less ragged, more
natural.