Blissful Surrender (Bliss #3)(6)
Author: B.J. Harvey

“Who are they?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

I scoff. “Well, f**k. Excuse me while I sit back and let criminals come into my club and try to steal from me, or bash my brother for a f**king gambling debt I didn’t know he f**king had. Or wait …” I pause for a moment, bringing my finger to my chin mockingly. “Should I just let them take whatever the FUCK they want from me just to pay YOUR debt. Let them take MY hard earned f**king money just so YOU are in the clear, ONCE AGAIN!” I bellow.

Ryan’s eyes go wide at my tirade, but I don’t give a f**k. I’m too wound up to care about being gentle with him. I can’t pu**y foot around this issue. He needs help and he needs it now before he ends up in jail. Or dead.

I glare at him and see his heart rate has gone up slightly. A nurse rushes in with a security guard at her back. “Sir, I must ask that you keep it down or I’ll have to ask you to leave. You’re upsetting the other patients,” she asks in a saccharine sweet voice.

I throw my hands up in the air. “That’s fine, I’m done.” I look my brother straight in the eyes. “I’m DONE.”

I bend down and grab my laptop bag before turning to the nurse who has taken a step back away from me and I stifle a laugh. I’ve been told before that I can take down a room— or underwear—with a simple look, but this woman looks like she’s about to be crushed.

Turning away from Ryan, I step toward the nurse who is watching my every move. I hold my hand out to her. When she tentatively places her hand in mine, I look deep into her eyes, turning on the charm that does me so well in the boardroom and the bedroom. “Please accept my sincere apologies. My brother and I were just having a heated discussion. And can you please get someone to call me when my brother is being released? I’ll arrange for him to be picked up. He can give you my contact details for payment.” And just for added sweetness, I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss it softly. “Have a nice night, ma’am.” That earned me a girly giggle. She’s way too young for my taste and in no way submissive, so we wouldn’t be a good pairing, but a little flirtation never hurt anyone.

I give her and the now scowling security guard a smile and walk out of the room as quickly as possible. I stop across from the door and rest both palms on the wall, my head dropping as I take in everything that just happened. My brother has f**ked me over. Not intentionally, of course, but his uncontrollable behavior has brought trouble to my door. I need to think about this and what I can do about it; who I can talk to and how I can pay the debt before anything else happens to my club or staff … or Ryan because Christ only knows I’m a glutton for punishment and I haven’t the guts to disown him.

Yet.

Regaining my composure, I push off from the wall and shrug off my jacket, then pulling at the knot of my tie, I take it off and stuff it in my pocket. Feeling more relaxed, I turn to the elevators and stop dead. Walking toward me is the one woman I never thought I’d see again.

She looks up and falters before she stops in front of me. It’s like one of those movie moments where the world around us goes blurry and Sam and I stand there in the middle like we’re in a silent showdown.

One that’s ten years in the making.

Her emerald green eyes stare into mine, and her sandy-blonde hair flows softly around her face. I’m awestruck. She’s even more beautiful than when she was a fresh-faced, radiant woman with the world at her feet at twenty-two.

Samantha Richards, the woman who once held all the power and refused to acknowledge it. The woman who walked out of my life and rejected me with no explanation.

The woman who deserted me at a time when I needed her the most.

Chapter 3: “If You Ever Come Back”

Sam

Time stands still the moment I lock eyes with Sean in the bustling hospital corridor. We just stand there staring at each other for what seems like an eternity until my brain finally kicks into gear and I turn to leave.

“Sammy,” he says, stopping me in my tracks. I take a deep resigned breath and turn back around to face him—my biggest regret in life.

“Sean. Long time, no see,” I say confidently. My mom always told me to tackle each difficult situation with confidence, grace, and a ‘take no prisoners’ attitude. That advice got me through the police academy and gained me my ‘Ice Queen’ reputation it seems. Unfortunately, the pensive expression on his face shows he sees right through the façade.

“Are you here visiting?” His eyes drop and I watch as he does a full body scan before returning his stormy-blue gaze back to mine. I struggle to hold back the tremor that surges through me. He still affects me deep to my core.

“Yes, my partner and I were the first on the scene today when Ryan was assaulted,” I explain. I’m impressed at my ability to form coherent sentences in front of him, let alone being able to converse intelligently.

As he lifts his arm and grips the back of his neck, I take the opportunity to look him over. By God, he has aged well. No, scratch that, he has aged f**king well. His dark brown hair is cut short, matching the strong, unyielding personality I knew he once had. When we were together, Sean was a commanding force to be reckoned with. He could always walk into a room and own it within seconds.

When I look at his face again, I’m met with piercing blue eyes that threaten to unnerve me. I square my shoulders, creating an illusion of strength. I can tell that something is troubling him. His chiseled jaw is clenched tight like he’s trying to rein in whatever emotion is consuming him.

Just as an uncomfortable silence stretches between us, he quirks an eyebrow at me and his eyes crinkle slightly.

He just caught me checking him out.

C’mon, you can’t fault me. I’m a woman nearing the peak of my sexual prime. I haven’t had an orgasm in four days, and I’m standing in front of the man who unintentionally ruined me for any other man. Something I’ll never admit to him.

Ever.

“You were there first?” he asks incredulously.

“That’s what I said,” I retort. My defense mechanism emerges from her dreamy Sean trance, stepping into her bitch panties and wearing them with pride.

His gorgeous eyes widen, but he quickly recovers. “Why?”

I know he’s assessing me, watching my reactions like a hawk. “I joined the academy after college. Been with Chicago PD ever since.” This conversation is as awkward as I knew it would be. Is it ever easy to talk with someone who you can’t admit still holds a place deep inside you? A man who you never allowed yourself to have a chance of a future with? Yeah … no!