Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1)(27)

“A situation has arisen in the link we have in San Francisco. You were our lead investigator and needed back there ASAP.”

Well, at least he could take Keeley with him. She could visit with her sister and brother-in-law while he was there. “When do I leave?”

“Immediately.”

“Let me wake up my girlfriend, and we’ll meet you outside.”

“You have ten minutes.”

“Copy that, Sir.”

Tar didn’t notice Chase follow him out. “Hold on a second, brother.”

He turned, pinning a deadly glare on the man who stole everything from him. “You are dead to me. I thought I made that perfectly clear when you took all I loved away.”

The words were like a physical blow to Chase. He recoiled, rethinking his approach. Tarius wasn’t wrong but needed to know how sorry he was for what he’d done. “I deserve your wrath.” That earned him a nasty smirk. “I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am.” Tar walked away. Chase followed on his heels. “Listen to me dammit.” He stopped but wouldn’t face him. “From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. If I could go back and change any of it, I would. We didn’t mean to fall in love. You have to know that.”

Tar did know you couldn’t tell your heart who it should love but… “You sure as hell didn’t have to fuck her.”

“You’re right. We should’ve waited and spoke to you face-to-face. Again, I’m sorry.”

“Now is not the time for this, Chase. We’ll talk when I get back from The Bay Area.”

“Thank you.”

Tar didn’t answer. A part of him acknowledged he’d be no good for Keeley if he harbored bitterness and unforgiveness toward his brother and his former fiancée. He prayed silently for the ability to forgive them as he entered the room he’d left Keeley in. She was gone. No, surely she was in the bathroom or another room, yet his gut knew better. She seized the opportunity to slip out, and if her patterns from the past were anything to go on, he wouldn’t find her for a while. If ever. He refused to think that! In a violent rage he tore the room apart.

Mitch raced inside, shocked silent at what he saw. Tarius was covered in blood and nothing in that den-like area was recognizable. He knew without asking who would send this man into a frenzy such as this. Sure as hell wasn’t his brother. “What happened with Keeley?”

A wounded gaze met his. “She took off. Again,” he grit out.

“Fuck, Tar.” He clapped the larger man’s shoulder. Though he questioned if Keeley was really worth this much trouble, he did realize his friend was in love with her. And that made him declare, “I’ll find her and bring her to you in San Fran.”

“I need to be the one who goes after her.”

“McNeil…you don’t have a choice; you realize that?”

“Mitch, unless you’re stopping me with that gun on your hip. Fuck. You.”

He should’ve drawn his firearm. Could’ve injured Tar but not harmed him permanently. But something halted his hand on the butt of the sidearm. Call him a hopeless romantic—he wanted to see love win. Forever love was worth the fight. Tar had just made it out of the window when the door flew open. Several members of the team entered, guns at the ready. Mitch ordered, “Stand down.” Weapons replaced in holsters, he gave another command, “You saw nothing.”

In unison, “Affirmative, Sir,” the response came.







Clueless on where to go or who could be trusted, Keeley walked the streets. She did her best to hide her face and marched with purpose. Her clothes were form fitting. She had the body of a young teenager, which was bad in that area of town. It was filled with lots of strip clubs and triple X stores, putting a target on her. Danger lurked at every corner. She was grateful for the self-defense training Tar gave her. Still, there was so much to learn, and that wasn’t the time to see if what she did know would save her life.

The eyes that tracked her setoff serious warning bells inside her entire body as she crossed the street away from several drunken men. If she’d learned anything from her days as a junkie, it was a group of intoxicated men could lead to gang rape before anyone realized it. Just took one stepping out of line and his buddies would follow. She missed the hooded figure watching her from the dark corner. A streetlight was there and Keeley absently noted it was busted. Alarms went off in her head as a strong arm wrapped tightly around her arms and upper torso, squeezing. Several things came to mind quickly: He was attempting to take enough air from her that she couldn’t struggle. He was of medium height and build, though his muscles were hard. And whatever he had in mind, it wasn’t her death because he didn’t have a weapon at the ready. She had no intention of finding out just what this guy wanted and snapped her head back with enough force to hear his nose crack. “Fuuuuuuuuck!” he groaned. His arm was still around her, but not as tight. She seized that opportunity and heel-kicked the pressure point just below his knee.