Crossroads 2: Lacey's Last Chance (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “It’s not bad at all, but I don’t know much about electrical and plumbing. If you don’t mind, I have a friend who knows more about this stuff and I would like his opinion,” Lacey told the realtor.

  “Well, I have a lot of people looking at the place. I’ll have to take the best offer.”

  “This place has been sitting on the market for eight months. Plus, there are two other storefronts a little bigger, about ten years younger and four thousand dollars less. I’ll bring my guy in, and if you’re lucky, you’ll make a sale and I’ll take this off your hands,” Lacey said with attitude. She was so in her zone right now and Suzette was proud of her.

  “I have someone else coming in two hours,” he told her, trying to call her bluff.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Lacey said and then pulled out her cell phone. Suzette looked around the place. It really was in decent shape. A few seconds later, she heard Lacey speak up.

  “My guy will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “How did you pull that one off?” Suzette asked her.

  “I owe Stitch, but not exactly sure what. He said he would tell me when the time came, whatever that means. He got all Godfather on me, I guess. I really don’t care. I like this place. I feel excited about this new business venture. It’s going to work, and maybe you’ll work here with me, too?”

  “But I love my job,” Suzette told her.

  “You work too hard and have Tommy, Lilly, and your aunt to care for. Maybe you could work part time for Ned and then part time here. If we’re successful, then we can really make this place famous. We could wind up being the spot to go to decorate all the fancy new homes being built in Wellington.”

  “I’ll have to think about it. A lot has changed in the past week or so.”

  “Sure has,” Lacey said, looking out toward the windows. Suzette looked, too. It really was very pretty. Across the way were thick woods of trees and a short ride to the lake. A lot of the stores around the lake community were spread out in small sections. This area had a more rustic appearance, yet contained some upscale stores and vibrant businesses. If Lacey renovated the place a bit and stocked it well, she could be quite successful here.

  * * * *

  Lacey stood outside of the storefront with Suzette as the truck pulled up in front of the store behind Suzette’s car. It was a nice new Ford pickup crew cab in dark blue with a lot of chrome. As the door opened, she saw the driver get out and, damn, did she lose her breath.

  “My God, he’s huge,” Suzette whispered.

  He sure was, with big muscles, some tattoos on his arm, and a tight blue T-shirt that showed off more muscles and tan skin. His blue jeans were tight and dusty, like he had been working. He had a hard expression as he approached, pulling off his sunglasses as he got closer.

  “Lacey Brooks?” he asked.

  “That’s me.”

  “I’m Stitch’s friend, Stone Slane,” he said and eyed her over. Then he quickly turned away as if he really wasn’t impressed with her body. The man was blind. Wait, she so didn’t need a rebound man.

  “Nice to meet you, Stone. I appreciate you getting here so quickly,” she said and he just nodded his head.

  “This is the place?” he asked as he walked closer.

  “Yes, it is.” She followed him inside, glancing over her shoulder at Suzette, who raised one of her eyebrows as if she wasn’t too impressed with the guy’s attitude.

  Lacey checked out his ass and his thighs as he headed inside the place. He was big everywhere. In fact, she felt pretty damn small and intimidated by the guy. Her gut clenched, and she swallowed hard, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. As Suzette touched her hand, Lacey swung around, shocked at how skittish she felt.

  “You okay?” Suzette asked her and Lacey nodded her head.

  The realtor introduced himself and Stone wasn’t too friendly to him, either.

  “So what are you looking for me to do?” Stone asked her in front of the realtor.

  She cleared her throat, approached cautiously, and couldn’t seem to put on a tough-girl attitude like she was used to doing.

  “I’m debating about buying the place to open up an antique shop. I need to know more about any possible plumbing issues and electrical problems, anything that will give me an idea as to how much to fix it up and whether it’s worth making an offer,” she said, then eyed the realtor over.

  “I can assure you that the building has been inspected and is up to code,” the realtor said.

  Stone made a noise. “Not really,” Stone said and then began to shoot out all these questions Lacey knew nothing about. She felt sick to her stomach as the men exchanged words and it seemed to her that the place might not be worth the money they were asking.

  Stone looked around, disappeared with the agent in the back for quite some time, and then came back to the front.

  “Let me talk to my client and see what we want to do,” Stone said and then took her by her elbow to lead her out the door. Lacey felt an immediate bolt of attraction to the man. His hand was huge. She pulled from him and hurried forward. Looking over her shoulder at him, she knew he had seen her fearful expression. She lowered her eyes, and he and Suzette joined her by the front of the building.

  She locked gazes with his green eyes. The man was hard, older, and definitely experienced. He had a shadow of a beard on his face, too, which added to both his charisma and his attractiveness.

  “Okay, so the place needs some work done to it. I don’t know if you have money set aside to fix it up a bit before you buy it. In my professional opinion, it’s a good building, great location, but the price is high for the work it needs.”

  “Well, how much would it cost for you to fix the problems?” she asked him. Lacey was staring to worry that this new business venture might not work out for her after all, just like everything else in her life lately.

  “I couldn’t rip anything down since you don’t own it, but there could be a number of issues once the old sheetrock is torn down and new sheetrock installed.”

  “Can you give me a ballpark figure? I want to do some cosmetic stuff, and maybe new sheetrock, but salvage the old trim and old wood floors. You know, refinish them and keep that charm and curb appeal,” Lacey told him, holding his gaze.

  “Definitely. It’s going to be an antique store, so that look will add to the appeal,” Suzette added.

  He eyed Suzette and then licked his lower lip. Lacey nearly moaned, he looked so damn sexy. She had to give herself a mental kick. She didn’t need more male trouble. Men were off-limits for quite some time. She was focusing on herself.

  “Anywhere in the ballpark of ten to thirty.”

  “Thousand?” she asked, completely shocked.

  “Could be more or less, depending on your tastes. And you seem like you may have expensive tastes.”

  “Yeah, well, not on the budget I set. I can’t make an offer on this place. Not unless he comes down thirty thousand.”

  Stone held her gaze. “How about twenty thousand? Could you swing it if you make an offer like that?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, I know you don’t know me, but you know Stitch. We go way back. Let me handle this realtor.”

  “No, I can’t let you do that. It’s my deal. I don’t need a man to handle it for me,” she said with attitude.

  “Hey, sweetheart, do you want to snag this place for a good price or do you want in over your head? I do this work for a living. I know my stuff. Let me do the talking. I’m not stepping on your toes, just look at it as if I’m guiding you.”

  Lacey couldn’t help but feel that twinge of sexual attraction as well as annoyance. It was like nothing she’d felt before. She was attracted to his personality and his body for obvious reasons, like the muscles, the flat abs, the power in his tone of voice, but also she felt annoyed. He got under her skin. She glanced at Suzette, who gave her a wink and then pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Suzette knew her so damn well.

  “F
ine. Let’s do this. What have I got to lose at this point, besides my sanity and complete savings account?”

  * * * *

  Stone didn’t quite get a good indication of what type of woman Lacey was. She dressed like she was high maintenance, but then mentioned being on a budget. Maybe she was the type of woman caught up in looking like a million bucks and pretending to be something she wasn’t, a fake, a fraud, a woman set out to get off easy, but then she seemed timid, kind of intimidated by him, or maybe by the fact that he was a man. He wasn’t sure, and he didn’t know why he was even thinking about all this shit. She was definitely attractive and had a knock-out body. Even the dorky realtor was checking out her ass and her breasts every chance he got.

  But she was friends with Stitch, and their ties went back to high school. He’d said to take care of her and that was what Stone would do.

  “So, it seems we have some negotiating to do.” He began to talk to the realtor and they went back and forth over the price, the problems with the plumbing, the electrical, and the fact that it wasn’t up to code.

  “I have another person coming to see the building. The price is firm,” the realtor said, and took a step back as if intimidated by Stone.

  “You don’t have anyone else coming to see this place. You haven’t had a bite on it in months. How could you possibly have more than one person interested in the same day? Now let’s cut to the chase. You want to sell this building. This young woman is very interested in buying it, renovating it, and making this entire block look ten times better because of it. The least you can do is lower the price to something more reasonable. You and I both know the price is jacked up for this exact reason.”

  “I can’t do that,” he stated.

  “You won’t do it,” Lacey chimed in and Stone gave her a firm expression. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and stepped back closer to her petite little friend, who was more conservative but just as good-looking.

  “This is the deal. She’ll take it off your hands for $150, 000. You get to call the guy who hired you to tell him that you finally sold his building that he’s been trying to get rid of for the better part of a year.”

  “I said it was my building,” the realtor replied, sounding frazzled.

  Stone smirked.

  “I know Chancellor likes to remain anonymous, but I know him well. In fact, call him and tell him our offer. Let him know it’s me. I’ll wait,” Stone said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

  The realtor seemed flabbergasted by the way he huffed and then turned and made the call.

  Stone eyed Lacey, who watched the realtor and then glanced at Stone. He held her gaze and she lowered her eyes. His dick hardened, shocking him. He hadn’t felt anything for any woman in quite some time. Why this woman? Why now?

  He nearly growled to himself, he was so annoyed at his reaction. The realtor said a few words into the phone, the offer, Stone’s name, the antique shop, and then disconnected the call and took a deep breath.

  “He accepts your offer.”

  “Good. Get the paperwork done. Ms. Brooks can follow you to your office so she can get things started quickly.”

  The realtor walked out of the building, saying he would meet them outside.

  “How did you know who owned this building?” Suzette asked him.

  “It pays to work on a lot of construction sites and do side work for some big-shots. The bottom line is you got yourself a great building at a more reasonable price.”

  “When can you start working on the renovations?” Lacey asked him.

  He thought about it. Could he really risk being around this woman he found attractive? It could lead to trouble. It could lead to him feeling things he wasn’t ready to feel or felt worthy of feeling.

  “I didn’t say I would personally do the work for you. Stitch knows lots of men who would love to…work for you,” he said, and felt the sickness in the pit of his stomach. He felt jealous and he didn’t know why. He didn’t even know this woman. Maybe his brothers did.

  “Stitch recommended you. It would be great, and I would feel more comfortable with you, since you checked the place out for us.”

  “Work everything out with the banks and realtor. Contact me when the place is yours and we’ll meet here when it’s all done. Have a good day,” he said and walked away.

  His gut clenched and his mind immediately went to thoughts of Eliza and the car accident. Why did she have to drink and drive? Why did she get behind the wheel of the car that night? Why hadn’t she stayed home after he dropped her off? They’d fought over so much stuff. He couldn’t let Louie and Stone know where he had found her hours before, drunk, hanging all over a guy she had been screwing for quite some time.

  He’d pulled her from the bar, a small local burger-and-beer joint thirty minutes from Wellington. He’d stopped there to use the bathroom and grab a quick bite. He was shocked to hear her laughter and then to turn and see her straddling some guy at a table with three other men around her. She was gyrating her hips. It looked like she was fucking him right there. He’d lost his mind. The anger, the burning in his gut was like nothing he ever felt before.

  He shook his head as he got into his truck. Why the hell was he thinking about Eliza? She died three years ago. She cheated on him and his brothers. She had a drinking problem. She didn’t love them and only wanted to experience a ménage. If his brothers knew the truth, they would have been devastated.

  He drove down the road, remembering the tears in Junior’s eyes as they stood over the casket, feeling the loss and pain. Junior thought he loved her. Hell, the three of them did. How could he ever tell Louie and Junior where he’d found Eliza the night before? That she was screwing other men. That she was drunk off her ass and that he’d pulled her out of there and brought her home. She’d called him all kinds of names and then tried to kiss him and pull him into bed with her, but she’d stunk of beer and sex. He was disgusted. He had told her to sleep it off and that they would talk tomorrow. That had never happened.

  He didn’t feel tears or sadness for the woman. He felt hatred, betrayal, and disgust. But also guilt. He never told Junior or Louie how he’d found her earlier that night at the bar. He didn’t think it would make a difference except for them to maybe hate her, too. What good would that have done them, when they thought they loved her and that she had died loving them? Life went on.

  Why should my brothers suffer that kind of pain, betrayal, and sickness I live with for what will probably be the rest of my life?

  * * * *

  “Well, that was pretty damn interesting,” Suzette said as she and Lacey got into the car and followed the realtor to his office.

  “What was interesting?”

  “Oh, come on, Lacey, Mr. Six-feet-four of muscles and attitude. I saw you shaking. He got to you. You were intimidated and attracted to him at the same time.”

  “Who wouldn’t be?”

  “Hmm. You’ve got a point. But getting men with good looks and great bodies has never been a problem for you.”

  “Like that has been a problem for you, Suzette? Hello, Miles and Nikko are just as big as Mr. Stone Slane.” Lacey chuckled and so did Suzette.

  “Well, just saying how hot he was and, after all, you are hiring him to do the work. You’ll be seeing a lot of one another.”

  “Suzette, this is the new me. I don’t need a rebound man and more heartache. His attitude was trouble. His whole demeanor was the hard and silent brooding type. I’ve dealt with trouble, hard, and want nothing to do with it. My focus is this new storefront and starting this business. Once I seal the deal and own the place, then I’ll start working on ideas for decorating it and, of course, shopping for merchandise to sell…Oh, God, I’m actually doing this. I’m actually doing something I’ve been dreaming of.”

  “You go, girl. I’m right there with you. As will be Mr. Six-feet-four and green eyes.”

  “He did have nice eyes. That was the one thing I noticed.”

&nbsp
; “Ha! You’ll be noticing a lot more than his eyes. Since he’ll be working here, helping you with the construction and renovating, you’ll be spending lots of time together. Seeing his bare chest, those tattoos, and sweat dripping from him might be difficult to resist.”

  “I’ll resist. I have to, or else he’ll probably wind up being another man who will ruin my last shot at happiness and feeling like I’m somebody instead of nobody. It’s not a chance I’m willing to take. I can’t.”

  Suzette reached over and squeezed her hand, giving Lacey a sympathetic smile.

  “You’ll be a success and so will the antique store. You’ll see.”

  “I sure as shit hope so.”

  Chapter 4

  “Anything yet?” Nikko asked Miles as they stood at the bar in Crossroads.

  Miles shook his head, then took a slug from the beer bottle.

  “I don’t understand. Everything was perfect on the weekend. Why would Suzette want to keep her distance all week?” Nikko asked.

  “She’s scared. I think what happened to her sister really shook her up, and taking a chance with us with a ménage was a lot. She may be having second thoughts. Maybe we moved too fast.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’ve never felt this way about anyone,” Nikko said, clenching his teeth as he tried to keep his voice down so the others wouldn’t hear him. That was all he needed.

  “I knew it was going to be more with her. She’s everything we ever wanted in a woman, a partner to share.”

  “I agree, but I think when she shows up that we should try to act normal and calm. As deeply as I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her, we should take things slowly.”

  Nikko ran his fingers through his hair. He was anything but gentle and calm, except when it came to Suzette.

  “Fuck.” He grunted, then looked toward the bar.

  “You guys need another round?” Stitch asked just as Junior and Tanner showed up with Big Guns and Beats to grab some more beers.