Fight For Me by Claudia Burgoa

Chapter Nineteen

Luna

Harrison doesn’t answer.He stands up and walks to the railing where the view of Central Park is breathtaking.

I wait for him to speak. He leans against the concrete railing and crosses his arms. His dark blue eyes stare at me. His face is masked, and I want to know what he’s thinking.

Is he going to disregard my worries the same way my brothers and father have done each time I ask them to help me with this case?

“I have a concern,” he finally speaks, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What is it?” I ask cautiously, fiddling with the crystal charms on my bracelet. “You can trust me. After all, we are a team.”

He clears his throat. “Are you going to protect me from the big guy?” I look up at him, surprised. “Tiago is going to beat the shit out of me if something happens to you.”

“Aw, is Hawy afraid of big old Tiago?” I can’t help but tease him.

His eyes become slits. “If something happens to you, you can bet your ass that I will be hiding from him for years. That motherfucker goes batshit crazy when someone he loves gets hurt.” Then he releases my hands. “Not that I’d let anything happen to you.”

“Someone he loves got hurt? Did something happen to his mom? Is my brother in love and I don’t know it?” I snap, staring at Harrison.

He stares at me cautiously; I wait for him to answer my questions. We breathe almost in the same rhythm, one waiting for the other to back down. He’s learned how to read some of my reactions, but I have yet to read him the same way–a fact that is particularly irksome at the moment.

He raises his hands, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I meant his brothers, us.”

“You’re lying to me,” I challenge, trying to catch his bluff.

“Certainly not. I have no clue about your brother’s love life. If he is in love, he hasn’t told me. We don’t just sit around, painting each other’s nails and talking about girls.” He smirks at me with a wink, making me blush against my will. “Though, I would do it with you. We can sit down and talk about your love life instead.”

“I don’t have a love life,” I protest.

He cocks his head to the side like a confused puppy for just a moment, then cocks his eyebrow at me. “Rule number five: we work on your love life. It’ll be called ‘an affair to remember.’ Your future boyfriends will have trouble measuring up to me, but I can live with being called The Legend.”

I gape at him, speechless. Luna Santillan, you’ve met your match. Two brothers, dozens of cousins, and years of training hadn’t prepared me for him. I have to restart my brain before I can think of a comeback and even then, it’s weak.

“You’re too cocky and definitely not going to become, ‘The Legend,’ or get close to me at all.” Ugh, that didn’t sound too smart. I drag my hands down my face in frustration, trying to get back the reins of this conversation instead of wondering how he’d be in bed, or against the wall or…

Mom, Mom, Mom, think about your mother, Luna.

“Back to the point, will you really help me with Mom’s case?”

“Yes, you have the right to know what happened. But—” He interrupts himself to grab my shoulders firmly and look into my eyes—“We are doing it as a team. Send me everything you have, and I’ll have my people work on your mother’s case.”

“I can’t pay you,” I frown, already second-guessing this decision.

“My services are free.” He smirks at me and waggles his eyebrows obnoxiously, his seriousness from a moment ago already forgotten. “But if you insist on paying, we can come up with an arrangement.”

“I just want justice for Mom,” I say, ignoring his last comment.

“We’ll solve this, Luna. I have a good feeling about our partnership.” Harrison’s smiling face gives me a sense of security, some hope. I reach out, take the hope he offers, and tuck it under my heart as he reaches for my hand.

“So, we’re partners.” I fight the hold he has on my hands, but he doesn’t let them go. “Partners don’t touch. They certainly don’t kiss.”

He winks at me. “You know, as you talked about your mom, I was thinking. What the hell is this woman doing spending time with the FBI?”

“This woman works for them. I like what I do,” I respond, trying to get my heart to slow its thundering beat. It’s not allowed to answer to Harrison’s touch like our world has been forever changed.

“I understand that. What I mean is that the FBI isn’t for you.”

A lump of anger lodges in my throat. He’s just like my father. Like my brothers. They don’t think I’m capable of doing my job. What would he suggest? Being a teacher, a housewife…those aren’t easy jobs either though. And I. Can. Do. My. Job.

“You’re passionate, strong, caring, and smart. They are wasting your talent,” he continues, and my eyes sting at his praise. “I want to hire you.”

Hire me?

I consider the proposal for about two seconds. Then I remember what he does and what he stands for. “No.”

“Keep my offer on the back burner. We can come back to it later,” Harrison says. “You need a little more room to spread your wings and achieve what you really want to.”

“And you think you know what I want?” I ask, dismissing his tone and his offer. “You barely know me.”

“I’ve been watching you since we met. Also, I researched what you do for the Bureau.” He doesn’t let the subject go easily. “Luna, I’m offering you more than what the FBI will ever give you. If you work for us, you can help us with what you do for the agency. Profiling and run our human trafficking division.” He might not know me, but he’s saying all the right things.

“You will have an entire team at your disposal, technology that the FBI has no idea even exists. And during some of the undercover operations, you might be able to join me. Most of all, you’ll have more assets to bring people home or find justice.”

“Why only some undercover operations?” I ask, ignoring the part where he presents himself like a prize to be won.

“With your experience and knowledge, I doubt that Bradley will have you do fieldwork. You’re more like A team material, and we aren’t sent in the field as often.”

I don’t want to give him more reactions, but I can’t help my gasp at the offer dangled in front of me. It’s too good to be true, I’m sure he’s just luring me in to get my yes. I refuse to give any confirmation when there’s always the possibility they can go back on their promises.

“Who do you work for?”

He runs a hand through his hair. “We work for agencies like the FBI, governments, and private parties. We also take pro bono cases.”

I frown. “Who pays when you do that?”

“That’s why we overcharge those who can pay,” he answers without remorse.

He smiles at me, and I feel like he’s offering me the sun and the moon. He’s waiting for me to take it, but I know that impulse is not the right way to make this decision.

“What do you say, Luna?”

“I’ll take it into consideration.” I answer honestly.

Am I crazy for even considering working for him? I’ve criticized Tiago for working with these men. The day he told us that he had bought part of the company, I ranted nonstop about his lack of honor. He’s a mercenary. A rent-a-cop. A cold-blooded killer. But maybe he’s not.

You have no idea what you’re talking about, Luna, he would retort, not fighting me. He never released too much information.

“That’s all I’m asking for. Now, can we talk about our other deal?” Harrison releases my hands, but his corded arms loop around my waist and he pulls me in, his face only inches away from mine. I can feel the warmth of his breath caressing my lips.

“There is no deal,” I say, breathless.

“Oh, but there can be if you want to,” he states, his eyes finding mine.

My breath hitches.

“I want to continue that kiss we started at the yoga studio. I’ll kiss you so thoroughly that you’ll forget your name.” His eyes don’t leave mine, he’s too close but he doesn’t kiss me.

“None of those lines are going to convince me. That kiss was a small slip,” I say, trying to strengthen my weak knees. He’s so close, too close, and if he comes closer I swear…

“Don’t fight it,” he whispers. “I know you feel at least some of the heat. The way you kissed me back told me that I’m not the only one wanting this.”

He leans in and kisses me.

It’s a simple kiss.

It’s his kiss.

Everything in this moment becomes him and me. We are one. He’s underneath my skin. His breathing becomes mine. We share one beat and one breath. All I can taste in this moment is him. All I can feel is the warmth of his skin, the fire underneath us burning. The heat suddenly becomes unbearable, but I want more. I want to be consumed.

“Is anybody here?” The voice of my brother rings loud and clear, startling me into jumping out of Harrison’s arms.

“Everhart!”

“The big guy is going to kill me, but my death will be worth it.” Harrison’s stupid grin doesn’t falter. “Have I mentioned that your kisses taste like honey and heaven?” He runs a shaky hand through his hair and asks. His eyes burn like two blue flames. Harrison is as affected as I am. Is his heart threatening to jump out of his chest too?

I gasp for breath, trying to control the fervent heat that’s blazing through my body.

“Are you okay?” He has trouble controlling his breathing too.

I nod slightly. He has left me numb, speechless, and needy. I swallow, unable to respond. Am I okay? A tornado just swooped me inside of its vortex while I was catching fire. I fan my face with my hand. New rule, no kisses. Harrison Everhart isn’t allowed to kiss me like he’s trying to swallow my heart and own my soul in just one bite.

But what if I let him give me just one more kiss?

I stop my fantasy when my brother steps outside the balcony glaring at us. What is he doing here?