Claiming Bailey Read online

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  DISCOVER OTHER TITLES BY SUSAN STOKER Ace Security Series Claiming Grace Claiming Alexis Claiming Bailey Claiming Felicity Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series Justice for Mackenzie Justice for Mickie Justice for Corrie Justice for Laine (novella) Shelter for Elizabeth Justice for Boone Shelter for Adeline Justice for Sophie Justice for Erin Justice for Milena (March 2018) Shelter for Blythe (July 2018) Justice for Hope (TBA) Shelter for Quinn (TBA) Shelter for Koren (TBA) Shelter for Penelope (TBA) Delta Force Heroes Series Rescuing Rayne Assisting Aimee Rescuing Emily Rescuing Harley Marrying Emily Rescuing Kassie Rescuing Bryn Rescuing Casey (January 2018) Rescuing Sadie (April 2018) Rescuing Wendy (May 2018) Rescuing Mary (November 2018) SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series Defending Caite (September 2018) SEAL of Protection Series Protecting Caroline Protecting Alabama Protecting Fiona Marrying Caroline (novella) Protecting Summer Protecting Cheyenne Protecting Jessyka Protecting Juli

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2017 by Susan Stoker All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542049023 ISBN-10: 1542049024 Cover design by Eileen Carey

  Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author Connect with Susan Online

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  Chapter One Nathan Anderson shook his head in disgust and glared at the steering wheel of his Ford Focus. His brothers, Logan and Blake, told him over and over that one day the car was going to give up the ghost, but he’d ignored them. Marilyn, named after the iconic movie star, was old, but she was the first thing he’d purchased when he’d left home after graduating high school, and he just couldn’t bear to part with her. The black paint had long ago begun to peel off, she was rusting in places, and the trunk only stayed shut because of the rope used to tie it down. After several mornings of Marilyn barely turning over when Nathan tried to start her, it looked like she’d finally had enough. Figured she’d do it when he was sitting with a trunk full of groceries in a supermarket parking lot. Nathan took out his phone and tapped on Logan’s number. It went to voice mail. Not bothering to leave a message, Nathan tried Blake and turned the phone off in frustration when it too went to his bro

  Chapter Two Bailey Hampton absently nodded and responded to her brother Joel as they drove home from the supermarket. She’d seen the man staring down into his engine as if it held the answers to the meaning of life and simply couldn’t walk away. She tried to tell herself it was because it was an opportunity to bring business to the shop, but there was more to it than that, and she knew it. There was just something about the man that did it for her. Even though he so wasn’t the kind of guy she’d ever been attracted to. He’d been honest in his evaluation of himself. He did kinda look like a nerd, but there was something else she saw lurking behind his eyes. Passion. And not just for sex. Somehow Bailey knew that when he found something he liked—be it math, food, friends, family, or a woman—he put one hundred percent of himself into it. And that intrigued her. Her choice in men had sucked, like really, really sucked, so she supposed it was probably a good thing that Nathan was as differen

  Chapter Three “Bailey! Phone!” Clayson’s voice rang out through the garage, and Bailey’s heart started to thud in panic. No one ever called for her . . . except Joel’s school. She grabbed for a rag to wipe her hands and hopped off the small stepladder in front of the SUV. Unlike most of the other mechanics, she needed the extra inches to reach the innards of the engine. She’d been teased, but didn’t care. Her height was what it was. She quickly strode into the small office off the bays of the garage. Clayson was sitting at his desk holding the ancient phone receiver out to her. The owner of the body shop met her eyes straight on, but Bailey couldn’t read anything in them. She gave him a small half smile and nervously took hold of the phone. “Hello?” “Hi. Is this Bailey?” “Yes. Who is this?” But she knew. From four words, she knew exactly who was on the other end of the line. “Nathan Anderson. We met last night and you gave me your card.” “Right.” Bailey wasn’t trying to be gruff or coy

  Chapter Four “Something wrong with your car?” Blake asked Nathan after he’d hung up the phone. He and Logan had walked into the office in the middle of his short conversation. “Yeah. Don’t think it’s anything major, though.” “That’s good. I’m surprised that heap is still running,” Logan observed from the other side of his desk, not able to keep the smirk off his face. “I take good care of Marilyn,” Nathan protested. “She might look rough on the outside, but on the inside she purrs like a cat.” Blake’s grin took over his face as he said dryly, “Are we still talking about your car?” Nathan was taken aback, as that was almost exactly what Bailey had asked him the night before. And speaking of his favorite mechanic . . . “I’m pretty sure I found Bailey.” His words had the effect of a grenade lobbed into the office. Both Logan and Blake’s heads whipped around and they stared at Nathan. The questions came at the same time. “What?” “Where?” “She’s here in Castle Rock,” Nathan told his brother

  Chapter Five At ten till four, Nathan pulled Marilyn into an empty space in front of one of the garage bays at Clayson’s Auto Body and climbed out. Seeing no one inside the bays, he pushed open the front door to the business and looked around. Clayson’s was a typical garage. The waiting room wasn’t large, but it had a television, a small table with a few magazines on it, a counter with a cash register, and four hard plastic chairs. It was serviceable, if not that comfortable, but clean. Nathan had just opened his mouth to call out to see if anyone was around, when an older man with black hair liberally streaked with gray came out of a door in the back of the room. He ambled up to the counter, leaned over it on both hands, and pierced Nathan with a stern look. “Nathan Anderson. Good to see you.” Nathan didn’t get upset at the protective vibes emanating from the man. If nothing else, he was glad about them. Happy that Bailey had someone looking out for her. He didn’t recall meeting the m

  Chapter Six “Thanks for helping him with his homework,” Bailey told Nathan as they stood in the doorway of the garage. Joel was playing catch with a football with Clayson. He’d taken the boy outside as she’d completed the paperwork and payment with Nathan. “You’re welcome,” Nathan said easily. Bailey knew his eyes were on her, and not on her brother and boss, but she refused to turn her head and look at him. He made her nervous in a good way, not nervous in a is-he-gonna-hurt-me kind of way, which was a nice change. “Thanks for letting me come to his party next week.” She looked over at him at that. “Are you kidding? You made his day.” One side of Nathan’s lips quirked up. “What? What’s funny?” she said defensively. If he was laughing at Joel, she’d— “I’m usually the last choice when it comes to the Anderson brothers,” he said without one hint of pity. Bailey wrinkled her brow. “What’s that supposed to mean? Is there something wrong with you?” He shrugged. “Depends on who you ask.” “I’

  Chapter Seven The next morning while Joel played in his room on his video-game console, Bailey l
ay in bed, dozing. She wasn’t asleep, but wasn’t really awake either. They’d watched a movie until late last night, and after Joel had gone to bed, she’d lain awake for several hours . . . thoughts of Nathan and what secrets he might be hiding running through her head, keeping her from falling asleep. Her phone rang, scaring her to death. Bailey reached over, snatched it off the bedside table, and clicked it on. “Hello?” “Hi, Bailey. It’s Nathan.” “Hey.” “Did I wake you up?” “No, not really.” “Not really?” Nathan asked, laughter in his voice. “I’m in bed, but I wasn’t sleeping.” Bailey would’ve sworn Nathan’s voice lowered, but she could’ve been imagining it. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I can call back later.” “No, it’s fine. I was just thinking about getting up and showering anyway.” “I hope you haven’t changed your mind about tonight,” Nathan said. Bailey had changed her mind. About a hu

  Chapter Eight “You’re gonna be good for Duke tonight, right?” Bailey asked Joel as she smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear for the tenth time that night. She’d found a perfect little black dress at the second thrift shop she’d visited that afternoon, thank God. It had long sleeves and it was relatively modest. It had a scoop neck in the front and back and hugged her torso before flaring out into a cute flouncy skirt that hit her right at her knees. It wasn’t exactly her style, but since her options were limited, and it hid all her gang tattoos she stupidly had inked on her skin, it was exactly what she needed. She’d showered and shaved her legs, then took the time to blow-dry and style her thick black hair. It was easier to keep it up in a ponytail and out of her face day to day, but for tonight, she wanted to look her best for Nathan. She’d gone a little heavy on her makeup since she assumed the lighting at Scarpetti’s would be dim, and the overall result was that Bailey felt bette

  Chapter Nine Nathan held open the door to Scarpetti’s and let out a calming breath. It didn’t work. He’d thought he and Bailey were really connecting, but the second he touched her back, she pulled away from him. Mentally and physically. It drove him crazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He’d bide his time. She was bound to have some demons to work through, especially after being involved with Donovan and the Inca Boyz. Besides, after she heard him out later that night, she probably wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore anyway. He vowed to wait until after they ate to bring up any business. He wanted one dinner with her, free of him being who he was and her being who she thought she was. He wanted it to be just the two of them. Nathan and Bailey. But first he needed to bring her back to where they’d been standing in front of her house, admiring each other. They were greeted by Francesca herself. She’d obviously been on the lookout for him as she came rushing out from the back of the resta

  Chapter Ten Bailey had no idea what Nathan was going to tell her, but it was obvious it was something important. She’d enjoyed the night immensely and was having a hard time remembering exactly what she was and why she didn’t want to get involved with him, or any man, ever again. “You know my name is Nathan Anderson.” He paused. She nodded, but didn’t speak. “My brothers are Logan and Blake. We came back to Castle Rock a year ago after our mother murdered our father.” He ignored her gasp and continued. “I told you earlier how abusive she was. Well, she wasn’t just abusive to me and my brothers. We left home when we graduated from high school, and when she didn’t have us around anymore to bully, things got worse for my dad. She shot him. Then shot herself. We’ll probably never know what she was thinking because she didn’t leave a note or anything.” “I’m so sorry,” Bailey said, putting her hand over his where it was resting on the table. She felt horrible for what he’d gone through, but

  Chapter Eleven Six days. That’s how long it had been since Nathan had heard Bailey’s voice. He’d done as she asked, and given her space. Logan had arranged for a local company to go to her house and install a basic alarm. Nathan had wanted the expensive one with all the bells and whistles, but he also didn’t want to make Bailey uncomfortable. He hated that he’d thrown the “tax write-off” excuse at her because it wasn’t true, not in the least. He was footing the bill personally. But after a conference call with the technician, he’d agreed that with Joel in the house, and it being as small as it was, the basic alarm would work. One thing Nathan insisted on was that if the alarm was tripped, a call would go out to the cops, and they’d immediately be sent to her property. If Donovan tried to get to either Bailey or Joel at their house, it would be a lot harder to get away with it with the cops breathing down his neck. He’d also called Clayson and explained in as little detail as possible w

  Chapter Twelve Nathan sat next to Joel on a hill overlooking the shelter in the park. They watched as Felicity and Bailey scurried around cleaning up the mess that had been left behind. “You have a good day?” Nathan asked. “Sure did,” Joel told him, smiling. “Good. Did you thank everyone for coming?” “I think so.” “You did?” Nathan asked, looking at the little boy with his eyebrows raised. Joel giggled. “Everyone but you. Thanks, Nathan. I liked all my stuff.” “That was from everyone.” Joel shook his head. “No, it wasn’t. I heard Blake telling Alexis that you got it all, and you wouldn’t let them pay for any of it. They was kinda pissed.” “They were kind of pissed,” Nathan corrected, then shrugged a little self-consciously, not knowing what to say. “You know my sister will fuck you if you ask.” He shrugged. “She fucks everyone. You don’t have to butter her up by getting me presents.” Joel said it with the same inflection as if he were telling Nathan what he’d eaten for breakfast that m

  Chapter Thirteen “Can I sit?” Bailey asked Nathan uncertainly. She’d seen him talking with Joel and didn’t like that her brother looked upset. Felicity had told her to give them some time, but finally she hadn’t been able to ignore the duo anymore. As she’d started up the hill, she saw Joel smile and put something in his pocket before he raced down the hill toward her. He’d surprised her by giving her a hug and thanking her for the great party before he’d run off again. Bailey felt as though she’d spent the last few hours being surprised. When she and Joel had pulled up, she’d thought at first that they were in the wrong place, but then she’d seen Nathan waiting for them. She was surprised by the number of people there. She was surprised by the decorations. She was surprised when twenty pizzas were delivered around lunchtime. She was surprised by the number of gifts for Joel on the table. She was surprised that Nathan and his brothers were friends with a woman who looked like Felicity.

  Chapter Fourteen Bailey’s phone rang the next morning, and she groaned as she turned over to try to see her clock. She and Joel had stayed up way too late looking at all his presents—the boy had been way too pumped up on sugar, soda, and excitement to go to sleep. But because of Nathan and his brothers, she felt somewhat safe in her little home. The alarm system meant she didn’t have to search the house before allowing Joel inside. When she was inside and the alarm was set, she could pretend that everything in her life was normal. That she wasn’t waiting for her ex-boyfriend to find her, possibly kill her, and take Joel away forever, turning him into a rapist, killer, and thug. She squinted her eyes and saw that it was 5:41 a.m. Feeling more alert, because anyone calling her this early could not be good, Bailey grabbed her cell and clicked it on. “Hello?” The word came out croaky and rough, letting whoever was on the other end know without a doubt they’d woken her up. Why people always

  Chapter Fifteen Two months later Bailey took in the sight of her brother and Nathan leaning over Joel’s homework. Their heads were almost touching, Joel’s black hair a striking contrast against Nathan’s light brown. Nathan had been a constant figure in their lives ever since Joel’s birthday party. Bailey tried to think back to a day when she or Joel hadn’t seen or talked to Nathan and couldn’t think of more than a handful. He’d been a perfect gentleman, a friend, just as he said he would be. He never pushed her for more, never touched her inappropriately, and somehow in the last two months, he’d become a necessity in her life. Bailey wasn’t sure exactly how it’d ha
ppened, but every time she saw him, she kept waiting for him to do something that would reinforce her vow never to get involved with a guy again . . . but he didn’t. In fact, it had been the opposite. Everything he’d done for her and her brother only made that vow seem silly. He wasn’t Donovan. Not even close. Nathan was hone

  Chapter Sixteen “What do we know about what Donovan has been up to recently?” Nathan asked Blake and Logan the next day at work. It was Thursday morning, and they all happened to be free that afternoon for the first time in a couple of weeks, so they wanted to update each other before heading out. Usually, Nathan and Alexis had the office to themselves while Logan and Blake were out on jobs, but today all the brothers were in Castle Rock. Alexis was spending the afternoon with Grace and the kids. “Nothing. Which doesn’t give me warm fuzzies,” Logan responded. “We might not know what he’s been up to recently,” Blake added, “but Alexis has discovered Donovan is not a good guy.” “I think we all already knew that,” Nathan said. “Right, but you haven’t heard the half of it,” Blake informed his brother. “First of all, Donovan is forty-two.” “What?” “That can’t be right.” Blake held up his hand to forestall any other questions from his brothers. “It is. We all know how he got started in his l

  Chapter Seventeen Bailey stared at Felicity across the table. She wasn’t sure what to say to the other woman. She’d been surprised and flattered when Nathan had told her Felicity wanted to have lunch with her. But now that they were at the restaurant, she felt awkward. “How are you?” Felicity asked, breaking the silence as they waited for their lunch to arrive. “I’m good,” Bailey said automatically. Felicity cocked her head, then shook it. “No, really. I honestly want to know. You look better, less stressed, than at Joel’s party, but I can tell you’re still hanging on by a thread.” Bailey blinked. “You can?” “Yeah.” Felicity put her elbows on the table in front of her and leaned forward. “I’ve been there, Bailey. You can trust me.” Bailey wanted to reject the other woman’s words, but for some reason she couldn’t. There was something in her eyes. They were haunted, just as Bailey’s were. Felicity might come across as brash and confident, but underneath her exterior shell, there was . .