Working On Love (The Griffin Brothers Book 6) Read online

  Working On Love

  Book #6 of The Griffin Brothers

  by Crystal Perkins

  Copyright © 2014 by Crystal Perkins

  Cover Design by Helen Williams

  http://www.allbookedout.com/

  Ebook formatting by Jesse Gordon

  All trademarks are owned by their respective companies and are denoted by the use of proper capitalization of the company and/or brand.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This contemporary erotic romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, especially if you enjoy sexy, emotional, romance novels with alpha males. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Table of Contents

  About Working On Love

  Other Books by Crystal Perkins

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  About Working On Love

  The boy she loved has now

  become the man she despises...

  Fashion designer Quinn Daniels has been in love with tattoo artist Zane Wilson for over half her life. When they were younger he only had eyes for one girl, and it wasn’t her. But for the last seven years he’s been hers, and it’s been perfect. Two months ago that all changed. His girl from the past showed up, and he left with her. Now he’s back, and wants another chance, but trusting him almost destroyed her once. She’s not ready to make the same mistake again.

  His heart’s been broken, and only one

  woman can put it back together again...

  Zane Wilson loves Quinn Daniels more than life itself. Yeah he was a stupid teenager, and thought he was in love with the wrong girl, but that all changed seven years ago. He let Quinn go once so she could pursue her dreams, and again when he thought he was doing the right thing. But he’s done making mistakes, and letting his past interfere with the present and future he wants with her. Now he just needs to convince her that she’s the only woman he’s ever truly loved, and that he’s never going to leave her again.

  A secret heartache could break them up

  for good—or make them stronger than ever...

  Just when it looks like they may have a second chance at love, the other woman comes to town again, and this time she’s not alone. Zane’s going to need help this time, because it’s not just Quinn he’s fighting for. Can she help him heal while still protecting herself?

  Other Books by Crystal Perkins

  Gaming For Love (The Griffin Brothers #1)

  Building Our Love (The Griffin Brothers #2)

  Creating A Love (The Griffin Brothers #3)

  Learning To Love (The Griffin Brothers #4)

  Designing The Love (The Griffin Brothers #5)

  Chapter 1

  Alex

  I’m excited as I walk into the Corrigan & Co. Las Vegas building for my first day of work. I’ll be working with Jane Corrigan in the foundation part of the company. Well, actually, I guess I’ll be directly reporting to Reina, who is her second-in-command. I’ve seen the foundation on the news quite often, helping women around the world. I want to be part of something like that, even if I might need help myself.

  I’m supposed to be in summer school right now taking extra voice lessons, but I just couldn’t do it. I loved to sing in high school and thought it was what I wanted to do as a career, until that love was taken from me; stolen from me by the man I pretended to love. I say pretended because only one boy has ever truly held my heart. He didn’t want it then, and now, as a man, he’d want it even less. But it’s his.

  I thought Nick would be a good substitute. He’s definitely hot and was very nice when I met him at The Smith Center, where I was watching a performance. It wasn’t until after we slept together, and he told me I wasn’t adventurous enough, that things took a bad turn. Never mind that I’d been a virgin when we got together. He thought I was going to be like that girl in that book. He even built himself a “special” room. I still haven’t been in that room, but I have let him tie me up and spank me a little. I mean, I was going to keep having sex with him anyway—it’s not like I’ll be virgin again if I don’t. The sex isn’t a big deal— I’m just not interested in doing the things he wants.

  Unfortunately, I may not have much of a choice. The bastard secretly videotaped our first time. He threatened to release it when I told him I was leaving him. I have no doubt that he’s continued to videotape us, but I’m powerless to stop it. My uncles were all a little wild, but my family would seriously freak if I had a sex tape released. They all think I’m so sweet and innocent. I’m not. I mean, I’m not wild, but I’m almost nineteen, not a little girl.

  On top of pressuring me for crazy sex, Nick also likes to tell me how much I suck at singing. I thought our shared love of music is what attracted him to me, but I was wrong. So wrong. He belittles me every chance he gets. Not just about singing, either. I’m confident enough in myself to not let it get me down, but it’s draining to listen to it over and over again.

  I’m hoping that working here, with this group of strong women who help others, will give me an idea of how to extricate myself from this mess. I’ve been doing okay so far, but I have a feeling things are going to escalate in a bad way. His emotional abuse has been ramping up, and I know I’m not going to be able to keep holding out on him when it comes to his kinkier fantasies. Something’s coming, and I think it may happen around my birthday next month.

  I push those thoughts aside as I walk into the Corrigan & Co. Foundation offices. I see my desk. Or what will be my desk once I’m trained. Right now there’s a beautiful woman with red hair manning it. She’s intent on whatever’s on her tablet, so she doesn’t notice me right away. When she does, she surprises me by jumping up and coming around the desk to hug me.

  I’m surprised to see her plaid shirt with jeans tucked into cowboy boots. Especially since when she speaks to me, there’s no southern accent. “Hi Alex. I can call you Alex, right?”

  I come out of my daze at her question and look up into her smiling face. “Yeah. Sure. You can call me that.”

  “Great. I’m Tegan. Let me tell you, the girls and I are beyond happy that you’re here. We’ve been taking turns manning this desk, but we kind of suck at it.”

  “It’s that hard? I didn’t think it was that hard.”

  “It probably isn’t, but we’re used to doing other things, so it’s hard for us.” Sh
e laughs, and I join in.

  “Okay, good. You scared me a little.”

  “Don’t be scared of us. We’ve all got your back and absolutely love your grandma and your aunts.”

  “You’ve met them?”

  “Yep. And now I’ve said more than I should.”

  “What? Why?”

  Before she can answer, Reina walks into the lobby. I met her when I interviewed with Jane. She is drop-dead gorgeous, and kind of scary, if I’m being honest. She’s about 5’8” tall with long black hair that has some brown mixed in. Her skin is tan, but it looks as flawless as porcelain, although she’s definitely not a fragile doll. She’s in a dress that’s sexy, but makes her look powerful at the same time. I think she’s in her late twenties or early thirties, but although she’s young, you can tell she’s someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. I also know she’s compassionate. She wouldn’t have her job if she wasn’t.

  “There you are, Alex. I had a feeling that Tegan might have been detaining you.”

  “Sorry, Rei. I was just so excited to meet her.”

  “Everyone else is, too. Lock the door, Teeg, and meet us in the Society conference room.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  Reina and I start to walk away, but she frowns and turns before we get far. “And, Tegan? Why is country music playing in here?”

  “You know it’s my favorite.”

  “Switch it back,” she tells her, sounding stern but smiling at the same time.

  “Tegan’s nice.”

  “Yes she is, Alex. We have a group of wonderful women who work for the foundation. I’m glad you’ll be joining us.”

  “Me too. Thanks for hiring me.”

  “You’re welcome, but in all reality, you did us a favor. We weren’t sure who we could get for the job. Olivia was going to try and fill in part-time until we found you.”

  “Olivia?”

  “Yes, Olivia,” she tells me as she steps in front of some large doors. There are no door handles, and I know my eyes widen as she places her palm on the wall beside it then proceeds to have both her hand and eye scanned. Through the wall, it’s like something out of a sci-fi movie. The doors slide open and she motions me in.

  I walk in and what I see stops me in my tracks. There’s a huge table in the middle of this giant room. It’s shaped like a star, and has seats around all the points. There are also seats in a circle around the main table. The walls have monitors on all sides, along with some desks. It’s not the set-up that’s freaking me out. It’s who’s at the table and chairs.

  Jane is at the top tip of the star. Reina goes to sit next to her, and a blonde is already sitting on her other side. She’s dressed nothing like Reina—she has on glasses, her hair is in a messy bun, and she’s got on a baggy sweatshirt—but she’s just as gorgeous. Matt is sitting in the chair behind them. That’s a little weird, too. He’s the President and CEO of Corrigan, so I wouldn’t expect him to be sitting in the second ring of chairs. He’s not the only surprise, though.

  My grandma’s at the point to her left. She has a stunning woman on each side of her, as well. One has light brown, almost blonde, hair and blue eyes. The other is Latin and smoking hot. I’m not gay, but even I can appreciate the sexiness radiating off of her. Behind them, in the outer chairs, are my aunts who are all smiling at me. Against the wall is my Uncle Scott. He’s smiling, too. I’m not sure what to make of this, but I decide to finish looking around before I speak.

  On the other side of Jane is Cyndi Evans and two more women. One of them is Tegan. The other looks like she may be part Asian, with brown hair going past where I can see it. Where do they find all these women? Are they models? Cyndi’s granddaughter Mara, and her wife, Leila, are sitting behind them.

  Closer to me, Mallory Daniels sits with another two women, and Quinn is behind her. These women are like pin-ups, one with long, white blonde hair; the other with bright orange hair that barely brushes her shoulder. Both are flawlessly made up, although they’re dressed very differently. The blonde looks like she walked off the pages of a magazine, while the redhead is in a black leather dress.

  Finally, I look to the other side and see Helen Wilson. The women with her, are of course beautiful, but also as different as the other pairs are. The one with reddish brown hair looks almost like royalty, while the one with brown hair and short bangs could be a rock star. Zane is at a desk behind her.

  After I look around at everyone, I turn back to look at Jane. She smiles at me, and then turns to Reina, who stands. “Welcome to the Society, Alex.”

  Matt bursts out laughing before I can respond. “Really, Princess? You sound like some 90s movie.”

  “That’s enough, Matthew. Please continue, Reina.” Matt shuts up and looks serious again. His grandmother is not someone you mess with. Neither is mine.

  “As I was saying, we’re more than just a foundation, Alex. On a daily basis, all of us do help women around the world, but we do so much more. As a Griffin woman, you were going to find this all out on your twenty-first birthday, but since you’re our new receptionist, you’ll need to know it all now. You may sit in the seat right there. It will be your seat for our meetings in here.”

  I’d noticed the extra chair at the middle of the bottom of the star. I pull it out and sit down. Once I’m comfortable, Reina continues. “Over a decade ago, Jane and Cyndi decided that they wanted to be more than just socialites. They wanted to make a difference. One of their friends had been beaten by her husband, but was too scared to go to the police, because he was a powerful man. With the help of a woman high up in law enforcement, they took him down on their own.

  “Soon after, they met your grandmother. Your grandfather’s business was taking off, and she was attending society functions. They saw a kindred spirit in her, and when they told her what they were thinking of, she immediately agreed to be a part of it. She suggested that they include her friends, Helen and Mallory. A few well-placed calls, and anonymous investments, allowed their families to move up the social ladder. It was important that all the women held powerful positions, so that they could meet more people and find more women to recruit. Jane convinced her husband to create this foundation, although he didn’t know what the true purpose would be.

  “The first women recruited were all law enforcement and military trained. The parameters of recruitment have changed, as times have changed. The ten of us here, with you, bring different strengths to the table. Once we were invited in, we all had training in weaponry, martial arts, technology, language, fashion, and etiquette. The only grades for those classes, which are taught by past and present agents, are pass or fail. Failure is not an option if you want to remain here, so we all made sure to pass. While we still retain our original strengths, we can seamlessly fit into any situation.

  “That’s exactly what we do. We go undercover and rescue women who need it. We take down, and sometimes out, men and women who are victimizing women. All in all, we just generally try to do what we can to protect as many people as we can. We can’t save everyone, and not every mission is a success, but we do the best that we can, always. We also help friends and family on smaller missions when they need it.”

  My mouth is hanging open. I know it is. This is just—wow! My grandma is part of a group of secret agents.

  “I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry to spring it on you, but you have to know everything if you’re going to work here. We’ll try to answer any questions you have.”

  I do have one. Well, I have more than one. But there’s one I’m really curious about. “If this is all about women, why are Matt, Zane, and Uncle Scott here?”

  “Each woman can tell one man in her family. We needed Scott to build our computer system and maintain it. Helen wanted Zane to know once Mallory told Quinn. And we had no choice with Matt.”

  “Why didn’t you have a choice, Princess?”

  Reina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before answering. “We needed Matt’s help, as wel
l as that of his friends, when a mission turned ugly.”

  “You needed my help. Don’t include everyone else. It was your screw-up that almost cost Darcy her life.”

  “Yes. It was. I needed Matt’s help to save Darcy.”

  The leather clad redhead is out of her seat before I even register that she moved. She leans down into Matt’s face. “Shut the fuck up, Matt. She couldn’t know that things would go wrong. I appreciate you and your guys helping rescue me, but if you ever blame her again, I’ll cut your balls off.”

  The other “agents” are standing and glaring at him, too. “Everyone sit down. Matt has a right to his opinion, and we do owe him. We wouldn’t have extracted Darcy without his help.” Reina still looks like she’s seconds from falling apart, which scares me more than her normal glare. It also makes me angry.

  “You’re an ass, Matt. Just like your brother.”

  Tegan lets out an ear-splitting laugh. “You’ll fit right in here, Alex.”

  “I think you will, Alex. If you still want the job. You’ll be in no danger, of course, but I know it’s a big secret that we’re asking you to keep.”

  “I can keep a secret. And I think it’s cool what you’re all doing.”

  “Great. Ainsley will train you on all our systems this week, while Tegan helps cover the desk.”

  Reina practically runs from the room and most of the other women follow. They all smile as they walk past me; a few stop for hugs. Matt starts to walk out, but Jane stops him. “My office, Matthew.”

  “I have meetings, Gram.”

  “That wasn’t a request.”

  “Fine. Lead the way.”

  Wow. I guess grandma trumps CEO. Speaking of grandmas, mine’s still in the room with me, along with my aunts, my uncle, Quinn, and Zane. I’m kind of glad. I had more questions, but I didn’t want to keep everyone from their jobs, not when I now know how important what they do is.

  “You have more questions, don’t you, Alex?” Yasmin asks me.

  “Yeah. I mean, I know Corrigan & Co. moved their headquarters to Vegas because Mitchell Corrigan had requested it in his will.” He’d grown up in the city and wanted to help the economy with the jobs his company could bring here. “But, is that why we moved here, too?”