Men had other vulnerable spots. With his step back putting him in position, her well-aimed kick doubled him over. A pain-filled howl didn’t slow her attack. Grabbing both sides of his head, she pulled him down into her upcoming knee. Satisfying as the crunch was, the ensuing blood flow was better. The muffled groan was icing on the cake.
He crumpled to the floor.
Gila jumped to the ground and protested her grabbing him, which necessitated two hands. Using her foot, she shoved the emergency stop button back in, causing the car to again descend.
The bastard roared. Laying on his back with his knees bent and hands on his face presented little in the way of a target.
“A couple of broken ribs will do the job.”
The doors opened when the breath exploded from his lungs.
“See ya, asshole.”
Wood-paneled doors glided open to reveal the lobby with sallow light from strategically placed wall sconces. One step allowed her to take in the scene and make her next decision.
The security guard swiveled in his chair and looked up from his desk. His gaze took in her disheveled hair and the fact she carried an angry ferret.
“Hey!”
“Sorry. He’s a bit out of control.” With no one else present, she couldn’t take the chance of the guard detaining her. The possibility of two-to-one odds quickened her pace.
Two steps toward her, he held out his hands. “Where did you find it?” His hand went to the gun at his hip.
“Um, kinda busy now. Let me get it outside. Be right back.” Panic increased her step.
From the elevator, the asswipe who’d attacked her groaned.
Dammit. There was no way to know if the guard was legit or working with her attacker. It wasn’t worth the risk.
Gila’s hissing acted in her favor, though. The security guard didn’t want anything to do with the writhing, spitting-mad creature. Katt used her hip to shove the push bar and open the glass door. Taking a deep breath of freedom expelled small chunks of fear.
All the hiking and fun races with the McAllisters paid off when she dashed toward her car. Prepared for trouble, she’d parked facing the road. Gila continued to hiss and fight, almost successful in his bid to scramble from her shaking hands.
Behind her, the facility’s door opened, felt as a prickling at her nape.
“You! Wait up.”
The guard’s footsteps pounded the pavement, but she’d dropped into the driver’s seat and locked her door before he reached the edge of the lot. Her key scratched the dash before she managed to insert it. Dry heaves threatened her coordination in wheeling away and onto the main road.
The thug wouldn’t want the police involved, but that didn’t prevent him from having a partner. Scanning her perimeter, she saw no traffic would hinder her necessity for speed. She needed time to sort things out and calm down.
Drizzle beginning after leaving Horizon Solar’s lot tapped a steady beat on her car’s hood. The metronomic beat settled her heart rate.
Whenever undertaking assignments associated with increased risk, she smudged her license plate with mud. It hadn’t occurred to her to do that before today’s meeting.
If she didn’t settle down before heading to Matt’s place, he’d suspect she’d stepped into another mess she couldn’t handle. “Damn, Gila. I can’t confirm exactly what the bastard wanted. It’s not like I can go back and ask.”
If Saunders was a party to what the prick intended, the two men could’ve cornered her in his office. It was possible Denny and the thug worked together, but to what end?
After obtaining a bag of fast food and with the soft rock from her radio, she drove to a mall parking lot and hid among the masses. It took the better part an hour to bring her racing heart and thoughts under control. Each time someone walked by, packages in hand, she startled.
When her nerves settled and taking a sip of soda no longer involved trial and error with aim, she decided conferring with a levelheaded detective would help. If she told Matt about the latest hiccup back there, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight.
Chapter Five
“Aw, Gila. Save your stinky poofing for Matt, boy. I hate driving with the windows down even if there’s just a little drizzle.” Each turn of the hand crank summoned a small influx of air along with spitting rain. With her knee on the wheel to steer, she used her other hand to play tug-o-war to keep her furry companion content. Her next vehicle would have power windows.
Due to the recent influx of Luc and Caden McAllister’s referrals, the extra cash had been earmarked for upgrades to her car, which now merely groaned instead of coughing and choking when pulling away from the mall’s lot.
Situations like these demanded confirmation of her suspicions. To abandon a client in trouble wasn’t in her nature. Beating her head against a brick wall held even less appeal.
As if all roads led to Matt McAllister, she headed toward the man who scattered her thoughts with a mere look, wondering if she’d catch him in flagrante delicto. Thus far, she’d failed to witness a glimpse of a blonde bimbo doing the walk of shame from his door.
Good-natured banter, teasing, and sly innuendos characterized their relationship which had grown from the depths of her first big case. She’d never heard him deliver double entendres with other women. Instinct dictated he wasn’t the type to flirt. She hadn’t seen him with other women except family.
Weeks ago, Laredo had lent her one of his calculus books from college and helped her solve an equation above her analytical pay grade. The corners of her lips pulled up at the thought of besting Matt. The weak excuse to visit at the late hour would have to do.
On rounding the final bend of his driveway, surrounding forest gave way to a scene never experienced. The emotional blow curved her body over the steering wheel as she tried to gulp down deep breaths. It was too late to turn around. Beside Matt’s truck, a sleek red sports car held a position she’d secretly longed to claim. Shit. It’s nine o’clock at night. He’d said he didn’t invite women to his house—or wouldn’t until he found the one. She memorized the tag.
Rather than the usual skidding stop beside his truck and slinging loose stones in his yard, she opted for a calmer approach. The pulsing knot in the center of her chest swelled until expanding to fill her neck. Clenched fingers bore the tips of her nails into her palm to draw blood. Before she could pocket her keys and tuck Gila in her jacket, Damien’s excited bark at the bay window announced her arrival. So much for a surprise entrance.
The normal flush derived from thick molten lava flowing through her veins didn’t come. Instead, an icy slush trudged along to leave a glacial barren starkness it its wake. The distant potentiality of a true relationship had never manifested into reality, except in her infatuated mind. They’d been an unspoken team for months.
Confusion and trepidation pushed one foot in front of the other, only to have Matt open the door with her hand poised to knock. Damn. A peek around his broad torso yielded no scattered feminine clothing or empty wine glasses on the coffee table in the great room. A quick booty call?
“Evening, Nugget. What brings you to my door?” Matt latched onto Damien’s collar and retreated when the dog jumped to greet Gila. Anxious crinkles marked the outer edges of his eyes and tightened his mouth. The deepening furrow between his brows forewarned of an unpleasant situation unfolding.
“Ugh, dog. You don’t realize how much you weigh.” Two stumbled steps backward rammed her head against the doorframe. “Ow. I thought you said you’d train your dog.”
“He is trained in S&R, one of the best trackers I’ve ever seen.” The tug on the collar drew both of the dog’s front paws to the floor. “Plus, if he didn’t like you and the rat, you’d be chew toys by now.” A stern “sit” command restrained Damien’s enthusiasm.
“Then here, show me how to deal with the dog’s excitement.” Katt placed the squirming ferret in his hands.
“What the hell do I do with it?” The priceless reaction rivaled
any male holding a baby for the first time.
Gila clawed his shirt for traction and scrambled up to the broad set of shoulders. His chittering-hissing continued as Matt eased the ferret down and against his chest. “Ow! Your vermin bit me.”
“It’s because he likes you and he’s so excited. If you want to calm him down, play with him.” A smile ghosted her lips in her pass through the great room. “Coffee would be nice now. A good host would offer a beverage to their guest.”
Matt fully clothed and no sign of company? Not what she expected when she saw the sporty vehicle in the drive.
The sound of heels clicking on hardwood turned her attention back to the downstairs bath. Ahh, here we go.
“Hi. I’m Carina, and you are...?” The sultry voice emerged from an equally sensual body, the kind built for hours of enjoyment any man could appreciate. A low-cut neckline in Jersey knit granted the audience a spectacular view of overflowing cleavage. Coupled with a tiny waist and a body tight enough to call athletic, each feature radiated the confidence and cunning lurking within her ice-blue gaze. “Oh, what a cute rat.”
“He’s not a rat. He’s a ferret.” Katt’s sense of horror blossomed after assessing her competition. A quick head-to-toe self-evaluation declared her worthy of a mere servant’s entrance.
It was a quintessential moment where one knew a greater unrevealed horror lurked on the horizon. Like failing to find your tampon’s string and realizing you had to go to the doctor—and explain your dilemma to five other people before the final humiliation of facing your gynecologist’s half-smile.
The firestorm of heat overtaking her frame created a whirling column of sensation spreading up her neck. She’d never felt so overmatched. “Um, hi. I’m Katt.” A brief glimpse at Matt decimated her resolve. His features, though hardened on the surface, slipped when their gazes met, an apology he would never voice.
“If I’m interrupting something... I can come back later.” Katt’s normal assertiveness failed to find voice.
“Oh, thank you, Katt.” Carina smoothed imaginary wrinkles from her dress. Even the flick of her fingers removing a nonexistent piece of lint declared her an alpha female at the top of the hierarchy. “Nice shirt.”
A dejected glance down at torn jeans and dirty sneakers declared Katt far out of her league. The t-shirt had been one of her favorites, five years ago. “Oh, this old cum rag? It’s always held a special meaning for me.” Her secretive smile at Matt received a groan.
Frequent dreams had conjured this scenario in a different light, one where she wore a form-fitting dress that accentuated her small breasts. High heels and makeup would complement her long legs and black hair, which rounded out her confidence in the fantasy. She didn’t have a clue how to apply eyeliner. How hard can it be? A little effort could go a long way.
“Actually, I forgot Katt was supposed to stop by, Carina. How about I call you tomorrow?”
Shock and a double take at one she’d declared unworthy of her prey’s attention furrowed her brow. “Oh. Sure. No problem. I’m confident we can pick up exactly where we left off.” The small smirk declared she had her preference of where to start. The brief perusal of Matt’s body signaled her intent, if not her claim.
Grabbing her purse from the sofa, she swayed her hips with each step, the coy smile in Matt’s direction elevating her lethality. Beside the door, she reached for her jacket on the coat rack and turned to blast her megawatt smile in his direction. “Can I bring anything?”
“Um, no. That won’t be necessary. I’ll call you.” Uncomfortable wasn’t one of Matt’s established looks. He glanced away.
“Hey. You’ve grabbed mine, too.” Katt stepped forward to retrieve Denny’s suit jacket, in part covered by the blonde’s token to fashion.
“Oops. Oh, yuck. This thing is filthy... Matt, have you been hurt?” Slipping the stained jacket back on the peg, she brushed her garment off, as if the offensive cloth warranted further investigation. “Is that blood?”
“It—its fine, Carina. I’ll call you later.” Matt sighed, smoothing his expression while padding to the door. “Good night.” The weight of the world leaned his head against the panel after thumbing the lock. “Jesus.”
“Hmm. Sorry to come at a bad time. If you’re too exhausted to talk—”
“No. Now’s fine.” The clipped words bit out, sharp, angry, conveying a frustration rarely shown.
All the times he’d told her to call before stopping by, she thought it was a ploy to keep her off balance. The truth ripped a part of her soul away to spin away in the ether. Nothing could wipe the memory of the bitch’s smirk or the guilty droop of Matt’s shoulders.
Instead of acknowledging his scowl, she headed for the kitchen and rinsed out the carafe. “I need coffee.”
“What brings you here, tonight?”
“I had an interesting development in the case. Well, interesting in that something’s fishy.”
“Explain.”
She hadn’t heard his approach, but Gila’s climb onto her shoulders received due attention. “You don’t mind if he settles on your counter, if I add a buffer, do you? He loves huddling in towels.” His closeness, the brush of his fingers over sensitive skin proved too much and forced her to step aside.
At once, the weight lifted from her shoulders. Instead of putting her furry friend in the cage by the bay window, he nestled the ferret on a dog towel next to Damien’s bed. “My countertops are not suitable for rodents.”
The fact he picked up their easy comradery was a typical Mathew trait. Conversation continued as if he hadn’t just ripped out her heart.
“He’s not a rodent, and you’re offending him.”
“He looks pretty happy to me. What trouble have you managed to find now?”
“None. I got a weird call from my client.” Oh, and I came close to having my neck broken by a creep with a lazy eye. How’s your evening?
“Why am I not surprised? Weird, how?”
“He fired me.”
“After just a couple days? Why?”
“He said it was all just a misunderstanding. Also, told me to keep the retainer fee.”
“And? I know there’s more. There’s always more.”
The lecher in the elevator was probably looking for him too. “Denny sounded kinda funny. Something’s not right. If I could’ve seen his face when he said it, maybe I’d have a better handle on what was happening.”
Matt pursed his lips in consideration. “Well, you can drop the case or work for free. Your choice.”
“I tried to check with his ex-girlfriend and see if she knew the location of his cabin. I stopped by, thinking I’d touch base and get a feel for her. She wasn’t there. Neighbors said she works evenings and she’s most certainly not an ex. The date isn’t set, but they are intending to marry.”
“What’s her name?”
“Molly Frendal. She didn’t show up for her shift at the hospital.”
Matt blew out a sigh.
“Do you know her?”
“Why would I?” His gaze failed to meet hers as he scratched the back of his neck. Turning his back to her, he secured two coffee mugs from the cupboard.
“She’s a tech, but she’s off weekends this month.”
“All right. We can slip around to her home first thing in the morning and have a chat.”
Three signs of deception, the first within five seconds of the question, added up to a cluster. Perhaps Molly was one of Matt’s exes. Not many men liked to revisit that territory.
“So. I didn’t take you for the blonde bimbo type. Spreading your wings?”
“Don’t assume anything.” Drumming his fingertips on the counter seemed to order his thoughts.
“I’m not imagining the look in that blonde’s eyes or the intent behind her mannerisms.”
“Let’s discuss your case.”
After detailing the little information she’d gathered, she couldn’t hang out with him. The nonverbal was too loud—his guilty avoi
dance forming images in her mind while chaos unleashed in gleeful retribution for all the pranks she’d ever pulled. No wonder he saw her as a kid.
The cleansing breath of fresh air en route to her car only served as a basis for a new set of carnal images involving Matt and the blonde alpha bitch. She knew a long and sleepless night awaited her.
Matt missed the morning light show, blaring radio, or some new annoyance declaring Katt en route. The moment the door had opened the previous evening, he knew. Without a doubt, irreparable damage had occurred. Something he’d give his left nut to reverse.
Upon Katt’s arrival the prior evening, a certain jitteriness had consumed each of her movements, even before her face-off with Carina. He’d chalked it up to anticipation after seeing the car in his driveway. Further contemplation gave him doubts. Nugget doesn’t ask for help until she’s in over her head. It made her late evening visit more suspicious.
Tentative knocks on his door announced her presence this morning—and her reluctance to enter. His heart ached to fix it, tell her the truth, but his mind stalled when he saw her face, the insecurity drenching her aura that kept her gaze downcast in passing.
“Hey, no pranks today?”
“Nah, tired from all the thinking I did last night.” Her eyes were sunken with deep shadows underneath, as if she hadn’t even considered sleeping.
The kid was going to be the death of him. Silent pain she covered with false bravado ripped another layer off his heart. He needed to find her a nice young man. One who’d be successful in urging her to find a normal job. He’d failed at every turn.
She was bright enough to go back to school and face any challenge. He’d even coerced his sister Abby to insert the notion of law school at one point. Nothing stuck. His brothers declared she wanted to be like him. Utter nonsense.
He could see his sister working with Katt, his imagination dressing her in fitted skirts and low heels, which grew four inches the minute she crossed his threshold. Shit. No!
Breakfast passed in quiet contemplation with the amount of speculation radiating from his little enigma and propelled him to consider lifelong celibacy. He appreciated certain religious orders and reconsidered becoming a monk.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 5
