The afternoon passed in a blur of Matt writing his formal statement and setting his house back to order. She’d never endured a home violation, but then again, she’d never owned anything of value.
Evening shadows brought respite from the sun and a quiet house. “All my brothers have offered to house sit while we’re at training.”
“What’d you tell them?”
“That it wasn’t necessary. Obviously, whatever the bastards wanted isn’t here.”
“Then there’s no reason for them to return.”
“Unless they’re looking for you, also.”
Damien lay curled between them on the sofa to sleep off the drug’s effects, the warm breath from his soft snores warming Katt’s thigh. If not for her stubborn refusal to let things go, Matt’s partner wouldn’t have been at risk. “Matt—”
“Don’t. It’s not your fault, and I won’t have you shouldering the guilt.” His soft touch sifted through the dog’s fur. “He’s going to be fine, and I’m going to thrash the hell out of whoever darted him. End of story.”
“Thank god they didn’t rip your house apart. That damn jacket plus my testimony makes Denny complicit in something.”
“A definite possibility. When we find him or Carina, we’ll be able to sort this out. I can think of several ways she might be involved, but without more information, we’re flying blind, and it’s not good to work off assumptions.”
“Would she be the type to betray her sister?”
“I—I don’t know her well enough to say. We had a very limited... association.”
“As in a few-hours-in-the-dark type situation?” Katt watched the crimson spread up his neck. Not very often I get the upper hand with him. Under different circumstances, she’d enjoy it. “Never mind, I get the picture. The thing is, she struck me as the type of girl who’d only settle for a guy whose penis ejaculated money. Personally, I’d prefer chocolate.”
“The point is, I couldn’t hazard a guess.” A tempest roiled in his gaze as he searched the scene framed by the bay window. “It’s possible that—whoever—hoped to find a live body which connects that jacket to the killer. There’s nothing like an eye witness.”
“I guess that evidence is priceless. Well, that plus the pic I took of him in the restaurant.”
“Jesus. You didn’t tell me you had a picture of him. This case is shaving off your edge. Let me have your cell a minute. I’ll send it to Ethan’s work addy.”
“I take a pic of all my clients for my records. Sides, the photo matched his DMV photo. The fact I saw him wearing the evidence, well, I guess that might be an issue.”
His scrutiny hit her full blast before he continued, not putting in words what he’d probably thought all along. “Which is why you’re going to leave this investigation to the police. We’ll take this survival course and you’ll learn everything you can. During down time, I’ll teach you a bit more about investigative techniques. Since you’re so damned determined to stay in this line of work, you need to be better prepared.”
“Thanks. I do want to learn all I can. I’d prefer to not be shot with a bullet, drugged dart, or get kidnapped again.”
“Christ, Nugget. You’ve definitely got nine lives.” He shook his head. “You still feel up to helping with the BBQ tomorrow?” The blunt edges of his voice softened.
“Sure. I’ll make the dessert after I go home and gather Gila’s things to send with Megan and Luc.”
“We can get them later. I want to make tomorrow a big shindig.”
Tension drained from his shoulders as conversation drifted into details of what to expect during the next two weeks. No doubt, he’d be a more difficult taskmaster than their guide, adding to her knowledge and amending her approaches to accommodate her particular line of work.
There seemed a devious bent in his underlying intentions when the topic touched on endurance, a sign of the pre-kiss Matt surfacing. No doubt, she’d find out the hard way and prayed it wouldn’t also be painful or humiliating.
Spending the evening making cookies, brownies, bacon potato salad, and brown sugar baked beans didn’t stop her deviant thoughts from conjuring Denny’s image in the surrounding woods or waiting by the front door for the perfect moment to ambush.
“Damn, we’ve made a lot of food.” Katt dusted the flour from her shirt.
“Yeah, and it tastes great. Help me get the rest of these boxed up.” Six-foot-three height negated him needing a stool to acquire the plastic containers.
“Okay. Then I need to head home. It’s after midnight.”
“You’ve had a hell of a long day. Let me make it up to you. Sleep in the spare room and I’ll make you a great breakfast.”
“What’s really going on? You never go to this much trouble for family get-togethers.”
“Hey. I just wanted to do it right. Look at you. You can hardly stand, much less stay awake behind the wheel.”
As if to settle matters, he set the covered cookies aside and picked Gila up from his makeshift bed beside Damien. Knowing she would follow, he led the way upstairs.
“Thanks, I’m bushed.”
“Hold on. I’ll grab a t-shirt for you to sleep in.”
That’s why we made all that food. He’d wanted her to stay overnight, sensing she might find more trouble waiting for her at home. Damn clever deviant.
Chapter Fifteen
Matt looked forward to Sunday’s down time before starting Katt’s rigorous training the following day. A smile curved his lips at the thought of the challenges he intended to throw her way. Her stubborn pride would rear its head until she accepted each one. In the end, she’d reach her potential and be safer having met them.
His assessment of her endurance confirmed her ready and fit to begin, even though she had no idea what trials he’d planned. Her pigheadedness deemed it necessary to pile on additional learning exercises during the evenings when the rest of the group relaxed around a campfire. He’d make damn sure by nightfall she was too exhausted to tempt him inside the tent where they’d sleep side by side.
The one thing he couldn’t leave to chance was the question of her friend Laredo. Hearing childhood stories didn’t suffice in determining the man’s character. The request for Katt to join him in moving south had come as a shock.
In a bid for full disclosure, he’d opted to discuss his intentions with Billy, and looked forward to his brother’s evaluation of her childhood friend. No doubt, news would travel through the rest of his siblings before the clock reiterated the late hour.
The threat to her life necessitated a thorough evaluation of the boy who, in seeking to further their relationship, had rocked her equanimity. Be that as it may, if Laredo couldn’t handle himself, he couldn’t protect Katt. Inviting him to dinner would allow evaluation in a more relaxed, social setting.
According to his license, Laredo’s build didn’t match the stalker in the woods, which didn’t make him innocent of trying to coerce Katt into an unwanted relationship.
The thought occurred that her old friend might try to force the issue when her defenses were down. When the younger man had answered his cell, the conversation immediately adopted a cool and reserved tone with the direct approach taken. There’d be one shot to evaluate the boy and Matt intended to make the most of it. Pride be damned.
After the dust settled, either Katt would surmise Matt’s suspicion of Laredo’s competence and raise hell, or presume an intended push into Laredo’s arms. The latter thought opened up a black pit of despair to sour his outlook. It would hurt her either way, but the assessment was necessary.
Whether to provide a buffer against hostilities or to witness the confrontation to come, his family arrived fifteen minutes early.
“Matt, you look a little off. You feeling okay?” Katt grabbed the bowl of potato salad from the table and took it outside.
“Yeah, just mentally reviewing the stuff I need to pack.” Once his family seated themselves at the picnic tables, his brothers’ normal banter
held sway. “I’m sorry Abby and Roy couldn’t make it today.”
When the doorbell rang, Katt looked around the table. “Who’re we missing?”
“I’ll get it.” Lexi jumped up and scooted into the house, her dark scowl before closing the screen slider declared Ethan had discussed Matt’s intentions.
He began to question his sanity when she reappeared with Laredo in tow. “We have one more for the table. Move over, Katt. He can squeeze in between us.” She waited until he’d sat and taken the seat beside his childhood friend before handing him a plastic plate. “Here you go. We’re informal here, so, take what you want.”
Her words stuck in Matt’s mind. Ah, no. He ground his teeth until expecting to spit dust, both with Lexi’s seating arrangement and the double entendre.
“We have a special-blend coffee for after dinner. It has a calcium supplement.” Luc smiled at the rest of his brothers. A chorus of smothered coughs filled the silence until Megan’s subtle elbow jab straightened his spine.
The reference to me grinding my molars just earned you a double dose of laxative in your cup.
Introductions and initial conversation detailed each member of the family’s work and significant particulars. When the conversation turned to Laredo, Katt bristled.
“Ray-ray, you’ll have to excuse Matt and his curiosity. It’s a by-product of being the oldest brother.”
“No problem. I’m sure he just wants to make sure all of his siblings are safe.” Laredo’s pointed nod to Katt signaled he’d also picked up on her frustration with their host.
With four brothers and a sister, Matt had endured all manner of pranks and jibes in life. He’d learned long ago to control his temper. “I understand you’re in construction?”
“Yup. I’m heading south to work on a housing division project as construction supervisor.” Laredo’s sidelong glance swept over Katt. “And I’m hoping you’ll join me after your wilderness excursion.”
Katt’s cheeks tinged crimson when Laredo’s hand smoothed down her back. Those black curls, dusted with the sun’s last rays and shimmering like gold sparkles, had sifted through Matt’s fingers the prior evening, their silken strands holding him breathless.
“You’re leaving us?” Kaylee turned to her better half Caden, as if seeking denial.
“But you’re family. You’ve got a job here.” Lexi’s disbelief echoed in the faces around the table.
“I—I haven’t decided yet.”
Sudden silence roared denials and objections left unsaid. Circumstances and common ground had knit her as an integral thread of the McAllister cloth. For a brief second, Matt closed his eyes, assuring himself she’d choose family and not let his ignorance push her away.
“I’m sure there’s just as much work where we’re heading. If not, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you until you’re on your feet.” Wavy blond hair slid to the side when Laredo leaned over and shoulder-bumped his obvious love interest.
Although Matt expected this and more, he seethed inside. For a long moment, he couldn’t find voice to discredit the offer, the words he wanted to utter stuck in another dimension where he was younger, brasher, and reached for what he wanted. “I don’t think the idea of being kept appeals much to Kathryn.” He understood the fierce pride which drove her to work long hours and push herself so hard.
Still, reality crept in—the realization that the younger man stored a lifetime of memories of soothing Katt through her mom’s abandonment, her father’s drunken stupors, and normal teenage angst. Matt offered nothing more than the glitzy façade of an ill-defined, adrenaline-fueled, forbidden attraction.
“I—” Katt hesitated, searching the faces around her.
“Now’s not the time to make that decision, Nugget. Let’s eat.” Matt cringed at the helplessness in her features. He’d done this to her, pushed her to face a decision without preparation.
Further conversation fleshed out Laredo’s plans, his detailed knowledge of the company for which he’d work, along with perks and activities local to the area. He appeared motivated and brash, if not a little full of himself. “Within a year, I’ll buy a home, a nice place in the country. Just like we’ve always dreamed.” The dimpled grin he flashed at Katt received a weak smile.
As if knowing their eldest brother’s sanity unraveled a little with each passing heartbeat, Billy and Ethan shifted the conversation to safer ground while Matt’s stomach twisted into something foreign, something needy and raw.
For months, he’d told himself Katt needed a nice young man who’d want to please her, care for and protect her, someone with whom she could identify and share common ground. Now that he’d appeared, Matt could find no fault.
Conversation drifted with an ebb and flow he couldn’t follow. When Billy nudged his foot under the table, he shook his head free of maudlin thoughts.
“Matt, I’ll tighten your digital security and reroute the options for your home’s controls while you’re gone.” Lexi’s matter-of-fact intervention came as no surprise.
“I’ll stop by in the mornings before work and check on the place,” Ethan added, then served himself some beans before passing the bowl to Billy, who picked up the thread of conversation.
“I can stop by in the afternoon.”
The rest of the evening dragged on with muted smiles and subdued conversation. When his guests began filing out, Matt offered the last salvo, unable to prevent the words which might seal his fate. “Feel free to stop by any time, Laredo. Since Katt’s staying here, I’ve written down the alarm code so you can visit.”
Narrowed eyes and a smile that didn’t reach the younger man’s determined gaze declared the battle unfinished. Laredo took the card Matt offered before pulling Katt in for a hug. “Take care of yourself out there. I’ll be waiting for you. ‘Kay?”
Shit. He’d fucked up. In not trusting her to take care of herself, he’d declared her incompetent and undermined her self-esteem. She’d recognized his motives, written in each tear tracking her cheek, the trembling mouth, and her shoulders that slumped when she turned to head upstairs.
Billy, the last to leave, paused before stepping out. “You dumb sonofabitch. I understand why you invited him, but you’d better fix it. You’ve just sliced her heart into tiny pieces.” On the front step, he glanced over his shoulder. “You deserve to be happy, too, big brother. Don’t forget that.”
The door closing equaled death’s toll.
Each tread up the stairs rammed another nail in his coffin. Pride and integrity dictated he tell her the truth of his intentions to see her safe whatever path she decided to take. The speech in his head confirmed recent facts and the necessity for the night’s actions. It all sounded reasonable until he stood outside her door and heard her muffled sobs.
Billy’s silent accusation and resultant assessment opened a door through which he couldn’t travel. Not with Katt. Hell, he and Katt finished each other’s sentences, enjoyed the same hobbies, and held similar beliefs. He may not have known her as long, but they clicked, they fit.
Instead of risking a refusal, he opened the door. A moment of hesitation arrived on the heels of the realization that she might not have any clothes on. She lay on her side facing the window with the covers pulled to her neck. The little horror curled up on her other side.
Light from the hallway spilled over the foot of the bed. If he could see her eyes, he could judge how to proceed. Rather than vacillate, he stepped forward. “Katt? I—I’m sorry. We need to talk.”
“Go away. I’m sleepy.” The broken hiccup belied her words.
“C’mon, Katt. You know how we talk out problems. There’s always a solution, even if we can’t see it at first.” As if the bed might bite him, he sat on the edge of the mattress and stroked his hand down her back.
“I don’t want to make this decision. I... I can’t.”
“You don’t have to make it now. You don’t even have to make it in a month. Laredo is your friend. He’ll still be your friend six months
, even a year from now.”
“But he wants more.” Another snuffle. She rolled onto her back but kept the covers up to her shoulders.
“What do you want, Nugget? If you’re not sure, don’t jump in a direction for the hell of it.”
“I don’t know. I thought I did, but now, I just don’t know.”
“Then allow yourself the time to figure it out. There’s no limit, no time stamp on friendship. As far as Laredo wanting more is concerned, time will sort that out, too.”
“How did I not see this coming? Why is it such a shock?”
“Maybe because you grew up together and he’s just realizing what it would mean to move away without you.” Similar thoughts crowded his own mind. He’d gotten so accustomed to her pranks and her presence that living without them would make his life a hell of a lot colder.
When she raised her arms above the covers, bare shoulders caught his attention. Oh, hell. He hoped the backlighting from the hallway would prevent her from discerning his expression.
Like a waif seeking shelter from a storm, she curled her body, keeping the sheet over her breasts. Delicate fingers locked behind his back as she pressed closer, indelibly marking him for all time. Her scent curled inside his chest, spreading to engulf his mind in a fog where right and wrong, good and bad, morals and ethics held no meaning.
He could do naught but wrap his arms around her, relieved at the fact she sought sustenance from him. Tumbled hair drifted across his fingers smoothing down her back. The intensity of her sobs when the floodgates opened stole his breath.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” The heat from her body matched his own. Together, they should have created a thermite reaction where she was the metal and he the rust. The result could burn through his home in seconds.
Damien hopped onto the bed and offered a low, eager whine. “Aw, boy. It’s all right. I’m just a bit discombobulated. That’s all.”
A low groan escaped when she reached over to pet the dog’s chest. He sucked in a sharp breath with the quick flash of pale skin, covered all too soon. His body’s reaction at a time of her greatest stress proved his lack of integrity. He didn’t deserve her.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 13
