by Zahra Stone
“Man, it’s good to see you!” He hugged me back, bending to accommodate my shorter height.
“You too.” I laughed, genuinely happy to see him. We’d started school together and had somehow managed to take every class together right up until graduation. I’d watched him turn from a tall, gangly teenager into a tall, muscular adult. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, he sported a goatee beard and mustache, and his eyes still held that twinkle of mischief I remembered so well.
“What are you up to these days, Duke?” I asked, sitting back down and taking a sip of my beer. Sliding onto the bar stool next to me, Duke called out his order to the bartender before turning his attention to me.
“Oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that.”
“Still smuggling then?” I grinned. Duke drove a big rig and was happy to deliver anything to anybody provided the price was right.
“Ah now, Katie, let’s not call it smuggling, eh? I’m an entrepreneur. I deliver what people want. I search out the most wanted items and provide them.”
“At a price.” I snorted.
“Of course.” He grinned. Duke had always straddled the line of the law and, so far, had managed to keep his ass out of jail. “So, what brings you back to our fine town?” he asked.
“Work.”
“Still with the cops?” It was ironic that when I’d lived in Maxxan, I’d been a deputy for the Maxxan Police Department, and my best friend was a crook.
“Kinda.”
“One-word answers there, Shelton,” he drawled, tossing some notes on the counter when the bartender delivered his drink.
“Need to know basis, Ellis.”
He laughed. “And I don’t need to know?”
“Exactly.” I gave him a smile to soften the words. But Duke was used to me being tight-lipped about my job. Even when I was on the Police Force here, I never discussed work with him; this was nothing new.
“Ellis!” An overweight, middle-aged man came bustling through from the storeroom out back. “You got that order for me?”
“Sure do, Mack. One carton of red. It’s in my truck; I’ll get it. You got the cash?”
Mack glanced at me, clearly uncomfortable to be discussing business in front of me. “I’ll come out,” he said, flipping up the end of the bar, casting another suspicious glance my way before heading out the door.
“Watch my drink. I’ll be back in a few.” Duke slapped my shoulder a little too hard, then laughed as he walked away.
True to his word, he was back just a few minutes later, carrying a case of wine on one shoulder. He followed Mack behind the bar and into the storeroom before returning, tucking a wad of cash into the top pocket of his shirt.
“So, back to you, Katie, what are you doing drinking out here at Stanley’s? There are nicer places in town.” Duke grinned at me over the top of his beer bottle. Yeah, there were nicer bars in town, and that was where I’d been the night before. And picked up a stranger and had wickedly hot sex with him. It seemed prudent to avoid that bar for the moment.
“I like the ambiance here,” I replied sarcastically, eyeballing the peeling paint and worn carpet.
“You were always such a bad liar.” Duke chuckled. I studied him, and despite the fact we were both a few years older, he hadn’t changed much.
“You ever do any work for Stillwater Pharmaceuticals?” I asked. It had occurred to me that he just might be in over his head with the very people I was hunting given his occupation.
“Nah, I don’t do drugs in any form. I’m more into antiquities and rare collectibles. Plus, they have a contract with a transport company, wouldn’t even look at small fry like me.”
I almost sagged in relief. It would have sucked if Duke had been involved.
“Is that why you’re here? Because of those guys?”
“I can’t talk about it, Duke. But please don’t say anything, okay?” He studied me thoughtfully, then mimed the action of zipping his lips.
“Sorry I didn’t make your grandma’s funeral.” His change of subject had my head spinning, but I was grateful for the change of topic.
“That’s okay. I only came back for the funeral and reading of the will,” I replied, shrugging. I’d flown in that morning and out in the evening. I had no desire to spend any longer than necessary in Maxxan. How ironic that I was now leading the investigation into bringing Ridgeway and Byers to justice back in my hometown.
“That your first trip back, since you know, the…”
“The accident?” I cut him off. “Yes. First time.”
“And you’re okay now, Katie? After the accident?” He emphasized the word; I knew he did it to niggle at me, prod at me to talk about what happened. I tightened my lips and ignored his subtle barb.
“Yes. I’m healed. I still have pain in my shoulder from time to time.” I rotated my shoulder now, felt the twinge from the damaged tendons and bone. The accident had been three years ago. I was as healed as I was going to get. Physically, that is. Emotionally, I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover. Not completely. But I coped by burying myself in work, and like the counselors had told me, time helped. It didn’t change anything, but it made the memories less sharp, less painful. But they were always there, just beneath the surface, and returning to Maxxan was making them difficult to ignore. The quicker we apprehended Ridgeway and Byers, the sooner I could get out of here and bury the past that haunted me.
Chapter Four
I spent a restless night at Rae’s place, tossing and turning in one of the guest rooms, my memories threatening to drown me. At sunrise, I gave up any pretense of sleep and dressed in shorts, a tank, and running shoes. One thing I’d learned was that physical activity, pushing my body to breaking point, was a great distraction technique, and right now, I needed it. Badly.
Despite the early hour, it was already warm outside, but that didn’t deter me. Fire Demons love the heat, hence my grandfather choosing Maxxan to settle down and raise a family. I headed out for my jog, my body falling into a familiar rhythm, my feet kicking up dust that soon stuck to my sweat-coated skin.
I ran for an hour. A blissful hour of nothing but my breath rasping in and out of my lungs, my hair dripping with sweat, my tank and shorts damp with it, but the endorphins pumping through my system lifted my mood. By the time I returned to the house, my head was clear.
Three work vehicles were parked in front of the house, and as I approached, I could read the name of a building contractor emblazoned on the side. Good. The work order I submitted had been approved, and we could set about turning the house into SIA offices.
“You Katie Shelton?” A middle-aged man with a big belly and flushed cheeks approached me with a sheet of crumpled paper in his hand. “Got a rush work order here that you want some work done?”
“Yeah,” I puffed, coming to a halt and wiping the back of my arm across my forehead to stop the sweat dripping in my eyes. I didn’t care that I must look a wreck—my appearance wasn’t of any concern to anyone, least of all me. I took the sheet of paper from him and scanned it. This crew would take care of the construction inside. We’d combine the lounge room and dining room by knocking out the dividing wall and make one big workspace. The den would become executive offices, and Grandma’s bedroom would be an interrogation room.
“You have an electrician on your crew?” I asked, eyes sweeping over the motley gathering of men leaning against their respective vehicles, waiting for instructions.
“Two. Construction-wise, not too much to do, but your wiring needs updating, and I need to take a look at that…does that say ‘cave’?” A stubby finger pointed to the paper I still held.
“It does. There’s a cave beneath the house. We’ll need a proper entrance secured; all doors need upgrading to reinforced steel. I’ve got the alarm people coming tomorrow—you understand you’re getting paid above the usual rate to get this done fast?”
“Sure, that’s why I brought extra crew.” Snatching the paperwork from me, he cru
mpled it in his fist and shoved it into the back pocket of his coveralls. “Boys! Let’s get to it. This is a rush job; it’s gonna be a twelve-hour day.” Groans met this news from their boss, and I bit back a grin. Twelve-hour shifts were the norm in the SIA; these men were soft.
I left them to do their walk-through of the house and turned my attention to the big rig truck rumbling down the drive, honking its air horn. I grinned. Trust Duke to land this job. Turning off the truck, the air brakes letting out a hiss, he jumped down from the cab.
“Morning, Miss Katie. Don’t you look nice?” He grinned, tipping his baseball cap at me.
“Duke.” I smiled, stepping forward to hug him.
“Ewwww gross. You’re all sweaty!” He grimaced, shoving me away, while I laughed. “So. Renos at Grandma’s house, eh?” He nodded toward the house, and I turned to look at it.
So many memories were within these walls, fun sleepovers with my cousins, sad times when Rae was locked away. I was the same age as Rae; I could relate better than anyone to what she went through.
“Yeah.” I sighed, not too sure how I felt about the whole thing. All I knew was that it had been decided the SIA needed a permanent presence in Maxxan, that the town had somehow attracted the attention of the paranormal community and was now a beacon for criminal activity. While I was devoted to the SIA and bringing down Ridgeway and all of those involved in the illegal experiments, did it have to be in Maxxan, of all places?
Duke unfolded a sheet of paper from his top pocket. “So, I have instructions to clear out four bedrooms upstairs, the dining and living room, plus the den. Correct?”
“Yep, take it all.”
“You got a few dollars to spend on replacing all that furniture, Katie?” he asked.
“Oh, come on, Duke, don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you,” I chided. “You know this is SIA funded, that we’re setting up shop here.”
“Yeah, I do,” he admitted, slinging an arm around my shoulders and looking at the house with me.
“I miss her,” he said, referring to my grandma. I turned and looked up the hill to where two headstones sat beneath a tree.
“I do too,” I whispered, feeling my eyes well with tears. Damn it all. Blinking furiously, I wriggled away and wiped my arm across my eyes. “Let me show you what two rooms not to touch,” I told him, heading down the front path of the house, leaving him to follow behind.
Rae and I had agreed to leave two of the upstairs bedrooms as-is for Rae or any family member to use should we need to. Currently, one room was Rae’s, and I was using the other. There were six bedrooms upstairs, two of which would be converted into dorms with bunk beds for SIA staff, one would be turned into a medical bay, and the other for storage. In two days, Duke would be delivering a truckful of furniture and equipment to deck out the house and finalize its transition into SIA offices.
It was chaos inside. The work crew had split into groups and were examining their respective work areas, bitching about the furniture being in the way. Tape measures were whipped out; someone had set up a transistor radio, and music interspersed with static fought for dominance over their voices. After giving Duke a tour and watching as he flagged everything that was to be removed with an orange sticker, I retreated to the kitchen for a much-needed coffee. Downstairs, the kitchen and laundry were the only rooms that would be untouched.
I was waiting by the machine, staring at the tiles, and thinking of nothing when I felt it. A pressure change in the atmosphere. Turning my head, I peered over my shoulder, mouth dropping open when the man I’d been avoiding even thinking about, the stranger I’d slept with, stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
“What the hell?”
“We meet again.” His eyes ran the length of me, from the top of my head to the tip of my toes, and I became painfully aware of my sweaty, dusty appearance. Me? Who didn’t give a damn about what anyone thought, gave a damn what this man thought? What was up with that?
“Are you from the satellite company?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. I’d arranged for a satellite to be installed so we could network with SIA HQ in Redmeadows.
“Nope.” He shook his head.
“Security?” I tried. Along with perimeter alarms and cameras, keypad locks would be installed on all doors inside and outside the house.
“Nope.” One corner of his mouth curled into a smirk, and I knew he was enjoying this. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulled out a wallet, flipped it open, and presented it to me. Inside was a badge. Oh no. Tell me it wasn’t true. I leaned forward to read it.
“Secret Service?” They’d sent the Secret Service on an SIA case?
“Agent Brax Lane. And you are SIA Katie Shelton.” He flipped his wallet closed and shoved it back in his pocket, seeming incredibly pleased with himself.
“You knew who I was?” I demanded, my hackles rising
But he was already shaking his head. “No, ma’am, I did not. Not until I got my orders this morning.”
I stared at him in stunned disbelief, digesting what he’d said. Then the coffee machine beeped, and I turned my attention to it, pouring myself a cup of the strong black brew. I needed it more than ever.
“Mind if I?” he asked, reaching above me to grab a cup down from the shelf. I shrugged and moved out of his way.
Cradling the steaming brew in my hands, I hustled down the hallway and out onto the back deck. This could not be happening. He was a one-night stand. A stranger I had no intention of seeing again. Ever. How could he be here? In my house? Correction, I told myself, in SIA Offices declaring he was Secret Service? I hadn’t been notified we’d be working with them. Pulling out my phone, I dialed.
“Nate—tell me you didn’t send Secret Service down here,” I demanded when my boss answered.
“No choice, Katie,” Nate replied before he muffled the phone, and I heard him say in the background, “Yes, it’s Katie. No, call her in your own time; she’s working. Yes, I’ll say hello to her.”
To me, he said, “Paige says hello.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled, annoyed beyond belief.
“The Secret Service was investigating my chopper getting shot down,” Nate told me, “and given what happened at Stillwater Pharmaceuticals, they requested to assist in our investigation. Which is a polite way of saying they are joining in, like it or not.”
“You could have warned me.”
“I found out literally ten minutes ago. I take it an agent has turned up?” There was amusement in Nate’s voice, and it just fueled my irritability.
“Yes. Only he’s been in Maxxan a couple of days. So, they were planning this before they notified you.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“How can you not give a shit?” My voice rose. “This is our investigation, Nate. Now the Secret Service wants to swoop in and take all the credit.”
Nate blew out a breath. “The more people on this, the quicker Ridgeway is caught and stopped. I’d think you’d want that, Katie, to keep your family safe?”
He had me. Damn it all to hell.
“Fine.” I huffed, disconnecting the call and sliding my phone back into the pocket of my shorts.
The screen door slapped against its frame, and I glanced over to see Duke, coffee cup in hand, heading my way.
“Slacking off already?” Despite everything, I was still happy to see my best friend.
“Refueling.” He raised his cup and clinked it with mine. “What’s up? You look pissed.”
“Work stuff.” I breathed out a heavy sigh. I had no control over working with Brax Lane, but I needed to make one thing clear to him—there would be no repeat of the other night. No matter what the sight of him in his butt-hugging jeans and black T-shirt that molded to his chest and clung to his abs in just the right way did to my insides. He was an itch that I would not scratch. No way. Wasn’t going to happen.
Chapter Five
“Didn’t you say this wasn’t going to happen again?” Brax rolled t
o his side, taking me with him. We were both breathless; our bodies sheened with sweat and in the air the lingering scent of sex.
“It wasn’t. It isn’t.” I wriggled away from his embrace to sit on the edge of the bed, shaking my head at my weakness. It had been a long day, I told myself, and all day he’d been burrowing under my defenses, being nice. Charming even. And all day, I’d been hyper-aware of him—every time I was within two feet of him, the hairs on my arms stood up, my heart beat a little faster, and my lady bits went into overdrive.
My family had turned up to undergo training, as instructed. I’d started them off, and then Brax had taken over, freeing me up to oversee the work on the house.
Now it was late; the workmen had left; the house was empty…it was just the two of us. Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance. A storm was rolling in, matching my mood perfectly, for I was a jumble of emotions. Besides lust, want, desire, was also guilt, remorse, regret.
“Katie.” He heard it in my voice. All of it. The weight of my name on his lips spoke volumes.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for that to happen. It’s on me. It won’t happen again.” I pulled on my clothes, refusing to make eye contact. That’s what had been my undoing in the first place, looking into those melted chocolate eyes, watching them darken into swirling pools of desire. I’d stepped up to him, chest to chest, and kissed him. He’d kissed me back. And here we were, rolling in the sheets in my bedroom.
Snatching up my shoes, I fled, rushing downstairs and out the front door. I needed to put as much distance between us as I could, which meant I had to leave. Temporarily at least. Enough time for him to dress and clear out.
The air outside was hot and thick with the promise of the impending storm. Forks of lightning could be seen in the distance, adding a flair of drama to my hasty retreat. Sitting on the step, I pulled on my shoes, berating myself for what had just happened. What was I thinking? Why did I lose control around him? There were no rules to say we couldn’t fraternize; there was nothing to stop us except for my sense of what was right and what I considered professional behavior. This wasn’t it.
