Justin closed the gap between them. “No. Calling 911 was the best thing you could have done. If you had stopped, whoever was chasing you would have killed you, too.”
Justin tapped Tom on the shoulder and motioned him to the other side of the room for some privacy. Most likely he wanted Tom to fill him in on any further information. Gavin was glad Justin didn’t ask Brooke to go over the details again, as retelling the story might upset her further.
After a short conversation, both Justin and Tom approached her. This time, Justin sat in the chair across from her. “Your storefront window will need to be replaced. Do you have property insurance?”
Her chest caved. “Yes, but it could be weeks before I can get someone to install a new one.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God. With the window gone, anyone can walk in my store and steal my computers.” She sat up and the blanket slipped from her shoulders.
A strong urge to help grabbed Gavin. Without asking his cousin’s permission, he strode past the empty holding cells and ducked into Justin’s office. He pulled his cell from his pocket and called his roommate.
“Yo.”
“Hey, Riley. We have a situation.”
“Hit me.”
He told him about the murder and Brooke’s store window being smashed. “The killer was trying to prevent her from identifying him. Seems he’ll stop at nothing.”
“Christ. What would she like me to do?”
“Understandably, Brooke’s not thinking clearly right now, so how about giving Dylan and Gabe a call? Ask if they can stop at the hardware store and get some wood to place over the pane for the time being.” Dylan and Gabe weren’t working on any other case at the moment, so they’d have time.
“Thomas’s Hardware closes at nine. I stopped by there a couple of nights ago.”
It was close to nine now. “Then call Brody Thomas and tell him it’s an emergency. If they’ve already shut the doors for the night, he’ll open up for you.” They’d met Brody and his two roommates, Evan and Sparks, at The Mountain View their first week in town and had hit it off with those three right away.
“I’m on it.”
“While Gabe and Dylan are checking everything out, watch the store. No telling who might decide to pick up an extra monitor or computer.”
“Roger that.” He disconnected.
Happy to have taken that burden off Brooke’s shoulders, Gavin returned to her.
Justin looked up at him. “Everything okay?”
“I asked Riley to round up Gabe and Dylan. They’re going to see about boarding up her storefront to prevent theft.”
Brooke reached out and touched his hand. “Thank you. That store is my life.”
He failed to ignore the rush from her touch. “I know.” He’d asked Justin about Brooke after he’d bought a few items from her. His cousin said she rarely left the store, which might explain why it was so successful. “I figured you had enough on your plate.”
She drew in her bottom lip and his balls hardened. Damn. What was wrong with him? He debated heading back home, as this wasn’t his case, but he never could leave a woman in need.
The front door opened and Lydia, Justin and Tom’s wife, breezed in wearing her nurse’s garb. She stilled, her gaze going straight to Brooke. “Oh, Brooke. I heard what happened.” She rushed over and sat on Brooke’s other side. “Are you okay?” Lydia dragged a hand down her arm.
Brooke nodded. “I am, now that I’m safe.”
Gavin bet Brooke appreciated having a friend nearby.
She set her now empty coffee cup on the floor in front of her and looked back at Justin. “Do you have an idea who this murderer might be?”
“I’m afraid not. Since the victim is from Bozeman, the police there will most likely be working the case. We’ll help where needed.”
Brooke checked under her seat and the chairs next to her, as if she’d lost something, then jumped up. “My purse. I left it back at the store.” She glanced between Tom and Justin. “Could one of you walk me over there?” She shifted from side to side.
Gavin’s mouth opened before his brain sent the signal. “I can drive you over.” She’d freeze if she walked even a few blocks.
Her weak smile cut straight to his gut.
Justin moved in front of her. “Brooke, before you go, I want you to understand that with the murderer on the loose, you can’t go home.”
Chapter Two
The sheriff’s words didn’t quite register. Brooke dropped back to her seat and clutched the blanket. “What do you mean I can’t go home?”
Justin looked over at Gavin, though she had no idea why, then back at her. “That man killed someone,” the sheriff said. “He knows you saw him and believes you can identify him.”
“But I can’t.”
“The killer doesn’t know that.” Justin raised his brows. “I bet you could if you saw him in a lineup.”
She concentrated, and the image of beady eyes, a stubby nose, and broad shoulders formed. “Maybe.”
She slouched back against the seat, her mind reeling. “Then I’ll stay with my sister.”
Gavin stepped forward. “If I may.” Justin nodded. Gavin crouched in front of her, his gaze boring deep within her. “Brooke, if the man who murdered this Chris person is anything like the criminals I’ve dealt with in Denver, he’ll already know your name and possibly where you live, and it won’t be a stretch for him to find your sister, too.” She sucked in a breath. “I’m not telling you this to scare you, but to let you know what you’re up against.” He glanced down for a moment as if it pained him to tell her more. “Do you really want to put her in danger?”
Her heart rattled against her ribs. “Why are you doing this?” Her parents lived on the edge of town, too. Would the criminal find them? This was worse than any nightmare she could ever imagine.
“I’m trying to help. I know how overwhelming it can be to witness something this horrific and feel helpless to stop this person.”
She wasn’t ready to learn if he’d suffered a similar fate. Her gaze bounced around the room. There had to be someplace safe she could go without putting anyone in jeopardy. Think. She kept an air mattress in her office that she often used when she needed a quick nap, but then pictured herself asleep at the store and having the man break another pane, and then rushing in wielding a gun this time. Fear sliced up her spine.
“What do you suggest I do?” She glanced to the empty cell. “I’m not sleeping at the station.”
“You can stay with me.” His body stilled as soon as he spoke the words, and she waited for him to retract them, but he didn’t.
“I don’t even know you.” Sure, he was good-looking, but that didn’t mean he was safe.
“You know I’m not the killer. I was here when you saw that man.”
Justin nodded. “Gavin’s my cousin. He runs a detective agency with five other men. If there’s any place in Pleasure where you’ll be safe, it’ll be with him.”
“This is crazy.” There had to be another option, but too bad none came to mind.
No one said anything for a moment as if they wanted to give her some time to sort through things. She refused to put anyone else in danger. “I’ll stay at the hotel.” It would put a large dent her savings, but her safety was worth it.
“I wouldn’t chance it,” Gavin said. “Anyone could rent a room for the night, go upstairs, and break into your room without anyone taking notice.”
He seemed to be able to shoot down every viable solution. “Why do you want to help me?” He didn’t know her, and while the good folk of Pleasure went out of their way to help those in need, Gavin was new to town.
“I know you’re in trouble and I want to help.” He exhaled. “You’ll stay in our spare bedroom at least for tonight. Tomorrow we can figure something out.”
Her mind wasn’t functioning as well as she’d have liked. This man took control and acted like he knew what was best. If he was a detective, hell, maybe he did know where it was safest.
“Okay, but I’ll need to pack a few things.” She didn’t relish sleeping in her sweat-stained blouse.
“Sure. No problem.”
Justin stepped over to her. “It’s for the best, Brooke.”
Easy for him to say. This whole situation sucked. Her very safe, normal life had gone poof in a matter of seconds, and she felt violated to the core.
Gavin placed a hand on her shoulder. “Is the back door to your shop open?”
She pressed her lips together, trying to remember. “It has to be if I rushed out to the alley.”
He smiled and his whole face lit up. Aha. She remembered now. He and she had discussed computers for quite some time. He’d wanted some rather specific cables that she had to order. How could she have forgotten someone like him? It must have the recent chaos that had disrupted her brain.
“How about I collect your purse and jacket? That way you won’t have to go out in the cold since you aren’t dressed for it.”
That was highly considerate of him. “That would be great.” She told him where she stored her things. “Could you also grab my phone? I kind of dropped it when that man broke the front window. It should be in the office.” My very messy office.
“Sure.”
The moment he disappeared, Brooke felt the absence of her new ally. Connie, who was still sitting next to her, rubbed her hand. “You know I would offer for you to stay at my place, but I don’t have a spare bedroom.”
“That’s okay. Besides, I couldn’t ask you. If this guy is as horrible as Gavin makes him out to be, he’d come after you, too.”
Connie nodded.
Lydia said she had to get back to work and gave her a hug. “Call me anytime, and please take care.”
“I will.”
After Lydia kissed Justin and Tom good-bye, she rushed out. A few minutes later, Gavin returned with her ski jacket and pink leather purse slung over his shoulder. The silly image brought a smile to her lips. “Pink is your color.” She turned to Connie. “What do you think?”
Connie grinned. “Absolutely.”
Gavin stuck out his leg in a mock pose and tossed back his head, but he quickly straightened and sobered. “Ready?”
Not really, but she didn’t want to stay at the station any longer than necessary. “Yes.”
Gavin nodded to Justin. “Let me know if you hear anything.”
“Sure thing.”
Brooke handed the blanket back to Connie and slipped on her jacket before relieving Gavin of her purse. Knowing he was Justin’s cousin put some of her jitters to rest.
As soon as she stepped outside, the cold air seeped into her bones, but thankfully he’d parked at the bottom of the steps. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked down the three steps to the sidewalk. She couldn’t tell if it was out of politeness or if he feared she’d slip. Regardless, his caring touch meant a lot.
Gavin held open the door of a large SUV. “Your ride, my lady.”
That made her smile again. She slid in and immediately put on her seatbelt. The inside smelled like new leather, a scent that comforted her.
Her fear had yet to dissipate and she instinctively checked the street, half expecting that maniac to be standing across the way, grinning at her and waving a knife. Despite the area being deserted, her pulse barely lowered.
Gavin hopped in. “Where to?” He turned up the heat.
“I live in Pleasure’s Peaks.” She gave him quick directions. He nodded and pulled onto the road. For the next few minutes, she was content to mentally go over the horrific events, hoping she’d missed some vital fact that might be useful, but her mind refused to cooperate. Finally she gave up and leaned back her head.
Then she focused on what she needed to pack. The problem was that the sheriff said she couldn’t go home until the criminal was caught. Not knowing how long she’d be gone, packing the right stuff would be difficult.
Then there was the issue of staying in a strange man’s house. She expected to be more nervous than she was, but perhaps it was because this man oozed confidence, charm, and concern that her internal alarms weren’t going off. Her parents had not brought up a fool, however. Learning a bit more about him would be a good idea. “You said you lived in Denver?”
“Uh-huh. I ran a detective agency there with three other guys for a number of years.” He glanced over at her. “It’s smart, you know, to find out who I am.”
She appreciated that he thought her apprehension was warranted “Then tell me about yourself.”
She so sucked at small talk. When growing up, her very tall, thin, and beautiful sister excelled at all things social. Guys constantly called Ceci but never expressed any interest in geeky Brooke. Her whole life, she’d tried to dress like Ceci and even act like her. Brooke had even perfected the art of appearing cool and detached on a date like her sister, but it never worked.
Brooke even took the bull by the horn and asked men out. Oh, sure, they agreed, but eventually, the men saw through her sham and lost interest.
Ask her to build a computer or connect a network and she was in heaven. Make her cozy up with a guy who was hot, tall, and sexy as hell, and she’d ask to be shot first.
Gavin glanced over at her as he headed out of town. “I have two brothers and three sisters.” He inhaled and then swallowed hard. Was there a secret there?
“Where are you from originally?”
“I went to college at the University of Colorado, but I grew up in Baltimore.” He glanced over at her then turned his attention back to the road. “After I finished my second tour of duty in Iraq, I, along with three of my fellow servicemen, decided to start our own company in Denver.”
His entrepreneurial spirit appealed to her. She told herself her questions weren’t to check if he was date material, but to make sure he truly was an upstanding guy. Right.
She twisted in her seat to look at him. He had a straight nose, a strong chin, and was more handsome than anyone she’d ever seen in Pleasure. His good looks were what made her uncomfortable, not his background. Sure, he was nice now, but she bet he’d be scrambling to find a place to stash her after tomorrow.
His comment finally registered. “Why did you leave Denver and come to Pleasure? Moving here had to be a huge life change from the big city.” Maybe some event had precipitated it.
“My family asked me that same thing.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I wanted a simpler life. Two other college buddies of mine had a two-man operation in Bozeman. They, along with my three co-owners decided to join forces. Seems they felt it was time to get out of the fast lane, too.”
“You live if Pleasure, right?” Damn. She should have asked. She didn’t want to be far from her store.
“Yes. Actually, I live only about five miles from you.”
She sank back into the seat. “But why Pleasure?” It was a such small town. She grew up here, so she understood what a wonderful place it was, but to the outsider, it was a blip on the map.
He shrugged. “Real estate was cheap here, and Justin had been singing Pleasure’s praises for years. We do business in Bozeman as well as Pleasure, though the Pleasure part of the operation has yet to take off.”
She liked his upbeat attitude. “Justin said you were a detective. What exactly do you detect?”
He laughed, and the deep rich sound rumbled straight to her belly and stirred something inside her that felt like lust.
“We mostly investigate crimes the police are either too overloaded to handle or have gone cold.”
That was an odd job description. “What if a woman wanted you to follow her husband to make sure he wasn’t cheating on her, would you handle something like that?”
“Absolutely. We’re a full service organization. You pay, we get the job done.”
Oh, crap. Here she thought he was a nice guy who wanted to help a woman in need. Her mind had been so fractured that she hadn’t asked how much he’d charge for his services. She’d discuss what she o
wed when her mind cleared. “So protection is also on your list of services?”
He glanced over at her and winked. “It is now.”
Good thing it was dark or he’d see her heated face.
Gavin turned down her street. “Nice area.”
Her parents didn’t want her living in a neighborhood that wasn’t safe, so they’d lent her a large down payment for an upscale home. Their generosity motivated her to work extra hard to make her store a success, so she could repay them.
Most of the homes in Pleasure’s Peaks sat on at least two acres. While several had wrought iron fences surrounding their property, she hadn’t had the time or money to get one installed. Now she regretted not putting one in. At least the former owner had outside lighting, some rimming her roof and some at the base of trees.
As soon as Gavin pulled into the drive, she unlocked and pushed open the car door. He shot out from his side, came around to her door and held out his hand. His extreme care must come with an ulterior motive. Sexy men didn’t rush to help her. “I’m not injured.”
He wiggled his fingers and she placed her hand in his anyway. His touch sent a delicious shiver up her spine. What was wrong with her? She thought she’d become immune to hot men. So much for thinking.
“I know you’re not.” As soon as she stood, he let go.
Keeping her head down to protect her face against the biting wind, she raced alongside him toward the front door and then fumbled through her purse for her key. When she located it, she unlocked the door and stepped inside.
He stayed her with a hand. “Stay here. I want to check out the place.”
Her heart pounded. “You think he could be here?” she whispered. She jammed her hands in her pockets and squeezed her arms close to her body.
He turned toward her and gently clasped her shoulders. “Brooke. Remember when you saw the man sticking his hand in the victim’s gut?”
She closed her eyes for a moment. The image would stay burned in her brain for life. “Yes.”
He tipped up her chin to get her attention, and she opened her eyes.
“If I had to guess, I’d say Chris Culver was a drug mule, and his killer was his handler.”
Monroe, Melody Snow - Bodyguards of Pleasure [Pleasure, Montana 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
