Knowing she couldn’t stay in Riley’s room all night, she looked both ways before stepping out of his room and rushing into hers. After she placed her dirty clothes in her bedroom, she dabbed on some blush and a light smattering of eye shadow to bring out her green eyes. She lifted her chin and strolled into the kitchen, trying to pretend nothing unusual had happened. Men saw naked women all the time, and she tried to convince herself that it was no big deal.
Keep telling yourself that and you might believe it eventually.
The sweet smell of cheese and tomatoes hit her at once, and her stomach grumbled.
Both men stood next to each other with their backs to her. Riley was taller by a few inches and slightly thinner, but equally as muscular. Both looked military fit.
Gavin was to first to turn around. “Hey. Feel better?”
He didn’t seem to judge her. If one of the men had to walk in on her, why couldn’t it have been him? “Yes. The shower was divine.”
Riley twisted around, and the heat of his gaze landed on her. He stabbed a hand through his longish hair, glanced to the side, then back at her. “Sorry about walking in on you. I had no idea—”
His apology would only make her relive the embarrassment. “It’s okay. Really.”
His megawatt smile lit up every part of his face. He had those boy-next-door good looks that always made her wish she’d been born prettier.
“How about some wine?” Riley said. His eagerness implied he wanted to make amends.
She debated if she could handle the alcohol before eating. “Maybe one glass.”
He ran his gaze up and down her. “You look like the red type.”
“I am. Thanks.” She was pleased he didn’t say he’d drawn that conclusion because both she and the red wine were full-bodied.
While Gavin made final preparations for dinner, Riley withdrew a bottle from the wine rack under the center island. Not sure what she could do to help, she slid onto the stool facing the stove.
Gavin had said she’d spend the night tonight and tomorrow they’d discuss her options, but she didn’t want to wait until then to find out her fate. “What happens tomorrow?”
She imagined they’d drive her to the store in the morning and wave good-bye. The intruder had broken the pane next to the store door. If she swept up the glass, the customers would be able to enter like before.
Hopefully, by then they’d find her a more suitable place to stay. Her house and her sister’s house would be off-limits, but her parents’ farm had a ton of cowboys who could keep watch.
Neither one answered. Gavin set the salad on the counter then shoveled the pizza from the oven. The aroma made her inhale. The pie looked like the type where one bought the crust and then placed toppings on it. He had mushrooms, green peppers, olives, and onions. Yum.
“How about we eat first then discuss our plan?”
“You’re stalling.” Her dad always accused her of speaking her mind.
Riley poured her a glass of wine then retrieved two beers out of the fridge. “From what Gavin tells me, your situation is serious.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. The guy wants me dead.”
“He knows where you live.”
She shrugged. “That won’t get him anywhere. I’m not going home until he’s caught.” Gavin nodded. “But I don’t want to be a freeloader.” A new idea popped into her head that wouldn’t involve her folks or her sister. “How about if I can pay you two to keep me safe?” They were professionals and worked for money.
“We can talk about that later,” Riley said. “Right now, I’m starving and need food.” Riley sat next to her while Gavin stood across from them.
They probably were hungry, so she let them eat in peace, even though his comment smelled of a stall. For whatever reason, they didn’t want her here. She told herself they had other commitments they had to fulfill.
Riley finished three slices of pizza and a large bowl of salad before leaning back. “Just so you know, we boarded up the broken window at your store. Your computers will be safe. Brody Thomas personally came out and measured the window. First thing tomorrow morning, he’ll send in the order to replace the glass.”
She let out a long breath. “Thank you. I can’t believe you did all of that so quickly.” It was cold and dark, yet he’d worked a miracle.
Riley placed a hand on his chest and leaned back his head. “Call me Riley, the sacrificer.”
That made her laugh. “I’ll be sure to remember that the next time I need a white knight.” Had she just flirted with him? That wasn’t her style, but it felt good. Riley even smiled back at her, despite her hair curling every which way.
She wanted, no needed, to regain some control. Her sister told her that men loved to talk about themselves, so when she didn’t know what to say, she should ask them about something they were passionate about. Given the way he organized his closet and his room, she guessed order and control were at the top of his list.
She sipped her wine and twisted toward him. “Tell me your story.” She polished off her slice of pizza.
“My story?”
She waved a hand. “How did you come to know Gavin and end up in Pleasure?”
He glanced at the clock. “There isn’t enough time this evening to regale you with all our antics, but I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version.”
“That’ll do.” She was happy for anything to take her mind off her problems.
“Gavin and I did a tour of duty in Iraq where we were both snipers.”
Her heart hitched. “You killed people for a living?” Crap. “That was insensitive, I’m sorry. I’m sure you were only following orders.”
“It’s okay. I get that a lot. And yes, we did kill people, but only the really evil ones.”
He winked and her image of a hero formed, but after what happened tonight, she didn’t want to learn any more about the horrors of war. “Did you both decide to go into the detective business because you served together?” Understanding their relationship might help her learn what made them tick.
He nodded. “It made sense given our military training, but I hooked up with Gavin in particular because he saved my life. If it hadn’t been for him, I’d be dead.” Something inside told her not to ask the details of the heroic deed.
Gavin rubbed his chest. “Aw, shucks. ’Twas nothin’.”
His quick glance at her implied the theatrics was all for her benefit. She appreciated he wanted to make her laugh. “Why detective work? You could have been cops, right?”
He shrugged. “Victims need an advocate. We have the skill. Why not use it for good?”
Wow. That was some speech. His tone didn’t imply he wanted to toot his horn, but rather he wanted her to know him better. “I agree.” She looked up at Gavin. “You said there were six of you.”
“Two of my college buddies, Mason and Liam, had their own agency in Bozeman. We thought we could serve more people if we joined forces. Since they already lived in Pleasure, it made sense that we had another headquarters here.”
Neither must not have lived here long, or she would have run into them. Just knowing there were others in his firm who could help find the bastard brought some comfort. “And the last two?”
“Dylan and Gabe served with us in Iraq.” He stuffed the last slice of pizza in to his mouth as if it was a signal the question-and-answer period was over.
She didn’t know them either. When she finished her glass of wine, Riley picked up the bottle and waved it. “More?”
She held her hand over the glass. “No thanks.” She inhaled and stood. “I need to call my parents and sister. If they learn what happened from someone else, they’ll freak.”
Faster than a snake could strike, Riley clamped a hand lightly on her wrist. “Don’t give them many details.”
A spike of anger rippled up her body. “Why? They need to know if they’re in danger.”
Riley bit his bottom lip for a few seconds. “This man—the killer—may no
t be working alone. He might send someone to pretend to sell something to your parents or sister, and they might innocently mention the murder.”
Her shoulders slumped. “You think this guy will try to dig for information using my family?” Her dinner slid up her throat, forcing her to clutch the granite slab.
“Brooke. If this guy is a drug dealer, he’ll stop at nothing.”
“Way to scare me even more.”
Riley’s hand slid from her wrist to her hand to squeeze her fingers. “I’m sorry. We want to make sure you understand the severity of the problem.”
She did understand—or so she hoped. “Fine. I’ll tell them I saw a guy with a hoodie kill someone. Even though he broke into my store, I was too scared to see his face.”
Riley let go and nodded. “Good girl.”
His words of encouragement helped. Being with the men at dinner and hearing their tales allowed her to see their more human side. Anyone who served was not only brave but a person of conviction. There was no greater sacrifice than a willingness to protect the United States.
“Thanks for all you do and all you did for me.”
Both men stood straighter acting as if they were about to salute her. “It was an honor,” Riley said.
Once more, she wasn’t sure how to respond, so she averted her gaze. She checked the clock above the stove and noticed it was already after ten. Darn. It was too late to call her folks. If her parents had heard of the murder, they would have called her for sure.
“I’ll speak with Mom, Dad, and Ceci tomorrow after I’ve had a good night’s sleep.”
Gavin nodded. “That’s smart.”
She pressed her lips together. The adrenaline rush that had kept her up had dissipated. “If you don’t mind, I’ll head to bed. Good night.”
Gavin walked around the counter. “Is there anything we can get you?”
A warm body and a hug? “No. You’ve done more than any two men would have done for a stranger. I can’t thank you enough.”
* * * *
Gavin watched her trudge down the hallway. Poor girl. He waited until the door closed before facing Riley. “I wish there was something we could do to help her feel more at ease around us.”
“Walking in on her only made her more self-conscious. Christ. I was so floored to see this beautiful woman walk out of the bathroom that I actually joked with her.”
Gavin dragged a chair around to his side and sat. “She didn’t take it well, I guess.”
“No. I think someone did a number on her when she was young.”
He didn’t understand why. “She’s smart, ambitious, brave, and beautiful.”
Riley shook his head. “Too bad she doesn’t see it that way.”
Gavin chuckled. “Since when did you become Mr. Psychologist?”
He cocked a brow. “I never told you, but when I was maybe thirteen, I was skinny and had no interest in school.”
Gavin grabbed another beer from the fridge. “You think you’ve changed since then?” One thing about their friendship, they could always joke with each other.
“Funny, but the fact is I saw myself as a loser.”
“Why? Because your brother was a basketball star and you weren’t?”
“Yeah, and I was more interested in guns, war games, and science. My classmates called me the loser, younger brother.”
“Ouch. Speaking of siblings, Brooke mentioned a sister. You ever run into her?” If Gavin had, he didn’t know she was related to Brooke.
“As a matter of fact, I did one time, only I didn’t connect the dots until I learned Brooke’s last name. Where Brooke has brown hair, that delicious olive skin, and those amazing sexy, green eyes, her sister is tall, lithe, and delicate.” He shrugged. “Not really my type.”
“You meet her at Mountain View or something?” He only wanted to know in order to get a better feel for Brooke’s family.
Gavin admitted he was intrigued by her, but the detective side of him knew that the better he understood her, the easier time he’d have of protecting her. Gavin wanted to be able to anticipate any unexpected moves.
“Yeah. I was with Gabe and he tried to talk with her, but she brushed him off.”
“That doesn’t sound like they grew up in the same family.”
“You can’t tell me your sisters and you are anything alike.”
Riley had a point. Something had been niggling at him since they’d first met her, but the timing hadn’t been right. “A little off topic. I know the timing sucks, but after this guy is caught, what are your thoughts about asking her if she’d like to be with both of us?” He never acted this quickly in regards to a woman, but Brooke was different, and in a good way.
Riley chin tucked in. “I’m all in.”
He wanted to assess his intentions. “Because she’s hot?” He held up a hand. “I’ve got to warn you, she may not be a neat freak like you.”
Riley shrugged. “Granted, I need to keep things in order, but do I ever bitch at you when you don’t clean your bathroom or pick up?”
“No.”
“Then it doesn’t matter what other people do, but to answer your question about Brooke, I like her more than for her looks. For starters, you know my opinion on anyone who has the guts to run his own business. Secondly, she seems to have recovered quite well, given someone tried to kill her. That appeals to me on many levels.”
“True. Brooke’s quite remarkable. So what are our chances with her?”
Riley cocked a brow. “As of right now? About zero.”
Damn. That was not what he wanted to hear. “Why?”
“Dude, she’d scared.”
“I’m talking about after the guy’s caught.”
Riley shifted in his seat. “From the first moment we met her, I could tell she was a woman of substance.” He narrowed his brows. “I hope you’re not thinking of just fucking her only to walk away. With a woman like Brooke, you’ve got to go into this with a long-term frame of mind.”
“Who are you? And where’s the real Riley Landon?” In the past, Riley loved to share and then get out.
He shook his head. “Brooke is different. She’d not the fling type.”
True. “So, are you in or not?” The classy, highly educated women usually couldn’t handle their lifestyle.
“Hell, yeah, I’m in. Good luck getting Brooke to agree though.”
Gavin smiled. “Leave her to me.”
“Just don’t mess it up in case she fancies me.”
That’ll be the day. “Now that we’ve settled the issue of our future, let’s get back to the immediate problem. We need to figure out a way to get this guy before he kills Brooke.”
Riley nodded and leaned his elbows on the counter. “We’re basing our plans on the fact we’re dealing with a hardened drug lord, so we’ll need the autopsy report to make sure there were packets of drugs in the victim’s stomach.”
He figured that would be the first step. “That could take days depending how booked up the staff is.”
Riley briefly raised his eyes to the ceiling. “This is Pleasure, dude. How many autopsies do the docs do in a day? One?”
“You have a point.”
“One thing is for sure. Brooke can’t go anywhere without us.”
Gavin was glad Riley and he were on the same page. “Agreed.”
“How about I head to Bozeman tomorrow and see what the cops have on the case and you watch her?”
“Works for me. Stop by the Bozeman office, too, and make sure to fill Liam and Mason in with the newest development.”
“Can do.”
The door down the hallway opened, and Gavin listened to see if she was okay. Footsteps moved toward them.
Brooke appeared, holding out her phone. Her face was ashen and her body shaking. “I just got a call from my neighbor.”
Gavin wanted to cradle her and erase the look of dismay, but she might not welcome the overture. Clearly this wasn’t the ordinary how-are-you call. “What did your neigh
bor say, baby?” He forced any aggression out of his tone.
She glanced at her cell as if the message was written on her screen. “Dolores, that’s my neighbor, said there’s a man who’s been sitting across the street from my house for the last hour.” She sniffled. “Is he waiting for me to come home?”
His body shot to high alert. “Did she call 911 already?”
“No. She said she heard about the incident from her friend who works at the hotel. Dolores wanted to know if the man was my bodyguard. She had no idea I wasn’t even home.”
“Fuck.” He faced Riley. “Stay here with Brooke.”
She looked up at him with the most beautiful doe eyes. Her glasses had slipped down her nose, and the urge to kiss her silly grabbed him, but he refrained. He had to focus.
“What are you going to do?” Her voice cracked.
“I’m going to talk with the guy.” With my gun.
He rushed into his bedroom and pulled out his SIG Sauer from the gun safe. After he strapped on his holster and secured the weapon, he tugged on his coat. “Bastard.” He strode back to the kitchen.
“Be careful,” she said.
“I will. Now get some sleep.” He sent her healing thoughts.
Gavin ran out, determined to stop this guy. He had Justin’s number on speed dial, and he’d call if need be. Until he got a look at this watcher, he wouldn’t panic.
As much as he didn’t like leaving Brooke, she’d be in very competent hands. Riley would see nothing happened to her. As soon as he got in his car, he slid the gun out of the holster and placed it on the seat for easy access. If he had been positive the Peeping Tom was the killer, he’d have brought his sniper rifle.
The five-mile drive seemed to take forever. It was pitch black, but at least the skies were clear. He slowed as he neared her street, and debated how he wanted to play this. If Justin had a clue as to the make and model of the killer’s car, it would have been so much easier.
The smartest approach would be one of surprise. He parked on the side of the road past her street. With his SIG and Maglite in hand, he turned off the overhead cab light and eased out, leaving the door ajar for a fast reentry.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Bodyguards of Pleasure [Pleasure, Montana 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
