by Lori Foster
Dash didn’t intrude. He immediately went back inside but left the patio door open to let in the cooler morning air.
Logan looked at Pepper, saw the anxiety she tried so hard to veil and made up his mind. He handed the phone to her. “I’ll talk to him after you.”
Something shifted in her expression—surprise, maybe gratitude, although she didn’t thank him. She took the phone. “Hey, Rowdy.”
*
ROWDY SMILED while keeping watch out the window. “You didn’t cut Logan’s throat just to get the phone first, did you?”
“He gave it to me.”
“Ah, did he now?” She sounded surprised and secretly pleased. “Wising up, is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Yeah, he didn’t really know, either, but he was glad that she stayed cautious. Logan might have good intentions, but in reality, the best intentions could prove deadly.
As he looked on, officials went in and out of Checkers, a few in plain clothes, others in uniforms. “I might have some good news.”
“I could use some.”
“I heard that Morton is dead.”
A long beat of silence preceded her soft exclamation of “Wow.” And then: “So the bomb got him?”
“That’s what I’m told.” It had gotten a few other people, too, but Rowdy didn’t want to go into that with Pepper just yet. “We might not have to worry about him anymore, but until I figure out who detonated the bastard, I want you to stay put, okay?”
“We can’t hide forever.”
“We can hide a little longer, though, so promise me.”
The smile sounded in her voice when she said, “Do what you need to do, and then come get me. I’ll be here, I promise.”
“Thanks, hon.” Better to get this over with. “Now put Logan on.”
“Love you.”
He knew it, but he never tired of hearing it. “Love you, too.”
A few seconds later, Logan said, “Morton’s gone?”
So he picked right up on that? “That’s the word on the street. Just dumb luck on his part, though. I don’t know who yet, but someone dropped a shitty little homemade bomb into his office. Two inch pipe, gunpowder—and plenty of sharp projectiles. And get this—I’m told it exploded in his face.”
Logan gave a low whistle. “That’d make a convenient mess.”
Exactly what he’d been thinking. “He died a couple hours after getting to the hospital.”
“I’d rather have him rotting in jail.”
Rowdy didn’t care one way or the other, as long as the bastard was gone.
But…death by bomb would work for him. Except that, with all of Morton’s minions around, why would he get anywhere near a bomb? “Will you be able to do your thing, check fingerprints, get a coroner’s statement or something? I want it confirmed that it’s Morton.”
“The medical examiner’s office will want the coroner to send the body for an autopsy. I’ll check on it first thing. Anything else?”
“Morton wasn’t the only one to die.”
There was a beat of silence, then Logan asked, “Who else?”
“No one innocent, so don’t worry about that. The short version is that Morton was trying his hand at human trafficking. A rep was there to cement the deal when shit went sideways. After the bomb, the guy fled the building, and bit a sniper bullet on his way out the door.”
“So that guy dodged the bomb somehow, but died anyway?”
“The plot thickens, right?” Rowdy kept watch on the club while making his way back to his car. “Reese still there?”
“He’s heading out today.”
“Will you be able to stay with Pepper?”
“I’ll have to leave for a while, but Dash will watch over her.”
“You don’t leave until Reese is gone.” Rowdy got behind the wheel and started the old sedan he’d kept hidden at the same place where he’d stowed other necessities for Pepper. “And make damn sure Dash understands—”
“That you don’t trust Reese. I’ll tell him. But it’s not necessary.”
“Gamble with your own life if you want, but not with my sister’s.”
“I take it you do trust Dash?”
Other than Pepper, Rowdy didn’t completely trust anyone, but… “He’s your brother.”
“And that says it all?”
“No, but being a brother myself, I assume he cares for you.” Dysfunctional families existed, but in his gut, he sensed that Dash and Logan were close.
“Yes.”
“And you care for her.” More volatile by the second, Rowdy waited for confirmation.
He didn’t have to wait long.
With a gruff edge to his tone, Logan admitted, “I care.”
“Good.” Now that he was away from the club, Rowdy moved on to other matters. “Speaking of my sister, how is she really?”
A long pause.
“I’m guessing she’s still there with you?” Listening in, drawing conclusions and maybe mooning over Logan—though she’d never admit it.
“No. She went in for more coffee.”
Ah. That made Rowdy smile. Pepper did love her coffee in the morning. “Then why the suspense?”
As if goaded, Logan groused in reply, “You already know there are personal issues between us.”
Personal? Rowdy winced. He really didn’t want to think about that too much. “All right, I’ll let that one go.” After all, they had company in the house, so he didn’t have to worry about Logan using her. “Just know that she’s a lot more sensitive than you might imagine.”
“She hides it well,” Logan said, “but, yes, she’s plenty sensitive.”
And if Pepper heard that, she’d annihilate them both. “I know some people who were dealing with Morton on drugs and guns. I’m going to track them down for a little chat.”
“Meet someplace neutral. Don’t get drawn into a trap by going to—”
“Save the advice, Logan. This isn’t my first rodeo.” In many ways, he and Logan were alike—both take-charge and proactive. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”
“Fine, but remember that you’re to touch base with me before acting.”
Yeah, right. He’d been on his own far too long to start asking permission before doing what he considered right. “If possible—maybe.” Rowdy disconnected the call before Logan could get up in arms about that.
He didn’t bother to tell Logan that after he talked to his sources, he intended to do a little investigation into Lieutenant Peterson and Detective Reese Bareden.
For the foreseeable future, they were both on his do-not-trust list. Until he felt confident that they were honorable, he’d keep digging for the truth.
Someone was running a game; eventually, he’d find out who, and then he’d handle it. It was time to put the past to rest—once and for all.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE SECOND HE STEPPED back into the house, Logan zeroed in on Pepper in the kitchen talking with Dash. By the concentrated look on her face and the pained look on Dash’s, he knew she was interrogating his brother.
It made Logan nuts that she wore only that damned revealing, sexy T-shirt—but he could just imagine how it’d go over if he tried to dictate modesty to her.
He thought of himself as a perceptive man, but she’d really pulled one over on him. He’d bought her shy maiden act hook, line and sinker. Hell, he’d fallen for the shy maiden.
But this persona, the independent and volatile hellcat…yeah, that was even more tempting. With her body, face and “screw you” attitude, Pepper Yates personified every male fantasy. She was a woman comfortable in her own skin, a woman unconcerned with decorum.
His brother and Reese were both honorable guys. That didn’t stop them from being affected by her in-your-face sex appeal, but it did stop them from acting on it.
Speaking of affected…
The chillier morning air left her nipples pebble-hard, noticeable beneath the soft cotton tee. Dash went n
early cross-eyed with the effort to keep from eyeballing her body.
Reese, being less discerning, didn’t bother with any effort: he openly studied her chest and her every on-display curve.
Not that Pepper seemed to care, or even notice. Her dislike and mistrust of Reese was even more pronounced than Rowdy’s.
How could he dismiss that? They weren’t fools; they’d survived by being sharp, by noticing things that others might not.
Logan set his coffee cup on the table. “Dash?”
Grateful for an excuse to escape, Dash pulled his attention away from Pepper. “Yeah?”
“I need you for a minute.”
“Yeah, sure thing, Logan. No problem.” After one last unwilling peek at Pepper, Dash skirted her and the table and came to Logan with a mixed expression of relief and guilt. “What’s up?”
“In private.” Logan caught Reese’s eye, and Reese, the ass, said, “Never fear. I’m nothing if not vigilant. Not that I expect her to attempt an escape in that getup.” He smiled. “At the very least, she’d need…shoes.”
That set off Pepper enough that she left them all, going into the bathroom and shutting the door.
As if that had been his end goal all along, Reese smiled with satisfaction and lifted his coffee cup in a salute. “There you go.”
Logan couldn’t really say anything to Reese without Pepper overhearing, but he shared a look of warning. “I’ll be ready to get out of here in ten minutes.”
“Good.” Reese ran a palm along his jaw. “I need to go to my apartment to shave and change clothes before heading into the station.”
Knowing his brother would follow, Logan went into his bedroom. The walls here were sturdy, but still he kept his voice low. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone today, but don’t let her out of your sight.”
“God Almighty, Logan, that’s going to be tough.” One hand in his hair, Dash dropped to sit on the bed. He pinned Logan with a desperate look. “What if she skinny-dips again? In broad daylight? I already saw too much last night, you know, even when I was trying not to, but—”
“You looked?”
Dash grinned. “It was shadowy, but you know how it is. A naked woman just sort of draws my eye.”
Damn it. His Lothario brother would have to learn to avert his gaze. “I’ll talk to her before I leave.”
Dash gave a mocking laugh. “Yeah, right, good luck with that.”
“I don’t need luck. I need leverage—and I have it.” He had to make sure Dash understood. “Pepper is unpredictable. Everything I thought I knew—”
“Yeah. From what Reese said, she did a major about-face on you, huh?”
“Not entirely.” There were many facets to Pepper Yates. Sensitive, as Rowdy claimed. Also proud and independent. Cautious out of necessity, but also bighearted.
Deep down, he believed her to be the same person he’d connected with. And there had been a definite connection. He realized it, and sooner or later she would, too.
“Be as nice as you can be, but if that doesn’t work, if she tries to leave or get out of your sight…” Logan hated to think it, much less say it, but he had no choice. “Do what you have to do.”
That stalled Dash. “You mean…like restrain her?”
Logan pulled on his shirt. “Without hurting her.” If only he could stay…
“Damn, make this a little more challenging, why don’t you?”
Temper breaking, Logan barked, “Can you do it or not?”
“Yeah, I can. Somehow I’ll figure it out.” Dash stretched as if he didn’t have a care. “You don’t actually think she’ll try to run off, do you? I mean, where would she go? On foot, it’d take her over an hour just to get to town.”
Logan found his shoes and sat beside Dash to pull them on. He had one irrefutable fact on his side. “She’s here because this is where her brother wants her to be.”
“You’re saying for him, she’ll stay put?”
Praying he was right, Logan gave one firm nod. “But keep an eye on her just to be extra safe.”
“Got it covered. Anything else?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck but couldn’t put it off any longer. “Rowdy doesn’t trust Reese. I promised him that I wouldn’t leave Pepper alone with him, so—”
“Fuck me sideways.” Incredulous, Dash half turned to glare at Logan. “Let me get this straight. While you’re gone for this indeterminate amount of time today, I might have to wrangle with a naked woman—”
“No!”
“—while fending off a partner you’ve trusted for years?” Dash lifted a brow. “Am I to make sure I don’t hurt Reese, either?”
Rather than let Dash continue annoying him, Logan took the question seriously. They had been friends for years, and it felt traitorous, but Rowdy’s concern chipped away at his trust in Reese. “I can’t see it happening, but if he gets out of line, then do whatever you have to.”
Mimicking Logan’s mood, Dash sobered. “C’mon, Logan. You don’t seriously think Reese would hurt her?”
“No.” He didn’t want to think it. “But I can’t ignore Rowdy’s gut feeling, either. He says Reese is hiding something.” And given Rowdy’s street smarts, he had to respect his instincts.
Dash waited.
“The more I think about it, the more I…agree. Until I know what’s going on, I’m not taking any chances.”
Done dressing, he stuffed his wallet into his pocket, grabbed up his keys and left the bedroom.
Pepper came out of her room at almost the same time. Tendrils of damp hair clung to her face, so she must’ve washed up.
She looked at him and lifted her chin. “I used your mouthwash, but I need a toothbrush.”
That stalled Logan.
Dash moved around them, opened the hall closet, and offered a new-in-the-package toothbrush. “Here you go.”
She accepted it with an offhand “Thanks,” then thrust a paper toward Logan. “I have a list.”
“A list?” He looked at the paper.
“Of things that I need you to pick up for me.” She leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, watching him.
Condoms were listed as number one.
So she hadn’t changed her mind about that? She waited for his reaction.
He nodded and went back to the list.
Bathing suit, size six; a certain type of lotion, shampoo and conditioner; sunglasses; running shoes…
Dash started to look over his shoulder, so Logan folded the note and put it in his pocket. “If you think of anything else, call me on the cell Rowdy gave me. You have the number.”
“How long will you be?”
“Let’s talk about that.” To Reese, who still waited in the kitchen, he said, “Give us just a minute.” He took Pepper’s hand and urged her out the side door toward the truck.
As soon as they were out of sight of the others, she pulled away.
“Pepper.” With a hand on her shoulder, Logan stopped her from stalking ahead of him. She could and would be as pissed as she wanted, but he wouldn’t let her take any risks. “It could be late before I get back.”
Something close to uncertainty passed over her features. “But you will be back?”
Oh, God, what did she think? That he’d leave her? “As soon as humanly possible.” With condoms on her list, could she have any doubt about that? “How long it takes will depend on what’s happening at work. You know about Morton, so you can imagine all the follow-up I’ll have.” Like seeing the body himself, to determine if it was in fact Morton Andrews. He’d studied that scum for so long, he knew every tattoo, every scar and flaw on his body.
Andrews could maybe fool others, but he wouldn’t fool Logan.
“You have other cases?”
“Usually, but not right now.” It was a sore subject for her, but that didn’t change the facts. “My work against Morton took precedence. As the lead on a small task force, I’ll be able to dedicate my time to that.”
She
nodded in understanding. “I’m glad Morton’s gone, but now we need to know who’s responsible.”
If Morton was gone. He’d have it confirmed beyond Rowdy’s street sources. “I’ll be looking into it, and so will your brother. We’ll get it sorted out.”
“Okay then.” She hugged her arms around herself. “You don’t need to worry about me, you know. I can entertain myself while you’re gone.”
A perfect opening. He tipped up her chin so he could snag her gaze. “It’s how you entertain yourself that concerns me.”
Immediately, she dropped her arms and copped an attitude. “Is that so?”
Even smug, she looked so beautiful to him. Logan stepped a little closer to her and said succinctly, “No skinny-dipping.”
“Until you get back with a swimsuit—”
“You’ll swim in shorts and a T-shirt, minimum.”
Her anger flared. “You don’t—”
“And,” he said, interrupting her, “you won’t even think about giving Dash a hard time. Don’t let his attitude fool you. He can be ruthless, and he will be if you test him.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Spell it out for me, Detective. What exactly will your baby brother do if I don’t toe the line?”
“You don’t have to toe the line. You have to be reasonable.” She started to debate the point, but Logan spoke over her. “I know you’re furious with me.” And hurt, but he wouldn’t say that. “I understand.”
“You do, huh?”
“You’re entitled. No problem.” More gently, he added, “I hope we can eventually work through that—”
She snorted.
Locking his back teeth, Logan sought long-lost patience. “You need to understand that my brother is just helping out. He’s not me, Pepper. It’s unfair to put him in the middle by deliberately making him uncomfortable. And if you push too much, if you deliberately provoke him, you’ll find that he’s more than capable.”
Logan realized that he could be blowing his chance at a repeat performance in the sack. But this was important, so he’d do it anyway.
“News flash, Detective. I’ve been dealing with the king of difficult brothers for most of my life. Dash doesn’t scare me.”
A smile almost got him. “I know.” Before she knew his intent, he stroked her jaw. “But you’ll behave all the same.”
