Down & Dirty_Romantic Suspense Series

by AJ Nuest

  Next would come the clucking about why he would be texting her so late, and she’d no doubt offer an explanation that would include a snide comment about how he had a bug up his ass about Adder.

  No. Drawing any attention to that area of interest was the dumbest move Ben could make yet. Especially where the girls were concerned.

  Watching out for Tanner had become a habit, that was all. Like working out at the precinct or performing the proper maintenance on his gun. He’d been doing it so long, keeping tabs on her had become second nature. And with all the hard memories he’d been struggling to reconcile, was it any surprise paranoia had hijacked his brain?

  The driver pulled into the circular drive outside his lakeshore hi-rise and he offered his credit card toward the front seat. After scrawling his signature along the receipt, he tacked on a hefty tip before stepping into the wall of recessed light that streamed down from the metal awning.

  A push through the revolving door, and he tipped two fingers toward the night security guard sitting behind the front desk. “We good, Frank?”

  “Quiet as a church on Monday.” The guard returned Ben’s greeting with his usual wrinkled smile and a wave.

  But there was a bigger issue than simply standing before the firing squad of all the Dirty Deeds women, and any cop worth half a damn would’ve been able to follow the breadcrumbs through to the resulting bomb of that whole deal. Ben would’ve been a complete idiot if he didn’t at least consider how anything Tanner said would leak straight through Eden back to Kelly.

  Hell, if his best friend ever caught wind of everything he’d been hiding, Ben was sure to have some serious mopping up to do. Though Kelly raising a stink over how he’d been kept in the dark wasn’t about to change Ben’s mind.

  He jabbed the elevator call button and stepped inside as the doors opened with a bing. Bottom line was, as much as he hoped to spare Eden and Kelly the heartbreak of disrupting their wedding, the fewer people within the same time zone as Adder, the better.

  Slipping his key into the lock, Ben twisted his wrist and the panel lit up to every floor in the building. The moment they were wheels up on their honeymoon, that would be two less potential victims in Adder’s sights. Regardless of how irate Kelly got, maximizing the opportunity to get them as far away from Adder as possible wasn’t something Ben was willing to dismiss.

  Shit, if it were up to him, he’d send everyone else along on that same trip.

  His index finger hovered before the 43rd floor of his condo, and he gritted his teeth. To hell with it. He punched the button for the top floor of the lower level garage.

  The simple truth was, wherever the evidence led him didn’t just concern the two of them. Not as of three months ago, when Eden and Kelly had also taken on the responsibility of Trey.

  The car jerked to a stop and Ben stepped off as the elevator slid open. His headlights flashed as he hit the FOB on his keychain, footsteps echoing around the cavernous room.

  That poor kid had already lost one family, and while Ben had the ability, he wasn’t about to do anything that would cause Trey to suffer the same unavoidable heartbreak twice in one year. Or ever, if he could help it.

  A pop of the handle and the overpowering scent of chilled tulips cleared the stench of the strip club from his nose. He’d already done enough time shouldering the torment of what could happen if he talked. Climbing inside, he revved the engine and cranked the heat.

  Losing out on Kelly’s friendship was one thing. Ben doing everything he could to ensure his best friend fulfilled his duties to his newfound family and enjoyed the happiness he deserved was another.

  The familiar scenes of his sleeping hometown shuffled past the windshield, barely registering as Ben hit the expressway off ramp and navigated the streets toward the converted tri-level Tanner called home. Pumping the brakes, he leaned across the passenger seat and peered through the window to get clear shot at her third-floor apartment.

  No lights on. He sat up and faced the dash. Which meant she was either already asleep or still out painting the town red. He drummed his thumbs against the wheel, shifted his eyes over the snow-capped gutters and then scowled at the street.

  And since when had he turned into a stalker? Good Christ Almighty, the woman had made him lose his damn mind. Maybe if she hadn’t figured out how to convict him of treason every time she blinked her devastating blue eyes, he wouldn’t be sitting outside her apartment in the middle of the night, trying to unfuck a situation that was outside his control.

  Wrenching the lever into Park, he hit the hazards, snatched the bouquet and stepped to the pavement. Good thing he wouldn’t be here long.

  The wooden steps running the outside of the building creaked under his weight as he climbed the stairs. Propping the flowers against her door, he reached inside his breast pocket and pulled out a business card and pen.

  I’m not trying to piss you off. I don’t own a vase.

  He tucked the card inside the crinkly green paper, descended the stairs back to the street and returned to the warmth of his truck. Done. He engaged the gearshift and started the drive back home. And best he could do, given the circumstances.

  Even if she read him the riot act, Tanner would either see the flowers when she got in and hopefully text him, or she’d find them when she left to get ready for the wedding tomorrow morning and contact him then.

  Either way, he’d still receive confirmation she was okay, and if he ended up wide awake all night from the wondering, he could always get in some extra rack time before heading over to Navy Pier tomorrow afternoon.

  The chirp of an incoming text accompanied the squeak of his brakes as he pulled into his reserved parking spot under his building, and even though it was anyone’s guess what kind of sarcastic ass-chewing he was in for, he couldn’t help the small smile that tightened the unused muscles in his cheek.

  Tugging his cell from his breast pocket, he pulled the key from the ignition and scrolled through his messages.

  I swear to God, you have got to be the most frustrating person I’ve ever met.

  Mission accomplished.

  He cocked a brow as she continued typing, three little dots bouncing along the bottom of the screen. Another chirp, and he grunted as the second half of her message popped up.

  I’m touched you came back. Next time I see you, remind me to punch you in the face.

  Yep, that sounded about right.

  Thumbs rapping, he fired off a response.

  You just get in?

  More dots to let him know her fingers were in motion, and a third chirp echoed in the quiet of his truck.

  A few minutes ago. Long night, but lots of laughs. U guys have fun?

  Lips pursed, he mulled over his answer, backed out of the window and flipped through the pictures Xander had snapped at the club. Oh, hell no. Ben grimaced and closed the photo app two shots in. Tanner did not need to see what Adder had been up to until all Ben’s other options had hit a roadblock…and then exploded in a ball of flames at the bottom of a steep cliff.

  Kelly seemed to have a good time.

  Narrowing his gaze, Ben paused to search the darkened cars lined up inside the garage. But just because he wanted to spare her the reality, that didn’t mean he had to go out of his way to lie. And it sure as shit didn’t mean he had to cover for the asshole as if they were friends. Adder’s recreational activities were all his own.

  Adder was in rare form. Pretty sure he hooked up with someone right before we called it a night.

  That should handle it. Ben tapped send.

  A long pause followed. No dots, no texts. Nothing but dead air.

  Shit, maybe he’d stepped over the line. Again. He raked his hand through his hair. But Tanner had every right to know what the jackass had been up to. If Adder ever hit on her, forewarned was forearmed.

  Sorry. Practicing walking in my shoes. Good for him, I guess.

  Ben frowned. Walking in her— What in the hell did that mean? Last time he checked,
she handled her shoes just fine. Another chirp, and he read through her message.

  Hate to point out the obvious, but wasn’t tonight supposed to be all about having fun and letting loose before the big day?

  His frowned deepened at her wink emoji, and he opened the photo she’d attached.

  The image flashed across the screen, and his stomach plummeted past the front axle as he got an eyeful of her leaning over a Reddi Whip-filled shot glass, hands clasped behind her back, one clever eyebrow lifted and her mouth wide open as she prepped to down the alcohol off the horizontal plank of some dude’s washboard abs.

  Jesus. Talk about capturing every irritating visual that had been jabbing at his brain ever since he’d learned she’d gone out for the night.

  That guy looks like a real dick.

  His thumbs flew over the letters, and he hit send before he’d fully thought through his response. Her return chirp came back in three seconds flat.

  LOL! You’re funny when you’re jealous. Color me surprised.

  Jealous? A sputter left his lips. Hardly. He couldn’t be jealous of something he’d decided a long time ago he’d be better off without, and he wasn’t about to sit here at zero-dark-thirty and lay out the reasons why in a bunch of stupid texts.

  He’d be better off going radio silent. Shoving open the door, he rolled his eyes, one foot braced on the floor. And in doing so, probably screw up the fact they were finally getting along in the process.

  For the first time since the day they’d met, they were actually communicating without being stuck in the midst of an all-out war. No, not face-to-face, but at least they were having a conversation.

  He couldn’t ignore that. Especially if he wanted her to accept his warnings about Adder, and even more so when it came to whatever she was plotting to do about Trey.

  He hadn’t missed how she’d yet to tell him where she planned to take the case, and there was a good portion of him that was more than a little desperate to find out. He kept her hanging and all the evidence pointed to him being the one left waving in the breeze.

  Christ, women were difficult. And too much goddamn work.

  What’s the matter with your shoes?

  Levering out of his vehicle, he slammed the door and shunted the locks, crossing the garage for the side entrance to the building.

  You tell me.

  She’d attached a second image, and he summoned the rest of his intestinal fortitude before tapping the paperclip to open whatever she’d sent next. Another attempt at getting him to speak out of turn, if he had to guess.

  He stumbled to a stop as a shot of her criminally long legs filled the screen. Ankles crossed. Propped on the arm of her couch. A pair of spiked red stilettos on her feet that made the frigid air inside the garage some insanely good timing.

  Nothing. His cheeks expanded as he expelled all the air from his lungs. There wasn’t a goddamn thing wrong with those shoes. Other than how they had every muscle in his body hard over the thought of what else she might be wearing. He ran his eyes down the stretch of her bare, toned thighs. Didn’t look like much, from what he could tell.

  Fuck, he would’ve loved to get his hands on—

  You still there?

  He jerked and glanced around. Damn, how long had he been standing here?

  Just heading in.

  And since he’d already trampled straight past his usual boundaries, might as well leave things on an upswing for the night.

  Considering whether or not I should make that picture my screen saver.

  He pulled the door open and stepped inside.

  Ha! First jealous, now flirting. We should really text more often.

  He huffed and jabbed the call button, entered as the elevator inched open and then paused as one more chirp vibrated his phone. Damned if another smile didn’t strain his face as a low chuckle rumbled in his gut.

  Night, Ben. Do me a solid and try not to look too handsome tomorrow. I’m still mad at you.

  Chapter 7

  Tanner stood to the side of the full-length mirror, a breath trapped in her lungs as Eden lifted the hood of her white silk cape and settled the fur-trimmed edge to perfectly frame her face.

  An appreciative sigh went up from the bridesmaids as a whole, and Eden laughed as a rosy blush tinted her cheeks. “I wasn’t sure it would work.”

  Mocha pressed an embroidered hankie to his nose, false eyelashes fluttering at the same speed he waved his crimson nails in front of his face. “Baby girl, you’d be stunning in a gunny sack. But this?” Pressing the crumpled hankie to his chest, he sniffed. “You look like you just stepped out of Phantom of the Opera.”

  Tanner had to agree. She grinned and handed Eden her tight bouquet of red roses, following her motions as she leaned forward to check her lipstick in the mirror one last time. Though, in Tanner’s opinion, Eden’s wedding dress was a lot more streamlined than the meringue-tipped gowns flouncing through that era. Classier and more elegant from start to finish.

  Composed of a rich heavy silk, the sweetheart neckline left Eden’s arms and shoulders bare, the seamless bustier cinching her torso and shrinking her waist down to the size of a pencil. Bolts of the same flawless white made up the skirt, each layer draping toward an intricate pattern of iridescent crystals that tricked the eye. As if every move she made puffed a cloud of glittering sunlit snow around her feet.

  The stylist had woven a delicate tiara into her auburn coils, pinning her hair loosely around her head, and with the way the long, velvet-lined cape trailed behind her… Tanner shook her head. The woman made the most beautiful January bride she’d ever seen.

  Eden pivoted to face the room, the tiers of her skirt rustling against the floor, and Tanner bit her bottom lip against the sudden sting of tears as Eden locked gazes with Charlie.

  The two of them were like sisters. They shared a soft smile and a hard knot built at the base of Tanner’s throat. Then again, in some form or another, everyone from Dirty Deeds had become part of the same family. A bloated tear tumbled onto Tanner’s cheek, and she quickly swiped it away before it destroyed the make-up artist’s talents with a brush.

  Yet, of all the women, Eden and Charlie had known each other the longest. Had shared a difficult road filled with the same heartbreaking disappointments that littered Tanner’s past. To find the path they’d walked had led them to this place must’ve been like waking from a horrible nightmare to find the world was, indeed, a dream.

  “Dammit, E.” Tipping her head back, Charlie hitched a breath and rapidly blinked her lashes. “I’m not wearing waterproof mascara. Make me cry, and your Maid of Honor is going to be walking down the aisle like a blond Alice Cooper.”

  Tanner sputtered a watery laugh along with everyone else. Her pulse skipped a quick triple-beat, and she swept the hem of her red dress aside to lean down and straighten a crimp in Eden’s cape.

  Eden and Charlie deserved this joy, and she didn’t begrudge them whatever happiness they’d found for a second. But, for her, being included in a moment filled with such intense meaning also brought a deep loss. Horrible heartbreak she would’ve given anything to fix.

  Somewhere out there, her brother and two little sisters were waiting. Wondering. Had probably given up hope she’d ever keep her promise by now.

  The only thing that would’ve made the day better was if they were here with her. Sharing in this same happiness. Met with open arms and welcomed into the Dirty Deeds family just as she’d been when she’d answered Eden’s ad and finally found the one place she truly belonged.

  Another bloated tear swelled along her lower lashes, and she widened her eyes to keep it from dripping onto Eden’s train. Every reason they weren’t together was because of her. Because of the selfish decisions she’d made. Disappearing inside herself and leaving them to fend for themselves right when they needed her most.

  After so much time apart, they deserved better than her trying to fix what she’d done with a stupid wedding invitation. And they most definitely
deserved better than her handing off her guilt to someone else at Dirty Deeds so they could intervene on her behalf.

  No. She’d already let her siblings down once and she wasn’t going to do it again. As of tomorrow morning, she was diving straight back into Trey’s case, following up on the name of the local gun runner she and Casper had gotten yesterday afternoon and doing whatever was necessary to take him down…even if that meant she had to face off against the whole damn ring.

  No matter what else happened, she wasn’t going to fail in her responsibilities, yet again.

  The outcome was too important.

  Clearing his throat, the wedding planner strode into the dressing room, and Tanner stood as he lightly clapped his hands. “Three minutes, ladies.”

  “Hi, Julian.” They all sang in unison, the same as every other time he waltzed through the door.

  A dramatic gasp parted his lips as he drew up short, fingers splayed over his striped silver tie. “Oh, my God.” Exhaling a wistful sigh, he glanced from face to face. “Don’t you all look gorgeous.” An abrupt flick to open his suit jacket, and he rummaged around inside his fanny pack, pulled out a mini-package of tissues and whisked them around the room. “Final check as we line up. Wrap these around your flowers in case we have tears.”

  Standing before Molly, he twirled his finger and she dutifully spun, the first attendant who would be entering the ballroom on the arm of Kelly’s sixteen-year-old brother, Ian.

  Tanner rolled her lips to hide a smile as the planner fussed, straightening the long red ribbons tied in a loopy bow at the back of Molly’s neck. But it wasn’t like the guy had anything to worry about. Eden had done an awesome job of picking dresses for her bridesmaids that complimented everyone’s figure.

  Sewn from a deep red crepe, Tanner’s dress both clung to her body and also had enough give it wasn’t confining. The long sleeves and plain matte front covered her from collar to floor in a way that was demure, and the huge oval cut-out in the back added just the right smidge of sexy.

  She stepped up as the next in line to be accompanied by Kelly’s older brother, Sean, waiting as Julian primped the curls the stylist had secured to her head with several rhinestone-tipped pins.