Unpredictable Risk (R.I.S.C. Book 5)

by Anna Blakely

  “If you still haven’t hit that yet, there’s something seriously wrong with you.”

  Grabbing the door handle, Grant gave his friend a low warning. “Don’t.”

  “What? You’d be a fool to pass up a woman that fine.”

  “Just drive the fucking car.”

  With that, Grant opened his door and got inside. He glanced over at her, his eyes falling on her left leg that had become visible through a slit he hadn’t realized existed. And the damn thing ran the entire length of her leg.

  God, what he wouldn’t give to run his hand along her smooth, toned skin. He could practically feel his fingers slipping beneath the slit’s edge...and beyond.

  His aching cock jumped, and Grant had to fist his hands in his lap to fight against the sudden urge to know what she had on underneath all that red satin.

  It was like a goddamn test. One he was destined to fail miserably. Fuck. Me.

  Coop started the car and began making small talk, but instead of responding, Grant simply reached over to the control panel on his side and closed the tinted and soundproof glass partition.

  “Not in the mood for conversation, I take it?”

  His damn lungs threatened to shut down again just from looking at her. “Not with him,” he growled more harshly than intended.

  Get your ass under control.

  Assuming his lousy mood had to do with Coop, Brynnon’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. “You two remind me of my brother and me when we were younger. Always bickered back and forth, but deep down, we both knew we loved each other.”

  “Speaking of your brother, is he coming tonight?”

  “He’s supposed to. Why?”

  “I wanted to ask him about the bridge.” According to Brynnon, her brother had been in charge of all supply orders at that time, and Grant wanted to see what he could remember.

  “A charity ball isn’t really the place to conduct an interrogation, Grant.”

  “I’m not going to interrogate him,” Grant assured her. “I just have a couple of questions.”

  He could tell she wanted to say more, but thankfully Brynnon didn’t press the issue. Instead she turned toward her window and watched the scenery passing them by.

  What he’d told her had been the truth. Grant had no intentions of grilling her brother, but he did want to gauge Billy’s reaction when he brought up what happened in Afghanistan. See if he showed any signs of guilt. For Brynnon’s sake, he hoped not.

  “When we get there—” Her voice broke through his thoughts— “I’ll have to go straight to the stage to give the welcome speech. After that, it’ll mainly be mingling with the crowd until the dance competition. Once that’s over, we can say our goodbyes and leave.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Also, I thought maybe, as long as you’re okay with it, I should introduce you to people as my date, rather than my bodyguard.” She quickly added, “Strictly for appearances. I just don’t want to spook any of the contributors. It’s hard enough raising the money these kids need. The last thing the charity needs is for people to shy away from attending future events because they think it’s not safe. I spoke with my father, and he agreed.”

  Of course, he did. “Okay.”

  A few more minutes of silence passed before she began talking again. “Derek already ran the background checks on those attending and serving, so I’m assuming that’s a non-issue?

  Grant looked back over at her. “He did, but it’s still very much an issue. If Wright’s daughter was lying and she decides to come after you again, she could use someone else to do it. Just because a person’s record is clean up to this point, doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way.”

  Brynnon worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Jesus, she really had no idea how much he wished it were his teeth doing the biting.

  “But most of these people are friends or acquaintances with my father. His staff, other politicians, and important public figures. There are even a few priests who help out each year.”

  “Most. You said yourself there will be people there you’ve never met before or ones who sign up last-minute.”

  Hating the sliver of fear that had returned behind those emerald eyes, Grant reached over and rested his hand over hers. His dick pulsed again when his knuckles brushed against her bare leg.

  Stay focused.

  “I’m not trying to scare you, Bryn, but if someone wants to get to you badly enough, they’re going to use any means necessary to do so. The truth is, almost everyone has a price or a skeleton in their closet. This is why you have to be aware of your surroundings and make smart choices. For example, you don’t go anywhere by yourself or set your drink down.”

  “What about the bathroom?”

  “Mac, our female operative, will be there. She can escort you to and from.”

  Brynnon drew in a deep, calming breath, her tantalizing breasts rising and falling with the movement.

  Not for the first time, Grant wondered how they would feel beneath his palms. They were so close, and the partition was up. All he’d have to do would be to reach out and—

  “Okay.”

  He blinked, unsure of what she’d just agreed to. For a second, he thought maybe he’d voiced his thoughts aloud—and that she’d just given him permission to touch her.

  “I’ll stick to your side and keep my eyes out for anyone who doesn’t seem to belong.”

  Running a hand down his jaw, Grant looked straight ahead, his only response a hoarse, “Good.”

  For the remainder of the drive, Grant kept quiet for fear he’d open his mouth and say something stupid like telling her again just how badly he wanted her. Or worse, he’d admit to having feelings for her. That shit would open up a whole new can of fucking worms.

  So instead, he remained quiet.

  Seemingly lost in her own thoughts, Brynnon didn’t seem to mind the silence. Of course, that only made Grant start to wonder what she was thinking, filling him with a tailspin of hopes and fears.

  Jesus H. Christ, Hill. Get your shit under control. The thought had barely entered his mind when the car slowed to a stop.

  She looked over at him with a smirk, “Showtime.”

  Coop opened the door on Brynnon’s side, and almost immediately they were bombarded with a barrage of flashing lights. Grant didn’t understand the fascination with politicians and their families, but clearly some held them at almost the same level as famous celebrities.

  With his hand resting protectively on Brynnon’s lower back—something he found himself doing a lot—he did his best to act as a regular date would, rather than a bodyguard. But when one overzealous onlooker slid under the security rope and approached Brynnon for an autograph, Grant’s instincts took over.

  In less than a second, he was in front of her with his hand held out, preventing the woman from coming any closer. Thankfully, the guards at the door quickly escorted the woman back to her place in the crowd.

  “Jesus,” Grant commented under his breath. “That shit happen to you a lot?”

  “Only at events like this or at my father’s rallies. The poor woman probably doesn’t even know who I am.”

  “Well, that poor woman better keep her ass behind the line.”

  Brynnon slid him a sideways glance. With a half-smile, she leaned in and whispered, “Easy, big guy.”

  To both his enjoyment and his dismay, the tempting woman reached back and grabbed his hand, sliding her fingers between his. Grant’s eyes shot to hers.

  She smiled. “Appearances, remember?”

  Goddamn, she was adorable.

  Upon entering the large, historical building, Brynnon guided them over to where a young man was checking in the guests’ coats. Billy and his date came up behind them as they waited for their ticket.

  “Hey, sis. Lookin’ good.”

  Brynnon spun around, a large grin spreading across her face. “Billy! I was hoping you’d make it.”

  After giving him a hug, she pulled back and
tilted her head toward Grant. “You remember Grant.”

  “Of course.” The other man held out his hand. “Glad to see you’re still keeping my sister safe.”

  “About that,” Brynnon pulled Billy down to her and lowered her voice. “I don’t want anyone to know he’s my bodyguard, so we’re pretending he’s my date.”

  “Ah, working undercover. I like it.” Billy gave him a playful wink. “Don’t worry, Grant. Your secret’s safe with me.” Straightening back up, he glanced toward the woman on his arm. “Speaking of dates, this is Victoria. Tori, this is my sister and Grant. Her...date.”

  The bleach blonde Barbie wanna-be completely ignored Brynnon as she locked her sights on Grant. In a blatant display of interest, she let her eyes slide up and down the length of his body.

  With a seductive smile, she held out her perfectly manicured hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  Though he had no desire to, Grant lifted his hand. Before he could make contact, Brynnon quickly grabbed his hand and gave the other woman an obviously fake smile.

  “Will you please excuse us for a moment? Grant and I need to discuss something with Billy...in private.”

  Surprised by Brynnon’s abruptness, Victoria batted her fake lashes a couple of times before curling her red lips into a contemptuous grin. “Of course.”

  To Billy, Brynnon then tipped her head to the side and walked far enough away to ensure the other woman wouldn’t overhear their conversation. Following the silent instruction, her brother joined them.

  Turning his brows inward, Billy commented, “Wow, sis. Rude much?”

  “Like I care,” Brynnon scrunched her face in displeasure. “Where do you even find these women?”

  He shot back with, “At least, unlike you, I’m here with a real date. Do you even remember what that’s like, or has it been so long since you’ve had one of those you’ve forgotten?” To Grant, he smirked. “No offense.”

  Brynnon immediately blushed. Her eyes slid to Grant’s before glaring back at her brother.

  Sensing an explosive retort, Grant quickly intervened. “What do you know about Kunar?”

  Billy stared back at him. Confused, he asked, “The country?”

  “The bridge.”

  Rather than answer him, the man looked at Brynnon. “What the hell? Why are you bringing that shit back up?”

  “A man approached me at the hospital yesterday. He pretended to be a reporter and started asking questions about it. Grant’s teammate used the hospital’s security feed and a face recognition program to figure out his real identity. His name is Charles Wright.”

  Billy looked genuinely lost. “Should that name mean something to me?”

  With a sad expression, Brynnon said, “His son was one of the soldiers who died on the bridge that day. He hired a private investigator,” she continued to explain. “Apparently, that man’s been working on it ever since.”

  “Well, he’s not gonna find anything,” Billy assured her. “All the guy’s doing is wasting his money. That investigation was closed a long time ago.”

  “Wright claims the P.I. found proof that your father’s company used par-standard materials when building the bridge, causing it to collapse under the convoy’s weight.”

  Grant thought he saw a flutter of fear shining behind the man’s eyes, but it was gone before he could be certain.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Billy protested. “We used the same materials on that bridge as all the other ones. The guy’s probably trying to get money or something. Trust me, sis. This Wright character’s just playing you.”

  “It’s not a fucking game.”

  His sharp tone had Brynnon’s eyes rising to his. Grant could tell she didn’t care for it, but right now, that didn’t matter. Her brother needed to know how serious the situation was.

  “Excuse me?”

  “This isn’t about money, Billy.” Brynnon turned her attention back to her brother. “Wright’s daughter has been following me.”

  “What?” Billy frowned.

  Grant explained. “The threat your father received was directed toward Brynnon. Not him. That’s why he didn’t hire security for you.”

  Billy’s eyes widened. “H-how do you know?”

  “She left a bunch of pictures in my mailbox, along with a threatening note,” Brynnon swallowed. “The pictures were of me.”

  “She also came damn close to running her over.”

  Her brother’s eyes shot to his. “You’re serious.” It wasn’t a question.

  “This is as serious as it gets.”

  “Thankfully, Grant was there. He pushed me out of the way just in time.”

  Sweat began beading on Billy’s forehead. “Did you call the police? Have they arrested the crazy bitch?”

  “We went to his house,” Brynnon told him. “I’m not going to go into it all now, but my gut’s telling me neither Charles nor his daughter really wanted to hurt me. I think Charles just wants to find out what happened to his son and the others, and Jessica wants him to finally be able to come to peace with it all.”

  “I agree,” Grant backed her up. “Wright definitely has an agenda, but I didn’t get the vibe he or his daughter actually wanted to harm your sister.”

  With his hands on his hips, Billy asked, “What about the P.I. Have you talked with him or seen any of this so-called evidence?”

  “One of my guys put a call in to him. He’s waiting to hear back.”

  “What’s his name?” Billy’s chest heaved. “I’ll go talk with him right now.”

  “Hank Mitchell,” Brynnon tried defusing her brother’s rising anger. “But he lives in Arizona. Don’t worry, Billy. I know you and Dad would never do something like what Charles is saying. He’s just a grieving father. That’s all.”

  Her brother stared down at her. “You’ll let me know as soon as you find something out?”

  “Of course, we will,” Brynnon laid a hand on his arm.

  Eyes almost identical to Brynnon’s met Grant’s again. Swallowing nervously, the other man asked, “In the meantime, you’ll keep protecting my sister?”

  “With my life,” Grant promised. “Trust me, Billy. My team and I will put an end to all of this.”

  “How do you plan to do that?”

  “By finding out the truth about what happened in Kunar.”

  Visibly upset at the thought of his sister being harmed, Billy pulled Brynnon into a rough hug. “You stay safe, sis. Do whatever this guy tells you. No matter what, you have to stay safe.”

  From over her brother’s shoulder, Brynnon’s eyes met Grant’s. “I will, Billy. I promise. And, hey.” She pulled back. “As soon as we talk with Hank Mitchell and see whatever evidence he thinks he has, this will all be cleared up."

  Billy nodded, even though he didn’t seem convinced. “Bryn, listen. I—”

  “I thought you said this was going to be fun.”

  All three turned their heads toward the source of the whiney, interrupting voice. Victoria approached them, her bottom lip protruding in an exaggerated pout.

  “It is,” Brynnon assured her brother’s date. “Billy, why don’t you take Victoria over to the bar?”

  The man studied his sister a few seconds longer before pasting on his crowd-ready smile and focusing on his date. “Of course. Come on, Tori. Time to let the good times roll.”

  As the two walked away, Billy gave his sister a final, odd glance. One Grant couldn’t quite decipher.

  Chapter 13

  Two hours later, Brynnon had given the welcome speech, they’d eaten a meal that wasn’t that great, but probably cost a month’s pay per plate, and the two had spent far too long walking around the large crowd.

  After introducing him to a bunch of people whose names he’d already forgotten, the pair made their way over to the bar. Grant was sitting on a stool next to Coop while Brynnon, Mac, and Brynnon’s friend, Angie, chatted it up a few feet away at end of the bar.

  Just like at the hospital, Angie or
Mac would glance his way and soon, they’d start giggling like schoolgirls.

  He should probably be annoyed by their juvenile behavior, but Grant found it oddly endearing. Although, he was sure to suffer some hardcore ribbing from Mac later.

  As Alpha Team’s one and only female member, the woman looked about as girl-next-door as they came. In reality, she was one of the best damn snipers he’d ever seen.

  “You talk to the brother yet?”

  Grant turned to Coop. “Yeah. Saw him earlier.”

  “And?”

  “Claims Wright is full of shit and the materials Cantrell Construction used on the bridge near Kunar were the same as every other bridge the company built overseas.”

  “You believe him?”

  Grant sighed. “I don’t know. He seemed taken off guard by the question.”

  “Could just be because it came out of nowhere.”

  “Maybe. Part of me feels like he knows more than he’s saying.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Grant took a sip of his whiskey. Normally, they didn’t drink while on duty, but since Brynnon and her father wanted them to blend in with the crowd, the two men had each ordered one to help solidify their covers.

  “He seemed sort of nervous at first,” he told Coop. “Then again, the guy’s a bit odd, so who the fuck knows?”

  “How’d Brynnon take you questioning her brother?”

  He shrugged. “Fine. Not like I grilled the guy. Plus, she wants to find out if Wright was telling the truth, so there’s that.”

  Coop thought for a moment. “Well, if there’s any truth to Wright’s allegations, D will find it.”

  Grant nodded. “Yeah. I talked with him earlier today. He left a message for the P.I. and is just waiting to hear back. Derek said Trevor also put a call into Ryker.”

  Jason Ryker was the Homeland Security agent in charge of a special task force. He was also R.I.S.C.’s handler and often hired them for ops the government couldn’t officially become involved in.

  “Hopefully Jason can get his hands on the investigation file. That should shed some light on the whole deal.”

  With a nod, Grant and Coop continued to keep an eye on the girls. A few minutes later, they watched as a man about Grant’s age approached them. He was six-one, maybe six-two, head full of dark, brown hair, and a winning smile.