Take a Risk (Risk #1)

by Scarlett Finn

  ‘We’re coming in,’ Hoburn’s voice came down the line. ‘You did good.’

  The line died and she looked at Suzette, who was gazing down at Pete. ‘Honey,’ Lyssa started, moving toward her. ‘Are you ok?’

  ‘All this time,’ Suzette said.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’

  Noise of police entering the front of the house, echoed up the stairs, but Suzette shook off her confusion to look at Lyssa and whisper. ‘He put the gun down to free you so that you could talk to them, just like what happened. I had managed to loosen my bounds, I grabbed the gun.’

  Lyssa nodded once just as the SWAT team came through with their guns raised and both women raised their hands.

  No one else tried to shoot at them. The activity was focused first on the two static bodies in the living room, but it was quickly established that they were in fact deceased. Colt had entered after the SWAT team with Hoburn. Before the detective had a chance to ask anything Colt demanded that both women were checked out by the paramedics, who were parked up outside.

  Activity remained constant, Lyssa was given the all clear by the EMT’s, just as Suzette was, and then Hoburn started in on his questioning. Her statement was taken down, but she would be called into to the station at a later date to confirm all of the details and sign off on it. As promised neither she nor Suzette mentioned Rushe to the cops. Only after Colt came back to her side did Lyssa have a chance to breathe and absorb the melee of people surrounding them, each with their own purpose.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ This was her first question to Colt. She knew that when he started in on his own questions she would never get the chance to say anything.

  ‘Ruger is with Suzette,’ he said. ‘Shooting someone can shake a person up, especially when you kill them, so I asked him to sit with her for a while.

  ‘And Blaser?’

  ‘With Bri, her brother was arrested today, so she’s going through a difficult time herself. But I called him to let him know what was going on while you were giving your statement.’

  It was good that Blaser was showing Bri he could be there for her in a time of need. But if Bri knew that Gary had shot Blaser she may suspect that his motives were anything except pure.

  The crowd of cops and other professionals was thinning, a crime scene team were in her house documenting everything, and so she was left out here on the opposite sidewalk, unable to do anything but watch troupes of people going in and out of her house gathering evidence.

  ‘Rushe shot him,’ she murmured, still staring at her home.

  ‘What?’ Colt asked, coming nearer while sliding his hands to the back of her neck to pull her close.

  ‘Rushe, he appeared from nowhere. Pete was about to let me talk to the police, he was going to let me try to negotiate. Then Rushe came in and boom, Pete was dead… Rushe asked us to say that he wasn’t there and Suzette jumped at the chance to take responsibility.’

  Letting her eyes wander to his, Lyssa absorbed his concern and his surprise at her confession. ‘She probably feels responsible… for trusting Pete,’ Colt said.

  ‘How did you know it was him?’ she asked. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I couldn’t tell you,’ he said. ‘If I had then there was a chance your actions or body language would have let him in on your knowledge that he was responsible for what was happening to you. I didn’t want you to feel compelled to tell Suzette either, this way you didn’t have to lie to her.’

  ‘But how did you know?’

  ‘When I figured out that the pictures were taken from above I knew that the person responsible had to have some tech skills and that narrowed down the list of possible suspects for me. You remember the morning after the shooting? When I called you a genius and ran out on you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘That was when I realised that the pictures were taken from above, from the public camera network. Figuring out who had access to that system was harder. Tracking down the details of those who could have illegally accessed the city camera system meant calling in a favour from an old friend.’

  ‘And that was what told you it was Pete?’

  Shaking his head, he took her hand and led her to the furthest point from the house within the cordon, far away from listening ears. ‘Ruger got Pinch onto tracking down who purchased the camera from your bedroom and where the feed was going to. I didn’t know for sure until I cross-referenced both sets of data, once I did I got our guy.’

  ‘The night you were installing security?’

  ‘Ruger and I went into Harding’s place and found the last of the confirmation evidence after I’d been in your office,’ Colt said. ‘The only thing I hadn’t got as far as establishing was why he was doing it. I still don’t know what his motives were.’

  ‘He was gay and in love with one of my patients. When they split he went to a conversion camp that promised to straighten him out. I would say that whatever chemicals they gave him, coupled with the brainwashing and counselling… he just lost it. No doubt there was a pre-existing mental illness, one that probably made it difficult for him to come to terms with who he was. In a lot of ways, he was a victim too.’

  ‘Yeah?’ Colt said. ‘Please don’t tell me that you feel sorry for the guy?’

  Through the crowd came Suzette and Ruger so they hushed their conversation. Her best friend was still teary, but Ruger supported her under his arm and brought her across the sidewalk to Lyssa. As soon as they were close enough, she dropped Colt’s hand and went straight over to give Suzette a hug.

  ‘Oh honey, how are you doing?’ Lyssa asked. They hadn’t seen each other since they were side by side in the ambulance. The cops had taken their statements separately and there had been no time to offer her support. ‘I’m so sorry about all of this.’

  ‘I should be apologising to you,’ Suzette said, mustering a smile that was for Lyssa’s benefit when they broke their hug. ‘All of this time, and everything that you went through and… I gave him access to you, I… I told him things that he must have used against you, or to get close to you. I told him about that guy being unhappy, Lee, I was the one who told Pete about Archie ending your session and… now both of those men are dead.’

  ‘This is not your fault,’ Lyssa said. ‘I’m just so pleased that it’s over and no one got hurt… Well… I mean except…’

  Suzette had lost her fiancé. The wedding plans were still in place and just a few hours ago Suzette had hopes that she would be walking down the aisle toward a man whom she now knew was gay and never really interested in marrying her. Suzette had been through a lot and would probably need some counselling of her own.

  ‘I’ve told Suze that she can stay at my place,’ Ruger said.

  ‘You move fast,’ Colt said.

  Ruger’s lips curled up and he draped an arm around Suzette again. No doubt her friend took comfort in the consoling gesture. ‘I’m heading out of town for a while, she can stay in my place while she gets herself someplace else.’

  ‘It’s not like I want to go back to Pete’s place,’ Suzette said. ‘I really do appreciate the offer.’

  ‘That will work out well, I suppose,’ Lyssa said, slipping an arm around Colt’s waist. ‘I’ll probably be spending a lot of time over there.’

  ‘I doubt it,’ Colt said, countering her arm with his own and lowering a cheek onto her head. ‘Being that I’ll be living in your house with you.’

  Stepping back, Lyssa looked up at him. ‘Will you?’

  ‘No reason not to,’ he said. ‘We’ll end up moving in together anyway. There’s no time like the present, I’m not going to let you dither on this. I love you.’

  The man did have a point and she was glad that he was as open to being communicative as she was. ‘We’ll have to stay at yours until all of these guys are out of my place.’

  ‘A night or two at most,’ he said. ‘It will give me time to pack.’

  ‘What will Blaser say?’ she asked.

  ‘Good riddance, no doub
t,’ Ruger interjected.

  ‘What happened to Rushe and his girlfriend?’ Suzette asked, breaking the lingering smile that she and Colt were sharing.

  Everyone took time to look around, but there was no sign of the couple. ‘It’s typical of them to do their work and then disappear,’ Ruger said. ‘Which is something I should think about doing too.’

  ‘You be careful,’ Colt said to his brother. ‘Call me when you get where you’re going.’

  Ruger nodded then sighed down at Suzette. ‘I’ll take you to pick up your crap from Harding’s, then give you a ride to my place.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said.

  The women embraced again making plans to see each other at Colt’s apartment later after Suzette was settled in. The brothers did a complicated handshake and shared a man hug, then Ruger took Suzette away.

  ‘I hope that Blaser is ok,’ Lyssa said, watching Ruger and Suzette disappear around the corner where Ruger’s vehicle was parked.

  ‘He’ll be fine as long as he gets things straightened out with Bri.’

  ‘And if he doesn’t?’

  ‘Are you kidding? Now that we have you in the family I doubt there will be many relationship troubles, or secrets, left in our family.’

  He began to guide her away from the house and she figured they were heading toward the city to find a cab that would take them back to his place, she was thankful of that. She was hungry and wanted to sleep in the arms of the man she loved… maybe after a little quiet – or not so quiet – private bonding time.

  ‘I know that I don’t know them very well yet, but your mom worries about Ruger the most, that’s what I gleaned from her. I don’t think that she’d ever say it because he’s so proud of acting so capable.’

  ‘We all worry about Ruger the most,’ Colt said. ‘But he’s a smart kid and he knows what he’s doing.’

  They got away from the scene and were walking toward a busy street, somewhere they would be sure to get a taxi. ‘I can’t believe it’s over.’

  ‘I’m just sorry that you had to go through it at all,’ he said, pressing a kiss to her head.

  ‘I had to go through it,’ she said.

  ‘Had to?’

  ‘If I hadn’t I would never have found you,’ she said. ‘The chances of me wandering into Risqué on my own were pretty slim.’

  ‘We should buy Miguel a gift,’ Colt said, pulling her closer. ‘Something to say thanks for hooking us up.’

  ‘About that,’ she said. ‘How about instead of seeing the damsels you intend to save at Risqué, you start seeing them at the house?’

  ‘Your house?’

  ‘Our house,’ she said. ‘We can finally get around to remodelling the top floor.’

  ‘I thought that was for when you planned to have kids,’ he said.

  ‘Which will work out perfectly.’

  ‘It will?’

  ‘You can babysit during the day while I see patients, and I’ll take over the responsibilities at night when you’re prowling… They have three aunts and uncles who will be more than happy to take their turn looking after them.’

  ‘Three?’

  ‘Suzette will be like an aunt, Ruger can babysit while he’s in town, and Blaser will enjoy spending time with them as well.’

  ‘Blaser? With kids?’ Colt said as though he had never considered this.

  ‘He’ll have time to warm up to the idea,’ she said. ‘We’ll have to spend some time practising how to make them while the renovation work is going on. I don’t want to be pregnant in a house full of dust and construction workers.’

  They continued walking to the end of the block and she thought her presumptuousness might have freaked him out, but he had gotten away with it when deciding to move in. ‘You want to have kids? With me?’

  ‘I want to have kids with you.’

  ‘Man,’ he sighed, linking his fingers between hers. ‘My mom’s going to love you.’

  ‘If you’re not sure about us then—‘

  ‘I’m sure,’ he said, pulling her to a stop at the edge of the sidewalk to bring her around to face him. ‘I plan to get down on one knee, I think I started considering it the night that we met.’

  She laughed. ‘I plan to say yes.’

  ‘Good,’ he said, unable to contain his smile. ‘You took a helluva risk coming to me in Risqué that first night. But I’m glad that you did.’

  ‘You,’ she said, pressing herself close. ‘Were definitely a risk worth taking.’

  Pushing onto her tiptoes she traced her lips on his, he surged down demanding more from her and her craving to be ensconced in his apartment, alone, burst within her. Grabbing his hand she broke the kiss and ran into the street to stop the first cab she saw.

  Practising baby-making was an excuse to get naked with him and she would take it. Being one with this man, now that all of the drama was over, would bring her peace. Her life had a new direction, but now that she had Colt she knew that she would never be alone on her journey again.

  Thank you for sharing this adventure!

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  Coming this summer from Scarlett Finn…

  Fighting Fate

  Chapter One

  Idiots.

  The word kept going around in Ivy Dune’s mind while watching the five men sitting on velvet couches in the rounded window area of this Vegas hotel suite.

  Seven women danced and drank with the idiots. Either the females were strippers who were hookers, or hookers who stripped. They had to be one of the two because there had already been some fondling and some oral, on top of the floor show.

  When Ivy had taken on the role of private attendant at the GoldSpring Hotel she had expected glamour. Her illusions about that were quickly shattered. The role was physically demanding, there was lots of running around required, she was up and down stairs, and heavy lifting every day. Anything the customer wanted, they got, and it was her job to ensure that they did.

  She had ended up attending more idiots like these than glamorous starlets or millionaire businessmen, but this gang took the cake. They snorted cocaine from the false breasts of the hired escorts and took shots from their cleavages; leaving chaos and carpet stains in their wake without a care or consideration in the world.

  Everything that happened here stayed here, and the rule was that so long as no one was brandishing a weapon anything went. She stayed at her post, inside the suite, as the guest had requested her to do. But as she stood at the door observing events unfold, the men drank more and more, getting gradually more intoxicated.

  All except one of them. The black-haired male who sat closest to the window held a heavy crystal tumbler on the high arm of the couch with his fingertips. The Scotch in that tumbler had barely been touched, none of the others noticed his disinterest or cared that the man wasn’t indulging like they were.

  Ivy stayed here, in her position, hoping that she’d be excused very soon. Her shift ended in less than an hour, and right now she was counting the minutes. The black-haired male had kept looking at her, and now he was openly staring. Ivy tried to keep her focus straight ahead and just ignore him. Except her eyes would insist on sliding back to his, and every time they did she caught him watching her with his electric blue eyes, that were so crisp and clear she could absorb their intense colour from away over here on the other side of the room. Something about those eyes was fascinating, but she couldn’t figure out what their fascination was with her.

  ‘You! Maid!’ The sandy-haired man, next to the black-haired man, snapped his fing
ers at her so Ivy crossed the room to attend him.

  ‘Yes, sir?’

  ‘Have a drink,’ he said, raising a bottle of tequila and sloshing it on her shoes.

  ‘No, sir, thank you.’

  ‘Coke then, come and take a line.’

  ‘No,’ she said, maintaining her neutrality. ‘I’m still working.’

  ‘What time do you finish?’ he asked, then waved a hand. ‘Doesn’t matter, I’m the guest, I’m always right. Take off your shirt.’

  ‘No, sir.’

  ‘Don’t be a party pooper. I’ve always wanted a naked maid,’ he said, grabbing her arm and hauling her onto the couch.

  She stumbled forward and landed on top of the sandy-haired man, with her face in the lap of the black-haired man. The sandman smacked her ass, then grabbed the hem of her skirt, but Ivy scrambled away before he could pull it up.

  Back on her feet, she began to retreat. ‘That’s unacceptable behaviour,’ Ivy said. The other men and women laughed.

  ‘Do you know who I am? I’m Trystan Stark. I have more money in my wallet than you’ll make in a lifetime!’

  An angry, disrespected man high on drugs and with an audience was a volatile thing. ‘Just take your shirt off,’ one of the girls chirped as if it were no big deal, though at the moment all that female wore was a trail of playboy jerk drool over each of her nipples. The other girls began to jeer along.

  Trystan turned to the black-haired man. ‘Can you believe her?’ he said.

  The black-haired man elevated his arm to look at the watch on his wrist under his cuff-linked shirt. ‘Her shift ends in thirty-eight minutes. If you want me to do something about her attitude it will have to wait until her colleagues think she’s gone home.’

  Making a threat without using a single negative word was quite a feat, but he’d just achieved it, and without even bothering to look at her.