“Horny?” Finn supplied, cringing when James shot him a death look. “Hey, I don’t blame you. She was hot in high school.”
“She was still a bitch,” Grady said.
“You’re the one that was considering sleeping with her five minutes ago,” Finn reminded him.
“Yeah, but I would’ve gagged her first,” Grady said, an impish grin on his face.
“Good to know,” Finn smiled back.
James had a feeling his brothers were never going to let this go. He was relieved when a bell jangled, alerting them someone had entered through the front door of the business.
James got to his feet, fixing Grady and Finn with a pointed look. “While you two continue doing whatever it is that you’re doing, I’m going to actually go and help a paying customer.”
“It could be Ann,” Grady warned for good measure.
James cringed but squared his shoulders. He wasn’t about to let his brothers see him run from his big high school mistake. He couldn’t hide his relief when the woman he saw standing uncertainly in the lobby clearly wasn’t Ann.
James took a second to look her up and down. She had long, blonde hair and big, blue eyes. Her cheekbones were high, making her face beautiful despite the worried look that was splashed across it. She was about five feet, five inches tall, with a narrow waist and toned legs. If she wasn’t a potential client, she was exactly the type of woman James would be drawn to. He’d made a rule a long time ago not to get involved with clients. It just messed everything up and made things too complicated.
“Can I help you?”
The woman seemed surprised by his voice, jumping noticeably when he stepped into the lobby. When she caught sight of him, their eyes meeting for the first time, her face broke into a wide smile. There was something familiar about that smile, but James couldn’t quite place what.
He moved closer to the woman, extending his hand to her as he did. “I’m James Hardy. Can I help you?”
The woman put her small hand in his, shaking it uncertainly. She still hadn’t spoken.
“Are you lost?” James tried again.
The woman bit her bottom lip. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
James wracked his memory, but he couldn’t put a name with the beautiful face. “I’m sorry. I don’t. Have we met?”
The woman forced out a harsh laugh and glanced down at her hands. “I don’t know why I thought you would remember me. It’s stupid really.”
James kept the welcoming smile on his face, but he was less certain inside. He couldn’t help but be sure that, if he’d met this woman before, he would remember her. She didn’t have a face that was forgettable – or a body, for that matter. Up close, not only were her legs long and trim, but the blue jeans she was wearing were snug enough to paint a clear picture of what was under the denim. The V-neck shirt beneath her canvas jacket was also proof that the breasts, currently hidden beneath a layer of cotton, were pretty spectacular, too. No, he definitely would not be able to forget this woman. “I’m sorry; you might have to remind me.”
“My name is Mandy,” she said, finally lifting her eyes up to meet his again. “Mandy Avery.”
Two
James lifted his dark eyebrows in surprise. Mandy Avery? This couldn’t be Mandy Avery. Mandy Avery wore jeans that were too big for her and hoodies that could fit him and still have room for another person inside. Mandy Avery was cute and shy. Mandy Avery was not … well, she certainly wasn’t the beautiful woman standing in front of him.
Mandy bit her lip and shuffled uncertainly as she regarded James. He didn’t look all that different to her. He was still tall, a few inches over six feet. His shoulders were broad, his hips narrow. He obviously still worked out, if the biceps poking out from under his rolled up sleeves were any indication, that is. His hair was a little longer than she remembered, shaggy almost. It fell over his furrowed brow in a delightfully attractive way.
Mandy shook herself. That wasn’t the reason she was here. “I … um … Ally told me where to find you.”
James snapped out of his reverie. “You’re still in touch with Ally?” He would’ve expected his sister to mention something like that.
“We just got back in touch actually,” Mandy replied. “I was surprised when I found out she was living down here. We had lunch together yesterday and she mentioned that you guys ran a security business here in Macomb County.”
James smiled warmly as memories of Mandy’s crush on him flooded back. Maybe she’d sought him out to bring that crush to reality? He could certainly deal with that. She wasn’t a middle-school girl anymore that much was clear.
“She suggested that you guys might actually be able to help me,” Mandy continued, wringing her hands under James’ studied gaze.
Mandy’s words penetrated the weird haze encumbering James’ mind. “You need help? My help?”
James was having trouble believing that the cute, little thing in front of him could possibly have need for his brand of help. Maybe it was just ego, but he was still laboring under the assumption that this was all a ruse to get him to ask her out.
“Oh, sure,” James said, smiling slyly. “Why don’t you come into the office?”
James ushered Mandy into the next room, motioning to the open chair next to Grady. He was surprised when Finn and Grady moved toward Mandy excitedly.
“Mandy Avery?” Finn greeted her with a wide smile. “Wow, you look great.” He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her warmly.
Mandy returned the hug, and the welcoming smile. “Hey, Finn. You look the same, except for the hair. Is that a military thing? I heard you joined the Navy after high school. You’re doing this now, though?”
James bit the inside of his mouth. Finn was only two years older than Mandy, so he’d been in school with her longer. It made sense that she knew Finn better. Still, he hadn’t warranted a hug – not that he wanted one.
Once Finn took a step back, Grady replaced him and forced another hug out of her. This one bothered James more than he wanted to admit. Grady had only been in high school with Mandy for one year. They were hardly close. Wait a second, James mentally chided himself. Why was he even worried about this? That was just ridiculous.
“Mandy Avery,” Grady said, separating from her reluctantly. “You grew up hot.”
Mandy smirked. “So did you,” she said. “The hair is a nice touch. It makes you look dangerous.”
“That’s what I’m going for,” Grady admitted, sliding back into the chair he’d vacated and running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. “The women love a bad boy with long hair.”
Mandy raised her eyebrows. “Is that what they tell you?”
“That’s the truth, baby,” Grade said, his smile seductive. “You can find out if you want.”
James cleared his throat uncomfortably. “She’s a potential client.”
Mandy shifted her gaze to James, trying to get a read on him. He seemed uncomfortable, although she couldn’t figure out why. She hadn’t even told him why she was here yet.
“What’s wrong?” Finn asked.
Mandy moved to the open chair beside Grady and sat down, rubbing her hands in her lap nervously as she regarded the three suddenly serious faces in front of her. “This is probably going to sound weird,” she admitted.
“Is someone stalking you?” Grady asked.
“Why would you naturally assume that?” James chimed in, the look he shot Grady unnecessarily harsh.
“Look at her,” Finn supplied. “Who wouldn’t stalk her?”
Mandy’s face colored under Finn’s compliment. It made James remember the shy girl trying to flee Ann’s wrath in the hallway eleven years before. It only made her more appealing. Dammit!
“I don’t think it’s a stalker,” Mandy hedged. “I’m not quite sure what it is.”
James sat down behind his desk, watching Mandy warily. She was clearly worked up about something – and it unfortunately wasn’t him. “Why don’t you start
from the beginning?”
Mandy twisted her hands in her lap as she nodded. “Well, the thing is, I’ve had a feeling someone has been watching me for about two weeks,” she explained. “I have no real proof, just a feeling. I kept telling myself that I was imagining it.”
“But something happened?” Finn prodded, putting his hand on Mandy’s shoulder to comfort her.
James suddenly wanted to slap that hand away, but he kept his face placid. “Why don’t you give her some air, Finn?”
Finn glanced over at his brother and raised his eyebrows in silent question. Something unspoken passed between them, but Finn finally removed his hand and took a step back so he could lean against the back wall. He had no idea why James was such a bundle of nerves, but it was an interesting phenomenon. As the eldest sibling in the family, he’d always been the even-tempered one. He didn’t seem so even-tempered right now. He seemed like he was ready to jump into action to fight some enemy only he could see.
James kept his gaze trained on Mandy, ignoring the obvious curiosity being exuded by Grady and Finn. “Did something happen?”
Mandy shifted her gaze between Finn and James uncertainly. “Um, well, I was leaving court the other day … .”
“You’re a lawyer?” Grady interrupted.
Mandy blew out a sigh. “No. I’m a clerk in the county courthouse,” she said. “I work with Judge MacIntosh.”
“He’s got a good reputation,” Finn supplied.
“He’s very nice,” Mandy agreed. “Anyway, I stayed late to get some work done, and when I was in the parking lot, well, someone tried to run me over.”
James straightened in his chair. “What do you mean someone tried to run you over?”
“Did they just not see you?” Finn asked. “Was it dark?”
“What were you wearing?” Grady asked.
The energy in the room was suddenly intense, which made Mandy uncomfortable. She felt like she was being smothered with questions, but she answered anyway. “It was just in a gray suit,” she said. “I’m not sure why that’s important. It was dark, but the parking lot is pretty well lit. I’ve never had a problem before.”
“Are you sure they were trying to hit you?” James asked pointedly. “Are you sure it wasn’t just an accident?”
“I have trouble believing it was an accident,” Mandy replied. “It would be nice, but they actually forced me to jump in some bushes to get out of the way. That doesn’t seem like much of an accident.”
“No,” Grady agreed.
“And then, when they couldn’t get their car to go up on the curb … .”
“They followed you up on the curb?” James was alarmed.
“Um, yeah.”
“Did you call the police?” Finn asked.
“I did,” Mandy replied. “They said there wasn’t much they could do without a license plate. I think they thought I was a bit of an alarmist.”
“Do you know what kind of car it was?” Finn asked.
“Just that it was a dark, four-door sedan,” Mandy answered. “I wasn’t really paying attention. I’m sorry.”
James was still processing Mandy’s story. She really was in trouble, which was a blow to the part of his ego that thought she was making up a story to get to see him again. He was all business now. “Is that all that happened?”
“Isn’t that enough?” Finn asked.
James ignored him. He didn’t know why, but he got the distinct impression that Mandy still had more to her story.
“There is one other thing,” Mandy admitted.
The brothers waited for her to continue.
“The day before yesterday, when I got home from work, the door to my apartment was open,” she said. “Someone had been in my apartment.”
James felt dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. “Are you sure you didn’t accidentally leave it unlocked?”
“I never have before,” Mandy replied, her face going cold as she regarded James. “I don’t know why I would start now. I don’t make it a point to try and be stupid if I can help it.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything,” James said. “I just wanted to make sure.” He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like the dark look she was casting in his direction.
“Was anything missing?” Grady asked the question of Mandy, but his gaze was focused on James. What was up with him?
“I don’t think so,” Mandy said, shaking her head so blonde waves cascaded around her shoulders. “The only thing disturbed was my office.”
“What do you keep in your office?” Finn asked.
“Not much. Books. Work stuff. Personal files.”
“How was it disturbed?” James asked.
“The files were spread all over the floor,” Mandy replied. “I don’t think anything was missing, but it’s hard to tell.”
“Do you have criminal files there?” James pressed.
“A few,” she replied. “Only ones that I didn’t have time to type up at the office.”
“Have you been present for any bad cases lately?” James asked.
Mandy shrugged noncommittally. “Define ‘bad’. We see a lot of bad cases every day. It’s circuit court. You don’t get to the circuit-court level unless you’ve done something pretty bad.”
She had a point, James realized. “Is there anyone you can think of who would want to hurt you?”
Mandy considered the question. “I’ve been trying to think about that very thing, but I just can’t think of anyone. I was telling Ally about it at lunch yesterday, and she said I should talk to you guys and see if you have any suggestions. I don’t want to be scared but, well, I’m kind of scared.”
James leaned back in his chair. This wasn’t the kind of job they usually took. This was someone they knew, though. He didn’t see the harm in checking it out.
“Well, let’s start with letting me have a look at your apartment,” he said. “We’ll run some background checks on the people at the courthouse and go from there.”
Mandy was surprised at his response. “Really?” Relief washed over her.
James smiled. “Really. Why don’t you wait for me in the lobby? I’ll be right there.”
Mandy got up, saying a quick goodbye to Finn and Grady, and then exited the office. Once she was gone, James fixed his attention on Grady. “Why don’t you see what you can find out at the courthouse,” he suggested.
“Why me?”
“Because those gossipy secretaries on the county level are going to love your hair,” James replied. “You’ll be able to charm them out of information – and maybe find a date at the same time. Isn’t that a win for you?”
Finn snickered, causing James to turn to him. “Why don’t you run a background check on Mandy and see if you can find anyone in her past that might be a threat to her.”
Finn nodded thoughtfully. “I could go with her and check out her apartment,” he offered.
James frowned at the suggestion. “Why?”
“I want her to feel safe,” Finn replied evasively.
“I want her to feel safe, too,” Grady chimed in. “Maybe I should stay at the apartment with her. You know, just so someone doesn’t try to break in while she’s asleep. I could even stay in the bed with her to make sure she’s really safe.”
James bit the inside of his mouth to cut off the curt response lingering on the tip of his tongue. “I’ll check out her apartment.” He was on his feet and moving toward the office door, but he didn’t miss the knowing look Finn and Grady exchanged.
“Okay, bro,” Grady said. “You make sure she’s safe.”
“He’s the one she’ll probably feel safest with,” Finn added. “He was the one she always had a crush on.”
Grady caught on to Finn’s game quickly. “Didn’t you ask her out when you were a senior, Finn?”
“I did,” Finn acknowledged. “Alas, I don’t think I was the Hardy brother she was interested in.”
James stiffened. “This is a job,” he reminded his brothe
rs. “Nothing else. I’m going with her so she doesn’t have to put up with you two hitting on her all afternoon.”
Finn held up his hand in defeat. “I wasn’t suggesting anything.”
“I was,” Grady said with an evil smile.
James cuffed the back of Grady’s head. “I know you’re having fun,” he said. “She’s a client. We’re here to make sure she’s safe. Once she’s safe, we’re done.”
James moved out of the room, leaving Grady and Finn to their dirty thoughts. Once he was gone, Grady smirked in his brother’s direction. “If she’s a client, why didn’t he make her sign a contract?”
“Or talk about money,” Finn added.
Grady pursed his lips. “I’m thinking James might have finally realized she’s not a little kid anymore.”
Finn nodded. “I think he noticed that the minute he saw her. This might be fun.”
“It would be more fun if I was the one she had a crush on,” Grady lamented.
“I hear that,” Finn agreed.
“Still, it’s wrong to push him on this,” Grady cautioned. “He might Hulk out or something.”
Finn’s smile was wide and eager. “I would never tease him.”
Grady forced the smile from his face. Kind of. “Me either.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
The brothers rested in silence for a second.
“Twenty bucks says he has her naked inside of a week,” Grady said.
“Fifty says it only takes him three days,” Finn countered.
“You’re on,” Grady said, extending his hand for Finn to shake.
Three
Mandy gave James her address before leaving Hardy Brothers Security just in case they got separated during the drive over. James programmed it into his GPS, but he followed Mandy closely as she traversed the busy highways between the brothers’ Sterling Heights business location and her Clinton Township apartment.
When he pulled into the parking lot, James immediately didn’t like what he saw. This wasn’t the type of place he envisioned her living. It wasn’t rundown or anything, but it was still one of those big apartment complexes that had more residents than security.
Mandy was standing beside her car when he killed the engine to his Explorer. He couldn’t help but marvel at the woman she’d grown into. Again. Dammit, James thought, running his hand through his hair haphazardly. He had to stop thinking like that. She was a client and she was in trouble. That meant she was off limits for any other ideas that might be running through his busy mind.
Deadly Intentions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 1) Page 2
