by Jo Davis
Austin glanced from his partner to Frankie, amused by the very real supercharged undercurrent passing between them.
As they took their leave and headed back to Danny’s car, the direction of Austin’s thoughts threw him even more off balance than he’d already been. Putting them aside, he refocused on the most pressing issue first.
“You kept me out of the loop on Blair being a witness,” he began.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, and I only found out when I talked to him this morning.”
“You could’ve mentioned it.”
“Well, I didn’t,” Danny stressed, anger simmering close to the surface. “You’re not exactly up to speed yet, and you know it. You show up at work half looped, about to fall over—”
Austin stopped in his tracks. His friend squared off with him toe-to-toe, not giving an inch. “I don’t give a shit. If you know something, I know it five minutes later, unless I’m dead. Got it?”
“I got it,” he snapped.
“And what the hell was that back there with you and Frankie?” Austin winced inwardly at how damn personal—and harsh—the question sounded.
Danny stilled, his eyes gone cold as chipped ice. “What’re you talking about?”
Christ. He’d made a mistake bringing this up. “I don’t know, partner. You tell me.”
Every muscle in his friend’s body went rigid, and his jaw clenched. “I resent what you’re insinuating.”
“I’m not insinuating the fact that Frankie couldn’t keep his eyes off you and that it seemed mutual,” he said. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, because there isn’t. If there’s anything you want to tell me, you can. You know that.”
He’d stepped over the line. Danny’s mouth fell open in shock, outrage contorting his face. A myriad of emotions swirled in his eyes. Pain, anger, and panic. He ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily.
“Jesus, Danny. I’m sorry—”
In one step, his friend closed the gap between them and shoved Austin in the chest, hard enough to send him staggering backward.
“Fuck you, asshole!”
“Danny—”
Another shove, this one slamming his back into a tree trunk. Sharp pain radiated through his back. Murder in his eye, Danny grabbed a handful of his shirt in one fist.
“Are you so goddamn jealous over my date with Laura that you’d accuse me of being gay?” he hissed. “Does it drive you crazy knowing you’re such a dumb-ass she might end up being mine?”
He did his best to defuse the situation. “This isn’t about you and Laura at all. I wasn’t imagining the vibes I got in there—admit it.”
His partner tightened his grip, clenched his free hand into a fist. He braced himself for a blow that never came. Instead, he watched something inside Danny wither and die, leaving a blank slate. No infectious humor, no rage. Nothing.
He cursed himself for handling everything so badly. And prayed he hadn’t severed their friendship.
“You go straight to hell,” Danny said, releasing him. He spun on his heel and strode for the car, leaving his partner to follow. Or not.
“Too late, pal.” He sighed. “I’m way ahead of you.”
Much later, as Austin stewed over Danny’s impending date with Laura, it occurred to him that his pissed-off friend had never denied one word of his observation regarding Frankie.
Not one single word.
• • •
She hadn’t heard from Austin all day, even after work. Not surprising, considering the plan he and Danny had cooked up. More Danny’s idea than Austin’s, and she had a feeling her lover wouldn’t be too happy about it.
Danny had arrived and had driven her home so she could change for their “date.” He’d even offered to drive her out to Austin’s afterward, once he was sure they weren’t being followed. She wasn’t sure the subterfuge was going to fool a brutal killer like this one, but it couldn’t hurt. Or at least she hoped not.
Laura stared at her disconsolate reflection in the bathroom mirror. She didn’t like this at all. It felt wrong going out with Danny when she knew he’d hoped for more. A hot rush of tears stung her eyes, but she fought them back. Why the hell was she so weepy? It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t see Austin again.
She smoothed her black skirt and blouse, brushed out her hair, leaving it loose around her shoulders, and dabbed on some lipstick. Finished, she went to the living room, where Danny was waiting.
Hearing her approach, he rose from the sofa with a smile. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. So do you, handsome.”
He did, too. A beautiful smile with straight white teeth in his boyishly handsome face. All that lush chestnut hair, falling like silk into sparkling green eyes and down to the collar of his coat.
He treated her to dinner at an outrageously expensive steak house. The man was fabulous company. Funny, charming, and mature beyond his years, he was just about as perfect as a guy could be. Exactly the sort of man any woman in her right mind would love.
Except he wasn’t Austin Rainey.
As they talked and ate, both of them kept a sharp eye out for anyone who appeared to be watching them with too much interest. They spotted nobody suspicious, but that meant nothing.
Walking back to his car after dinner, Laura linked her arm with his. “I had a wonderful time, Danny.”
“Me, too.” Then he said, “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
The love in her heart was almost physical. She didn’t bother to pretend ignorance. “Falling? No. More like fell, hard.”
“I knew. Maybe because he’s been sitting between us all evening.”
She angled her head to look up at him. The corners of his mouth were tilted up, but she thought he seemed distant. Troubled. She pulled him to a stop, turned him to face her. “I won’t lie to you. I’ve been in love with Austin for so long, I don’t remember what my life was like before we met. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you. I’ve screwed up, haven’t I?”
He shook his head. “You haven’t hurt me, Laura. And no, you haven’t screwed up. I’d like for us to be friends.”
“I’d like that, too.” She paused, studying his miserable expression. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m the one who’s screwed up. Austin and I had a nasty falling-out earlier today,” he confessed, studying his shoes.
“Oh no! What happened? Was it about me?”
“Among other things.”
Lord, were those tears in his eyes? “Sweetie, you can talk to me.”
A strange look crossed his face. “Can I . . . can I kiss you? I know you’re with Austin and I told him I wouldn’t poach, and I won’t, but . . . I have to know something.”
The request wasn’t what took her by surprise. It was the desperate urgency in his voice. The way he stared down at her, a silent plea etched in his face. As if she alone held the answer to unlock a mystery.
“All right,” she agreed. “Just once.”
Laura tipped her head up and Danny’s strong hands cupped her face. Slowly, he lowered his head, covering her mouth with his. Boy, could he kiss. His lashes swept down as his lips captured hers, warm and soft. Heartbreakingly gentle. His tongue teased the seam of her mouth, but never invaded. Sensual, erotic. Perfect, for the right woman.
He didn’t make the earth quake under her feet. Didn’t set her soul ablaze with conflicting emotions that turned her inside out. Not like Austin.
Breaking the kiss, he opened his eyes and dropped his hands. “Seems I lost you somewhere along the way.”
“Hey, you’re gonna break somebody’s heart with that kiss one of these days,” she vowed, attempting to lighten the mood.
“You think so?”
He sighed, staring off into the night, looking so sad Laura wanted to cry. She touched the sleeve of his coat. “Danny,
I didn’t mean to make you feel used. Or sad, or whatever.”
“It’s okay, Laura,” he whispered low. “Because I think maybe I used you a little bit, too.”
• • •
In the end, Danny put an end to Laura’s dilemma by ordering her to pack a bag. He was giving up guard duty and taking her to Austin’s place, where they would either kill each other or work things out.
Danny never told her what the rest of his fight with Austin had been about, but Laura sensed it was bad. So bad he wasn’t willing to risk putting more strain on their friendship by staying with her, even platonically, to act as her protector. There was nothing between her and Danny, but Austin didn’t know that.
Though he should, she thought. Especially after the times they’d spent in each other’s arms, making love. Did he really think she was that easy?
Danny drove like a bat out of hell the entire way. He said the sooner he got her to Austin, who’d most likely worked himself into a towering rage by now, the better. Laura thought he was exaggerating a tad.
Until they arrived.
Danny pulled into the circular driveway, parked in front of house, and killed the ignition. “His truck’s here and the living room lights are on. Ready?”
She swallowed her nerves. “I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
“Me, either. Got a better one?”
“Not at the moment.”
“All right, then.” He waggled his brows. “Into the lion’s den.”
They got out and walked up the steps of the porch together, Danny shouldering her bag. Laura rang the doorbell, and they waited. She rang it again, and they waited some more.
“Let’s try around back,” her companion suggested. “Maybe he’s sitting out on the deck.”
The porch wrapped around the ranch-style house, disappearing into the darkness. Danny led the way and she followed, their footsteps clomping noisily on the creaky boards.
At the back of the house, the walkway widened into a small deck sporting a large redwood picnic table and dotted with lounge chairs. Danny halted so abruptly she almost collided with his back.
“Jesus Christ.”
Laura stepped around him. Austin was reclining in one of the loungers, staring into the gloom. In spite of the chilly spring night, he was shirtless. A large bottle was nestled between his blue-jean-clad thighs. He never turned his head, remained still as a statue, as his low voice caressed them.
“Go. The fuck. Away.”
“Austin,” Danny began. He paused, uncertain.
Austin began to laugh, and the eerie sound sent a shiver through Laura as he lifted the bottle. A tall, square bottle with a white label, only half full. Jim Beam, she realized, stomach clenching.
He set the whiskey aside, then pushed out of the lounger. He was steady on his bare feet as he turned to face them. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. He might’ve been drinking, but he wasn’t drunk, wasn’t slurring his words.
“Have a nice fucking time, kids?”
“We stuck to the plan,” Danny said carefully, as though disarming a bomb. “We had dinner and then I brought her straight here.”
“Why?” That one word snapped her like the tip of a whip.
“Because this is where she wanted to be, dipshit. With you. Though you’re being so nasty right now, I can’t fathom why.”
Suddenly Austin swayed on his feet, almost went down. Danny lunged and grabbed him, kept him from falling.
Laura gasped, moving forward to cup his face. His skin was clammy to the touch. “Honey, have you taken any painkillers this afternoon?”
“My head was pounding,” he muttered, lashes drifting shut.
“And then you drank?” Danny sputtered. “You dumb-ass.”
“I’m so tired, Danny. Tired of being alone. I lost Ashley ’cause she didn’t love me. I can’t fall in love again,” he said sadly. “The killer will destroy me and the woman I love. What am I going to do?”
Love? Laura’s heart leapt. Was he referring to her? Could he truly be falling in love with her?
“Don’t let a lunatic dictate your life, that’s what.” Danny frowned.
“I’m sorry, Danny,” Austin murmured, swaying on his feet. “What I said before? Forgive me . . .”
An instant later, his legs folded. Danny lowered him to the deck and they dropped to his side.
“Is he all right?” Laura cried.
Danny grabbed his wrist, checked his pulse. “Slow, but steady. Let’s get him inside.”
“Shouldn’t we get him to the hospital? What if he’s taken more pills?”
“I don’t think so. He’s been drinking, but from the looks of the bottle he didn’t consume that much. You should keep an eye on him, though.”
Handing Laura her overnight bag, he scooped Austin into his arms, grunting under the strain of his burden. She ran to open the sliding patio door for him, then trailed anxiously behind as he carried his friend to the bedroom and laid him on his bed.
“Damn, he’s heavy.” Danny panted, straightening to rub the small of his back.
She put her bag in a nearby chair, then sat on the edge of the bed next to Austin. She couldn’t stop herself from touching him any more than she could stop her heart from beating. She ran a palm over the smooth planes of his broad chest, relishing the hard ridge of muscle under taut golden skin. What would it be like to have the entire length of his tall, gorgeous body pressing down on hers? Filling her?
Aware of Danny watching, she nixed those delicious thoughts. Somehow, it seemed wrong to drool over Austin when his friend had just shown her such a nice time. But hell, Danny knew how she felt.
She let her hand linger over his heart, gratified to find the beat steady and strong. Then she skimmed upward, stroking his face. His cheeks were shadowed with dark burnished stubble, long dusky lashes resting against them.
“He’ll be okay,” Danny said quietly, sitting on the other side of the bed. “He’s just passed out, and he’s gonna have a killer headache in the morning.”
Killer. The word snagged in her mind, eliciting a terrible thought. “God, Danny! Do you realize what could’ve happened if we hadn’t shown up? He might have passed out on the deck, completely vulnerable to that maniac!”
“Idiot. What a stupid thing for him to do. But I’ll let you fuss at him when he wakes up. I doubt he’ll want to hear anything I have to say right now, and the feeling is mutual.”
“Wow. Must’ve been some argument.”
“Oh yeah.” He pursed his lips together, sending her the message. Subject closed.
“I’m sure everything will work out.”
“Right.”
He didn’t sound convinced. “You can leave if you want. I’m sure he’s out for the count. I’ll be fine here alone with him.”
“Alone with a passed-out cop who couldn’t fend off an angry Boy Scout, much less an enraged killer.” He arched a brow. “Do you know the code to set the alarm if I go?”
“Well, no.”
“Do you even know how to fire his gun?” He gestured to where the ominous-looking gun lay discarded on the nightstand.
“I could probably figure it out.”
Danny grinned. “You plan to ask the nice psychotic killer to wait a sec while you Google the instructions?”
“All right, smart-ass!” In spite of the situation, she laughed at her companion’s smug expression. “You win. What do you propose, Kimosabe?”
“I’ll bunk on the sofa downstairs tonight. Just wake me when the beast arises so I can get out of Dodge before he spots me.”
“Oh, now who’s the weenie?”
“Retreat and live to fight another day,” he quipped, rising from the bed. Danny got to the bedroom door, stopped, and turned. “He’ll get over his fears—just wait and see. When he does, he’ll be th
e luckiest bastard on the planet to have the love of a woman like you.”
“Oh, Danny.” Damn, her eyes were tearing up again. “You’re going to find your special someone soon. I know it.”
He threw her a sad, wistful smile, then strode from the room without another word.
11
“Christ.”
Consciousness seeped into Austin’s throbbing brain. Slowly. Painfully.
Don’t move. Don’t breathe.
He took stock, realizing that, other than his head, he didn’t feel too bad. Even the pounding was starting to subside some. Struggling to rise, he was thwarted by something weighting his arms and legs, wrapping him like a tamale.
Sheets. His half-clothed body was tangled in bedsheets, and he worked to disengage himself so he could hit the bathroom. Once there, he did his business and washed his hands, wondering how he’d gotten to his room.
The last thing he remembered was—what?
Sitting on his deck the night before, stewing over Danny and Laura being out together. Carrying out the stupidest fucking plan in the history of ever, and himself getting angrier about it as the evening went on.
A memory tugged at him and he recalled Danny and Laura. They’d showed up on his deck, and Austin hadn’t exactly been his charming self. He winced at the thought of what he might’ve said.
“Austin?”
He froze. “Laura, what are you doing here?”
“Honey, are you all right?”
Heat crept up his neck, ignited his face. Unfortunately, embarrassment wasn’t fatal. He turned his head to peer at Laura hovering in the doorway, and his jaw dropped. His libido gave a pathetic attempt to rise.
One hand braced on the doorframe, she was studying him, worry shining in her brown eyes, looking delectably tousled, raven hair forming a silky curtain around her face. She wore nothing but a huge red T-shirt, so big it hung past her knees, revealing only her toned calves and shapely feet. His T-shirt, the one that declared: Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
He pointed an accusing finger at her and managed to find his voice. “Why are you wearing that?”
She glanced down at herself, then back at him, a faint smile teasing her gorgeous mouth. “I forgot my nightie. I hope you don’t mind.”
