by Karen Raines
STAKEOUT
A Stalker Novel
Karen Raines
Brittany Crowley
Copyright
STAKEOUT
Copyright © 2018 Brittany Crowley & Karen Raines
All rights reserved
Cover design and promotional items
Lisa Reads at BTP Designs
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission of the author, except for brief quotations of the book when writing a review.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER ONE
Briella
“Son of a bitch.”
“Do you have eyes on him?” Skylar questions.
I’m so annoyed. Everything was perfectly in place until this douchebag got in my way.
“I did until this behemoth jumped in front of the camera. How the hell am I supposed to see this scumbag cheating on his wife if the cameras blocked.”
“I’m pretty confident he has no idea he’s in front of your camera, or that he’s ruining our covert op for that matter. Scooch over, let me see.”
Sky sits next to me in the back of the van and stares at the computer screen. We’re on a stakeout and all was going according to plan up until two minutes ago. We’re parked across the street from the restaurant our target is currently getting drinks at. Our job is to see if he’s being a good little boy or if he’s fucking around on his wife.
It may seem strange, spying on a married man, but it’s all in a day’s work. You see, me and my three best friends run an all-female security company, F.T. Private Investigations. Me, Sky, Sydney and Chantel have always been thrill seekers. This seemed like a logical business venture and we’re damn good at what we do. We don’t really do bodyguard protection, although we’re qualified to do so. We specialize in surveillance and we kick ass at it. Sure, we get a lot of cheating husband jobs, like I said, we’re good at what we do. If he’s cheating, you bet your ass we’ll find out and get the proof.
Then this hulking man stepped right in front of my camera when it looked like a woman was approaching the target.
“We need to get him out of there. Who the fuck just stands in the middle of a street like an asshole?” I question before looking over to ensure the tape is still rolling.
“Everyone.” Sky laughs.
“I’ve got this covered. You won’t even know I’m gone.” With a little device in my ear so she can tell me when we’re all clear, I push open the door of the van. “Talk to me if there’s any issues.”
“I miss you already princess.” She salutes me before I step into the warm night air rolling my eyes. I can’t help but welcome the heat on my skin, I live for this weather.
We’re right across the street so I carefully dodge cars until getting to the other side of the road. When I’m a few feet away I stop to look at the bane of my existence… right now. He’s probably an okay guy, he’s just presently screwing up my surveillance. He doesn’t seem as big as it shows on the computer screen. Most likely because all I could see was his back directly in front of the camera. I suppose that would make anyone look like a giant. As I approach him, my hand taps his large hulking shoulder causing him to turn around. When I see who’s been blocking my camera my eyes immediately narrow.
“You.”
“Hello Bri.” He flashes a smile my way which makes my blood boil even more.
“Colby.”
“What have you been up to? It’s been a while.” He puts his hands in his pockets all while still staring into my soul.
“You know you’re standing in front of my camera and that I’m working for that matter. Go away.”
“Is that anyway to talk to your-” I cut him off.
“My nothing.”
“We need to talk.”
“Colby, just go.” I turn around and head back to the van. He’s really starting to get on my nerves.
I’m not lucky enough to just go on with my night. No, he follows me back to the van. At least he’s not blocking the camera anymore.
“You should be careful where you place your equipment. I knew you were around here.”
“Of course you did. Listen…” I whirl around and nail him with my best fuck-off glare. “I have shit to do. I don’t screw around with your business.” I place my hands on my hips letting him know I mean business.
He holds his hands up in surrender. “Alright, I get the hint. Just one thing before I go.”
I’m mid eye roll when he wraps his arms around my shoulders eliciting a groan from me. “I’ve missed you.” He whispers in my ear.
Sky must think I’m in danger because the next thing I know, I’m lying on the sidewalk with Colby out cold on top of me twitching like a meth addict looking for their next fix. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Stun gun?” I question.
“Yup.” She pops the p sounding bored.
“A little help here?”
She moves, and we manage to roll him off me. Damn he’s heavy. I know I said he wasn’t as big as I first thought but he’s solid. Just over six feet and not an ounce of fat on his body. I would know, I’ve seen it intimately.
“What do we do now?”
“Help me get him in the van. We can’t leave him here and we need to finish this up. Plus, we don’t need someone to call the cops. We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile.” We drag him the best we can and flop him onto the floor in the back away from our equipment.
We take our seats in front of the computer and proceed watching our target as if nothing happened. Colby’s gonna be bullshit when he wakes up but I’ll deal with him when it happens. We’ve been at this for two hours and I refuse to call this night a wash.
“Shit, where’d Barbie go? If Colby jacked up this job I’ll stun him again.” Sky mumbles.
“Boom, there’s the bimbo. You owe me twenty bucks Sky.” I laugh. On the computer screen is a voluptuous blonde in a slinky dress who approaches our mark before sitting in his lap and sucking his face off.
“How are you always so sure about these things? You’re neve
r wrong.” She passes the money my way.
“When you grow up hearing about your cheating asshole for a father and get screwed over by most of your exes, we’ll talk.”
“And that’s why I’m a lesbian.” We both laugh.
I quickly take the pictures we need to present in the morning. We’re meeting with this scumbag’s wife and we’ve got some proof to show her. I hate when we can’t find anything, but I know in my gut the guys fucking some floozy on the side.
“Let’s roll.”
“What about Colby?” Sky questions.
“We’ll stop by his place on the way back to the office. I know where he hides his key.”
“I’m sure you do.” She chuckles.
“What?”
She doesn’t respond, just gives me a you know what look.
Just thinking about my time with him gets me hot and I hate it. I especially hate how when the night was over he threw me out like a common hooker. Colby called me a fucking Uber, slipped me a twenty and sent me on my way. I was nothing but a notch in his bed post, just another conquest. I really hate that it didn’t mean anything to him because it meant everything to me.
It may surprise you, but I’ve been best friends with Colby since we were five. He moved into the house next to mine and we hit it off. We were inseparable. Until we crossed a line no friends should and he acted like I repulsed him. I’m not gonna be a whiny bitch pining after someone that doesn’t want me the same way back. I’ve been crossed by one too many guys that screwed me over and I’m sick of it. And he was the worst by a landslide. He’s my best friend. Was… he was my best friend up until a few months ago.
“You should suck up your pride and ask him if they can consult on the Stephenson Case.”
That comment pulls me right out of my thoughts. “No freaking way Sky. If I ask him… no, just no.”
“That’s their area of expertise, they could be really helpful.”
“Just drive. We do just fine on surveillance by ourselves.”
You see, Colby also runs a security company. They deal with similar clients but also do the bodyguard gig. They have some seriously intimidating dudes over there. They’ve been hired by some of the biggest celebrities when they come to town and sometimes they’re flown around the world to get their level of talent. The wealthy are always looking for some muscle, even if they don’t actually need it. Everyone likes to think they need to be protected.
Like I said before, we’re all trained in self-defense and could take some of the biggest guys down. But we learned the hard way nobody wants to hire a group of girls to protect them and we’ve come to terms with that. Now we mostly do the cheating bastards thing.
We’re five minutes from Colby’s house when he starts to groan.
“Shit, I was hoping he’d stay out until we dropped him on his doorstep.”
“I can stun him again?”
She’s dead freaking serious and that’s why I love this girl. “No way, with my luck he’ll end up with brain damage or a permanent eye twitch. At least he’ll be able to walk in by himself. I don’t know how we’d manage carrying him in unnoticed.”
By the time we pull up in front of his exclusive condo building, he’s starting to move around.
“Sky, did you stun me?” He questions as he pops up between our seats rubbing his eyes.
“I thought you were mauling my girl, I had to protect her. You know, girl power!” She smiles and raises her fist in the air.
“Maybe I was mauling her.” He waggles his brows. “It’s great to see you.” He gets a faraway look in his eye and I don’t have time to think about it right now.
“Out.”
“My best girl isn’t gonna walk me to my door?”
“Colby-”
“What if I fall down Briella? My legs are all sorts of shaky.” He grins at me knowing he’s got me.
“Let’s go. Get your ass out Maitland.”
When he exits the van, he slings his arm around my shoulders and puts most of his weight on me. He’s lucky I work out regularly or else I’d be on the ground right now. He must weigh over 200 pounds and compared to my small frame he’s the Hulk.
“How is this helping you? I’m clearly not tall enough to be your crutch.”
“You’re tiny. It’s always been one of my favorite things about you Bri. I can carry you around in my pocket.”
I sigh and keep him moving, needing to get away from him. He always jokes about my size and it’s reminding me too much of what we were before lines were crossed. Why did we have to screw everything up?
When we get to the front of his building the attendant opens the door. I fully plan on leaving him to his own devices, so I say a few words to the guy making sure he gets him up to his condo, then turn to leave.
“Won’t you walk me to my door?”
“This isn’t a fucking date. Plus, this is your door. See you later Colby.” I turn around to leave but he grabs my elbow.
“Briella, why won’t you talk to me? You won’t answer my texts or calls, I’ve even sent you emails with no reply. Did I do something to upset you?” He questions.
“Are you serious right now? You know what, I don’t have time for this game you’re playing. I’ll see you around.” I turn and stomp back to the van. Once I jump in Sky lets out a low whistle.
“Hello tension. Maybe you should just talk to him? There’s clearly unresolved issues.”
“Unresolved issues? If you think him calling out my cousin’s name while he made love to me, then kicking me out like I was just some chick he picked up in a bar needs to be discussed, you’re an asshole.”
“He was drunk. Come on, you know he didn’t mean it.”
“It doesn’t matter. How can you be on his side? You’ve known how I’ve felt about him since we were 12. Do you know how it feels to finally get the man of your dreams and have that happen? You don’t, so your opinion isn’t needed. Drive.”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
As we pull away, I look back and see him still in the doorway watching me. He can watch all he wants, that’s all he’ll ever get from me.
CHAPTER TWO
Colby
“You look like shit man.”
I pull a mug down from the cupboard and flip a finger in the general direction of Marcus, much to his amusement. It had been a long night, nothing like getting tasered to give you a serious case of dry mouth for the next decade. Okay, I’m being dramatic. But still, that shit’s not cool.
“I can’t believe she tasered you,” Marcus continues, a boyish smile grinning on his face. “That chick is fucking awesome. Can you imagine the freaky shit she could come up with in bed?”
I felt my face screw up in disgust. “You what? Want her to taser your balls in bed? Maybe clamp those nips?”
A curious expression settles on his face. “Huh. I wonder if…”
“Stop fucking talking, there’s only so much talk of your tackle I can deal with.”
He laughs and goes back to scrolling through some site on his computer, so I take my coffee and leave him to it. The halls of MB Security are quiet this morning, only the telltale tapping of people typing floats through the air, giving away the presence of my team. Marcus and I had started this company up straight out of college, much to the disapproval of our parents. Back then it had been a two-man operation, both of us working ridiculously long hours for very little pay but we hadn’t cared. It was our dream and we were willing to work for it.
It took a few years but eventually we garnered a name in the field for being the most efficient and professional Private Investigators around the Boston area. But although that was where we had made our money, enough to expand our business and hire a team to work alongside us, we mainly seemed to have clients wanting personal protection these days.
Of course, I knew the reason why and it had a partner that liked to taser innocent bystanders. Okay that was stretching the truth somewhat, but I didn’t care. Skylar was crazy. But I didn’t give a s
hit about her anyway.
Briella however, was a completely different matter.
I push open the door to my office and drop into my seat. A little grin pulled at my lips when I thought about the pissy way she had shot me down yesterday evening. Seemed like my best friend still wasn’t in the mood to talk to me. She would have to give in eventually.
When we were kids, I was always doing things to piss her off and she would give me the cold shoulder for a few days. I had always liked to share with her, anything that was hers was fair game in my book, whether that meant her bag of sweets or her homework. She used to get all mad at me when I stole her bike or ate half her lunch at school. But she always forgave me.
Of course, I had done a little more than bite her sandwich a few months ago. Although there had been biting involved. A lot of nibbling…
“Fuck,” I mumble, adjusting my boner. I still get hard just thinking about the night I finally got her under me.
Around the age of fifteen she stopped being just the girl I liked the best and became the hot friend I couldn’t, wouldn’t and definitely shouldn’t touch. Gone was the frizzy hair and big glasses and in its place stood the sexy woman that could bring any man to his knees – me included. Overnight she seemed to fill out in all the right places.
That’s when the battle had begun. The one where I beat the shit out of any guy that did her wrong, and there were many. The one where I beat the shit out of myself for jacking off to her every night before I went to sleep. She was the most important person in my life and I wasn’t going to fuck it up for a bit of slap and tickle.
I wasn’t built for the long haul, and she deserved someone who was willing to give her the world. She was the best of the best… and I was willing to ignore the tent in my jeans to keep it that way. I wasn’t a bad guy, but I wasn’t a saint either. I had spent years sinking my cock into faceless females and I loved every single minute of it. Never anything serious. No friends with benefits, just a night of fun and empty balls by the end of it.
Then, we got drunk and fucked like rabbits. To this day, I couldn’t tell you exactly what was said or how we ended up in my bedroom, naked and sliding against each other. I do remember feeling that no pussy had ever felt so good, so hot, so tight, so fucking perfect. I also remember looking into her eyes and seeing something I wasn’t prepared for.
