Hell on Wheels

by Karen Kelley

  Yeah, right. “Like you fell asleep on mine? Then ended up in my bed.”

  “No, I left the next morning before she woke up. If you’re wondering why, it’s because she never tempted me like you do. There’s something about you.” His gaze captured hers. “I can’t get my fill of you. Tell me you didn’t enjoy making love, too.”

  For a brief moment, she pictured them lying in bed naked, legs and arms entwined. She quickly reined in her thoughts before they could go any further.

  “Don’t hold your breath because there won’t be a next time.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” She squared her shoulders. “Now go away.”

  He looked up. “Too late.”

  “I’m terribly sorry. I’d forgotten Mr. Pierce was also in the study.” Mark Danford looked between them. “Do you know Mr. Pierce? He’s one of my cousin’s foremen.”

  One of Josh’s eyebrows arched, daring her to blow his cover. Wouldn’t that burst his bubble? But that would make her fair game, and she had no doubt he’d return the favor.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met.” She turned back to Mark, dismissing Josh, and pasted a fake smile on her face. She didn’t want to talk about Josh. She was here to get any and all information that might lead her to Adam Sinclair.

  Mark sat behind the desk, leaning back in his chair. “It warms my heart that there’s been such an outpouring of love toward my cousin. Why, earlier this morning another foreman dropped by.” He tapped his chin. “Unusual name. Something to do with…” His eyes brightened. “Yes, Turbo. Odd name. I assume it’s a nickname. Nice gentleman, though.”

  Cody’s gaze collided with Josh’s. She could see the same wheels turning inside his head that were turning inside hers. Turbo had beaten them to the punch. Damn, this wasn’t good.

  What information had he gleaned? Was he already hot on the trail while they still sniffed around for clues?

  “Turbo, yes, I know him,” Josh said.

  The cousin nodded. “He was very upset over this whole situation. Quite frankly, I had to calm him down before he raced off to Adam’s sister’s house to see if he was hiding out there.” He glanced up. “She’s always been such a recluse. His half sister, you know. Not many people are aware she even exists.”

  “His sister?” they asked in unison.

  “I guess I shouldn’t say anything. It’s certainly not her fault her brother killed my cousin.” Mark shook his head. “Allegedly killed. I’m really trying to be fair about the whole thing, but I guess I’m still in a state of shock.” He picked up a pencil, running his finger over the smooth surface.

  “You poor dear. Were the two of you close?”

  And where does the sister live? Cody had to bite her tongue. Rule number one, let them talk and ninety percent of the time, you’ll get more information.

  “Close? Not really. We spoke on the phone a few times a year. Met for lunch about as often. He was always busy with his construction business.” His shoulders slumped and he pushed the pencil away from him. “Now mine, I suppose. I have no idea what to do with it.” He looked between them. “I’m a chemist, not a businessman.”

  “Maybe Adam’s sister can be of some help?” Josh asked.

  Very good. She cast a quick look in his direction and almost bought the concern on his face. Sure, she was still pissed, but this was business and she could still admire his tactics at obtaining information.

  “His sister,” Mark scoffed. “I’m sure she’ll let me do the work while she continues to live on the allowance her brother gives her. Adam still owns half. No, she’s quite content to live her days sequestered behind the walls of her home.”

  “Surely she has neighbors who visit?”

  Mark looked up as if he’d been lost in thought. “Visitors? No, she dislikes people. My cousin told me once she abhors socializing of any kind.” He shrugged. “And like I told Mr. Manning, I need her signature on some papers by the end of the week.”

  He picked up a stack of papers before tossing them back on his desk, then looked up as if realizing they were still in the room.

  “Here I am going on about my problems when my cousin has only been in the ground a short time. It’s just that I feel so lost in his world. Mine was very simple and uncomplicated until this all took place.” He ran a hand through his thinning hair, tears welling in his eyes.

  “We should probably go,” Josh told him.

  Her gaze swiveled in his direction. Go? Was he crazy? She didn’t have any more to go on than she had when she got here. It would be stupid to leave now, but he gave her little choice as he took her elbow and pretended to help her to her feet.

  She’d kill him, absolutely kill him.

  Gritting her teeth, she walked beside Josh. As if she had a choice! His hand on her elbow gave her no chance to escape. Killing him would be too quick. Torture, now that was something that would keep her entertained for hours.

  She could see it now. Josh, tied to a chair. No! Dangling from a rafter, his wrists tied with a rope. Boy, would she make him sorry he’d ever messed with her. She’d strip his clothes off and…She’d strip his clothes off…

  Clear your mind! His torture, not hers.

  As soon as the door closed behind them and they were beside her car, she jerked away from him. Her pent-up frustration and anger exploded.

  “What the hell were you doing? I could’ve gotten a lot more information.”

  “I have all we need.”

  “What exactly do you mean by we?” She eyed him with wariness.

  “Come in as my partner and I’ll tell you.”

  She opened her mouth then snapped it closed. What the hell did he mean by partner? The last thing she wanted to do was partner up with him in any way, form, or fashion.

  But damn it, she couldn’t stop the shiver of excitement that tickled her spine.

  Right on excitement’s heels was a good dose of skepticism. If he thought he could put something over on her then he’d better think again. Gullible, she wasn’t.

  Her eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you getting at?”

  “I’ll explain everything over lunch.”

  She eyed him with more than a little trepidation. Was this another scheme just to get her to go out with him?

  Yeah, right, like he would want her that much. Talk about an overblown ego. “Why not just explain right here?”

  “Because I’m hungry,” he tossed over his shoulder as he headed around the side of the house where he’d apparently parked.

  Drat, she should’ve scouted the area out a bit more. She’d have seen his car and he wouldn’t have surprised her. She was losing her touch. She knew Adam wouldn’t be here, though. Mark had posted a sizable reward for Adam’s capture.

  She hadn’t expected to run into Josh, either.

  And the sad truth? She was just a little curious about what he had to say.

  It would take time to figure out what she needed to do next anyway. Right now, she had nothing to go on. Only dead ends. Josh certainly couldn’t tell her anything that would convince her to go into a partnership with him. But damn it, she’d missed being in his company.

  Sick, that’s what she was, and without a clue where they were going to meet.

  “Where?” she called out.

  He stopped, and when he looked over his shoulder, he wore a smug expression. Ass. She wanted to wipe the knowing look right off his face.

  “I feel like a little heat. You game for Mexican food?” Before she had the chance to answer, he called out the address of a Mexican restaurant in the area.

  As if he’d given her a choice. Mexican food. Great, not only would she have to put up with Josh, but with heartburn, too.

  Not waiting for him to take the lead, she drove to the restaurant. If he’d thought she would follow him, then he’d better think again.

  She was the one with the smug expression on her face when she pulled into the parking lot. Choke on my dust, she smirked. He was nowhere in sight
. Beating him to the restaurant was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

  But when she rounded the corner, he was leaning against a post.

  “How…?”

  “Shortcut.” He straightened and opened the door. “After you,” he said, and motioned for her to go first.

  He’d probably broken every speed record to get here. Not that she cared that much. She stuck her nose in the air.

  “Lord, you smell good,” he said as she sailed past. “Have I ever told you that?”

  She couldn’t stop her smile from forming, but was careful not to let him see it. Instead, she said, “Your charm won’t work on me, Josh, so give it up.”

  He chuckled.

  Once they were seated and the waitress had taken their order, Cody knew it was time for him to fess up with this grand scheme of his. She only wondered what the hell she had to do with it.

  “So, what’d you think of the cousin?” he asked.

  “That’s it? You only wanted to know what I thought of the cousin?”

  “I guess I was curious, but no, that wasn’t the only thing I wanted to discuss.”

  Whatever. She’d humor him for the moment, but he’d better get to the point.

  She shrugged. “Kind of nerdy. I didn’t think he seemed all that upset over his cousin’s murder. I would imagine the money and running a financially stable company would offset his grief, no matter how much he said he was overwhelmed by the responsibility.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  She leaned against the back of the booth. “Okay, we both thought he was a strange little man. What’s that got to do with anything?”

  He started to speak but the waitress brought their drinks, along with chips and hot sauce. He waited until she’d left before he said anything.

  “I have a proposal to make.”

  “Oh, now you want to marry me? Sorry, but that won’t sweep me off my feet, either.”

  “Funny. No, I don’t want to marry you.”

  She slapped a hand to her chest. “I’m heartbroken.”

  Now she’d made him frown. Not that she cared, except he looked pretty darn cute when he frowned. What she wouldn’t do to kiss away the tiny lines around his mouth. To smooth away the wrinkles on his forehead.

  “If you keep looking at me like that I might not be able to restrain myself from kissing you.”

  She sat up straight. “I’m not looking at you any differently,” she lied, and warned herself to be more careful.

  “Yes, you were. We both know there’s a sexual attraction. Why deny it? But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

  “Then would you mind getting to the point?”

  “I think we should become partners.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “I thought we’d already had that discussion.”

  “No, not in that way. I mean combine forces to capture Adam Sinclair.”

  She laughed.

  He didn’t.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yeah, I’m serious.”

  Partners? With Josh. They’d be spending most of their time together.

  Partners?

  She folded her napkin, then refolded it.

  “So, what do you think?”

  Think? Hell, she couldn’t think. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Not only couldn’t she think, but she couldn’t talk, either.

  “Say something. I know it sounds crazy, but just listen to me for a minute. As a team, we’d have twice the advantage as other recovery agents. Together we could do it. We could bring Adam in.”

  “Partners?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned.

  “You and me together?” She shook her head. “It would never work.” But he’d made a good point. Twice the resources. They were both damn good bounty hunters.

  “Think about it while we eat. You don’t have to give me an answer until we finish.”

  As if she’d ever hook up with him. The man was crazy. She worked alone and she wasn’t about to join forces with him or anyone else.

  But a little voice inside her head began to whisper.

  The capture of Adam Sinclair would be all over the news. Everyone would see it. How better to reinforce the fact you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing?

  Respect? Was that what she wanted? Or was it only respect from one person that she craved?

  Chapter 11

  Josh knew the minute Cody resigned herself to the inevitable. She’d moved a half-eaten enchilada around on her plate for the last ten minutes until, finally, she laid her fork across her plate and looked up.

  “Okay, but I have a few things I want to go over with you.”

  He’d known she would agree. It was the smart thing to do, and she wasn’t stupid. He was curious to know what her rules were going to be, and he was sure “going over a few things” meant there would be rules. Every woman he’d ever been in any kind of relationship with had rules. He doubted he was going to like Cody’s any more than he had the others.

  “Rules?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, let’s hear them,” he said to her as he reached into his pocket for a cinnamon. He offered her one, but she only shook her head.

  “Number one: You’re not in charge.”

  “You want to be in charge?” he asked.

  His gaze swept over her. She’d fight and argue with him all the way. His blood pounded through his veins at the thought. He could almost feel it coursing through his body, rivers of liquid heat. He hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. Not since the night he’d danced with Cody, then tasted what she had to offer.

  Now it was as if he couldn’t get her out of his head. Spending more time with her should cure him—or kill him, whichever came first.

  Once more, he looked at her, but closer this time. She’d pulled her dark hair away from her face. He supposed she’d been trying for a more severe look. She’d failed. Tendrils had escaped to curl around her face, softly caressing her cheeks. He wanted her more than ever.

  Teaming up with her had been a crazy idea, but he doubted he’d ever be able to convince himself of that. When all was said and done, he wanted to be around her. Once he discovered she was like every other female, he’d be able to let go.

  “Neither of us will be in charge,” she told him, drawing his thoughts back to the present.

  He could live with that. He wasn’t into the “man is greater because he’s stronger” mentality. Especially when he’d been witness on more than one occasion to Cody kicking some serious ass.

  He straightened. “What else?”

  “Number two.” She narrowed her eyes. “No sexual advances.”

  He kept his expression bland. “I don’t mind if you cop a feel every so often.”

  From the frown on her face, he didn’t think she appreciated his stab at humor.

  “You’ll keep your hands to yourself. Understood? When I’m on the job it’s all work and no play.”

  She was damned sexy when she talked business. Why couldn’t she see what was going on between them? The attraction was palpable, and he was tired of fighting it, even if she wasn’t.

  Sure, there’d been other women. More than he cared to count. The urge to be with someone else had never been this strong, though. But then, Cody was the exception to a lot of rules.

  The newness would wear off, he had no doubt. She’d be just like all the rest. A couple of weeks and they’d grow tired of each other, then they’d part company without a backward glance, but with one difference. They would walk away feeling sated, ready to move forward, and he would be over this damn infatuation with her.

  Then maybe he could get on with his life.

  “Agreed?” Her eyes narrowed.

  “Sure, I promise not to do anything you don’t want me to.”

  Why not agree? As far as he was concerned, rules were made to be broken. He knew Cody had broken more than her fair share. Damn, they were going to be great together while the relationshi
p lasted.

  “You’re staring at me.”

  He loved when she got riled. Her eyes sparkled with an inner fire. “I was thinking. Sorry if you thought I was being rude,” he lied.

  Cody narrowed her gaze on him. He could’ve been thinking—or not. Damn, the man turned her inside out and upside down.

  She wearily ran her hand through her hair. Sleep hadn’t come easy the last few nights.

  If she were honest, she’d admit the truth. When Josh had stayed the night in her apartment, their relationship had changed. Now this. She was a fool to go into a partnership with him. He would use her, then throw her away.

  When she looked his way, he seemed preoccupied with his iced tea. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation.

  “Any more rules?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean I won’t think of some. I’ll leave my options open.”

  “Okay, then we only have one other thing to decide. Your place or mine?”

  If he thought this would give him an open invitation into her bed, then he was going to be sorely disappointed. And his expression of innocence didn’t fool her for one second. She wasn’t born yesterday.

  “To go over plans,” he continued.

  So maybe she might have jumped to conclusions.

  But his words brought with them a whole new set of problems. She hadn’t thought about that part of it. At least, not really thought about it. She didn’t like the idea of being on his turf, but knowing where he lived might help her in the future in case she ever had to haul his ass home again.

  “Let’s work from your place.” She slid from the booth and stood. “I’ll follow you. That is, if you don’t decide to take a shortcut.”

  “I’ve never lost a woman who was following me back to my place.”

  She just bet he hadn’t.

  The drive to his apartment was short. In fact, he only lived a few blocks from her. Odd that they hadn’t run into each other more often.

  They parked in the parking garage and took the elevator up to the third floor. Her palms began to sweat as they neared his door. She wiped them on her skirt when he wasn’t looking. Her brain screamed that this was a really stupid idea, but her feet hadn’t once stopped their forward movement.