RJ (HC Heroes Series Book 7)

by Donna Michaels

  Dean raised a brow. “Two rooms?”

  Mel grinned. “Yep. One for the girls and one for the guys. It’s competition time, baby! If the girls escape the study before you guys find your way out of the museum, then Carter and I will get matching heart tattoos with our names and wedding date.”

  “Damn.” Dean frowned. “I almost want to lose so I can watch you stick a needle into the needle-phobe.”

  RJ nodded. “Yeah, that’s tempting.”

  Mel laughed. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your wish.”

  Dean went brows up. “You’re pretty confident the girls are going to win.”

  “We are.” Loni high-fived Mel, excitement brightening her gaze.

  The competitor in her sister rose to the surface. And Lori was inclined to agree. The girls were definitely going to crush the guys.

  “Absolutely.” Mel grinned. “But what I meant, Dean, was that either way, you’ll get your wish because if Carter wins, he gets to pick our matching tattoos. Which I suspect is a dot.”

  Dean snorted. “More like a spec.”

  RJ nodded.

  “Well, I think it’s cute that your wedding presents to each other are matching tattoos,” Lori said.

  Mischief entered Mel’s eyes. “You and RJ should come in and get something done.”

  A tattoo was on her “someday” list, but since she did not want to have a conversation with or about RJ, she gave a noncommittal shrug. “So, we should probably get to your consult. I’m sure, like us, you’re busy,” she said, nodding toward the front of the bakery, packed to full capacity with customers lined up outside.

  Most of the people inside were rubbernecking in their direction, no doubt listening to every word and hoping the camera would pan their way. Several familiar faces stood out, including the man and two young fans from Tex Pub yesterday. Lori waved at them before turning her attention back to Mel.

  The woman was smirking. “Yeah, I’m plenty busy but I don’t have your kind of circus going on.”

  RJ and Dean both grunted, their expressions just this side of neutral.

  Loni’s gaze followed hers. “You two should go get lunch without us. We’ll grab something later.”

  Relief washed through Lori when the men eventually nodded and disappeared out the back door. Guilt mixed with her relief, though. RJ was quieter than usual, and she knew her reserved demeanor toward him was the reason.

  But if that was what she had to do to keep him safe, she would.

  ***

  RJ left the bakery a hell of a lot more anxious then when he’d arrived. His concern for Lori’s welfare hadn’t changed, but now he was worried that maybe her outlook on them had. Granted, there were cameras everywhere, but that never seemed to stop her from touching him or returning his kisses.

  But somewhere between dawn and noon, the warm, giving woman who left his bed this morning disappeared. And he wanted her back.

  Hell, he was determined to get her back.

  “You okay, man?” Dean asked as they sat at Annie’s Diner, having an impromptu lunch with Gabe.

  This was their go-to restaurant for their weekly breakfast get-togethers, but Annie’s also offered some killer lunch specials. Which was good, since Tex Pub didn’t open until later in the day.

  Aware of two sets of scrutinizing eyes on him, he shrugged. “Yeah.”

  The fact Lori seemed distant puzzled him. He knew she more than reciprocated everything that he’d felt last night…and early this morning.

  “I’m a little rusty on my grumbling interpretation.” Gabe’s voice brought RJ’s mind back to the present.

  Dean shrugged. “Lori was a bit reserved this morning.”

  “It’s to be expected. She suffered a trauma yesterday,” Gabe said, digging into his biscuits in sausage gravy, even thought they were here for lunch.

  No secret it was one of the guy’s favorite dishes from Annie’s.

  He frowned. “Yeah. I know.”

  Gabe stilled, and his attention lifted from the plate to RJ. “But?” The sheriff’s gaze was way too shrewd.

  “But she wasn’t like that last night…or early this morning,” he confessed, pushing his burger aside. “She’s pulling away.”

  He knew it, but didn’t know how to stop it. Or even if he should. Oh, he wanted to. Hell, yeah, he wanted to turn her back into the warm, caring, giving woman who’d shared his bed last night. But she was also a free-spirited woman and crowding her would be like suffocating her beauty.

  No way would RJ risk it.

  “Are you sure?” Gabe asked. “Everyone handles stress and shock differently. Take Kade and Lyndsey for instance. Someone broke into animal shelter last night and stole some veterinary supplies. Sure he was miffed, but he reported it calmly. Think Lyndsey would done the same?”

  Dean snorted. “No. She’d be out scouring the county for the culprit.”

  “Exactly.” Gabe grumbled. “But that’s my point. Both great people. Both animal activist. Both with different ways to handle shock.”

  “True.”

  “Are you worried because she’d rather move into the ESI apartment instead of with you?” Dean asked, hitting the nail on the head.

  A strange, unsettling shifted through his stomach and moved up into his chest. He nodded. “That’s part of it.”

  Gabe raised a brow. “And the other part?”

  He sat back in his chair and thrust a hand through his hair. “That that damn fire wasn’t an accident and she might be in danger.”

  Christ, just the thought of her walking around unchaperoned made him nuts.

  “I’ll tell you what, if Lyndsey was in danger and not living with me, then the apartment above ESI is exactly where I’d want her.”

  RJ dropped his hand and blew out a breath. “I know. You’re right.” The security of their building was top notch. Carter had turned the place into an impenetrable fortress right in the middle of town. Still, he hated not having eyes on her. He should be the one to protect her. “I’d just feel better if I could keep her safe.”

  “Who says you can’t?”

  He stilled and met Dean’s gaze. “I’m listening.”

  “We work in that building. Have access to that building, so until the reports come back on the cause of the fire, there’s no reason why you can’t crash by the elevator either downstairs in the garage, or upstairs near her door.”

  Son-of-a-bitch. Why the hell hadn’t he thought of that?

  “Because you’re too close to the target,” Gabe answered, reading his damn mind again.

  He snorted. “Roger that.”

  Gabe set his fork down and leveled him with a gaze. “I talked to Tanner this morning to get his thoughts on what he’d observed…preliminarily.”

  “And?” he asked, heart pounding so loud in his ears he hoped he didn’t miss the answer.

  “And, he thinks it was arson,” Gabe replied.”

  I knew it.

  Fuck.

  “Tanner said he thought he could detect the smell of an accelerant but reminded me it was just speculation until the fire inspector files a report.”

  “Shit,” Dean muttered a few other oaths as his fork met the table with a thud. “Do you think it’s a crazy fan? Is Loni a target, too?”

  The knot in RJ’s stomach twisted. Christ, he hoped not. One Champion twin in danger was bad enough. “Maybe she should stay with Lori in the apartment, too.”

  Gabe held up his hands. “Hold on. Don’t go jumping to any conclusions. Let’s wait for the report. In the meantime, I’ve already started an investigation…which I can’t discuss, so don’t even try.”

  RJ did his best to keep the scowl off his face and concentrated on his fists resting on the table. He knew his buddy’s hands were tied by the badge.

  “I already got Lori’s statement about the fire and those fans you mentioned encountering at Texas Republic last night,” Gabe said. “I’d like to get yours when we’re done here. Can you come back to the station with me?�
�

  He nodded. “Sure.”

  He wanted to make sure no stone was left unturned.

  “And my gut tells me Lori’s decision to stay at the apartment instead of with you or us is based on her concern for everyone’s welfare,” Dean said. “I’d bet my right nut she cut her hair so people could tell her and Loni apart, in case she really has picked up a stalker.”

  Shit.

  His heart dropped to his ribs. Hearing it spoken, it made even more sense than when it’d crossed his mind earlier. “I thought the same thing.”

  She looked sexy as hell, but he was worried the new style was her way of putting a bullseye on her pretty head.

  “That woman cares about you.” Gabe held his gaze with an unblinking one of his own. “Don’t let her quest for distance fool you.”

  God, he hoped his buddy was right.

  “As for space? Give Lori all the space she needs. Trust me, you don’t want to crowd a Champion,” Dean said before finishing the last of his cheesesteak.

  “Or a Heston.” Gabe shrugged. “Independent women need to be handled differently, and our women definitely put the “I” in independent.”

  Dean chuckled. “Roger that.”

  A smile tugged at RJ’s lips. “Hooyah.”

  “Can already tell you love her,” Dean said, matter-of-factly.

  Since RJ had come to that same conclusion last night, he didn’t blink an eye when he nodded.

  “Your concern for her safety is understandable,” Gabe said, a slight twitch to his lips.

  RJ straightened his spine. He was a former operator, and an ESI agent. She wanted to put distance between to keep him safe? He’d give it to her…on the surface. But in the shadows? That’s exactly where he was going to be to protect the woman he loved.

  Chapter Twelve

  More than a week had passed without incident. Lori was beginning to wonder if her anxiety over having possibly picked up a stalker held any merit.

  The fire was ruled arson, with gasoline used as an accelerant on a pile of rags tossed in the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Someone either hated her or that cottage.

  She still wasn’t sure which option was the motivation.

  There had been no other threats toward her or any other fires in the county. Things were eerily quiet. So were things between her and RJ.

  Lori missed the guy, especially at night, but knew it was important to keep him at bay for a little longer. Trouble was, she had no idea how long was long enough before she could safely let her guard down and RJ back into her life.

  If he wanted back in…

  They still saw each other daily when he stopped in with Dean for their usual before they headed to work. And although they exchanged a kiss each morning, that was the limit of their touching. Same happened in the evenings, the few times they’d had dinner together…with Loni and Dean or Lyndsey and Gabe.

  She told herself she was happy he let her go to her new apartment with just a quick kiss goodnight. After all, anything more would make it way too difficult for her to keep that distance she tried so hard to create between them.

  But she hadn’t expected him to comply without a fight. For some reason, she thought he’d complain about not sleeping together, or not being able to watch over her.

  It made Lori wonder if she’d pushed him too far away. She didn’t think that was the case. She was never mean or rude, and smiled at him more than she probably should, but she couldn’t help herself. The man’s presence was a magnet for her good moods. He pulled them out in her all the time.

  Like tonight.

  She smiled at RJ across the crowded lobby of the Great Escape complex. Yeah, the nearby cameraman probably captured it, but she didn’t care if the world saw her smile at RJ. Whatever. He stood with Carter, Dean, Dex, Mac, Cooper, and Gabe. The sheriff was on call, but at least he was there. It kept the teams even, which was important. The guys couldn’t complain when the girls beat them tonight for part two of Carter and Mel’s bachelor/bachelorette party.

  The first part had been held at the back of ESI where the couple had opened some sexy gifts and some gag gifts while everyone enjoyed cake. The “Lex” cake. God, she loved that cake. It’d been one of the top five Lori had ever sculpted. All week, she’d had a blast working on the parrot. Feather after feather had been a tedious labor of love. Sculpting had helped tremendously to lower her anxiety, as well as keeping her mind from wandering to RJ.

  Too bad she didn’t have a trick to keep her gaze from wandering to him…like it did right now.

  Dammit.

  She just couldn’t seem to hang on to her resolve when he was near. Disgusted with her lack of control, she turned her back to him and glanced around the place. She recognized several customers from the bakery, fans she’d met at Tex Pub, and apparently a few recognized her and Loni, because they approached them in a rush.

  Dean immediately left the men to move to Loni’s side and Lori was aware that RJ was now standing behind her. She knew this because a familiar zing charged into her spine.

  God…she’d missed it.

  But she’d made a pact to wait to see if anything odd happened tonight. It was possible things had quieted down for her because of the location of her new apartment, and the fact she no longer visited anyone else’s home.

  Admittedly, Lori was a little nervous about tonight, but the fact the guys were there helped quiet her nerves. They were only slightly jumpy. This excursion presented the perfect opportunity for chaos. She was well aware that not only had customers heard about her plans tonight, but last night, the network had aired the episode with her haircut and Mel’s consultation where she’d mentioned this outing.

  If the night went without a hitch, then she believed it would be safe to stop keeping her distance from her sister outside of work and RJ…in general.

  Time would tell if she’d screwed that up.

  Giving her head a shake, she focused on the crowd and chatted with them for a few minutes before moving with Loni to meet up with their group. She was aware that RJ and Dean had slipped back in with the guys.

  “If we win—”

  “You mean, when we win,” Mel corrected Abby, repositioning her “Bride-to-be” sash on her shoulder.

  The very pregnant, stunning blonde smiled. “Yes, when. Sorry. My bad. When we win, I think you should keep your heart tattoos on the small side. I mean, after all, it was sweet of Carter to agree to do it in the first place. Plus, he already let you ink a huge tattoo on his chest.”

  Warmth entered Mel’s eyes. “Yeah, that was sweet of him, wasn’t it? Of course, the way he dissed me at the hospital after the personal hell I’d gone through to be there…the size of his tattoo seemed fitting.”

  Curiosity lifted Lori’s brows. Sounded like a tale she’d enjoy hearing, but since cameras were following them around tonight, she decided to wait until the world wasn’t listening to ask her friend to share the story.

  Several groups were corralled and led by a clipboard-wielding guide down a corridor on the right or on the left, and some filed into an elevator to what Lori assumed were more floors laid out like the one she was on.

  “I think it’d be funny as hell if you tattooed “Property of Mel” across his…butt.” Rylee obviously caught herself and amended her words last second.

  Lori laughed with the others, but secretly hoped Mel didn’t do that to the poor guy. There was no way his buddies would ever let him live it down.

  No way.

  “All right. May I have the Carter/Mel bachelor/bachelorette group please?” One of the staff came out from behind a counter that faced the entrance, clipboard in hand. “My name is Kelsey. I have a few things to go over with you, but first, I need everyone to stow your purses and phones in the two open lockers behind me. Carter, your group gets one and, Mel, yours gets the other.”

  Once everyone complied, Kelsey shut the lockers and handed Carter and Mel the respective keys. “And FYI, those keys do not open any doors, so just keep them
in your pockets for when you’re ready to leave later.”

  A grumble ran through the women’s team, while the men just nodded.

  “All right,” the host said. “Bachelors to my left, and bachelorettes to my right.”

  “Let’s do this,” Mel said, stepping to the young woman’s right.

  Lori followed suit, excitement increasing her pulse as Loni, Lyndsey, Rylee, Abby, and Mac’s wife Stef rounded out their team.

  “Just a few rules before I take you to your rooms.” Kelsey smiled at them. “You have sixty minutes to find and decipher the clues that will lead you to find the exit and/or key to open it. If you do not find it in time, the door will automatically open. If, for some reason, an emergency arises, there are panic buttons located just inside the entrance to each room. But just know, if you hit it, you automatically lose. Are there any questions?”

  Everyone kind of glanced at one another before shaking their heads.

  “All right. Mel, you reserved the study for your team, and Carter, you have the museum, right?” Kelsey asked.

  “Yes,” Mel replied, and Carter nodded.

  “Very good.” Kelsey grinned. “Then follow me and I’ll take you to your rooms.”

  Everyone fell into step behind the woman, who turned and led them down the corridor on the right.

  “Get ready for that heart, honey,” Mel taunted.

  Carter snorted. “You mean the red dot.”

  Laughter rippled through the group as they continued walking.

  “Good luck,” RJ said, falling into step next to her. Concern flickered through his eyes and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, but then shut it.

  “You, too.” Lori shoved her fist into her pocket to keep from reaching for his hand. She smiled. “You’re going to need it.”

  His mouth curved into a grin. “We’ll see.”

  A second later, Kelsey stopped and pointed to two doors located across from each other. “All right. Ladies, your room is on the right. Gentlemen, yours is on the left. In just a second, the doors down the hall will open. Keep to the side so the patrons who obviously haven’t solved the riddles can easily exit the rooms. Once the room is clear and I give you the go ahead, be sure to move into your rooms as swiftly as possible because as soon as I shut your doors…your timer begins.”