Bring the Heat (15 page)

“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 the 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.

“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.”

“Forgot your nightie? I thought you were staying at your place.” He stared at her. What had he done last night? “Did we—?”

She arched a brow and her smile widened, a little cat toying with her prey. “Sleep together? Yep.”

He closed his eyes and bowed his head, humiliation complete. How had she ended up here last night, in his bed, when she was supposed to be with Danny? “I'm so sorry. I don't remember.”

“That's okay. It wasn't anything to write home about.”

Boy, that hurt. The lady knew how to grab a man by
the testicles and twist. “Go away and let me die in peace.”

“Sorry, sweetie. You're out of luck on both counts. I'm not going anywhere and you're not going to die anytime soon. I will, however, go downstairs and make coffee while you shower.”

Coffee? His belly cramped at the notion, and he groaned. For a few seconds, he thought she'd left, until her throaty voice drifted over him again.

“By the way, nothing happened between us. All we did was sleep. You mixed alcohol and your pain pills, so I stayed with you to make sure you were okay. Well, I was going to stay anyway. That's why Danny brought me here in the first place.”

His head came up at that revelation. “Oh.”

“Get cleaned up. I'll explain everything when you're finished. Can you manage all right?”

Austin sensed she wanted to come in and help him, but she held back. Maybe out of consideration for his bruised pride. Or maybe she believed he'd reject her aid. Whatever the reason for her hesitation, he was grateful. His self-respect had taken a serious beating and was lying prostrate at his feet, in dire need of CPR.

“I'll be fine, thanks.” He gave her a weak smile, but she wasn't buying.

“See you downstairs,” she said, shaking her head as she walked out.

Her consternation made him feel like a naughty teenager instead of a grown man, and rightfully so. Of all the stupid, irresponsible stunts to pull, sitting on his
deck putting himself at risk. And then what? Damned if he could remember.

He'd needed to escape reality with a desperation that bordered on madness. To get away from everything. Memories of Ashley and the baby, loving and losing them. His stalker, arguing with Danny, falling for Laura.

Laura
. She was the clincher, finally pushing him over the edge. The futile struggle not to fall for the lovely ME, because in the end he'd lose her, too.

What a clusterfuck. Weeks earlier, his life had been simple. A neat, tidy, isolated world, posted
No Trespassers Allowed
. He'd learned the hard way to compartmentalize the pain, to stifle the longing to hold the woman of his dreams. To live without love, the one weakness guaranteed to kill him the second time around.

Cursing, he went to the sink, then brushed his teeth. Removing his jeans, he turned on the shower, allowing the water to heat before stepping in.

The hot spray did wonders for soothing his attitude. His head didn't hurt as much as before and he found his mind was finally clearing.

Out of the shower, he toweled dry. Leaving his hair damp, he walked into the bedroom, retrieved a pair of black briefs from his dresser, and pulled them on. A fresh pair of jeans and an old, soft powder blue shirt made him feel more human. Then he headed downstairs in search of Laura.

The rich aroma of fresh coffee led him to the kitchen, where he found her sitting at the breakfast nook table, wearing his robe—and talking to Danny. They were
leaning toward each other, whispering like a pair of thieves.

Wonderful. Wasn't this going to be fun?

“Morning,” he murmured. Conversation halted as he walked to the coffeepot and took a mug from the cabinet. He poured the fragrant brew and joined them, taking a seat next to Laura, across from Danny. His friend nodded to him.

“How are you this morning?”

“I'm good, thanks.”

“Did you know you're really heavy? I had to carry you to bed last night.” His lips quirked.

He bit back the strong urge to tell Danny to fuck off, but couldn't keep the snarl out of his tone. “What are you two lovebirds doing here? And isn't that the same suit you had on yesterday?”

Danny's amusement cooled. “Your powers of observation are astounding. Yes, these are the same clothes. I slept in them—or rather, tossed and turned—here on your sofa. All damn night. To make certain my ignorant shithead of a friend didn't die of alcohol poisoning, and to be here in case Laura needed help.”

Crap. He wrapped his hands around the warm mug, but didn't drink. “What happened?”

“I brought Laura over here to stay with you. We found you out on the deck nursing a bottle of Jim Beam, and you'd taken painkillers. You passed out and, as I said, I carried you to bed. My lower back may never recover.”

“I remember some of it.” Mortified, he dropped his gaze to his mug. “Thanks, Danny. I mean that.”

“Yeah, well, don't pull an asinine stunt like that again. You scared the hell out of us.”

“Don't worry. I doubt my brain would survive another round.” He turned his head to peer at Laura, not quite daring to trust what he'd just heard. “I thought Danny was going to stay with you.”

A blush stained her cheeks. “I changed my mind. I'd rather crash here, with you. If the offer still stands.”

Relief washed through him like a tidal wave. He struggled to remain calm, to hide the stupid grin that wanted to spread across his face. “Of course, sweetheart. You're welcome to stay until this stalker mess is over, as long as you need.”

How about forever? Then I'd never be lonely again and I'd make you so happy
—

Danny rose. “I need to go home and get cleaned up before I head in to work. Walk me out?”

Laura took the hint and stayed behind to sip her coffee as Austin saw his partner to the door. In unspoken agreement, they stepped out on the porch together. Danny looked him square in the eye, wasting no time on what he had to say.

“I thought you deserved to know that before you passed out last night, you had a meltdown. I mean
really
lost it. Do you remember anything you said?”

“Jesus, no. Last night's a blank.”

“Just as well. You were downright mean when we got here,” Danny said flatly. “But that's beside the point. The only reason I'm bringing it up is because you broke down, starting moaning about Ashley in
front of Laura. Spouting a bunch of crap about not falling in love again. You get the picture.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Now would be a good time for the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

“Has she mentioned it?”

“Not a word. If it hurt her, she's hidden it well.” His friend leaned against the porch railing, crossed his arms over his chest. “Want some free advice?”

“Not particularly.”

“Don't blow your chance. She's a terrific lady. Let the past lie. She wants you and you want her, so go for it.”

“My stalker—”

“Is a convenient excuse.”

“It's a little more serious than that.”

His partner arched a brow. “So you're gonna drink yourself into oblivion every time you feel low? You're gonna push her away and she'll have no trouble finding the man who's all too happy to help her get over you.”

“Like you?” he bit off.

“Not even close. Laura's a friend to me, nothing more. But make no mistake—if I had feelings for the lady, I'd fight the devil himself to have her.”

Austin studied the open, honest expression on his friend's face. And something else lingering there, too. Remorse? No, that wasn't right. Damned if he knew.

“I hear you. To tell the truth, it's getting harder to remember why I'm fighting a battle I'll probably lose.”

“Whether or not you'd be the loser is entirely a matter of perspective.” Danny pushed away from the
railing, throwing him a teasing grin that didn't quite mask the shadows in his eyes. “Gotta go.
One
of us has to make an effort to show up at work on time this week.” He turned to leave.

“Hang on.” Austin waited until his friend faced him again before continuing. “I owe you an apology for yesterday.”

“Forget it.”

“I can't. I was on edge, definitely not myself, but that's no excuse. I had no right to question your preferences. It's none of my damn business, and I'm sorry.”

Danny slanted a look at him. “What if I
was
gay? Would it matter to you?”

“Are you?” he asked. “Is that what you're trying to tell me?”

“Just answer the fucking question.”

Austin studied his unhappy friend. Now he got the expression he'd glimpsed on Danny's face. Total abject misery.

“No, it would not matter to me. Not one bit. You're a damn good cop, and one of my best friends. I've got your back no matter what. Understand? Nothing's gonna change that, so don't get all depressed and do anything stupid, for God's sake.”

“I'm confused, not suicidal,” he muttered.

“I mean, don't do anything impulsive.”

“Like pay Frankie Blair a visit? You know, if we hadn't found you in such bad shape last night, I think I might have done just that.”

“Aw, shit.” Austin closed his eyes. How long had his friend been battling a load of inner torment?
Worse, how could I have been such a prick?
He opened his eyes. “What are you gonna do?”

Danny glanced away, jaw tightening. “I don't know.”

“Whatever you decide—
if
you decide—Danny, be careful.”

“This stays between us. I don't want the guys at the station getting wind of it.”

“Goes without saying.” Most, like Glenn's and Austin's detectives, would show their support. Some would keep a cool distance. And the rest, like the jerks he'd caught cracking jokes at his own expense, would turn on Danny like a pack of vicious dogs out for blood.

“Thanks. Catch you later.”

Austin watched Danny trot down the steps and head for his 'Vette, shoulders slumped. Always so alone, he realized. Far too quiet and solitary for a man of twenty-six. The fact that he'd missed the signs of a good friend in serious personal crisis shamed him.

“I'll do better, I promise,” he vowed as his partner drove away.

A cool spring morning breeze ruffled his hair, kissed his face. Goose bumps broke out on his arms, causing him to shiver. What was that?

Changes coming,
the wind whispered against his skin.
Some of them sure to bring heartache. Be ready, Rainey
 . . .

Great. He was losing his mind. Then again, taking a swan dive into the shallow end might not be such a
raw deal. Funny little pills to keep you mellow, pleasant doctors in white coats, three squares a day.

But no Laura. A grim prospect that had become impossible to fathom. Suddenly, he needed to be with her more than his next breath. Ached to sit with her at his kitchen table, enjoying her company while she sipped coffee, wrapped in his ridiculous robe.

Danny's advice echoing in his brain, he hurried inside.

•   •   •

“Any big news in there this morning?”

Laura glanced up as Austin strode in and resumed his place at the table. Damn, how could the man look good enough to eat after all he'd been through the last few days, especially last night? There ought to be a law . . .

“Yep. Plenty of headlines, most of them negative.” She flipped the newspaper closed. “Good news doesn't sell, and we know that better than most.”

He propped his elbows on the table, pinning her with his green eyes. “How do you stand being immersed in other people's tragedies day in and day out without drowning?”

“And you aren't? What we do isn't so different, you know. You try to help people, and so do I.”

He continued to gaze at her, as though working out the solution to a puzzle. “Your situations are always tragic, though. Yet you really believe you make a positive difference.” An observation, not a question.