Cheyenne McCray - Point Blank (Lawmen Book 4) (7 page)

“That’s incredibly naïve.” The words were out of Brooks’s mouth before he could stop himself. “You could end up in serious trouble for trusting the wrong people.” Was that what she was doing with Okle? He mentally shook his head. This woman was getting to him and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

She gripped the chair’s fabric-covered arms and gave him a long look. “That’s who I am, Brooks. I’m not changing for anyone.”

“Hey.” He found himself putting his hand over hers, where she clenched the chair’s arm. Her hand was warm and small beneath his palm. “I had no business saying that. It’s in my nature to protect and you are important to people I care about.” What the hell was he saying? The fact that she was a friend’s relative could color his judgment if he wasn’t careful.

“I’m sorry.” She relaxed her hand and he saw tension drain from her. “I think I’m a little tired and I overreacted. I’m not usually defensive. I’m going to go up to my room and take a nap before the party tonight.”

He moved his hand from hers. He definitely like touching her far too much. “Sounds like you’re going to have a fun night.”

She picked up her purse and coat. “From what Gary Grapefruit says, it should be.”

Brooks found his lips twitching with amusement. “Gary Grapefruit?”

“Oops.” A grin spread over her face. “That’s how I think of him—every time I see him, he brings me bags of grapefruit from his greenhouse in a town outside of Phoenix, so he has them year round.” Her eyes sparkled. “He’s become a good friend but he still doesn’t know I call him that. He’d probably just laugh, but it’s my own private joke.”

He liked how Natasha made him laugh. He’d intended to ask her to dinner, but now knew she had other plans.

“Why don’t you come?” She opened her purse and withdrew a twenty. “Gary said his friend likes big parties and showing off his home. The more the merrier kind of thing.”

It would be a good way to spend more time with Natasha. He pulled his wallet out. “I’m paying, so put that cash away.”

She shook her head. “I pay my way.”

“I’m sure you do,” he said. “But not with me.”

She put her hands on her purse. “I have a feeling I’m not going to win this one.”

“Your feeling is right.” The server hadn’t brought the bill yet, but he put more than enough cash on the table for a tip, their drinks, and appetizers. “I’ll walk you to your room.”

She stood as she stuffed the twenty into her purse. “Your mom must be tough to raise a man like you.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Brooks chuckled. “Between me and my sisters, not to mention my dad and the dude ranch, she’s probably done it all.”

“Your family owns a dude ranch?” Natasha grinned. “How very cool.”

“It’s definitely different. He needed to turn the conversation away from his family and back to Natasha. “Why don’t I drive you to the party tonight?”

“Thank you for asking, but I’d rather take my own car.” She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Who knows? I might want to leave early if I get too tired.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and brought up her text messages. “I’ll forward the address to you. What’s your phone number?”

He gave it to her, and in moments his own cell vibrated in its holster. He pulled the phone out and verified it was a text from Natasha with the address.

They walked to the elevator and she animatedly told him about her day. She held her jacket over one arm and still managed to use both hands to talk. She told him about some of the people she’d met at past shows who were at this one as well, and the friends she’d made.

Natasha made the people sound interesting, even one woman named Izzy, who walked around with a dark cloud over her head. “Like Charlie Brown,” she added with a smile.

He could picture everyone vividly as Natasha spoke. She seemed to have a great memory for detail and a gift for storytelling.

Her personality drew him to her in ways he’d never been attracted before. She had qualities he didn’t even know he wanted in a woman until now. A bright effervescent personality, an ease in her mannerisms that told him she was comfortable in her own skin, and she seemed to genuinely care for those around her and the people she loved.

Damn. He was having a harder and harder time believing she was guilty, and that wasn’t good. He wasn’t doing his job if he didn’t find evidence that she
wasn’t
involved. He needed to look at it logically, and when he did, he had to acknowledge the evidence pointing to her.

When they reached the eleventh floor, she walked out of the elevator ahead of him and he let his gaze drift down her backside. She was slender, but had a nice figure, including good-sized breasts and a great ass—

“Are you checking out my ass?” A glitter of amusement was in her eyes when she looked over her shoulder.

Her amusement was infectious and he grinned. “Who, me?”

“You’d better watch it, lawman.” She waited for him to reach her side. “I bite.”

He snorted out a laugh. “One can always hope.”

A groan nearly escaped him.
I’m playing a part,
he reminded himself. His comment was just a part of his cover.
Yeah, right.

Laughter bubbled up from her. “I have a feeling you’re a naughty boy, Special Agent Allen.”

Naughty would be an understatement,
he thought but didn’t say aloud. He’d love to get his hands on her, kiss the line of her neck to her breasts where he would gently suck her nipples…

He cleared his throat.
Jesus Christ.
What the hell was the matter with him? She could be playing him for all he was worth.

They reached her room and she swiped her keycard. The door unlocked with a click. She looked over her shoulder. “See you tonight, Brooks.”

“I’ll be there.” He watched her slip through the open doorway and then the door closed behind her.

He stared at the closed door for a long moment. He itched to touch her, wanted her naked and to feel her warm body against his.

A feeling rose up in him with such intensity his head nearly swam with it. The desire to shelter her and make sure nothing bad ever happen to her made his gut ache.

He ground his teeth. Maybe he would call Sofia and ask her to give someone else the assignment. If he couldn’t do his job, another agent should be on the case.

If Natasha was guilty, someone had to bring her down.

Mark Okle blew his nose on a tissue before tossing it in a nearby wastebasket. His sniffling and sneezing had to be allergies. He was certain mold must be in the retirement center’s vents or something—he wasn’t knowledgeable about that kind of thing, but he knew he’d been allergic to mold and dust mites from the time he was young.

His mother would be so disappointed if he hadn’t stopped by today like he did every Wednesday and Sunday, so he hoped the runny nose and the damned sneezing wasn’t a cold coming on. He didn’t want to get his mother or anyone else in the retirement center sick.

He approached her wheelchair from behind. It was positioned in front of the TV and she was watching the end of “Jeopardy.” He knew it was the end because he made sure to time his visits so that she would be finished watching her favorite show.

Jeopardy’s theme music began as the host ended the episode, and the credits rolled. Mark knelt on one knee next to the wheelchair and looked into Martha Okle’s keen brown eyes when she turned to see who had arrived. Her features were heavily lined from years of sun exposure, not to mention the fact she was well over eighty now.

“My boy.” Her features lit up as he rested his palm on the chair’s arm and she patted the back of his hand. “You are such a good young man to come see your mother.”

“Of course.” He smiled at her. His mother had been his world since he was a young boy and his father had abandoned them. Mark gritted his teeth.
My sperm donor, not father
. “How are you today, Mother?”

“As good as someone who’s eighty and in a wheelchair can be.” Martha cackled. “Raced George and Betty down the corridor this morning. I won.”

Mark chuckled. “I bet the staff wasn’t too happy about you having wheelchair races in the home.”

“I’m too old to give a damn what they think.” Martha waved away his comment. “Where’s that pretty girl of yours?” She looked behind Mark. “Here she comes.”

Mark glanced over his shoulder to see Selena Gallo and his dick hardened at the sight of her lithe form and curves he knew so well. Even with the expensive tailored slacks and fitted jacket she wore, she looked both sexy and dangerous at the same time.

She had pulled her hair back into a smooth knot, emphasizing her sharp cheekbones and exotic features that came from her Greek and mixed heritage. He had looked up the meaning of her first name—Moon Goddess. It fit her perfectly.

He always wondered how he’d gotten so lucky to have a woman who could have been a runway model interested in him. They’d hit it off after a “business associate” introduced them, and had been together ever since. Wanting to appeal to her even more, he’d lost weight over the first six months they’d dated.

These days he wasn’t told he could play the part of Santa Claus if he had a long white beard and a red suit. That had always pissed him off, so he’d worn thick black-framed glasses, colored what hair he had black, almost always wore business suits, and kept a close shave to help him look as different as possible. Once he’d lost weight, he’d ditched the glasses, but kept the rest. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about his growing bald spot.

The fact that Selena had talents beyond sucking his cock, talents that benefited his business, was purely a bonus. She more than earned every extravagance he attempted to bestow on her.

When he’d learned that she had been an assassin for the cartel, he’d been a little intimidated when they met. That didn’t last for long—she’d gone down on him the same night they’d met and sucked him dry.

“Lovey.” Martha spoke to Selena as she held her arms open, bringing Mark’s attention back to his mother. “Come give your future mother-in-law a hug.”

Mark’s face warmed. He and Selena hadn’t said the “L” word, much less talked about marriage. But his mother was determined Selena and Mark would have a big wedding before she died. She didn’t want her only child still single when she passed away.

“Hello, Martha.” Selena never seemed to mind his mother’s insistence on calling Selena her daughter-in-law. It made Mark wonder if Selena might love him. She leaned over and hugged his mother, a smile of genuine caring on his girlfriend’s gorgeous features.

His girlfriend. It never ceased to amaze him. She did not appear to be interested in his money, which he had loads of. She brushed away talk of financial statuses and preferred that he not give her expensive gifts. She wouldn’t even take payment for the jobs he had for her, insisting that theirs was not a business arrangement, but a partnership that went deeper on an emotional level.

But he
liked
to give things to her and she humored him by wearing a simple but very expensive diamond and gold tennis bracelet, along with matching earrings, and she used the various Versace purses that she deemed useful.

The gift she clearly appreciated the most was the Beretta 92FS 9mm. It was considered a man’s handgun, but she said she preferred the solid design and the fact it was one of the best long-range pistols available. She used it and her skills at commanding his men well. She wore a Beretta Nano in an ankle holster and kept the 92FS in whatever Versace purse she was carrying that day.

“What’s the plan?” Selena looked from Martha to Mark. “How about board games?”

“We haven’t done that for a while.” He let his gaze drift over the crowd. “I’d say a game of Risk for half and Trivial Pursuit for the rest.” Both games allowed up to six players each. “For today let’s go with Trivial Pursuit’s Vintage Years edition.”

“Sounds great.” Selena gave him a sensual look that nearly set him on fire. The woman was so fucking hot.

She turned away to track down the well-used board games. It wasn’t long before Mark had the game of Risk going with four old men and two even older women with a few onlookers. Martha was with Selena and five other women, while two men sat nearby and watched. Both of the old men who didn’t participate were assholes, so Mark was glad they just watched. Their heckling was bad enough.

Mark and Selena didn’t play—they refereed. Sometimes the games got a little heated with a bunch of old folks going at it, some of them crankier than others.

Two hours later, the board games had been put away and Selena and Mark had said goodbye to each person in the home. Mark gave his mother a kiss, put on his coat, and pulled out yet another tissue on his way out the door with his girlfriend and lover.

Girlfriend, lover.
He loved to think of her in those terms. It was so hot when she went down on him and let him come on her bare breasts. He liked to fuck her, too, but she seemed to prefer oral to intercourse. He couldn’t remember how many times they’d actually fucked during the year plus they’d been seeing each other. He was happy to watch her beautiful mouth slide down his dick as she took him deep. She had the kind of body he had to explore whenever he got the opportunity.

His coat kept him warm and Selena looked comfortable, despite the chill wind, in the mink coat he’d bought her for Christmas. The fur was one other thing she’d accepted from him. She turned and met his gaze. She was a little taller than him, even more so in her heels, but that sure as hell didn’t matter. She could have been a six-five Amazon for all he cared.

They reached his silver Mercedes and climbed in. He used another tissue before he pulled the car into the street that ran in front of the retirement home.

“Are you sure it’s allergies?” Selena’s brow furrowed, but she looked as lovely as always. “I would hate to see any of the elderly at the home get ill.”

“Yes.” He snapped the words. “Just allergies.”

She turned and looked out the window, as if irritated with him for acting the way he just had.

“I’m sorry, babe.” He didn’t want her to be upset with him. He didn’t want to lose her. “I—” He barely managed to grab a tissue in time to sneeze into it. His nose was starting to feel raw from so much snot and the tissue.