Conned (3 page)

"This is Emily Dawson," Conall said and waved her
inside.

"Oh! Right! Gus was telling us about the case. I'm
sorry you've had to go through all of this."

Emily stepped inside and gave Ash a wary look. She
understood Conall's father being aware of the situation, but that was about as
far as she could go.

"Damn Fergus. Doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.
Emily, this is my sister, Ash. She also doesn't know when to keep her mouth
shut."

Emily smiled at the feigned annoyance in his voice and at
the way Ash smacked him in the back of the head. "I do too! I'm just done
doing it with you two idiots." She turned back to Emily and held her hand
out. "It's so nice to meet you. And don't worry, I only know about you
because Fergus said Conall would need some help controlling his inner urges
since you are so - and I quote -
'damn hot'
."

Conall started coughing violently like he was choking on
something and Emily felt her eyes nearly pop out of her head as she shook hands
with Ash. She looked extremely pleased with herself and winked.

"Um, thanks?" she said and looked over at Conall
who was doing everything in his power to
not
look at her. She wondered
if he agreed with his brother, but would never dare to ask.

"Plus, you guys will need my help getting established
so you're not locked up inside of a house all day." The way she glared at
Conall when she said it told Emily that there was more to that story, but Ash's
smile returned and she winked again. "Well then, my work here is done I
guess."

Definitely got the vibe that there was a little sibling
rivalry, but couldn't imagine it was more than a little fun. They both looked
like they loved each other.

"Sorry about that. My brother is a cop, too. Everything
has been cleared so there's no need to worry."

Once more, those words made her feel like she didn't have a
choice. She had to trust him.

"You're supposed to be my girlfriend. That's the story,
but we can go over the details later. My sister can be really inappropriate,
well we all can be… I'm just… sorry. She has this vendetta against us
lately."

She quirked an eyebrow in question and he sighed.

"We kind of - well mostly - didn't let her really live
her life at all. She's our little sister and we protected her. Things have
changed recently."

She smiled because how could she not like him after that.
"I get it. And now?"

He snorted, which was adorable, and raked a hand through his
wavy hair. "She's got Luke and wants revenge. I'll tell you about it
later, it's a long story."

"What have we here, son?" a voice said from the
stairs and when Emily looked up, she knew without a doubt this man was Conall's
father. An older - well aged- version of him with the same exact blue eyes and
crooked grin, but a little thicker around the middle.

"Dad, this is Emily Dawson. Emily, this is my father,
William Brannock."

"Liam, please. You can call me Liam," he said and
made his way over to her with his hand outstretched. She placed her tiny hand
in his and her eyes nearly popped out of her head when he leaned down and
kissed her knuckles lightly. "You
are
a beauty aren't you? I'm so
sorry for everything you have been through, but know that you will be safe with
Conall. Safe with us."

"Thank you," she replied a little shakily. "I
believe I will be."

He smiled down at her and turned to his son. "Take her
bags up to her room and I'll keep her company."

Conall didn't hesitate and Liam pulled her toward the
kitchen. "I know you must have met my Aislinn, she wouldn't have waited,
but prepare yourself for Fergus."

She didn't have time to prepare herself for anything because
when they walked into the kitchen, the second most handsome man she had ever
seen was standing at the sink washing a pan and grumbling about manual labor.

"I'm a cop for fu- uh, hell's sake! I shouldn't be
doing dishes."

"You're on vacation, Share Bear. And thanks for
watching your language. We have a guest and I'm sure she doesn't want to hear
your potty mouth."

"First, stop calling me that. Second, the ladies love
my potty mouth and third, by the way, vacation means no labor."

"Gus, stop complaining," Ash scolded. "Lucas
washes dishes all the time and I don't think you realize how sexy it can
actually be."

"Sexy?" he scoffed. "I think I'm gonna be
sick. Luke isn't sexy."

"He is because he washes the dishes," she
countered with a smug grin and a flicker of heat in her eyes.

Whoever this Luke guy was, must be a big deal because Gus
paused and looked like he was considering her argument when he looked up at
Emily with a cocky smile. "You don't think it's sexy, do you?"

Emily was too busy trying to find out how two men who were
as hot as him and Conall could be in the same house at the same time and not
burn it down. Fergus looked like his father and brother, but had more features
that were similar to Ash and she figured they must be from his mother. His eyes
were blue and gray and his hair was lighter than the others, but it didn't look
like that's what he was born with. The tips of his hair were lightened as if by
the sun and the tanned skin around his eyes crinkled when he smiled. He was tall,
but not as tall as Conall, though his arms and chest looked like he packed a
little more muscle than his brother. It was his perfectly clean shaven face
that made her realize why she had been warned about him.

He was just too pretty.

"Um…"

"Leave her alone, Gus Gus. She's supposed to be Con's
girlfriend, not yours."

Gus smirked and went back to cleaning the dishes but asked
again, "Well? Is it really sexy?"

Emily glanced over at Ash who was nodding her head
vigorously behind him with a wink. She smiled and tilted her head, ready to
help his sister out. "I've never really seen it until now, but…" she
eyed him carefully as he puffed out his chest and exaggerated his washing of
the pan while she observed him, trying to help her decide.

Liam chuckled beside her and Gus was still watching her,
waiting for her answer. It was obvious this family was close and there probably
wasn't a boring minute when they were all together.

"I can't quite decide," she said with a shrug as
Gus set the pan on a waiting towel to dry. "Maybe wash another one while I
watch from a different angle."

He eagerly took a dirty pan from Ash who looked like she was
going to explode with laughter and began washing it. "Okay, how about
now?" Gus asked, standing tall as he scrubbed the pan.

Emily tilted her head again and took a few steps over so she
was standing more in front of him. "Not sure, keep going. I think I'm
getting something."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise and started scrubbing the
pan more vigorously and she fought the urge to burst out laughing.

"What makes it sexy? Is it because you are picturing me
in a bathtub covered with soap bubbles?"

"Ew! Gus, stop! That image will probably make her want
to throw up."

Emily wasn't sure about that. He looked like he had a really
nice body, even if she thought Conall's leaner and more cut look was nicer.

When he was finished and set the pan off to the side, Ash
handed him another one with her good arm. Emily looked around and saw quite the
spread on the table for breakfast and knew that she must have worked hard to
cook for everyone, even with a hurt arm, so she nodded and told him to wash the
pan while she stood closer to him.

Ash was covering her mouth trying to contain the laughter
and looking at Emily with a twinkle in her eye.

She liked her.

Gus washed the last pan then shut the water off and gave her
a look that said he was still waiting for her answer and was impatient now.

She smiled wryly, "It's
really
sexy. In fact,
I'd like to watch some more later if that's okay."

He shook his head, but she caught the grin on his face when
he looked at her again. "Seriously? You women… I'll never
understand." Then he winked at her and turned to his sister, kissing her
on the cheek and making his way to the table with a knowing smile.

"Come on, Ash. Sit down and eat so you can take a
break," he chided and Ash immediately moved to the table. "So, Emily,
right?" he asked, loading his plate with bacon and eggs. Liam was already
sitting down and eating his mountain of food and watching them with a smile on
his face.

"Yes, and you are Fergus?"

"Yep. I'm the sexy one."

"You are
not
the sexy one, Gus," she heard
Conall say from right behind her, then felt a hand on her lower back that sent
warm tingles up her spine. He guided her to the table and pulled out a chair
for her. It shouldn't have surprised her after his reaction to her opening her
own door, but her heart still skipped at the gesture and she saw Ash smile
knowingly then quickly look down at her food.

"I am," Gus argued. "You're the stoic one,
Ash is the gullible one," he pointed to his chest and smiled, "I'm
the sexy one."

Ash snorted and rolled her eyes, "Yeah,
I'm
the
gullible one. I'm not the one who just washed all the dishes trying to prove
that the act wasn't really sexy."

Conall sighed as he sat next to Emily and dished up a plate
for her, "Seriously, Gus? Again?"

Emily thought she sensed a hint of amusement in his voice
and when she turned back to Gus, he flashed her a wicked smile before he very
exaggeratedly feigned offense.

"What? Okay, that's the last time that happens, Ash!
I'm telling Luke."

Ash giggled as she scooped a small bite into her mouth
before getting up from the table with her dishes. "And I'm sure he will
take your side, sweetie. Emily, it was nice to meet you. I'm outta here. I got
some packing to do."

Liam rose from the table and gave her a big bear hug,
"You aren't leaving for a week, my beauty and you barely ate. You have
plenty of time."

She pulled back and smiled, but Emily could see it was
forced, "Yeah, but it's slow going, so I'm getting a head start."

"Why the hell isn't Luke helping you?" Conall
asked with a scowl.

Ash rolled her eyes - something Emily figured must have
happened a lot around here - and waved him away dismissively, "He is,
everyone just calm down. I'm leaving. Love you all."

Then she was gone.

"Dude, I don't know how much longer she is going to
believe this crap. I was seriously grasping with the dishes, man," Gus
complained, pointing at Conall and scowling at him.

"Then it's a good thing you're leaving in a few
days."

Emily looked between the two brothers in confusion and when
Conall saw it, he grinned at her and she about choked on her tongue. That grin
was wicked and did all kinds of things to her stomach.

"Ash went through a lot recently, but she's determined
to do things on her own. We can all see she is still struggling, but Luke helps
her. She won't let any of us help her unless she thinks she is tricking us into
it," he explained.

When she looked to Gus for confirmation, he just winked at
her. He had known exactly what they had been doing to him, but he hadn't called
them on it. It made something in her chest tighten to see a brother taking care
of his sister like that and her eyes stung as she stared down at her hands
fidgeting on the table, her food all but abandoned.

A brother who loved her like that would be a fucking
miracle.

Conall

God, she's beautiful
, I thought as I watched Emily
stare at her hands. There was something poetic about her, the way she watched
the eyes when someone spoke to her or the way she couldn't hide a damn thing
about how she was feeling.

From the moment I saw her at the airport, it felt like
someone was constantly punching me in the chest. She looked sure of herself
until she lost that hold on her mask. When that happened, she looked lonely and
it made me want to rip into someone.

Seeing her standing next to Jules was like watching a solar
eclipse straight on. No matter how hard you try to look at the shadow blocking
out the light, you see the brightness of the sun and it's blinding. I could
have found her in seconds if she had been in a sea of thousands of people in
that airport.

And it scared the shit out of me.

I had a job to do and those thoughts weren't helping to do
that job.

I figured I'd be fine once I saw her and I'd get over it.
Then she giggled at my comment about Jules and it was another blow to the
chest. I usually hated giggling, but when Emily did it, it was like I'd been
lit on fire.

I didn't have these kinds of feelings. Ever. About
any
woman. Especially one I just met and I've been charged to protect with my life.

Gus started snickering and brought me back to the
conversation. "You should have seen Conall a few days ago, down on his
hands and knees scrubbing the floors. How many times did you have to drop that
can of soda before it finally exploded?"

I tore my eyes away from her and scowled at my brother. I
shouldn't be looking at her anyway. I was supposed to protect her, hide her.

Gus smirked at me. He could see it, saw it before any of us
ever even met Emily. He may act like an idiot, but he certainly wasn't one. I
never really had a type before, but according to him, she was it. That blonde
hair was begging me to run my fingers through it and I never stood a chance
with those bright emerald green eyes.

I blinked over at Gus and decided to finally answer him and
take my mind off of those eyes before I let myself get carried away. "I
lost count. Strongest can I've ever seen."

Emily's brow furrowed and she looked between us and damn it
if every time her eyes landed on my brother I didn't feel like tackling him to
the ground. This was getting ridiculous. I took another bite of eggs and chewed
slowly, the flavor lost to me since my mind couldn't focus.

I don't believe in love at first sight. I don't even believe
in soul mates outside of the case of Ash and Luke because those two had been
made for each other. I wasn't the guy that was looking for emotional
fulfillment or even the guy that wanted to settle down. I tried that once
before and it backfired. But something about Emily made me wonder what it would
be like. Her eyes were filled with so much emotion and I could only guess that
had to do with a past I was forcing myself to ignore completely.

I quickly took a bite of bacon and swallowed to see if Gus
would be filling in the blanks for her. I didn't like to talk about myself even
though
not
talking about myself seemed to attract the wrong type of
women. They considered me brooding and mysterious when I really just didn't
want them knowing anything about me
at all
. No attachments. They were
all wrong for me, but I didn't need right. I just needed
a night
.

When Gus just sat there smirking at me with a wiggle of his
brow, I wiped my mouth and hoped he could understand the look I was giving him.
Guess it wouldn't matter, though. He liked to see me squirm.

When I turned back to Emily, the green in her eyes seemed
darker and they were zeroed in on my mouth, which in turn made
me
look
at
her
mouth, and that was just too God damn dangerous. I shifted in my
chair and waited for her to meet my gaze and when she did, her cheeks burned
red.

"It was the only way to get her to let me clean the
floor," I said vaguely.

My brother rolled his eyes, ever annoyed by my limited use
of words.

"I don't understand."

"Luke, her fiancé, kept stalling her until Con here
could
discreetly
make a mess and get her to make him clean it up
himself," Gus explained and I seriously agreed with Ash that he was
begging for a kick between the legs. I have never wished that on any man, but
he was pushing it.

Gus kept going, "Ended up cleaning all the floors on
his hands and knees."

I interrupted him with a shake of my head, "That's
because you thought it would be a harsher punishment and she heartily agreed
with a big smile on her face."

This made my brother throw his head back and laugh and I
couldn't stop myself from joining in.

Emily smiled at us before looking back down at her hands.
"You boys are good to your sister. That's sweet."

She sounded surprised about that and I couldn't for the life
of me figure out why. I mean, I know other families aren't anywhere near as
close as we are, but still. She's our sister. The girl may have annoyed the
hell out of us over the years, but we love her. I hated going very long without
talking to her so I had made it a point over the years to call her often. Why
wouldn't we be good to her? Why wouldn't we protect her and watch out for her?

Yes, we may have taken it a little farther than we should
have in the past, but look how that turned out. She was now engaged to the love
of her life. Our sister was happy. Our job was done, until she needed us again
and if Luke wanted to keep his balls, she wouldn't need us again for anything
other than the things normal brothers do.

I glanced up at Gus who was watching Emily carefully and
apparently trying to figure out the same things I was. "We are her
brothers," he stated as if that explained everything. Which, to me, it
absolutely did.

Dad had been standing at the island watching the whole
conversation and when I met his gaze, he nodded at me, the look on his face
telling me to keep my eyes open.

Emily's file reported that she had a younger brother who
hadn't been around for a while. When I saw his name, it made sense. Rayce
Dawson was a total piece of shit.

The Ripley investigation had been straight forward since the
beginning, until Rayce and his employer decided to start some competition for
the man. Ever since, Lucien Ripley had gone underground and it was nearly
impossible to get an inside man, so we all had to sit on our hands and wait it
out. Didn't mean he stopped his ventures altogether. No, he was still very much
in business, just quieter about it.

After his little brother murdered a cop and was being taken
to trial, he'd crawled out from under his rock and caused a shit ton of
problems. Stanton Ripley had shot down one of our own, an officer in my
department that had apparently been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Emily
Dawson was a witness to that murder. The only witness and the only one brave
enough to testify against him.

Lucien didn't like that and had made several attempts on her
life. Being the leader of the biggest crime/drug organization in Colorado, he
had the resources. They did everything from selling pot on the street to making
certain people disappear. Every time we get close, we end up further away.
Something always goes wrong and the investigation pulls back. He's smart, he's
stealthy, he's incredibly dangerous, and he wants Emily dead before she can
testify. The man loves his family, especially his little brother, and is
willing to do anything to keep him out of prison. Something admirable depending
on how you look at it, but totally fucked up under the circumstances.

Emily is the only lead the prosecution has and the
only
way they would have any chance of winning. Stanton had no priors, not even a
blip on the radar, and he has a family that Lucien has helped him provide for.
He has plead not guilty and by the look of him the last time I saw him, is not
doing well behind bars.

Everyone is hoping he will give his brother up, but I can't
imagine he would. The only thing the guy had going against him in his life is
his relation to Lucien and the fact that he worked a job at a legitimate
company that just so happened to be one of Lucien's. He was loyal, yes, but I
had the feeling he really didn't get involved with his older brother's more
'questionable' businesses. He wouldn't know anything big enough for us to use.

My opinion didn't really matter, though. My questions didn't
matter. The whole thing didn't sit right with me, but the evidence said
otherwise.

Emily said otherwise.

The conversation moved back and forth between her and Gus
while we ate. He asked the questions I already knew, what she did for a living,
where she used to live, but hearing
her
answer them was more informative
than a piece of paper. The way she lit up when she spoke about teaching was
beautiful. I genuinely hoped she would be able to go back to it after this was
all over.

"Conall, why don't you show Emily to the room she will
be staying in," Dad suggested as he started cleaning up the food. He
turned to Emily and smiled warmly, "I'm sure you are worn out from your
trip. Make yourself at home."

Emily smiled back shyly as she stood. "Thank you."

I stood with her and turned to the doorway, anxious to get
some distance. Her voice, her eyes… all of it was making my head spin.

Dad made his way to the table and started clearing the
dishes while Gus kept shoveling it all into his mouth, "No thanks necessary,
my dear. You're going to be family after all."

I froze mid-step and Gus started coughing loudly, obviously
choking on the food he had been inhaling. Liam Brannock was my hero and I
respected the hell out of him, but
what the hell?

Emily didn't seem to be focusing on his comment and instead
was looking worriedly at Gus who was still coughing. "Are you okay?"
she asked and moved toward him quickly, ready to perform the Heimlich maneuver
if necessary, but he raised a hand and shooed her away.

"Yeah, I'm good," his voice strained from coughing
and he started to laugh. "Wow, Dad. Subtle much?"

Dad shrugged innocently, but I saw the small grin he was
trying so hard to rein in. "What? She's supposed to be his
girlfriend."

I decided to just walk away before Gus got the chance to
call him out. Emily shrugged and followed after me. Once in the doorway, I
stopped and let her move passed me while I sent glares at my brother and Dad.
Dad didn't look like he felt guilty at all as he started rinsing dishes and
whistling, but Gus looked like he was in more shock than I was. His eyes were
the widest I had ever seen them as he gestured with his thumb towards Dad as if
saying,
Did he seriously just say that?

I shook my head and sighed. I had to keep this professional
and already it was too personal. My dad obviously liked her which was a problem
because anyone he liked was definitely worth liking. Gus liked her, but he was
leaving soon so I only had to deal with him for a few more days. Ash had looked
like she was about to make a new best friend, which only left Luke and God
knows he would do whatever the hell Ash wanted him to do.

"Thank you, Conall, for bringing me to your home. I
know it isn't really the most convenient thing and I really hope it doesn't put
your family in danger…"

She was standing at the bottom of the stairs, ringing her
hands together and looking at everything but me and I couldn't help but be a
little bitter about it. I wanted those green eyes looking at me. Only me. I had
no right wanting that.

I cleared my throat and kept my expression impassive,
"We won't be here long. I'll give you a couple hours to settle, then we
need to talk."

Her lips pursed and her green eyes narrowed, then she nodded
and that was enough. I stretched my arm toward the stairs to let her go first.
"Ladies first."

 I knew in my gut it was a big mistake, but hell if I could
do any different. I had manners, especially when those manners got me a view I
would clearly never forget.

God, I'm a perv.

The jeans she was wearing
had
to be made specifically
for her and the way her hips swayed back and forth as she climbed the steps
made me dizzy. I had to get a hold on this shit. I wouldn't last otherwise.

I got lost in my head for a moment and wondered how long it
had been since I'd been with anyone. A couple months at least, but I couldn't
even remember what the last girl looked like.

Hey, don't judge me. I never claimed to be a monk. I'm a
gentleman, sure; Mom hammered that way of life into our heads at a very young
age and Dad never let us forget it. I just don't have the time to do more than…
what I do. I shouldn't have gone so long without it, though.

At the top of the stairs, I moved ahead of her quickly,
putting that sweet view out of sight, and led her into Ash's old room. The mess
from a couple weeks ago was cleaned up and the carpet had been replaced, but it
was still a girl's room. I don't think Dad would ever change it either. I
watched Emily as she took in the walls and bedspread and visibly relaxed.

"This is wonderful," she whispered. It was quiet
enough that I'm almost positive I wasn't supposed to hear it.

"This is Ash's old room. If you find that you aren't
comfortable in here, we have a few others that you are welcome to. Like I said,
we won't be here long." I had already set her bags on the bed earlier, so
I turned away and started to exit the room and leave her be.

"Why would I feel uncomfortable here?" she asked
cautiously before I could get passed the door.

I turned back to her, but she wasn't looking at me, thank
God. She was still looking around the room and I felt like a complete dick when
I opened my mouth, but I couldn't stop the train wreck if I wanted to. I needed
her focused, otherwise, focus was out of the question for
me
. She didn't
need to get comfortable, anywhere. The moment she did would put her at risk.