“They’re speeding up.” Reed tapped at the screen of his phone and pressed it to his ear.
“Damn it.” Brock punched the gas. “Hold on, Sunshine.”
Eva’s hand pressed onto his, her fingers holding tight as the Rover sped along roads most people would struggle to maneuver at a normal speed.
Brock took the next side street, fighting to keep the Rover on the snowy pavement as its wheels fought for purchase. The second they grabbed he floored it, hoping to be out of sight before the sedan caught up. Another turn and he was out of view, racing along a less-populated part of Fairbanks.
“You see anything?”
“No.” Reed watched out the back window, scanning the road behind them as Brock took another turn.
And put the brake to the floor.
“Holy shit.” Eva barely had the words out of her mouth before his hand was at the back of her head, shoving it down as the two men standing in front of the car blocking the road in front of them lifted their arms and took aim.
Brock threw the Rover into reverse as Reed rolled down a back window. He held Eva in place as he steered the SUV back the way they came, spinning out at the end of the road just as their tail caught up. The Rover bounced off the sedan, knocking the tail back a few feet as bullets started to ping against the doors. Reed held tight to the back seat with one hand as he returned fire with the arm he had shoved out the window.
“Got the tires on the sedan. Get the fuck outta here.” Reed ducked down as a bullet came in through the back window and out Eva’s side. “Go!”
Brock shifted into drive and took off, fighting the urge to floor the gas until the tires grabbed the sandy roadway. “You okay, Sunshine?”
“This is fucking crazy. You know this is crazy, right?”
He smiled. “Not enjoying your Alaskan adventure?”
“Ask me again when we’re safe.”
“You’re always safe.” Brock glanced in the mirror, checking for any sign the men they left behind were considering another game of chase. “I promise.”
“Those men were not after me, were they?”
“Technically, no.”
“What does that mean?” Eva popped up, her hair and eyes wild as she looked around the vehicle.
“It means technically they were probably more interested in me and Reed.” Brock kept his eyes out the front of the SUV as he tapped through screens on the console. A second later Dutch was on the line, interrupting the string of questions Brock wasn’t excited about answering.
“Was that the same guys from the store?”
“That would be an affirmative.” Brock headed straight for headquarters, moving as fast as possible through the light traffic, darting in and out of lanes, hoping to force anyone who might be trying to follow them to show their hand early in the game.
“Is Eva okay?”
“Harlow?” Eva leaned down close to the system, like she could have a private conversation over the speakers of a vehicle. “They shot at us.”
“Seriously?”
Eva nodded.
She might be in shock.
“Did they hit anything?” Harlow sounded way more excited than she should.
“They hit the car.” Eva’s head barely turned toward the bullet hole pierced in her window. “A few times.”
“Holy shit. Were you scared?”
“I didn’t really know it was happening. My head was in Brock’s lap.” Eva reached up to smooth down a matted clump of her hair.
“You’re getting to have all the fun today, aren’t you?”
Eva turned to look toward the back of the Rover. “I didn’t even get to eat my breakfast.” She started to crawl between the seats.
“What are you doing?” Brock tried to grab at her.
“If those bastards shot my stuff I’m going to kill someone.” She landed on Reed, knocking him back in the seat. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to knee your nuts.”
Harlow was laughing in the background as Dutch came back on the line. “Are you coming to main campus?”
“Headed there now. We’re about ten minutes out.”
“We’ll be ready.”
Brock ended the call, glancing in the mirror as Eva’s butt lifted in the air over the seat behind him. “Can you stop her? She’s a fucking perfect target with her ass up like that.”
Reed tapped Eva on the hip. “If someone starts shooting at us again you’re probably going to get hit if you don’t move.”
“Son of a mother fucker.” She fell to her bottom on the seat beside Reed. “Those dick wads shot my Gram-Gram right between the eyes.”
“I will get you a new Gram-Gram.” Brock cut across two lanes to take the turn into the business park that bordered the property owned by Alaskan Security.
“Ugh.” Her head fell to the back of the seat. “This is stupid.”
Reed stared at him in the mirror, eyes wide.
He understood completely. “Everything is going to be fine. We’re almost there. Just relax.”
“Relax?” She sat up straight and leaned forward. “I was fine before I came here.”
“That’s not true, Eva. You know that.” He squeezed the wheel, hating that she was at least a little right.
“It is true. The person following me left me cool shirts and brownies. The dicks after you shot my Gram-Gram.”
Reed leaned back to peek over the seat.
“Brownies?” Brock shot her a quick look. “You ate them, didn’t you?”
“They were frosted.” She said it like that made it perfectly normal to eat something left on your porch by a crazy person.
“I can’t believe you are still alive, you know that?”
“Do you actually hear what you’re saying to me?” Eva pointed to the back of the SUV. “You can’t believe I’m still alive because I ate stalker brownies? I can’t believe I’m still alive because someone just fucking shot up our car.”
“I swear to God if you’re laughing I’m going to kill you, Reed.” Brock tried to find him in the mirror, but Reed was leaning out of view.
He didn’t have time to throw out any more empty threats anyway. Brock rolled down the window and punched in the code to open the gates leading them into one of only two places he could be positive Eva would be safe.
The minute they were parked she was out of the car and at the back hatch, cussing at the top of her lungs about the cold and the bullet hole through her suitcase grandma.
“I bet they got my favorite pair of jeans too.” She stuck her finger in the hole and twisted it around. “You better fucking kill them.”
“You want me to kill someone because they shot your pants?” Reed blinked at her.
“Not only because of that.” Eva grabbed her giant leopard-print bag and slung it over her shoulder. “But you should add it to your list.” She grabbed the handle of her suitcase. “Do you have any idea how hard it is for women to find jeans that fit?”
“Eva!” Harlow came running out of the main building, arms out. She grabbed Eva in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” She pushed her out at arm’s length. “And I’m fucking jealous as hell that you got to be in a gun fight.”
“It wasn’t a gun fight.” Brock stepped in close to Eva, intending to put his arm around her, but Harlow beat him to the punch, wrapping Eva up and pulling her toward the glass doors.
“Tell me everything.” She punched the keypad and shoved Eva inside, not even bothering to hold the door open for him and Reed.
“You might be fucked.” Reed punched his code into the pad and held the door open for Brock to pass through carrying his own luggage.
“Seems like.” He dropped it all beside the door. “She’s been a handful from the beginning.”
“I can imagine.” Reed gave him a grin. “I’m a little jealous you’re the one who got to her first.”
“Kicking your ass is still on the table, Reed.” Brock walked in the direction of where Harlow led Eva, following their feminine voices down the hall.
<
br /> “Brock.” Dutch stood from his desk as Brock passed his office. “I need to go over what happened with you.”
“Later.” He kept going but Dutch didn’t give up, following him down the hall. “Not later. Now. Shawn’s already in the big conference room with Pierce.”
Brock stopped. “Pierce?”
The head of Alaskan Security being in a meeting was not a good sign.
Dutch nodded. “This isn’t good, man.”
“Fuck.” He started walking again. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Years he’d successfully kept any woman from getting to him. From getting close.
And now, the first time one did, she instantly had a target strapped to her back.
“Brock?” Eva’s voice was soft behind him. When he turned her eyes were on him as she took slow steps his way. “What’s wrong?” She lifted a finger as he started to speak. “Please don’t lie to me.”
“What just happened was bad.” He closed the distance left between them. “Very bad.”
Her brows came together. “I’d already mathed that out.” She rested one hand on the center of his chest, smoothing down the fabric. “I didn’t think they were trying to invite us to a party.”
Telling her the truth of what might be happening wasn’t something he wanted to do.
But lying to this woman wasn’t an option.
“Come with me.” He caught her hand in his. “We have a meeting to go to.”
CHAPTER 12
“SO YOU DICKS brought me here knowing this was happening?”
She stared at the man at the end of the table. A dozen eyeballs burned into her from around the room. “And you didn’t think that was a bad idea? Drag an innocent person into your fucking mess?”
Eva stood, knocking her chair back as she leaned forward, pressing her hands on the table so she could lean closer to the man watching her with a mild amount of amusement.
Which only pissed her off more.
“This is bullshit and you know it. I could have stayed home and been perfectly fine. Now I’m a freaking target in a turf war?”
“You weren’t perfectly fine or you wouldn’t have been willing to fly across the country to come here, Ms. Tatum.” His words were calm and measured.
And condescending as hell.
“I didn’t want to come here at all.” If this prick thought she was the kind of girl who backed down from someone like him then he was about to be surprised as shit.
She ate men like him for fucking breakfast.
“I came here so my partners would shut up about it.” And what a freaking mistake that was.
“Then that would be your mistake.”
“My mist—” Eva straightened. “You arrogant, gas-lighting, son of a bitch.”
The man leaned to look around her, lifting his black brows at Brock.
Brock leaned into her side.
Eva braced herself for what was coming. No doubt he was going to tell her to calm down.
To shut up.
“You forgot to tell him about how they shot Gram-Gram.”
Her eyes snapped his way.
“What?” Finally the guy at the head of the table sounded something besides cool and indifferent.
Eva nodded, turning back to face him. “Right between the eyes.”
Harlow pointed at him with the tip of the pen always in her hand. “Gram-Gram got a kill shot because of you, Pierce.”
He fucking looked like a Pierce. Like David Gandy without an accent.
And with a few almost-hidden weapons stashed under the impeccable cut of his suit.
Pierce turned his gaze to Harlow. “How in the hell did her Gram-Gram get involved in this?”
“She was in the trunk of the Rover.” Eva glanced to Harlow.
She’d never had a partner in crime before. No one who could handle the same shit she could.
Mona was great, but at the end of the day she intimidated way too easily.
And Chandler was the type who would have told her to calm down.
To reign herself in.
Not Harlow. She was right there beside her, taking Pierce where he deserved to go.
And doing it with a straight face.
“She was in the fucking trunk?” Pierce slammed one hand down on the table, his eyes hard on Brock. “Why in the hell was her Gram-Gram in the trunk?”
Eva tried to breathe slowly. If Pierce said Gram-Gram one more time she was going to lose it.
Harlow coughed.
They were going to have to practice this.
“I put her in the trunk.” Eva stepped in front of Brock, blocking him from Pierce’s penetrating glare. “It seemed like the best place for her.”
Pierce stared at her and for a second she saw a familiar flicker.
Apprehension.
Not fear. This man didn’t seem like the type to fear anything.
“Where is she now?” His tone was a little softer, but the apprehension was quickly being replaced by something else.
Suspicion.
Pierce might be smarter than most people she was used to dealing with.
“In Harlow’s office.”
“Go get her.” He leaned back in his seat, slipping back to the man from a few minutes ago.
“Fine.” Eva spun and marched out.
He was going to be pissed. She smiled.
A minute later she was walking back into the room, wheeling her suitcase along beside her.
Pierce stared at it for a few seconds longer than she expected before his eyes lifted to hers. “What do you do for a living, Ms. Tatum?”
“I hunt lies.”
He didn’t look the least bit confused by her broad explanation.
“Do you usually find them?”
“I do.”
He took a long, deep breath, dark gaze studying her in a way that probably made most people uncomfortable.
Made grown men shift on their feet.
She stood taller, straighter. Pierce didn’t pay her bills and he sure as hell didn’t fuck her.
That meant he could suck it.
“What is it you do for a living, Pierce?”
“I own this company.”
“Makes sense.” Eva scanned his expensive suit. Hell, his watch alone cost more than her first car.
Not her current car, though. “If you’re trying to intimidate me it won’t work.”
“Is that what you think I’m doing? Trying to intimidate you?”
“Did your mother ever tell you it was rude to answer a question with a question?”
“My mother died when I was two.”
“My mother couldn’t have cared less about my existence.” She tipped her head to one side. “And I still have manners.”
“Enough.” Brock stood beside her. “If you need anything else you can call me.” He held Pierce’s gaze longer than necessary as one hand rested on her hip, gently squeezing. “Come on. It’s time for us to go.”
Eva kept her glare on Pierce until she cleared the doorway. “I don’t like him.”
“I’ll be sure he knows.” Brock led her back down the hall to Harlow’s office. “Get your stuff.”
“I didn’t even get to check my emails.” She backed into the room. “And I told Mona and Chandler I would be calling to check in today.”
“I’m sure they’ll forgive you.” Brock picked up her bag.
“They are already worried about me. I had like, five hundred texts from them.”
Brock stopped. “How did you get texts from them?”
Shit.
“I meant I probably have five hundred texts from them.”
“Uh-huh.” He came closer. “How did you let them know you would be calling to check in today?”
“Is that what I said?”
He smiled, slow and easy as one finger came up to trace the line of her jaw. “I think you might have just lied to me, Eva.”
Goddammit.
“It’s your fault.” She smacked at his hand. “You make me d
iscombobulated.”
His smile didn’t waver as Brock moved closer, knocking the door closed with his foot. “Good.”
“It’s not good. It’s terrible.” She poked at him with one finger.
“I understand completely.” He pressed against her, backing her against the door. “It’s fucking awful.” His body was big and warm as it blocked out everything else around them. “But something is there and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.” His nose slid along hers as his lips hovered just out of reach.
“I don’t know if I can—” She choked a little on the last part, swallowing down the feelings daring to claw their way free.
“Just try.” His voice was so soft. So deep.
“What if I’m bad at it?”
His smile was back. “I’m positive you’re going to be bad at it.” One hand curled against the side of her neck. “I think that’s part of why I can’t seem to make myself let you go.”
“You should have let someone else take care of me.” Eva closed her eyes, fighting to stay in control. Fighting to keep from feeling what he made her want to feel.
“That might be true.” The pad of his thumb stroked across her lower lip. “But it’s too late now.”
A second later he tugged her away from the door. “Come on, Sunshine. It’s time to go.”
Eva blinked at the sudden shift. Two seconds ago she was pretty sure he was going to kiss her again.
And now Brock was grabbing her bag and swinging open the door, his big hand holding hers as he led her down the hall toward the front of the giant building. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace no one will find you.” He stopped at the front door where her Gram-Gram suitcase was already waiting with Harlow leaned against the wall beside it, tapping her foot as she scrolled through her phone. She glanced up and grinned.
“You are my new hero.”
“Don’t act like you haven’t ripped Pierce a new asshole more times than you can count.” Brock grabbed a few bags and walked outside to a black Range Rover.
“It’s exhausting being the only one not scared of him, though.” Harlow went back to the phone in her hand. “Be ready. He’s probably going to offer you a job.”
“Who? That Pierce guy?” Eva pulled on her coat and zipped it up to her chin before tugging on the hat her Gram-Gram knit for her last year. “I doubt he’s interested in ever seeing me again. Definitely not in a professional capacity.”
Counterfeit Relations (Alaskan Security: Team Rogue Book 2) Page 11