Deadly Forever (Hardy Brothers Security Book 24)

by Lily Harper Hart

  Mandy smirked. “I can’t believe you’re letting me join the team. This is so much fun.”

  “You’re the heart of the team, baby,” James said, taking her palm and resting it against his chest. “You’re my heart.”

  “Oh, puke,” Grady muttered, shaking his head.

  “We need you to go, too,” James added, shifting his gaze to his brother. “Kaspar has seen Jake and me so we’re going to have to hide in the shadows. We want you at the bar in case Kaspar gets fresh.”

  “Consider it done,” Grady said, glancing at his Mandy and Ally. “Go slut yourself up, ladies. We finally have need for your … talents.”

  Ally’s expression was murderous as she locked gazes with Grady. “You’d better sleep with one eye open. I’m totally cutting that hair before the wedding.”

  “Promises, promises.” Grady didn’t look worried. “Move it along, hens. This rooster isn’t going to crow without some help.”

  “I’M GOING to kill her,” James muttered two hours later, leaning back in the dark corner booth at the brewery and scowling as he watched Mandy and Ally giggle at the bar. “What was she thinking?”

  “She was thinking Grady told her to dress slutty,” Jake answered, blasé. “I don’t know what you expected her to wear. It’s not as if a turtleneck was going to get the job done. You asked them here to entice a pervert, after all.”

  James narrowed his eyes as he watched Mandy on her stool. Her dress was so short he worried it would ride up and show off her rear end and the top was cut so low he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Ally’s dress was even worse, although James worked overtime not to stare at his sister.

  “I didn’t even know she owned that dress,” James griped. “She’s never worn it for me.”

  “That’s because you get her naked the second you see her,” Jake pointed out. “She never gets a chance to get dressed up and go out because you don’t let her do it.”

  James tilted his head to the side as he mulled over Jake’s words. “That’s not true. We go out all of the time.”

  “You take her to the place on Groesbeck for seafood … or you take her for Middle Eastern when she’s got a hankering for fattoush,” Jake countered. “Those are jeans and peasant top places.”

  James made a hilarious face. “Peasant top? How do you even know what that is?”

  “I’m a smart man and Ally makes me look at catalogs with her all the time. It’s a bonding ritual of sorts. If I’m a good sport, I generally get kisses.”

  James snorted, amused. “You might be right about not taking Mandy out enough,” he said. “Maybe I should plan a fancy dinner.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Jake protested. “She’s obviously happy with the life you’re living.”

  “Yeah, but I want her to have everything,” James said. “In fact … do you know that thing she said about prom?”

  Jake racked his memory. “The part where she has a fantasy where you see her in a prom dress and fall in love?”

  James nodded. “I’m going to throw a private prom for her. I’m going to buy her a corsage and everything.”

  Jake chuckled. “That actually sounds kind of neat … and uniquely you guys,” he said. “Are you going to decorate with a balloon arch, too?”

  James didn’t hesitate when he answered. “Yup. I’m going to set up special lights and get retro music. I’m going to do it all.”

  Jake was oddly touched by the fierce look on his boss’s face. “That sounds like the perfect evening for her,” he said. “I think she’ll love that.”

  “I hope so,” James said. “Speaking of the perfect night, though, here comes our pervert.” James inclined his chin in the direction of the bar. He wasn’t surprised when Kaspar surveyed his options and settled next to Mandy. “I’ll kill him if he touches her. I’m not joking.”

  “Hey, you’ve got it easy,” Jake said. “Look at the top of Ally’s dress. Her boobs are three times bigger than what Mandy has to offer.”

  James was insulted on his wife’s behalf. “My baby’s body is perfect.”

  “Oh, you’re such a girl,” Jake said, leaning back in his seat and watching the show. Ally made a big deal over Kaspar, giggling and batting her eyes as she pretended to laugh at something he said. She was clearly enjoying being undercover. “On second thought … you’re right. I think we should kill both of them.”

  “Or at least keep them locked in the house if they’re not wearing ankle-length bathrobes,” James grumbled. “Look at the way that pervert is staring at my wife’s cleavage. That’s my wife.”

  “She’s not wearing her wedding ring,” Jake reminded him. “He doesn’t realize she’s married. Ally’s engagement ring is in her purse. I thought she was going to cry when she took it off.”

  “I don’t like it,” James said after a beat. “I didn’t even realize when I asked them to do this what it would really entail. I want Mandy to always wear her rings. She’s … mine.”

  Jake smirked. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said. “She doesn’t want to be anything but yours.”

  “That’s true,” James said, forcing himself to relax as he watched Mandy and Ally work over Kaspar. Grady sat at the end of the bar and pretended not to be looking in their direction, but James knew he was close should things get out of hand. “I love that woman so much it hurts sometimes.”

  “I know the feeling,” Jake said. “I’m so excited to be able to call Ally my wife that I’ve woken up shortly after midnight every night this week. Each time I check my finger for a ring. I’m convinced I’m going to somehow miss it.”

  James snickered as he locked gazes with his friend. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to Ally. I’m not going to lie. I was against her hooking up with you in the beginning. I didn’t think you wanted to settle down and I knew that’s what she wanted most.

  “You proved me wrong, though,” he continued. “You’re loyal. You’re a diligent worker. You’re also a good man and one of the best friends I’ve ever had. You’re going to be a wonderful husband to Ally. I have faith that you’ll get one of the greatest happily ever afters on record, second only to Mandy and me.”

  Jake barked out a laugh. “Thank you for saying that, but Ally is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said, his expression somber. “I wasn’t a complete person until I had her.”

  “I know the feeling,” James said. “Mandy and I have been together for two years, but I can’t remember being without her. I don’t even want to think about that life.”

  “Then don’t,” Jake said. “Think about your future. Think about the hot sex you’re going to have when you get her home and can take advantage of that dress you seem to be fixated on. Heck, think about the prom.”

  James’ smile was whimsical. “She’s all I ever want to think about.”

  “Then focus on that,” Jake said. “We’re stuck here until they manage to steal his glass. After that, we’ll finally have something to focus on.”

  “I’m looking forward to that,” James said, turning back toward his wife. He growled when he realized Kaspar was looking down her dress, the guidance counselor not realizing he was being watched. “I’m still going to kill her.”

  “We’ll kill them both,” Jake suggested. “Then we’ll give each other alibis.”

  “That sounds like a plan … except I can never live without her.”

  “I know the feeling,” Jake said, wistful. “I guess we’ll just have to put up with them.”

  “Forever.”

  15

  Fifteen

  James’ mouth was hot on Mandy’s before they even reached the door that led from the garage to the main house. The electricity between them sizzled and James had no intention of missing his moment.

  It took Ally and Mandy longer than they expected to steal a glass from Kaspar without him noticing, mostly because the bartender kept snagging it before they could. They finally prevailed, though, and then James and Jake couldn’t get th
em out of the brewery fast enough. James had a feeling that Jake and Ally were doing the same thing now that they were alone, although he refused to dwell on it.

  “What’s all of this?” Mandy asked, breathless as James wrapped an arm around her waist and used his hand on the railing to nudge them up the circular stairway that led to the second floor. “Are you marking your territory or something? Did seeing me pretend to flirt with another man get you going?”

  “You get me going regardless,” James panted, taking a moment to let his eyes roam over Mandy’s body. Her dress was hiked high on her thighs and his wandering hands had the top askew. He was right about her not wearing a bra. “I love you, wife.”

  Mandy’s eyes widened at the heartfelt expression on his face. “I love you, too.” She ran her finger down his cheek. “It’s my favorite time of the day when I get to hear you say it, though.”

  James cupped her head and tilted it back so she had nowhere to look but his face. “I promise to tell you every single day for the rest of our lives.”

  “You should make that one of your vows.”

  “It’s just a reality of life, baby,” James said, slamming his mouth against hers. Mandy melted against him and James took a moment to bask in her warmth before returning to his previous task and maneuvering their fused bodies up the narrow staircase. By the time they hit the bedroom, they were sweaty and out of breath. “Prepare yourself, love of my life, it’s going to be a long night.”

  “What about the fingerprints?” Mandy’s eyes were heavy-lidded and tinged with lust. “Will you have to leave once Maverick runs them?”

  “Nothing in this world will make me leave you,” James said, his expression fierce. “I will never spend another night away from you. I promise.”

  “Another vow,” Mandy teased. “I’m not sure you can keep that one, though. You can’t control everyone and everything else in the world. You can only control yourself. I think you can only promise to try not to spend another night away from me.”

  James shook his head, frustrated. “Are you really getting into a semantics argument with me right now?”

  Mandy shrugged. “Is it firing you up?”

  James grinned. “You have no idea, wife. Prepare yourself. I’m about to burn your socks off.”

  “Oh, don’t stop at the socks,” Mandy teased. “I was kind of hoping you would warm up something else.”

  “Your wish is my command.”

  MANDY WAS heavy on James’ chest when we woke the next morning, her blond hair spread out like a flaxen halo. James took a moment to study her. He loved how she looked when sleeping, the peaceful way her lips curled causing his heart to warm.

  James lightly ran his fingers over her bare skin. She drooled in her sleep, which meant his chest was wet, but for some reason he found the act endearing. He liked that she felt so safe in his embrace that she could completely let go and enjoy her dreams. He would never change that.

  The first time they made love James was convinced it was a mistake. She touched his heart from the moment he laid eyes on her. She wasn’t the gawky teenager he remembered. She still had a crush on him, though. It survived ten years and numerous other relationship hijinks, although none with people who meant anything to either one of them. As adults, though, the crush took the form of combustible chemistry.

  James broke her heart when he slipped out of her apartment that night. Guilt ravaged him, but he was convinced he never wanted to settle down. He knew if he touched her even one more time he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He felt that to the very core of his being … and he was right.

  Grady watched her from afar that day. Her eyes were red and puffy and she seemed defeated. James hid in his office, ashamed of what he’d done, and hated himself for hurting Mandy when he’d fought so hard to do the exact opposite. Finally her anger got the better of her and she found him. She proceeded to fire him from watching her – even though she wasn’t paying for the services the company provided – and his heart broke at the thought of never seeing her again. He chased her down, let her slap him (because he deserved it), and then declared he was done running.

  The second the words left his mouth he felt better. It was if the weight of the world disappeared from his shoulders and all he had left was this woman and the way she filled his heart. He was officially off the market from that moment on. He never looked back and he never once regretted following his heart.

  “What are you thinking?” Mandy murmured, her eyes remaining closed. “I can hear your mind working. If you’re trying to figure out a way to do it again, you have to wait until I have food. I’m weak from how long we went at it last night.”

  James grinned as he stared down at her, his hands gentle as they stroked her skin. “I was thinking that I can’t remember how I lived before you came into my life.”

  Whatever she was expecting him to say, that wasn’t it. Mandy rolled up her head and locked gazes with him, her blue eyes clouded with sleep as she forced the cobwebs from her mind. “Is that what you were really thinking?”

  James nodded. “I remember everything that happened before you, but I cherish everything that happened after.”

  “Oh, I think I’m going to cry.”

  James made a face when he realized her eyes were flooding with tears. “Don’t cry, baby,” he groused. “I hate it when you cry.”

  “Sometimes I cry for good reasons,” Mandy reminded him. “I think loving you is the best reason.”

  James tugged her closer and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. “Loving you is the best part of my life.”

  “You’re so schmaltzy this morning,” Mandy said, swiping at the tears. “How come?”

  “I don’t know,” James admitted, opting for honesty. “Maybe it’s the big wedding that’s coming up … or maybe it’s watching you with Darcy because you have such a big heart … or maybe it’s the shift in our lives now that you’re not at the courthouse and we can finally do things exactly how we want to do them. Maybe it’s a mixture of all three. I’m not sure.

  “The only thing I’m sure about is that I love you more than anything,” he continued. “I will never love anything more than I love you. I will always love you just as much as I love you now – or maybe even more – no matter what. I can make those promises without worry because I know they’re true.”

  Mandy stared at him a moment, dumbfounded. “I don’t know how I got so lucky. The fact that you love me still feels like some sort of ridiculous miracle.”

  “You’re the miracle, baby,” James countered. “You’ll always be my miracle.”

  Mandy let loose with a wistful sigh as she pressed her lips to his chin. “Okay, we can do it again. You have to do all of the work, though.”

  James barked out a laugh, delighted. “I’m happy just to hold you, wife. I’m not ruling out doing all of the work later, though.”

  “Deal.”

  “THIS HAD better be good.”

  James held Mandy’s hand as they strolled into the security office several hours later. They were both flushed from their morning activities – it turns out they shared the workload – and James was looking forward to a day in bed when he got the call from Grady that they’d matched Kaspar’s fingerprints. Grady insisted he come to the office so they could talk so James brought Mandy as a reminder that he had other things he’d rather be doing.

  “Oh, you two look all aglow with love,” Grady teased, smirking when he saw Maverick’s eyes widen. The computer hacker sat at the desk and shook his head when he caught sight of Mandy’s legs highlighted to perfection in her short cutoffs.

  “I want to be aglow with her,” Maverick said. “She’s freaking hot.”

  James made a face. “I know she’s hot. She’s not hot for you, though. She’s hot for me.”

  “That’s why he married me,” Mandy teased. “He likes that I’m hot.”

  “That’s only one of the reasons I married you, baby,” James countered, sliding his arms aro
und her waist and tugging her to his lap as he settled in one of the chairs across from his desk. “What’s going on?”

  “We got a hit on the fingerprints,” Jake supplied, wandering into the room with a file in his hand. He looked equally well-rested and happy, but James opted not to comment on it since he didn’t want to risk punching Jake for being filthy with his sister so close to the wedding.

  “That’s what Grady said.” James ran his fingers through Mandy’s soft hair. “It must be big if you guys insisted on bringing me here when I had other plans for my day.”

  “You have those plans every day,” Grady countered. “You can return to those plans in a few hours. Er, well, maybe. I figured you would want to know and we need to come up with a plan.”

  “Oh, well, I can’t wait to hear this,” James said, turning serious. “Who is Kaspar really?”

  “His name is Doug Fisher,” Maverick replied. “He’s a registered sex offender from the west side of the state.”

  James stilled, his mind working overtime. “How is that possible?” he asked after a beat. “Doesn’t the school run fingerprints when hiring people? I thought that was a state rule or something. Even if it’s not, though, we’re talking about one of the ritziest high schools in the state. They have to run background checks.”

  “I can’t answer that question,” Maverick said. “The school did run a cursory background check on Kaspar and he obviously passed. There are fingerprint files in his record at the school, but they are not the same fingerprints you snagged last night.”

  “And we’re sure we ran the correct prints, right?” James pressed. “I mean … we could’ve accidentally run the bartender’s prints instead. He put his hands on the glass, too.”

  “There were three sets of prints on the glass,” Maverick explained. “I ruled out your wife straight away. She has no record, in case you’re wondering. I was a little disappointed with what a good girl she’s been.”

  James scowled. “She’s my bad girl plenty of the time,” he said. “What about the other two sets of prints?”

  “The second set belongs to the bartender,” Maverick answered. “He has a record, but it’s for petty stuff. Nothing major.”