Navajo Justice

by Aimée Thurlo

  “Honestly, you two, I really doubt it,” Elena argued. “Image is everything to that man. That’s why he didn’t want me to fight Foster. He knew what a toll that would take on his reputation.”

  “That argument would also explain why he’d risk breaking in to get the memo back,” Burke said.

  “We need to take a closer look at the people who work at the center and the things happening there.” Laura glanced at Burke, then back at Elena, an idea forming in her mind. “Tomorrow’s the center’s annual fund-raising banquet and dance. Didn’t you tell me that everyone was encouraged to bring guests?” When Elena nodded, Laura looked at Burke. “Bring steel-toed boots, ’cause I’m a rotten dancer.”

  Chapter Nine

  This was supposed to be a fact-finding mission—not a date. But it felt like a date.

  As Burke strode across the room toward her, Laura had to admit that he looked incredibly sexy and masculine in his dark slacks and black leather sport coat. He wound his way confidently through the dozen or so couples dancing to a Glen Miller tune popular with the seniors, then gave her one of his drop-dead-gorgeous smiles.

  Her heart rate went up a notch. A cocky grin like that should be outlawed. She took a deep breath. Burke was used to women fawning over him. Guys like him knew what they had and used it. But she had no intention of playing that game.

  “Thanks for the punch,” she said as he handed her a plastic cup.

  “Karl Maurer is across the dance floor talking to those ladies.” He motioned with his head and spoke just loudly enough for her to hear. “Elena told me that as soon as he breaks free of them, she’ll introduce us. In the meantime, try to relax. You look like you came here on business, and that doesn’t fit our cover. Elena has told everyone that I’m your boyfriend, so I think we should make it look convincing,” he said, placing his arm around her waist. Leaning over her seductively, he whispered in her ear. “If it helps you to get the right look in your eyes, you could try picturing me naked.”

  A vivid image of Burke that day she’d caught him just out of the shower suddenly popped into her mind—but then her imagination kicked in and she saw him dropping the towel he’d had wrapped around him. Her mouth went dry and her heart began to pound.

  Burke gave her an utterly charming smile. “Ah, I see it worked. Your cheeks are flushed.”

  “They are not,” she protested quickly, then, looking around, saw they were being watched by a couple dancing past. Laura forced herself to smile.

  “That’s better. Keep smiling and let’s dance. That’ll help,” Burke said.

  “No, it won’t. I’m an awful dancer. I’ll step on you.”

  “I’ll risk it.” Burke grabbed her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. As the music system began playing a romantic ballad from the forties, Burke wrapped his arm around her waist and twirled her until she was in his arms, swaying gently with the music.

  Power and strength defined him. The outdoorsy scent of his cologne and the hardness of his chest as it pressed against hers made her feel wonderfully alive and feminine.

  “I thought you said you couldn’t dance,” he murmured into her ear.

  His intimate tone and hot breath made her skin prickle. “I said I wasn’t very good at it,” Laura corrected.

  “But you are.”

  As he drew her closer against him, she tried to stop him, but his arm was completely unyielding. “Make it look good, beautiful.”

  A special warmth wound around her, though she assured herself that she was acting like a fool. She knew that there was danger in Burke’s arms, as well as pleasure. But that realization only made it all the more exciting.

  “If you want to make this look really good, then let’s go for it,” she said, taking charge. If nothing else, stealing away some of his control would make her feel loads better. Looking up at him, Laura curved her hand around his neck and stretched up to meet his mouth.

  Her lips played over his, tempting him, but when she tried to draw back, he opened his mouth hard over hers, taking over. His kiss was all hunger and possession…and heaven.

  When he drew back, his eyes were blazing with passion. “That’s enough for now,” he whispered, his voice raw. “In another second or two, I’m damn well going to forget where we are and why.”

  She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, tasting him there. The fires inside her could have warmed the entire North Pole, but she forced herself to smile as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. And for that, she figured she deserved an Oscar. “See? I can work undercover. I’m a very good actress.”

  “That was no act,” he murmured, holding her close. “Any man who is a man knows when he’s given a woman pleasure.”

  His words were silky, searing a path through her center. “I’d argue with you, but I’d blow our cover.” She rested her cheek against his chest. “So what now?”

  “We wait. I don’t want to go talk to Maurer and possibly tip our hand. I want him to come to us.”

  “How are we going to manage that one?”

  “I’m going to take you out the side door onto the veranda. Let’s see if he strolls out to say hello to us.”

  Burke curved his hand around her shoulders, his fingers brushing her neck in a casual caress that made shivers cascade down her back. Every breath she took was filled with anticipation as he led her outside.

  Stepping into the shadows with her, he suddenly pulled her into his arms. “One more time,” he whispered, taking her lips.

  He plundered her mouth with the skill of a lover long denied. Shudders ripped through Laura as he tasted her, drawing her tongue into his own mouth, then plunging deep into hers.

  It was a dance as primitive as the moonlight that illuminated them.

  When Burke eased his hold, she had to lean against him. So much for being in control. “How’s this going to get Maurer out here?”

  “Beats me, but it felt real good, didn’t it?”

  She stared at him, then suddenly laughed. “You’re an arrogant son of a gun.”

  “Maybe,” he replied with a grin.

  As she stepped back, the lights from inside the building fell upon her face and he suddenly saw that her lips were swollen and almost bruised. The realization stunned him. He should have been more careful with her. A woman like Laura deserved a man who knew how to be gentle.

  “I’m sorry,” Burke whispered, lifting her hand to his lips and brushing her fingertips with a kiss. “Was I too rough?” As he ran a work-hardened thumb over her mouth, she parted her lips slightly. He had to bite back a groan. She was enough to drive any man crazy.

  “I like being kissed hard like that,” she said unsteadily.

  The desire he heard in her voice made new fires spread through him. He released her and took a step back. If he touched her again, he’d go crazy. He’d never felt anything this strong—anything this intense—with any woman he’d ever known. And the truth was, he had no idea how to handle it.

  “There you are, you two,” Elena said, bringing out Karl Maurer according to plan. “Come on back inside now. There are people you lovebirds have to meet.”

  Burke forced himself to focus, and tried his level best to ignore the pounding heat that was coursing through him.

  “Elena is so happy that you’ve found someone at last, Laura,” Karl Maurer said, smiling at her.

  Elena introduced the men and Burke forced himself to shake hands with the Anglo. He wasn’t a traditionalist, but some Navajo customs were deeply ingrained, like the aversion to touching a stranger. Shaking hands was an Anglo custom he’d forced himself to accept and adapt to, since he lived and worked outside the rez, but he’d never really grown used to it.

  Elena then introduced Nicole Maurer as she came out to join them. Burke noticed that as she greeted her husband, she was clutching her evening bag so hard her knuckles were white. Curious, he studied her expression, wondering what had made her so tense.

  Several moments later, Michael Enesco came
out. Burke was surprised to see the center’s driver join his employers so readily.

  Karl introduced him offhandedly though it wasn’t clear if Enesco even understood what was happening, his English was so poor. Then Maurer focused on Burke as Enesco wondered off. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around town before,” he said. “Are you new to these parts?”

  “No, not really. I’ve lived in and around the Four Corners almost all my life,” Burke commented. “But I have to admit I never paid much attention to this center. You run a nice operation here.”

  “Thank you,” Karl said. “We’re always short of funds, but I guess it’s that way everywhere these days.”

  “Does the city or county support the center?”

  “No, we’re privately funded.”

  “By whom?”

  “Several businesses here in town. It’s a tax write-off for them. Every member also pays a small user’s fee.”

  Burke continued to press him casually about operations, asking Maurer to show him the facilities. Catching Laura’s eye as he moved away, Burke saw her nod, then focus on Nicole. She’d work alongside him tonight. But the stakes were high, and he had no intention of letting her out of his sight for long. She was highly intelligent, but still an amateur, and lack of experience in a game like this could lead to a deadly mistake. Whether she liked it or not, he’d have to watch her back.

  LAURA SAW BURKE WALK AWAY. The farther Karl Maurer went, the closer Enesco drew to Nicole Maurer’s side. But if anything, it only served to make Nicole even more nervous than she was before. Once or twice, Laura caught the unguarded look Nicole gave Enesco. It was not the furtive glance of a woman in love; rather, it was one of revulsion. More intrigued than ever, Laura sidled closer, wedging herself between Enesco and Nicole. Enesco gave ground only grudgingly.

  As Elena moved off to talk with a board member of the center, Delbert Hutton, Laura concentrated on Nicole.

  “I think you’ve all done a great job of planning this social tonight,” she said lightly, trying to make conversation.

  “Well, the actual planning and the details were all attended to by Shaunna Williams. She’s our activities coordinator.”

  “You’re lucky to have her then.”

  Nicole gave a tight-lipped smile. “It’s difficult these days to keep our staff happy. Our funding…well, it isn’t what it used to be. I suppose you’ve heard that we lost a huge donation we’d been expecting,” she said pointedly.

  If Nicole had hoped to put her off, she failed. Laura smiled, undaunted. “My godmother always follows her highest sense of right. And once she sets her course, there’s no stopping her.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  As Nicole moved to the refreshments table, Enesco remained nearby. Laura, trying to get some time alone with her, concluded that the only safe haven would be the rest room.

  “Could you show me to the ladies’ room?” she asked quietly.

  “Sure.”

  Nicole led the way down the hall, and still Enesco followed. Annoyed, Laura turned around and gave the man the haughtiest look she could muster. “There are some places ladies prefer to go unescorted,” she said, then followed Nicole into the rest room.

  “That man is so annoying. Why do you keep him? I heard that the seniors hate the way he drives,” Laura said. “He really frightens the passengers.”

  She nodded. “Both Karl and I have already spoken to him about that.”

  “There are other rumors going around, too,” Laura said slowly.

  Nicole stopped freshening her lipstick and glared at Laura. “It’s malicious gossip, and I don’t care to discuss it.”

  “Ignoring it won’t make it go away. You’d have a better chance of squashing that kind of talk if that guy didn’t stick to you like a shadow.”

  “I don’t appreciate the sarcasm,” Nicole said coldly.

  “I was only being truthful. How could anyone not notice it?”

  “It’s too bad your family aren’t as tactful and discreet as they are honest.” Without giving Laura a chance to reply, she strode out of the rest room.

  By the time Laura returned to the dance, Nicole was standing near the music system among a small crowd that had gathered there discussing their favorite musicians and songs. Enesco, like the parasite he appeared to be, was less than an arm’s reach from her again.

  Elena came up to Laura. “Well? Did you learn anything interesting while you were with Nicole?”

  “And her evil twin, Enesco? Not really. Where’s Burke?”

  Elena pointed to the far corner. Burke was standing with two women who seemed to be oblivious to everything except him.

  “Looks like Mrs. Turner’s daughters have him cornered,” Elena said. “Both are still single. Aren’t they beautiful?”

  “Yeah, they are,” Laura answered, a bit irritated. Burke looked completely at ease. The women, on the other hand, were clearly competing against each other for his attention, inching closer with every word they said, and laughing loudly every time he answered. “Let’s go rescue him.”

  “He doesn’t look as if he needs rescuing,” Elena pointed out. “I think he’s enjoying the attention.”

  “Yeah, well, they look far too young.”

  “They’re at least in their twenties,” Elena said.

  “IQ doesn’t count.”

  Laura walked across the room and flashed Burke her most innocent smile. “There you are! I was wondering where you went off to.” She nodded to the women.

  “Burke was just telling us all about his Army Special Forces training. Did you know only one in ten soldiers are tough enough to get accepted?” The leggy brunette glanced at Laura, then gazed adoringly at Burke.

  Laura gave him a completely guileless look. “Burke, you shouldn’t try and get these girls interested in enlisting. They probably have plans for college after they graduate.”

  Burke started to laugh, but seeing the spark in Laura’s eyes, thought better of it, and quickly said goodbye to the two young women. A brave man always knew when to disengage.

  As they walked away, Burke glanced at Laura casually. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a tiny bit jealous.”

  “In your dreams.”

  His chuckle was oddly disturbing. Determined to take her mind off him, she glanced around the room and spotted Elena sitting alone on the opposite side of the room. “We better get her back home, Burke. I have to make sure Elena doesn’t get overly tired,” Laura said, hurrying across the room.

  A moment later, she sat beside Elena. “We’ve done all we can tonight. What do you say we go home?”

  “All right. Did you get a chance to talk to Michael Enesco?” Elena asked.

  “Tonight’s not a good time for that,” Burke said. “It’ll be better to wait until we can catch him alone.”

  As they walked back to the car, Laura glanced at Burke. “Did you find out anything useful?”

  “Only that Karl Maurer is very tight-lipped about the center’s business operations,” he answered. “What about you? Did you get anything out of Nicole?”

  “Not really. But I can tell you that she finds Enesco revolting. No way she’s having an affair with him.”

  “Maybe they had an affair, Nicole decided to end it, but Enesco wouldn’t let go,” Burke responded.

  “Could be, but the only thing we can be certain about is that Karl and Nicole are both real uneasy around Enesco.”

  “If you ask me, they’re all hiding something,” Elena said. “I was talking to Shaunna Williams and she told me that several of the center’s members have been hit by residential burglaries recently. The police have speculated that the thieves may have gotten the addresses from the center, or by following our members to their homes. Karl was extremely upset by the allegation. And, since the burglar apparently knew when people would be away from home, it must have occurred to Karl, just as it did to Shaunna, that Michael might be behind the break-ins. Michael knows where all of us live and whe
n we’re here.”

  “I don’t like Enesco,” Laura said, “but it’s unfair to lay this on him without any evidence.”

  “I’m just saying that the possibility may have occurred to Karl and that he’d be very worried about it. If Michael’s involved, the scandal would cause many of the seniors to withdraw their membership. That would, more than likely, lead to the center’s closure. Karl would do just about anything to keep that from happening.”

  “Until we know for sure what’s going on, avoid being alone with any of them, particularly Enesco,” Burke advised.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice. That man makes my skin crawl,” Elena exclaimed.

  The drive back to the house helped them relax, and soon their conversation shifted to other topics.

  “I was surprised to see Wolf didn’t make a fuss when we left him alone tonight,” Elena said. “He’s such a special animal and so well trained! He didn’t even bark.”

  “He’s probably glad to have the house to himself. It’s downtime for him.”

  “He’s really smart,” Laura commented. “I think you’re lucky to have him.”

  Burke nodded slowly. “He’s a great partner. When we’re out working, he’s one hundred percent reliable.”

  But when he was left on his own…well, he’d have to see how the house had stood up to a few hours with Wolf.

  They arrived a short time later. The enormous German shepherd cross, who was lying on his side, didn’t bound up to greet them. He merely raised his head and looked at them as they came in the front door.

  “So much for ‘welcome home,’” Burke muttered.

  “I’m going to make some herbal tea. Would you two like some?” Elena stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and gasped. “Burke, Laura, you better get in here.”

  “I knew it,” Burke muttered, glaring at the dog.

  Burke hurried into the kitchen and discovered that the refrigerator door had been pulled open. A carton of milk lay on the floor on its side, empty, but there were no traces of milk on the floor. Several plastic wrappers that had contained cheese and cold cuts had been torn open, emptied and scattered about. The bread wrapper had been chewed through, and most of the bread, except for a few soggy slices, had vanished.