Hard Target (All or Nothing Book 1)

by Rhonda Laurel

  Cassidy hated adultery cases, but she said she’d be glad to help dissolve this union. Cassidy had been Parker’s primary source of work these days. After Cassidy put the word out to other attorneys about her skills, she’d been steadily building a clientele. It wasn’t the adrenaline rush she got from being a cop, but the training she’d received hadn’t been wasted. She felt productive again, almost whole.

  Leaving the force was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. Dad Deke was a legend, and not a day went by that someone didn’t remind her of the gigantic shoes she had to fill. Out of four of Deke Carson’s children, two had left the force. Her sister Sam resigned after her boyfriend, a fellow cop, was caught in the crossfire during the apprehension of a robbery suspect. She was devastated by that and decided she needed a change. Time had healed Sam’s pain, and she’d met J.J. It was her sister’s bold step that gave Parker the courage to change her career when it was obvious being a police officer wasn’t working for her. Brothers Deke Jr. and Solomon were kicking ass and taking names. She was proud of them, but she couldn’t help but feel like she’d turned her back on her dad’s legacy.

  She’d taken too many unnecessary risks and was getting reprimanded at work and at home. She knew the rules. She’d grown up in a law enforcement family. But something in her had been rebelling against protocol. It was difficult, but she had to get to the root of what was prompting her to behave that way. And that wasn’t going to happen on the job.

  It bothered her so much so that she’d been seeing a shrink to help her figure things out. She hadn’t told the family, who’d been watching her like a hawk as if she were mid breakdown. They hovered and worried, but that only compounded her anxiety. But while she figured things out, she thought the PI gig would make good use of her skills. It was nice working for Cassidy, helping her with her cases and bringing in some money, but she couldn’t help but feel that something was missing in her life. Even though she was scoping out people doing bad things, it wasn’t the same rush as arresting a drug trafficker or an accused killer.

  Parker shifted in her seat to get a better view. It looked like the cheater was getting ready to leave. The two of them finished giggling over vacation brochures the woman had pulled out of her purse. She was either completely clueless or she didn’t mind playing second fiddle. Either alternative wasn’t that pleasing. He’d gotten up and planted a hot kiss on the woman and Parker snapped it with her phone. This was almost too easy. She’d gotten enough to give a report to Cassidy. The idea that these two were making plans didn’t sit well with her. The challenge of this job, just like being a cop, was trying to anticipate criminal behavior. If he’d go as far as to plan a getaway, he might be planning to do something nefarious to his wife, who knew he’d been up to no good. Parker would see Cassidy in the morning and let her know her concerns.

  She watched out the window as the couple said their goodbyes and drove off in different cars. At this rate she could put this to bed and get ready for her girl’s night with Avery. She’d missed her friend and roommate, who was hitting the books pretty hard since she started medical school. When she finally had free time, she spent it with Wyatt. Parker couldn’t blame her for wanting some alone time with her boyfriend. With Avery so busy, it did get lonely sometimes, but Parker was comfortable being alone. The men she’d dated lately had left a lot to be desired. None of them were able to capture her attention for long. They were either too macho, sensitive, or had no definition to their bodies. The men of today were metrosexual and cosmopolitan, but she found it off-putting when she knew she could beat them in an arm wrestling match. There had to be something in between the extremes she’d been seeing. She wanted someone handsome, smart, funny, charming, and who could make her laugh. Sexy but wasn’t full of himself. He’d have to be settled and happy with his career. So in other words, she wanted anyone who wasn’t Riley Sloane.

  It was funny that when she thought of what she didn’t want in a man, Riley immediately popped into her head. He was the antithesis of everything she was looking for in a mate. He’d come into her life by way of working for the Blakes, and now it seemed like she’d never get rid of him. She saw him from time to time on the ranch and in the building where they both lived. The quarterback was on a winning streak after a lot of mentoring from Seth and he’d gotten his head out of his ass. He was beginning to embody what being a professional athlete was all about, until he opened his mouth. He’d dialed it back a bit, but he was still the same arrogant jerk who sauntered around like he was God’s gift to women.

  Parker threw her drink container in the trash and headed for her car, ready to get on with her evening plans. It was early enough to get in a jog before she decided what to make for dinner. Avery was pretty good about eating whatever she cooked. Wyatt almost always ate at their place, so she’d make enough for three. She’d planned on calling her mom and catching up on the family gossip. Now that the major holidays were over, maybe they could talk for ten minutes before her mom asked when she was coming home for a visit.

  Her cell phone rang just as she was climbing into her car. It was Sam. She’d forgotten to get back to her about babysitting the boys this weekend. As soon as she answered, she started rambling. “Hi, Sis. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you. I’d love to watch the boys this weekend.”

  “Thanks. But I was calling about something else.”

  “OK. Shoot.” She put her key into the ignition.

  “Are you busy? I wasn’t sure if you had a case since you don’t tell me these things.”

  Parker let out a dry laugh. “That’s the beauty of being an independent private investigator. I’m my own boss.”

  “Or you could come work for me and have plenty of resources while you did your PI thing on the side.”

  “I’m not a charity case. When I left the force, I knew I’d have to find my own way. I have everything under control.”

  “Well, I don’t like you going off following someone to who-knows-where and no one being there to back you up.”

  “Please, I was watching a cheater who met his mistress at a coffee shop. Hardly a desolate warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I did my daily check-in with Kendrick, and my GPS is always on.” Parker rolled her eyes. She’d caught on that Kendrick’s friendly calls were nothing more than some subtle puppet mastering by her well-meaning sister and brother-in-law.

  “Are you still keeping an eye on Joe McGill?”

  “In my spare time.”

  Keeping tabs on Tate’s biological father was a Regency job, but John Jacob had asked her to sniff around as well. She knew it was probably to give her something to do, and he insisted on paying her much more than watching an old guy eat Tex Mex every Monday at his favorite restaurant was worth.

  “Are you keeping a safe distance? Make sure you change up your attire. You probably stick out like a sore thumb at the places he frequents.”

  “Hey. I’ll have you know I can blend in with wallpaper if I wanted,” she huffed. “I didn’t take an intro to investigation class on the Internet. I was a police officer, just like you.”

  “Yes, but you still stick out like a sore thumb sometimes. Mom always says you don’t look like a native Texan even though you were born here.”

  “Mom always has something wonderful to say about her lost child. Don’t worry, I won’t blow Regency’s surveillance of him, and Joe’s none the wiser. He’s too busy telling tall tales and bragging about Tate being his son to his buddies to notice me.”

  “Good. He can get quite belligerent. I don’t want him accosting you.”

  “So, back to why you were calling. It’s not about watching the boys, and now you know I’m not busy…”

  “There’s been a development in Riley’s case, and I could use your help. I’m on my way to his place now.”

  “I didn’t think there was an official case.”

  “There is now, and I want to get to the bottom of it quickly.”

  “If he’s still getting wei
rd notes, I’d do a dragnet of his skanky hookups. I’d bet money someone’s trying to scare him straight from being a huge man-whore.”

  “Now why didn’t I think of that? Case closed,” Sam fired back.

  “See how it feels when someone else tries to do your job?”

  “We’ll table this discussion for another time. In the meanwhile, I’m asking for your help with Riley.”

  “What else could I possibly add to Regency’s top-notch reconnaissance teams?” She gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. You know we don’t get along.”

  “I know that, but you’re a professional and wouldn’t let your feelings get in the way of helping someone. It’s the Carson motto.”

  “I thought the Carson motto was ‘if you can see this gun barrel, you’re too close’?” She laughed.

  “That too.” Sam chuckled, then her tone softened. “Come on, Sis. I’d love it if you worked with me on this.”

  She hesitated again, thinking of all the ways this was a bad idea. All the ways this was wrong and couldn’t possibly turn out well…

  “I’ll meet you at his place in an hour.” Parker disconnected the call and pulled out of the parking lot.

  Despite Parker’s reservations about Riley, Sam didn’t ask for many favors, so this had to be huge. She was getting that feeling in her stomach and it wasn’t subsiding. The last time she got this feeling when she was on the force, it was right before the incident that got her suspended. But she couldn’t help but feel like something bigger was coming.

  She was so going to regret this.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Riley glanced at his watch as the Regency specialists moved around the apartment, checking for any indication that the person who left the package had entered the condo. He was pretty sure nothing was out of place, but Sam insisted they do a sweep of the apartment to check for listening devices, video cameras, and bombs. The last thing rattled him a bit, but he knew it was a necessary precaution.

  He knew a few of the guys moving around the house. He’d seen them on the ranch and at other Blake properties. Rafe Kendrick was in charge of the Blake family security details since Sam was promoted to VP a few months ago. He’d even hung out with him a few times. Right now, his poker buddy was standing on a ladder peering down a vent near the living room with a flashlight.

  One thing had surprised him—he hadn’t expected Sam to make a personal appearance. Not only was she a VP at Regency Private Security group, but she also trained new specialists and oversaw the accounts of ultra-exclusive clients like her family. But he was glad she was there. She had that kind of reassuring smile that put you at ease as soon as you saw her. Just the opposite of her sister Parker. While Parker had the ability to agitate, Sam had a calming effect on him.

  He appreciated their thoroughness, but he really needed to track down his wallet. He’d called the building’s valet service, who checked his car for him and said they hadn’t seen it. It had to be at the strip club. At his business manager’s insistence, he’d been set up to receive alerts on his credit cards when suspicious activity occurred, but so far he hadn’t received any.

  He went into the kitchen to find Sam talking to Kendrick, who’d finally gotten off the ladder. They were examining the alarm clock.

  “What’s the verdict?”

  “The house is clear.” Sam smiled. “I know you didn’t think anything was out of place, but we also wanted to make sure no one was hiding in the house.”

  “Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn’t thought about that. “Wouldn’t they have just attacked me when I came home?”

  “Not necessarily,” they said in tandem.

  Kendrick continued. “We had some psycho who was sending death threats to a senator. He hid in the crawl space of his vacation home and waited three days for him to arrive.”

  “Damn. What happened?”

  “Sam heard a faint noise and shot up the crawl space. When he finally came out he had three bullets in him.” Kendrick grinned.

  “I’d forgotten about that,” Sam mused.

  “Maybe it’s because you use your firearm so much you lose track.”

  “Ha ha.” She nudged him in the ribs. “We’re going to get this note dusted for prints as a precaution, but if it’s anything like the one you received around Thanksgiving, it will probably be clean.”

  “This idiot is meticulous.” Kendrick held up the note in a plastic bag. “It took a lot of time and energy to cut out those letters and arrange them perfectly. It almost looks like an artistic collage.”

  “Too bad it’s from a psycho. Am I supposed to be flattered by the attention?”

  “No. But it tells us a lot about the person.” Sam handed him the note. “We live in an electronic age, yet this person decided to go old school. The last note they sent was comprised of clippings from newspapers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.”

  “And that means what?”

  “He wanted us to chase our tails to figure that out.” Sam replied. “He doesn’t realize we have software at Regency that helps pinpoint things like that in a matter of hours. So we’re still postulating that he lives in Texas or at least travels to this region.”

  “Terrific. He’s a traveling lunatic,” he said. “Thanks for dropping everything to check this out.”

  “We’re just getting started. You’re going to have a security detail around the clock starting now.”

  “No way.” He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”

  “Listen, I know this is bad timing, but it’s necessary. Leaving that package on your doorstep was a bold move. Whoever it is wants you to know they can get in and out of this building.”

  “I’ll be taking care of that.” Kendrick whipped out his phone to read the incoming text message. “I’m meeting with building management in ten minutes.”

  “OK, the building will be secured, and the stadium is more fortified than a military base. The extra coverage isn’t required. I can take care of myself.” He was used to having an entourage follow him around, but that was different. The idea of a bunch of men following him around to protect him was ridiculous.

  “Our teams are great undercover. We could have them dress down to blend in. Kendrick would love to wear jeans and a jersey for a couple of weeks.” Sam smiled.

  “A couple of weeks?” He ran a hand through his hair. “This just keeps getting worse. You want to follow me around for a couple of weeks? I have practice and interviews. It will be too much of a distraction for the team.”

  “I promise we’ll do our best not to disrupt your life until we catch this nut. Kendrick’s right, he’s bound to make a mistake, and we have him on our radar. You’re in good hands.”

  “Why do you think it’s a he? It could easily be a she.”

  “The profile we put together after you received the first letter indicated a man in his mid-twenties to thirties.”

  “How can you tell that? I mean, I know you know your job, but I’ve dated a few crazy chicks.” Sam was doing him a favor, so he didn’t want to waste Regency’s time if it could have very well been an old girlfriend with a grudge. There’d been a few women in his life he was relieved when they broke up. He also knew there were a few women out there who weren’t too happy he didn’t think they were girlfriend material.

  Sam nodded. “Being a ladies’ man is going to add to the suspect pool. We’re going to need a list of any people who you seriously think would do your harm. Start with anyone in the building and go from there. We need to vet those in close proximity to you quickly.”

  “How about your sister?” Riley mused.

  “What about me?” a familiar voice said behind him.

  Riley turned around to see none other than Parker Carson standing behind him. His heart skipped a beat, an involuntary response whenever he saw her. She looked pretty in a pair of jeans and silk lavender blouse. Her mane of long, curly, brownish-black hair cascaded over her shoulder and framed her heart shaped face per
fectly. He tried his best not to stare at her full, pouty, plum-colored lips. He could smell the intoxicating aroma of her perfume as she came closer.

  “Parker, you’re just in time. The threat against Riley has just become priority one for Regency. Someone sent him a message that they’re not finished.” Sam pointed to the smashed clock and note.

  “Oh. What a shame.” She folded her arms across her chest and squinted at her sister. “Sounds like you have everything covered.”

  “We need you on this one. We were going to launch a phase one scenario with a discreet team in place at all times. You living in the building is a plus. It won’t seem obvious he’s being protected by you.”

  “I don’t think so,” Riley and Parker said in unison, then looked at each other.

  “I gotta go.” Kendrick bit back a smile as he walked out of the kitchen. “Sam, brief me when I talk to you later.”

  Riley continued. “First of all, I don’t need a protection detail. And if I did, she’d be the last person on the planet I wanted watching over me. Who says she didn’t leave the clock?”

  “Please.” Parker rolled her eyes. “If I wanted to do you harm, buttercup, I wouldn’t send you cryptic notes. I prefer the direct approach.”

  “Like trying to hit me with your car the other day?”

  “I was pulling out of my spot. How was I supposed to know you were perched behind my bumper? I find it rather suspicious you were in the garage at that very moment.” She squinted at him.

  “I have better things to do with my time,” he fired back. “In case you missed it, the Tomcats are going to the Super Bowl, and I had a lot to do with that.”

  “Get over yourself. The earth doesn’t revolve around your ego.” Parker put her hands on her hips.

  Riley turned to Sam. “If she’s watching me, I’m as good as dead.”

  “I’d rather watch Astroturf grow,” Parker seethed.

  “Enough. This is happening. I promised Seth I would protect his star quarterback. Whoever it is has been trying to rattle you since the playoffs began and probably isn’t too happy that it isn’t working.” Sam put her hand on her hip. “Parker, you take first watch. Riley, you just got home, so that will give us some time to coordinate some things.”