Hard Target (All or Nothing Book 1)

by Rhonda Laurel

  “They’re fine.” Seth said into the receiver. “They just ambushed our superstar. We should be leaving in about a half hour. Love you too.”

  “Hi, Morgan!” Riley called out as the kids attempted to tickle him. Seth had that dopey look on his face that meant he could only be talking to one person: Morgan, the love of his life.

  “She says hello child number five.” Seth laughed as he hung up the phone.

  Riley pointed at the kids. “I thought Jake was going to be the first Blake kid to play for the Tomcats?”

  “Scheduling issues. The triplets had a doctor’s appointment today, and it’s all hands on deck when they go.”

  Channing and Cassidy’s triplet boys were a handful. He scratched at his beard. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yeah.” Seth opened the door connected to the office. “Everybody go wash your hands in the bathroom and then have a seat at the table. The restaurant should be delivering the snack I ordered for you in a few minutes.” He waited until the kids marched into the other room to continue. “I wanted to see how you were doing after the excitement at your place.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Say it again so I’ll believe it this time.” Seth sat down and gestured for him to take a seat too.

  “I was a little distracted at practice, but I shook it off. I feel like a kid being driven to school.”

  “How are you and Parker getting along?”

  Riley laced his hands together behind his head. “We haven’t killed each other yet.”

  Seth laughed. “That’s what we all pray for at every Sunday dinner.”

  “She can be a bit impulsive. She springs into action without any warning. It’s a frustrating anticipating her moves.”

  “You sound like J.J. when he first met Sam.” Seth grinned.

  Riley shot him a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” Seth held his hands up. “I just think it’s interesting.”

  “Can we change the subject?”

  “OK, I want to talk about some of the plays the other team will be running against you.”

  “Before we get into that, I’m having a small dinner party this weekend. I’ve invited Ross and a couple of the guys.”

  “That’s great. See, a little effort pulls the team together.”

  “I wanted to extend an invite to you and Morgan too.”

  Seth thought for a moment. “Thanks. I’d love to, but I don’t want to be the wet blanket. I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’m the boss now and the guys see me that way. Having me there would only put everyone on guard. You should be able to relax with your team before you head to the greatest stage of your careers.”

  “Is that why you don’t come down to practice as much?” Seth had been scarce lately and he’d been wondering why.

  “You need room to lead that team and you can’t do that if I’m down there all the time. They trust you now. It’s what you need to steer them to a Super Bowl win.”

  “You’re right.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we can’t get together. Morgan and I would love to have dinner with you another time. And the Sunday family dinner doesn’t count.” Seth beamed.

  “Cool. It’s a date. Maybe we can get together after the big game. We’ll either be celebrating or commiserating.” Riley laughed.

  “My money’s on celebrating.” Seth picked up the football on his desk. “And thanks for talking to Jake last week. He said he liked hearing about your early days.”

  “That kid’s a sponge. He’s determined to be like his old man.”

  Riley left a half hour later feeling better after his talk with Seth. Their relationship had grown so much the past couple of years. Sure, the guys teased him about being the teacher’s pet, but he didn’t care. They were in the trenches together trying to rebuild a franchise, and he admired Seth’s attitude. Parker was right. This was no longer a pit stop. The Tomcats were becoming more like family every day, and it was feeling a lot like home.

  He didn’t mind riding with Kendrick, but he’d been itching to get behind the wheel of his Bugatti. There was nothing like speeding around town in that luxury automobile. Everyone knew the car and his vanity plate #1QTRBK. He returned a few calls when he returned to his apartment once Regency did their thing. He had to follow up with his family about their plans for Super Bowl week. It had been pretty much a quiet evening, but he was still feeling a bit restless. He parked himself in the living room and put on Sunday’s game. He’d watched it twice already, but reviewing it a third time couldn’t hurt. He’d also queued up the rival team’s last game. They were good. He needed to study the three plays they used that almost always crippled their opponents. The Tomcats needed to be sharp if they were going to derail their strategy for the Super Bowl game. Around midnight, he got up to get more snacks. That’s when he heard the ruckus going on outside his door.

  Tired of waiting to see what was going on, he opened the door. It was Dakota Prescott, a rich heiress whose family had made their fortune in textiles a hundred years ago. They’d met at a party a year ago and occasionally went out. She was sexy and impetuous, which made for interesting, sexy liaisons. Due to her daddy’s unlimited supply of money, she’d started her own clothing line and fancied herself as a fashion designer, but the truth was some fashion house was ghosting her designs in exchange for using her world-appeal brand. And she worked hard at keeping her name in the media. Whenever they were seen together, his social media feeds would explode with speculation that he was going to marry into the ultra-rich, old money family. She was sexy but a superficial flake who thought she was slumming it by hanging out with him.

  “Dakota.”

  “What the hell, Riley? Since when you do you have a goon squad outside your door?”

  “What are you doing here? It’s one in the morning.”

  “Since when do you care about the time? You said to stop by the next time I was in town and I’m here for a couple weeks. I wanted to congratulate you on winning the match.” She smiled.

  “Playoffs.” He sighed. It didn’t surprise him she didn’t get it right. She once thought he played cricket. “Security is here for a good reason. I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “OK.” She kissed him on the lips. “I’m famished. What do you say we go out for a bite to eat?”

  “I’m tired. Besides, they’d have to make all sorts of arrangements for me to go out now.”

  “I’ll protect you. I have my crime stopper with me.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a small-barreled gun with a mother-of-pearl handle.

  “Gun!” Before he knew it, Luther had snatched it out of her hand and two more specialists seemed to appear out of thin air with their weapons drawn on her bodyguards.

  “Hey!” Dakota huffed.

  Riley jumped in front of her. “Luther. It’s OK. She means me no harm.”

  “Is this peashooter registered?” Luther examined it.

  “I don’t know. My dad told me to carry it with me. He said if I had to use it, his lawyers would get me off.”

  The sounds of doors opening came from down the hall. The neighbors were starting to get curious.

  “Let’s take this inside.” Riley gripped her arm and ushered her into the apartment.

  Dakota removed her coat and handed it to him. “The nerve of that muscle head! What does he weigh, four hundred pounds?”

  “Sounds about right.” He placed her coat on the coat rack. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m always glad to see you, but don’t you normally call before you come over?”

  “Do you have someone else in here?”

  “No.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But a courtesy heads-up would have been nice.”

  He knew she was impetuous and fun, that’s what he liked he about her when they first met. One minute they were talking in a crowded club, the next they were having sex on a luxury private plane headed for Paris.

  “You really don’t want to go out? I know th
at restaurant Jasmine will take super late reservations from celebrities. I know we can get a table there like that.” She snapped her fingers.

  “I’m keeping a low profile until after the Super Bowl.”

  “Congrats!” She squealed and jumped up and down. “I saw the last four minutes. You were fantastic.”

  “Thanks.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” She walked over and laced her hands around his neck and kissed him. “To celebrate your impending victory. The Super Bowl is really important in your sport, right?”

  “It’s kind of the biggest deal ever.”

  “Good.” She took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

  Riley didn’t feel like fighting her anymore. Dakota wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and he was too tired to kick her out properly. She wasn’t his first choice of a woman to share his bed. But then again, who would be? He’d curtailed the speed dating and he hadn’t missed any one of those girls. Besides, it was all the same. Hot girl meets hot guy and they date until they realize they have nothing in common except being hot together. The women he dated were beautiful, but they left him wanting some mental stimulation. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed Avery’s company so much. She was well versed in world issues and she could hold her own in a debate.

  He liked feisty women but in small doses. It was something about bantering with an intelligent woman that got his juices flowing. He liked most of them. Parker never let him get a word in edgewise when they debated and it was infuriating. Dakota’s biggest gripe about the state of the world was that her picture didn’t show up more often when someone did an Internet search for hot, rich chicks. No, she wasn’t Parker at all, and maybe tonight that’s just what he needed. Because when he wasn’t with her, he was constantly thinking about her. He could remedy that tonight with a roll in the hay with Dakota.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Parker got on the elevator and hit the button for the twelfth floor. She’d slept a little better last night, much to her relief. At least Avery didn’t have to come wake her. Maybe it had something to do with her session with Dr. Fitzgerald yesterday. After she insisted on changing the subject of her new assignment protecting Riley, they’d focused on her nightmares. The doctor obliged, but she knew the Riley situation had only been tabled for another time. That was one of her problems. She talked way too much about a guy who was the bane of her existence. The family was convinced their sniping was nothing more than attraction but she didn’t believe that in the slightest. In fact, it was downright crazy. The two of them were way too different to be interested in each other in a serious way. Still, there were a few times she’d caught him looking at her during the Sunday dinner like he was trying to figure her out or something. She was convinced his curiosity was ego driven. He was supposed to be irresistible to all women, but she was repelled by the pretty-boy good looks and obvious charm.

  But Dr. Fitzgerald had scribbled plenty of notes when Parker told her that her dad was appearing in the nightmares. For months, she encouraged Parker to talk to someone in the family about her deceased father. But whenever she tried, she’d get the same answers. Deke Carson was a badass Texas Ranger. There seemed to be a problem separating the man from the legend. Being a lawman had become so entwined with him being a father, it was hard to know who he was when he wasn’t out saving the world. She’d kill for a sweet memory of just the two of them together.

  After she returned home, she glanced at a few emails and called Cassidy. She was pleased to hear Cassidy thought she’d done a great job on the surveillance of the coffee shop cheater. There was no way the guy could deny his infidelity with all evidence she’d compiled. She picked up on the relief and disappointment in Cassidy’s voice. They’d nailed the creep, but there was still a marriage being dissolved. But thanks to their ammunition, he’d put up less of a fight and be fair about the division of the couple’s assets.

  She’d microwaved some cheddar broccoli soup and munched while she completed her daily report on her shift and sent it to Sam. She hated the paperwork, but she knew Regency was a stickler about it. Besides, this was a one-time-only assignment. Sam may be hopeful that she’d enjoy it enough to become a permanent part of the team, but Parker had no intention of working for her. The constant checking in, following strict protocol, and obeying authority just wasn’t her scene. She got results her own way and she was in control of the cases she selected. Maybe she got a little overzealous from time to time, like she had at the club with Riley. But big guys like Mr. Gold Chains thought women weren’t a threat. She wasn’t a brawler, but she was taught to fight smart, especially since she was a woman. She knew she couldn’t overtake him physically, but she’d shifted the power immediately when she banged his nose and let him know she was carrying. He was too busy trying to stop the nosebleed to calculate if she’d use the weapon. It was that kind of unpredictable behavior that got her into trouble when she was a cop.

  But now she’d found something more suited to her personality. She liked working with Cassidy and had even done some things for her attorney friends. It was a nice arrangement and it worked for her. Too bad her family wasn’t on board with her making her own happiness. Recently she’d gained an ally in J.J. The onetime vehement opponent to her career switch now listened and offered gentle guidance.

  They spent time together, which she liked, so she tolerated his gentle probing of her life. He wanted to know who she was dating and if she were happy, just like the other men in the family. She thought she’d dodged a bullet when she moved away from big brothers Deke Jr. and Solomon only to run into the crazy, overprotective Blake clan. Which was like Deke Jr.’s watchful eye on steroids. She figured J.J. had been better about expressing his concern to counterbalance Sam laying down the hammer every chance she got. But whatever the reason, J.J. was a shoulder to cry on if she needed.

  She looked up when the elevator dinged. It was time to put her game face back on. She’d done her best the past few days to suppress her annoyance at being paired with Riley so she could do her job. She had to admit watching his workout at the stadium was more exciting than she anticipated. He looked great running around the field. She wasn’t dead. She could appreciate his physical attributes, and he had plenty. He had finely sculpted arms, a nice ass, and long, muscle-corded legs. He liked to pose on magazine covers without a shirt, so everyone could see those amazing washboard abs. No wonder the man was in demand for clothing endorsements. He looked good in everything he wore, and his eyes were a cool, Montana blue-sky color. His eyes evoked so much sincerity without his saying a word that they put you in an involuntary trance. Too bad the mystique went out the window when he opened his mouth.

  She spotted the new specialist Carmichael as she strode down the corridor toward Riley’s apartment. She’d seen the e-mail Kendrick had sent saying Carmichael would be shadowing Luther on the overnight shift. Luther was a pretty intense guy who rarely said much. His huge frame made you feel safe just knowing he was around. He was often on assignment to protect the Blake women. Isabelle, Tate’s wife, had formed quite an attachment to him when he was assigned to her in Las Vegas for Tate’s tour.

  “Good morning, Carmichael,” she said as she approached Riley’s door.

  “Parker.” He flashed a wide grin. “Good morning. You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled back. She had on her leather jacket, a pair of jeans, and a blue blouse. She preferred it to a suit. She didn’t technically work for Regency, and she thought it helped her blend in better with Riley. “Where’s Luther?”

  “He left a couple of hours ago.”

  “Sounds like you’re building up some trust with him. Luther has a last man out policy when he’s on a shift.”

  “He’s intense. He kept telling me I needed to gain weight.”

  “Luther tells me the same thing.” She laughed gently. “Getting acclimated with Regency OK?”

  “It’s been an interesting experience. Your sister runs a pretty tight ship. Kendrick watches me l
ike a hawk. I feel like I’m back in basic training.”

  “They’ll ease up over time. How were things last night?”

  “Everything was fine until Riley got a visit from Annie Oakley.” Carmichael laughed, then turned serious again. “I know I’m not supposed to bad-mouth anyone.”

  Riley had a visitor? “It helps adding a little levity when you’re standing around all day watching someone else live their life. You should see Luther get punchy.”

  “Luther smiles?” He stroked his chin. “I didn’t think he had teeth. He just grumbles and gives you wicked side-eye.”

  “Watch him eat a porterhouse. He picks a bone so clean you’d think it was dug up on an archeological dig.” She tried to keep her smile intact, but inside she was reeling from the news he had a woman in his place. So Riley got a bootie call last night. Why was she even surprised. “So, who visited?”

  “She’s still here. You know that crazy celebutante who’s famous because her family has money?”

  “You may need to narrow that down.” Riley had dated a few pop culture chicks whose claim to fame was nothing more than they dated celebrity guys.

  “She has that awful clothing line.” He snapped his fingers. “Kitten Wear.”

  “Dakota Prescott?”

  “Yeah, that’s the one.”

  “Oh.” She folded her arms over her chest. It was no surprise he and Dakota knew each other. She, like him, loved the cameras and had a ton of followers that hung on to their every word. Dakota was all about luxury and excess, just the kind of a vacuous empty-headed beauty he was used to dating. But why did she feel disappointed? Because she’d heard him tell someone he loved her the other day in the car. Just when her opinion of him couldn’t get any lower. “You must have had an interesting night.”