Hard Target (All or Nothing Book 1)

by Rhonda Laurel

  “It was pretty quiet. He told her he wasn’t in the mood to go out so they stayed in. I haven’t heard a peep from them all morning.”

  “Thanks for the update.”

  “Parker, I was wondering, since I’m the new guy, if you’d be all right with me picking your brain. I want to make a good impression on your sister and Kendrick.”

  “Sure, you can give me a call.”

  “Oh maybe we could go out for coffee sometime?” He grinned.

  “Uh.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “OK.”

  She opened the door to Riley’s apartment. The normal protocol would be to locate Riley and do a thorough sweep of the place before the other security team left. But today was different. The last thing she wanted to do was open his bedroom door and find him entwined in the sheets with some woman. She could hear clanging around in the kitchen, so she thought she’d start in there. The first thing she noticed was the scantily clad woman wearing headphones, who had to be Dakota, flitting about in one of Riley’s shirts and the second was the small gun on the cutting block.

  Parker eased toward the weapon and picked it up. She checked the chamber; it was loaded.

  “Hey, that’s my property!” Dakota yelled as she reached for it.

  Parker moved it out of her reach. Riley was kinkier than she thought. Why would Dakota need a miniature pistol to come see him unless he liked that sort of thing? “What’s with the gun?”

  “I carry it for protection. The big dude from last night already read me the riot act. He wouldn’t give it back unless I told him I’d be careful.”

  Ah, Luther had seen it. “Do you always bring a gun to breakfast?”

  “It depends on who I’m dining with. Who are you? One of Riley’s groupies?”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not here for a catfight over the stud.” Parker extended her hand despite the urge to strangle her. She handed her back the gun. “I’m Parker. I’m part of the security team. You must be Dakota.”

  “Good because you wouldn’t win.” Dakota squinted at her as she took back the pistol.

  “Mine’s bigger.” Parker moved her jacket to reveal her piece.

  “You don’t look like a bodyguard.”

  “Thank you. That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in months.”

  “Since you’re here, would you mind whipping me up some breakfast?”

  “No.” She folded her arms across her chest.

  “You work for Riley. You have to do what I say.”

  “If someone’s trying to kill you, I’ll be all over it. But no one will be making your breakfast except your boy toy. And I really don’t think he can boil an egg.”

  “Good morning. I see you two have met.” Riley came into the kitchen, retrieved a tumbler from the cupboard, and poured himself some orange juice.

  “Riley, she won’t make me breakfast.”

  “It’s not part of her job.” Riley took the egg from her and cracked it open then turned to Parker. “And I do know five different ways to cook an egg.”

  “You’re such a Renaissance man.” Parker looked at the display of her pinging cell phone.

  “Dakota,” Riley said, “I hate to rush you, but I have a busy day ahead. I thought you had an early business meeting about a new business venture this morning?”

  “They can wait.” She hoisted herself on the counter island. “I am Dakota after all.”

  Parker smirked as Riley grabbed her by the waist and put her back on the floor.

  “Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you the next time I’m in town.”

  “You can’t get rid of me that easy.” Dakota tried to grab at his crotch. “I’ll be in town all week. I thought it would be great if we could be seen around town before your big day.”

  “Now’s not the best time. I have too much on my mind to socialize right now.”

  “Well, I deserve a do over. You were a little off your game last night. I thought we’d go round two—”

  Riley deftly moved out of the way of her groping hand. “Where are you staying? My schedule is jam-packed with the Super Bowl and all.”

  “I guess not here.” She pouted. “My family has a place downtown Dallas. I can crash there.”

  “Awesome.” He ushered her out of the kitchen. “You go get dressed and I’ll have this egg ready when you come back.”

  Parker eyed him after Dakota finally left. “If you’re going to entertain at night, you should really let the detail know.”

  “I didn’t know she was coming. Dakota is unpredictable, she does whatever she pleases.” He rifled through the utensil drawer until he found a spatula.

  “And this is a quality you like in women?” she said in a low voice.

  “What was that?” He turned around.

  “Nothing,” she grumbled. “So what’s on the agenda today?”

  “I have an interview, and then it’s off to the stadium.”

  “No.”

  “Is that your favorite word?”

  “I thought we agreed you were going to keep a low profile.”

  “We’re less than two weeks away from the biggest game of the season. I can’t just drop out of sight.”

  “You’ll have a chance to have your ego stroked after the game.”

  “It’s not about my ego.” He moved closer to her. “Part of the process is getting out there, being seen, and getting people to watch the game. This is a very important time for the Tomcats franchise. They’re counting on me on the field and off to do my thing, which includes pouring on the charm and arrogance so people will tune in to boo me or applaud me. It’s how we’ve gotten this far. It may seem frivolous and superficial to you, but it’s pretty hard work.”

  He was more self-aware than she gave him credit. She really did think he floated through his glamorous life. But this Riley was worried about making the rounds to make sure people wanted to watch the Tomcats hopefully make history. Too bad he was such a man-whore. But what did she care? It wasn’t as if they were dating.

  “OK.” She whipped out her phone. “Perhaps we can compromise.”

  “What?”

  “Com-pro-mise,” she repeated slowly.

  He raised an eyebrow. “I know what you said, but do you even know what it means?”

  “I need the location so I can share with the team. But I do ask that you don’t dawdle. I know you’re a social creature, but I’d like to contain the situation.”

  “Thanks.” He blinked. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

  “I’ll let it slide. Although, I thought you’d be a lot more relaxed after your night with Dakota.”

  “It was anything but relaxing. You wouldn’t believe how much she likes to talk about herself.”

  “I can’t believe you two have conversations.” She flashed a sweet smile.

  “Last thing I want to do when I'm in bed with a woman is talk, but she gets a little self-obsessed.”

  “Now I see the appeal between you two.” She rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to have any more overnight playmates, let them know we’re here to watch your ass, not make meals for spoiled, entitled airheads.”

  “I feel so much better knowing you’re watching my ass.” He grinned.

  “For professional reasons only.”

  “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

  “I’ll alert the team of your movements for today while you finish up that egg. It would cook faster if you put some heat under the pan,” she said and walked out of the kitchen.

  Parker’s fingers flew furiously over the virtual keys of the cell phone as she relayed the itinerary to the rest of team. She could feel the anger rising in her with each second that passed. He’d just told someone he loved them the other day and spent the night with someone else. She should have known he hadn’t changed. He’d probably told Avery that he wanted more substance in a relationship to impress her. He was still the same player he’d always been.

  * * *

  Riley smiled as he flipped the egg in the pan. If
he didn’t know any better, he’d say Parker was jealous about Dakota being in his apartment. He didn’t mean to be so abrupt about his schedule, but he didn’t need another day of hiding in the house. There hadn’t been another threatening letter or package, and he was optimistic that his stalker had found something else to do with his time. But that hadn’t stopped him from lying awake last night thinking of who was out to get him. Dakota had tried to crawl into bed with him, but he’d gently led her into one of the guest bedrooms. She was always fun, sexy, but he knew it was nothing serious. Sure, for a moment he’d intended to drive a certain sexy bodyguard out of his thoughts by fooling around with Dakota, but when it had come right down to game time, he’d come to his senses. Maybe with the big game so close he just wasn’t in the mood for shallow flings. Or the threats had killed his mood. Either way, he didn’t know what was wrong with him, he just trusted his instincts, like Seth always said.

  Besides, he and Dakota didn’t have any restrictions on each other, although he’d noticed she’d been mentioning him more on her social media feeds. Lately that kind of instant gratification left him feeling empty, especially after he’d buckled down and focused on his career. Now that the Tomcats were doing great, he should have been on top of the world. He had everything he could ever want. Money. Women. Fame.

  And yet something was off…

  He hustled Dakota out of the apartment as quickly as he could while Parker had a look on her face he couldn’t decipher. Last night he’d thought Dakota’s superficial chatter and sexy figure was just what he needed to cure his restlessness. But when they started kissing, all he could think about was that the wrong woman was in his bed. Which begged the question. Who was the right woman? Certainly not Parker.

  When they exited the apartment, Carmichael was waiting for them.

  “Carmichael,” Parker said, “what are you still doing here?”

  “I thought I’d make sure you didn’t need anything.”

  “We’re good. We’ve moved some things around so Mr. Sloane can have a little more flexibility.” She smiled. “A little piece of advice, you have about three minutes to turn in your report to Sam. She’s going to want to know what took you so long.”

  “Got it.” He glanced at his watch. “Don’t forget what I said about that coffee. I have a feeling there’s a lot you can teach me.”

  Parker nodded. “I’ll check my schedule.”

  “Have a good day, champ,” Carmichael said to Riley.

  Riley looked from Carmichael to Parker and he didn’t like what he was seeing. Carmichael was being totally unprofessional trying to hit on her while at work. “I have Bruiser with me. It’s going to be a great day.”

  “I’ll secure the apartment, then submit my progress report to Sam.”

  “Thanks.”

  While they waited for the elevator, Riley gave her a quick onceover. She looked cute in a blouse and a pair of jeans. The stylish leather jacket she wore tapered at the waist but managed to conceal her weapon. The elevator stopped on the eighth floor. The door opened, and Avery and Wyatt were standing there.

  “Riley. Parker. What a pleasant surprise.” Avery beamed as she and Wyatt stepped onto the lift, joining them.

  “Hey, doc,” Riley said, then he turned to Wyatt and nodded. “Wyatt.”

  “Sloane,” Wyatt replied.

  Avery gave him a hug. “Are you OK? Parker’s been keeping me updated on the situation.”

  He checked Wyatt’s face before he reciprocated. Wyatt didn’t look like he wanted to throw a punch. “I’m fine. How’s med school?”

  “Hard work, but I love it.”

  “If anyone can get through it, you can.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Wyatt, how are things at the Bright Star?”

  “Good.”

  “Wyatt came up with a marketing plan to sell beers for a nickel every time the Tomcats score a touchdown.”

  Riley whistled. “That’s one hell of an incentive to watch the game there.”

  “It was Wyatt’s idea to get people rooting for you and the Tomcats. Cal’s getting a sign made that says Riley Sloane drinks here.” Avery laughed.

  “Thanks for the effort, Wyatt. If I can help with the promotions in any way, just let me know. Maybe I can autograph some gear and you could do a contest or something. I bet I can get some of the guys to join in the fun.”

  “That would be a great idea.” Wyatt’s eyes brightened. “If you have the time.”

  “It’s the least I can do. Just let me know what you need, and I can bring some things to your place.” He felt like doing a fist bump in the air. Wyatt was finally talking to him and not giving him some inaudible grunt like he usually did. Maybe he was slowly coming around.

  Avery turned to Parker. “Parker, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She folded her arms across her chest.

  Ah ha. So she was perturbed about something.

  “I’m going to the ranch after work. So, I’ll either be home by ten or I may sack out at the house.”

  Parker laughed. “You know Teri-Lyn is going to convince you to stay.”

  Avery laughed too. “In that case, I’ll probably see you in the morning.”

  The elevator stopped on the ground floor. They said their goodbyes, and Avery and Wyatt headed out together, but Riley stopped at the front desk.

  “George, can you have someone bring my car around?”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Sloane.”

  “Wait a sec.” Parker held up a hand. “We’re taking my car.”

  “As much as I’d like to time travel around town with you in your seventies mobile, I want to take my car.”

  “My car is a sixties classic. You want to show off that sports car of yours.”

  “What’s the point of having a nice car if you don’t drive it around town? Look, I dig your funky Camaro and the black SUVs Regency uses, but I am not showing up to my interview like some sheltered celebrity.”

  “That’s the problem. Overexposure. Did you ever think a little security goes a long way? You are impossible.”

  “What happened to compromising? We had that conversation like twenty minutes ago.”

  “It was as a small window.” She held up her thumb and index fingers.

  “Please.” He propped his arm up on the counter. “Give me one more thing, and I promise I will be a good little sitting duck for the rest of the day.”

  “OK.” She put her hands on her hips. “I’m driving.”

  “No way.” He shook his head. “Nobody drives my baby.”

  “You weren’t this emotional over Dakota.”

  He grinned. “I know where to invest my emotions.”

  One of the valets brought the Bugatti to the front. Riley opened the passenger door for Parker. He nestled into the driver’s seat, slipped on his sunglasses, then peeled off. It felt good to be in his own car. Sure, it had only been a few days, but he missed being in the driver’s seat. Parker was tapping away on her phone when she wasn’t checking the mirrors to see if someone was following them.

  “Carmichael looks like he’s excited about his new job.” He gripped the steering wheel tightly as he said it.

  “Regency is the best private security firm in the country. It’s quite the feather in anyone’s cap to join such an elite company.”

  “Except you?” He glanced over at her. “You’ve resisted working for Regency even though Sam could fast-track you in there.”

  “I love my sister, but that doesn’t mean we should work together.”

  “Why not?”

  “Would you want to work with an older sibling who thought they still had the authority to tell you what to do but also got paid for it?”

  “I don’t have that problem. I’m the oldest.” He scratched at his beard.

  “Really?”

  “I’m the oldest of three kids. I have a brother and a sister. Dylan and Aubrey. Aubrey goes to school in our home state California.”

  “Wow.”

&
nbsp; “Aubrey just started college and is smart, like scary smart. She’s a biology major who also belongs to the drama club.”

  “Cool.”

  “Not cool. She’s getting the acting bug. Her friends are going on auditions, and she wants to get an agent and see if she has what it takes to make it in Hollywood.”

  “Wait a minute? Aubrey?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  She snapped her fingers. “You were talking to her that day we went to the strip club.”

  “She’s helping me organize the family’s travel to the Super Bowl game. She’s helpful like that.”

  “Oh.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She shrugged. “She’s the person who put all of your old Jerseys and photos into that frame?”

  “She sure did. How did you know?”

  “It has that loving touch. I assumed a family member or someone who cared a lot for you did it. She sounds like a sweet person. And it explains why you said you loved her the other day.”

  “You think I’m incapable of saying those magic words?” He laughed.

  “No, I didn’t mean that—”

  “Sure you did. I happily tell my darling little sister I love her all the time.”

  “Tell me about her.”

  “She’s pretty, smart, funny, but she can be a little naïve. And I’d like her to stay that way. I don’t want her getting into that Hollywood lifestyle.”

  “Said the pot to the kettle.”

  “It’s different for me. Aubrey’s still kind of inexperienced. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of her. It’s bad enough she has to vet friends carefully because they know I’m her brother. Dylan, on the other hand, tells everyone in a hundred mile radius we’re related. He loves the perks of being my brother. Trouble follows him like a stray dog.” His jaw ticked.

  “Having a world-renowned relative has to be hard. You know how many years I had to hear ‘that’s Deke Carson’s kid’?”

  “That must have been tough.”

  “No.” She sighed. “What was tough was that I would have preferred to have a normal, living dad with a run-of-the-mill job. You can’t hug a dead legend.”