Bare It All

by Lori Foster

  Grinning, Rowdy hauled Pepper right out of Logan’s hold and hugged her off her feet. “Kiddo, what did you do now?”

  “Not me,” Pepper said, and she pointed at Alice. “Her.”

  Maybe going into the station alone wouldn’t be so bad after all. Alice took a step toward Rowdy, but Reese wasn’t letting go. “No, you don’t.” He brought his arm up to her shoulders and locked her in close to his side.

  Then he just stood there.

  Looking a little mean.

  Logan lifted a brow. “What are we doing?”

  “Looks to me like he’s going quietly insane,” Rowdy said. He tipped his chin at Alice. “Is this your doing?”

  Alice slumped a little. “Yes.”

  “What’d you do now?”

  “Well—”

  Reese startled everyone when he snarled, “Even with me standing here, you two are doing it!”

  Rowdy slowly straightened, at the same time releasing his sister. “Doing what?”

  “Confiding,” Pepper said with a grin. “Reese doesn’t like how close the two of you are getting.”

  Alice tipped her head back to see Reese. He had his eyes narrowed in a way that made her uneasy.

  Didn’t seem to bother Rowdy, though.

  Still, to be on the safe side, she hurried to explain. “We’re just friends.”

  “Men and women are never just friends,” Reese said, his hostility coming through loud and clear.

  “Usually, I’d agree with you.” Rowdy folded his arms over his chest. “But not this time.”

  “You see?” Alice stopped leaning out of Reese’s hold and instead cuddled in closer. “Rowdy and I already cleared up any issue of sexual attraction. That was one of the first things we discussed.”

  Reese dropped his incredulous gaze down to her.

  “Shit,” Rowdy said. “It’s not like that, Reese, and you know it.”

  With silky menace, Reese asked, “Do I?”

  His provoking tone finally started to get to Rowdy. “You damn well should.”

  Logan choked. “Jesus, Reese. Get your shit together, man. I’m almost embarrassed for you.”

  Reese seemed uncaring what anyone else thought.

  But Alice cared, darn it. “This is absurd. Rowdy isn’t interested in me, and I’m not interested in him. Not that way. It’s just...well, he’s like a girlfriend.”

  Rowdy shot around to stare at her. “I am not your girlfriend, Alice.”

  Pepper barked a laugh; Logan rubbed his mouth.

  Worse and worse. Alice drew a breath, let it out slowly. “I didn’t mean that in an insulting way, Rowdy. Anyone can see you’re all man.”

  Falling into her brother’s shoulder, hanging on to his arm, Pepper laughed harder.

  “Damn it, Pepper, you’re not helping.” Rowdy handed her off to Logan. “Can’t you control her?”

  “Not even when I have two good arms.”

  Alice spoke over Pepper’s hilarity. “I only meant that I’m comfortable talking with you. Period. Only talk.”

  “Glad you cleared that up.” Rowdy nodded toward his sister. “Seriously, though, if Reese is going to go red-eyed over it, Pepper can help you with...that stuff, instead.”

  Pepper looked shocked. “What stuff?”

  “C’mon, kid. You know you’d be better at this than I am.”

  “Me? What do I know about any of that? You’re the only one I ever confided in.”

  “And now me,” Logan insisted again.

  “I’m sorry.” Starting to feel like a complete imposition, Alice rubbed her forehead. “This has gotten out of hand. I didn’t mean to bother—”

  Reese spoke up, saying, “You’re not a bother, Alice. Ever.” He frowned at Pepper and Rowdy both.

  “True,” Rowdy said.

  “And actually,” Pepper chimed in, “I did enjoy shopping and hanging out and stuff. I haven’t really had anyone to do that with either. Not for a really long time.”

  Reacting to Pepper’s somewhat sad admission, Rowdy and Logan both reached for her, each one grabbing an arm to pull her into his side. While the men sorted out that one, over Pepper’s grumbled complaints, Reese tipped up Alice’s chin.

  Speaking in a low whisper, he said, “You won’t mention that to anyone.”

  “What?”

  Disbelieving, he said succinctly, “What you told me in the car.”

  “Oh. No, I won’t.” And then, a little worried: “Will you?”

  “Not today, no. I need time to think about things before I decide how to proceed.”

  Of course he did. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

  His hand left her chin, cupped around her jaw. “I’m sorry I got angry. But no more lies, Alice, not even lies of omission.”

  Oh, so he hadn’t been upset with Rowdy? It was the whole killing Murray thing that had him so hostile?

  She didn’t realize that the others had gotten quiet and were listening in until Reese said, “Seeing how the two of you seem to relate so well, I’m fine with Rowdy being your girlfriend—if you still want him.”

  Her face went hot. She glanced back and saw everyone watching in various stages of amusement. Rowdy had his hands on his hips, his head dropped forward as he shook it.

  “I didn’t mean it like that.” Alice pushed at Reese, but he didn’t budge. “Don’t get everyone riled up again.”

  Wearing the slightest of smiles, Reese held her closer. “Stop shoving away from me, okay?”

  He sounded so sincere, she nodded. “Okay. Sorry.”

  “And stop apologizing,” Rowdy added. “It isn’t necessary.”

  Reese gave him a look, and Rowdy lifted his hands in mock apology.

  Pepper spoke up. “I’m not sure how great I am at being a girlfriend, but I’m happy to try. And now that I’ve started on wedding plans...Reese will be the best man, Rowdy will give me away, so...would you want to stand up with me?” She rushed on, saying, “It won’t be fancy at all. Just Logan’s family and our group here. But...I sort of want the whole white dress and veil and flowers.”

  Like a very satisfied man, Logan kept her tucked close, and he kissed her temple.

  It surprised Alice to see Pepper in a sheepish, uncertain mood. It also made her heart flutter to think of attending a wedding with Reese. “You will be such a beautiful bride.” She tried not to grin too much. “And, yes, I’d be honored.”

  “Perfect! One detail down, a hundred more to go.”

  Rowdy checked his watch. “We’re going to be late if we don’t head in now.”

  Logan agreed. “The lieutenant is not someone you want to keep waiting.”

  Looking around as Reese led the way through the station, Alice tried not to remember the last time she’d been brought in by police.

  Many aspects of this station were different, but the basics were the same. Reese wanted to stop by his desk, but as they neared it, he drew up short.

  “Dash?”

  Sitting on a bench along the wall, Logan’s younger brother looked up. Clearly surprised at seeing the group, he did a double take and then came to his feet. “Hey, Logan, Reese.” His gaze moved past them to Pepper, Rowdy and Alice. “Having a party, huh?”

  The joke, probably meant to deflect the attention, fell flat.

  Alice noted that he’d spent some time in the sun recently, and though tanned, he now had added color in his cheekbones and along his straight nose.

 
Pepper noticed, too. “You went back to the lake?”

  “No chance right now. We’ve been busy.” With Dash’s sun-streaked light brown hair and the same dark brown eyes, Alice could see the resemblance to Logan.

  Dash rubbed a hand over his shoulder. “Worked alongside the crew today. We had a big foundation to pour, and the sun was brutal.”

  Ah, so he was in construction. That made sense. Dash wasn’t as muscled as Reese—few were—but he had a lean, fit body, honed from physical activity.

  He stood on a par with Rowdy, a little taller than Logan’s six feet, but not as tall as Reese.

  My, Alice thought, seeing them all standing there together. They were an impressive lot, and more than a few female officers were giving them the eye.

  Logan moved forward. “So, what are you doing here, Dash? Is something wrong?”

  “Everything’s...fine.” There was a strangely awkward moment before Dash said, “I came to see you.”

  “Then you should have gone by his house,” Reese told him. “He’s not back to work yet.”

  “That’s right. Damn.” Dash ran a hand over his neck. “Like I said, it’s been crazy at work.”

  Logan gave him a funny look.

  “So...” Dash waffled. “If you’re not working, what are you doing here?”

  “Something’s come up with Alice.” Logan gestured at her. “You remember Alice, right?”

  “Sure.” He held out a hand. “Nice to see you again.”

  Alice smiled at him, took his hand in a brief greeting, but anyone with eyes could see he had not come to call on Logan.

  Especially when Logan asked, “So, what’s up?”

  “What?”

  Logan shifted, rearranging the sling on his arm. “You came to see me?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Putting his hands in his back pockets, Dash said, “I, ah...”

  Alice heard her heels on the floor before the lieutenant came around the corner with a purposeful stride. She stalled when she saw them all together, did her own waffling, but then shot into professional mode.

  She didn’t even look at Dash.

  Well, well. Alice picked up the signs, but when she looked at Reese and Logan, it was as if neither of them had even noticed the tension in the air.

  Rowdy seemed too antsy at being in a police station to pay attention to much beyond all the armed officers. She glanced at Pepper, but like Rowdy, Pepper spent her time gazing around uneasily.

  The big wall clock showed they were only tardy by five minutes, but still Reese said, “Sorry we’re late.”

  Her tone clipped, irritation clear, Lieutenant Peterson said, “It’s just as well since I had to attend a special meeting.”

  “What special meeting?” Logan wanted to know.

  The lieutenant’s speculative gaze landed on Alice. “I’ve been informed that we can talk about the possible connection of the tattooed girls, but the rest is off-limits.”

  Oh, shoot. Alice knew only too well what that meant: Trace had put the kibosh on any further snooping that might lead to him.

  Reese didn’t take the edict well. “What do you mean, off-limits?”

  Alice almost winced.

  Stepping closer so that no one else would overhear, the lieutenant said, “I mean that orders came down the chain of command. I was told in no uncertain terms to back off. Any and all discussions of her time as a kidnap victim are forbidden. Most especially any discussion concerning third-party vigilantes.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  LOGAN LOOKED STUNNED. “The hell you say.”

  Reese started to speak, and Peterson said, “End of story, Detective.”

  Reese knotted his hands. “How did anyone even know?”

  “I have no idea.” Again Peterson looked at Alice. “Perhaps you should ask her?”

  Both Logan and Reese turned to her with accusation. Shaking her head, Alice fought the urge to physically retreat. “I haven’t spoken to anyone.”

  Pepper, Rowdy and Dash held silent. To Alice, it felt as if they’d all tried her and found her guilty.

  Slowly, eyes flinty and untrusting, Reese turned away from Alice to address Peterson. “A word, please?”

  “Certainly,” she agreed, gesturing for Logan and Reese to follow her into her office. Her own annoyance overflowed as she quipped, “As long as it’s the right word, not the forbidden word, I’m all ears.”

  Not liking it but unable to change things, Reese agreed.

  That’s how it worked.

  He said to Alice, “Wait here.” Slanting a sharp look at Rowdy, he added, “She doesn’t go anywhere alone.”

  “Got it covered.”

  “Thanks.”

  The commands didn’t bother Alice near as much as watching him go. Blast the man, he had demanded trust from her and so she’d shared her biggest secret.

  But did he give trust in return? No. How could he think that she’d instigated a gag order? Why would she confess to him and then do that? It didn’t even make sense. And if he’d just asked her—privately—she probably could have explained. But, no, instead he—

  “Alice?” Looking very put upon, Rowdy pointed out the bench that Dash had vacated. “Why don’t you and Pepper park it over there and...I don’t know. Chat or something.”

  Encouraging her again to make Pepper her confidante?

  Rowdy sighed. “If you need to talk to me...?”

  “No, I don’t.” It was bad enough that she’d told Reese about Trace. No way would she tell Pepper and Rowdy, too. “What are you going to do, though?”

  “I’m going to stay out of the way as much as I can.”

  Dash said, “I’ll keep you company.” The men moved to stand against the wall a few feet away—out of sight of the officers.

  Poor Rowdy. He really didn’t like anyone in law enforcement, and yet his sister would soon marry a cop. Not that she thought Rowdy would let that get to him for long. Rowdy was a survivor because he knew how to adapt to changing situations.

  He would adjust to this, as well.

  Putting Rowdy from her mind, Alice sank down to sit on the bench. She was both hurt that Reese had given her such an accusing look and nettled that he hadn’t taken her at her word. In the car she’d shared her biggest secret, so he should trust her now.

  Settling down beside her, Pepper nudged her with her elbow. “What’s going on with you two?”

  “What do you mean?” Alice hedged.

  Pepper gave her a long, droll look. “You guys shoot sparks one minute, and antagonism the next. Are things not going well?”

  “It’s complicated.” There were so many things on her mind, Alice couldn’t even sort it out to herself. She had mostly forgiven Reese’s sexual interrogation, and she’d confessed about killing Murray. But now, in the face of his continued distrust, she had to wonder if she’d made a monumental mistake.

  “You know,” Pepper said, “I’ve always found that things seem less complicated once I share them. Of course, Rowdy is the one I always shared with, and he has a great way of breaking stuff down so it’s not so overwhelming.”

  “He does,” Alice agreed. “He’s such a...plain speaker.” Rowdy never hesitated to tell her things, regardless of how intimate they might seem to her. But she couldn’t tell him about Reese playing games in bed.

  Given that Rowdy was a dominating personality, she could only imagine how he’d smile over Reese’s methods of getting info.

  Pep
per looked down at her feet, offering in an offhand way, “If you’d rather talk to him, I understand.”

  “It’s not that.” Maybe she shouldn’t have told Reese about Trace. Surely he wouldn’t say anything to the lieutenant, not after being warned away.

  What would Trace do if Reese didn’t let it go?

  Because somehow, she just knew Reese wouldn’t.

  Her head throbbed with possibilities.

  “Alice?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “I might have really screwed up.”

  “How so?” And then, with suspicion, “What did Reese do?”

  “Nothing.” Yet. But if he pressed the matter...

  “I’m not buying it.” Pepper studied her. “Reese did something, and now you’re upset. God, he can be such a jerk.”

  “No,” Alice denied. “He’s not a jerk, but he is occasionally autocratic. And stubborn. And maybe a little too protective.”

  “Yeah?” Grinning with interest, Pepper asked, “What else?”

  “Actually, he’s pretty wonderful.” When he wasn’t being distrustful or asking her too many questions. Her face flushed at the reminder of how he’d gotten his answers. “Most of the time, anyway.”

  “Not perfect—same as everyone else, I guess, huh?”

  Not perfect, but close. “I guess.”

  Alice nudged her again, playfully this time. “I won’t pry, but remember what I told you. You can trust me if you ever want to talk.”

  Maybe a different perspective would help. She eyed Pepper’s encouraging smile and figured, what the heck. “Reese used sex against me.”

  Pepper’s smile slipped. “Come again?”

  “He wanted to know things...about my past. Things that, I take it from the lieutenant’s dictate, won’t be discussed here after all.”

  “Wow.” Fascinated, Pepper sat back. “I wondered what that was all about.”

  “I’m sorry I can’t tell you details.”

  “Obviously not, since it’s forbidden.” Worried now, Pepper asked, “You aren’t in any trouble, are you?”

  “No, it’s nothing like that.”