by Iris Abbott
Her sister respected and liked Copper. After what happened to Marla, Natalie would never give the time of day to a man who might be capable of hurting a woman or child. Her sister possessed good instincts when it came to people. She tried to warn her that something about Rob was off. It was too bad she hadn’t listened until it was way too late.
“What did you say?” Copper asked for clarification. His voice was quiet but carried a sharp bite.
Marla pinched her lips together and stared at the man for several seconds. She was not repeating that confession again. “You heard exactly what you think you did,” she finally said. “Don’t make me say it again.”
Copper took his time and looked Marla up and down. He looked like he was trying to gauge her state of mind. He abruptly turned toward Natalie, taking in the tight grip she had on her sister’s hand. “Explain,” he demanded. “You didn’t mention this when I questioned you before,” he accused.
“I don’t think…” Natalie started to say before Copper cut her off.
“We don’t need every single detail, but I need the man’s name to start,” he insisted. “An overall picture might help us know what to expect,” he went on to explain.
Marla took a deep breath, pulled her hand free of her sister’s, and started talking. “His name is Robert Storey,” she said in a voice that was shaking from suppressed emotions.
Natalie sighed. “Robert is a real SOB for sure, but pointing the finger at him for this might be a big waste of time. He left the area about eight years ago. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Marla said in a tiny whisper.
Natalie jumped up from the bed. “What? Have you seen him? Has he tried to talk to you?” She balled her delicate hand into a fist and slammed it into the palm of her other hand. “I’m going to be so mad if any of that is true and you didn’t bother sharing with me,” she said in an accusing tone.
Marla winced from the sharp sound of flesh smacking flesh and the reproachful voice of her sister.
Natalie was instantly contrite. “Sorry.” She stopped her agitated pacing and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me he was back in town?”
Marla shrugged. “I didn’t want to worry you over nothing. Anyway he hasn’t actually tried to contact me.”
“Then why do you think he might be in the area?” Copper fired out the question.
“I taught his nephew this year.” Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of work and the school. It was just one more reminder of the horrible ordeal she’d barely managed to escape. “I heard my student telling one of his friends at recess that his long lost Uncle Rob was in town for a visit.”
“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” Copper said in a coaxing voice. “I’ll have Iron run a background check on the asshole as soon as he gets back.”
“I’m back,” a deep voice said from the hallway. “What’s doing?” he asked with a raised brow. His eyes darted around the room taking in every detail of the unusual gathering.
Copper acknowledged the new arrival with a nod. “Someone took a few shots at Marla while she was leaving work this evening. She was grazed but otherwise managed to escape.”
“Sweet Marla, say it isn’t so. Who’d want to harm a delicate flower like you?” Copper shot daggers at Iron with a stone-cold stare. The other man immediately canned the flirtatious act and got serious. “I’ll get on it, right now as a matter of fact. Who do you want me to track down?”
Marla cleared her throat. “Robert Storey, S-T-O-R-E-Y,” she spelled his last name for clarification. “He goes by Rob, but Robert is his given name. He turned thirty in June, and he was born and raised in this county.”
“That’s all I need,” the resident computer and technical genius told Marla. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you were hurt.” He flashed her a big grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll track him down sooner rather than later. If he did this, we’ll shut him down for good.”
He turned his attention to Copper. “The delivery went off without a hitch. The customer was very pleased. His brother may be contacting you next week with a few questions about specs and pricing for a bike of his own.”
“Thanks, Iron. See you later, man. Happy hunting with that keyboard of yours.”
“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the office at my computer getting stuff done.” He exited the room as quietly as he entered.
“Steel and Mercury, I want the two of you to walk the perimeter of the property. Make sure everything is secure and that there’s no sign of trespassing anywhere. Report back to me when you’re done.”
“On it,” the twins said in unison before retreating from the bedroom.
“Chrome, take the SUV to the school parking lot, and see if you can find Marla’s things. Be on the alert for an ambush. I’m pretty sure her attacker didn’t follow her, so he may be waiting for her to go back to retrieve whatever she left behind. If you find any of Marla’s personal effects, take them to the office first. I want them inspected before any of it is handed over to her.”
“Why?” Marla interrupted. “It’s just a few photos, books, and end of the year presents from my students. I don’t know if I want you going through my personal belongings.”
“I don’t want any nasty surprises,” Copper told her. “If your stuff is still in the parking lot, it’s been unattended for a long time. Someone who knew what they were doing and really wanted to find you could hide a bug or tracking device with your things. While this place is well protected there is no need to lead whoever it is right to our doorstep.” He crossed his arms over his chest and bent down until their noses were almost touching. “I’m not going to apologize for doing whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“Consider it done,” Chrome said. He gave Natalie a long look before disappearing from the room.
Marla noticed that the tension in the room seemed to double. “I feel dirty, inside and out.” She wrapped her arms around her body. “I’d give just about anything right now for a long hot bubble bath,” she admitted with a wistful sigh.
“There is an oversized Jacuzzi tub in my bathroom, but I don’t have any bubble bath hidden anywhere.”
Marla gave him a wry smile. “Somehow that does not surprise me. You don’t strike me as the bubble bath kind. You’re way too masculine for something so frilly.”
“Normally, but I could be tempted. A soak with you would be anything but an insult to my manhood.”
The suggestive comment made Marla blush.
“Whoa,” Natalie interrupted, holding up her hands to silence the man. “Way too much info for me,” she told Copper. “Marla, I grabbed your makeup bag and travel shower caddy while I was at the apartment. Do you have bubble bath in there by any chance?”
Her face brightened. “Thanks. I’m pretty sure I have a travel size bottle of bubble bath in one of those bags.” She gave her sister a grateful smile.
Copper groaned. Both women whipped their heads around to look at him. He gave them a terse nod. “On second thought, even with a waterproof bandage, you probably don’t need to be soaking your wound. I think you should take a shower instead of a bath.”
“You do not know how much I’m looking forward to relaxing in a tub.” She frowned and disappointment clouded her eyes. “You’re probably right. I definitely don’t want to do anything to hinder the healing process. A shower it is then.”
Copper looked like he wanted to be anywhere except standing in the middle of his bedroom, discussing the merits of a shower over a bath. “I’m going to double check the interior of the house to make sure all the doors and windows are secure. Security has always been tight around here, but we haven’t done any visual checks lately. Now would be a good time to get one done.”
He looked like he was struggling with the situation, and it endeared him to Marla. She lightly touched his arm. “Thank you for everything, Copper.”
“You’re welcome. When I finish the security ch
eck, I’ll see what Iron’s managed to dig up on his computer.”
He turned to leave. Marla, who should have been relieved to get rid of his larger than life presence, found herself wanting to prolong their time together. “Wait,” she called out. When he turned questioning eyes on her, she forgot what she was going to say.
“Um well, it’s just that this is your room, and I don’t want to kick you out of it. Natalie can help me move my things into the guestroom she’s using. I’ll share with my sister.”
“No!”
The terse word made her eyes widen. “Uh, I don’t feel right about kicking you out of your room,” she insisted.
“Don’t worry, you’re not.”
She started to panic. “I can’t share a room with you!”
He gave both ladies a hard stare. “Nonnegotiable, so get used to it.”
Marla glared at his retreating back, but she waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “What an ass!”
Natalie burst out laughing. “All of them can be at times, but they are solid to the core. If Copper says he’s going to protect you then you’re about as safe as you can be. I trust him, and you should too.”
Marla twisted her hands together. “Easier said than done. He makes me nervous. Every time he’s around me I have a hard time breathing, my heart beats like I’ve been running a marathon, and my stomach feels like it’s twisted in knots.”
Natalie shook her head. “That sounds like sexual attraction to me.”
“I kind of figured that out for myself,” Marla whispered. “He excites and scares me all at the same time. He confuses me so much, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”
Her sister sighed. “Copper can be gruff. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, but he would never intentionally hurt you.”
“Deep down I know that, but I still tense up whenever he’s near. Part of me wants to touch him, and the other part wants to run in the opposite direction as fast as I can. How ridiculous is that?”
“Makes perfect sense to me,” Natalie said in a contemplative voice. “Rob did a number on you. It’s almost like you’re punishing yourself by refusing to have fun, especially with the opposite sex.”
“I date sometimes,” she reminded Natalie without actually denying her claim.
Her sister snorted. “Yeah, wimpy yes men who are probably afraid of their own shadows.” She laughed. “Nothing exciting about that, as I think you’re finally beginning to figure out.”
“There are more important things than excitement,” Marla insisted. “And being safe is at the top of the list.”
Natalie shook her head. “It’s no wonder you aren’t able to develop deep attachments with the few men you’ve bothered dating. It’s also no surprise that Copper so easily throws you into internal conflict. You’re young, single, and beautiful. You should be having fun, going to parties, outrageously flirting with good-looking men, and experimenting with what makes you feel good.”
Marla arched a brow. “It sounds like you’re encouraging me to experiment with your boss.”
“Why not? You’re a responsible twenty-six year old, not a naïve virgin. You know what birth control is, and you’re smart enough to use it this time. I’m mad as hell that someone targeted you for harm, and I’m sad you were injured. But maybe something good will come out of this horrible situation after all.”
Marla glanced at her sister. She didn’t like the twinkle in her eyes or the devilish look that quickly crossed her face before disappearing. She narrowed her eyes. “Just because I confessed to finding Copper sexy doesn’t mean anything is going to happen, especially between the sheets.”
“Right,” Natalie said in a long drawn out whisper. “That man loves his privacy more than any person I know. Yet here you are, taking up residency in his room and his bed. You could just as easily be sharing my room. He staked a claim on you in front of me and the other Metal Cowboys.”
“Maybe?”
“You’re not convinced?”
“Nope!”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve been to parties here before. Copper is never without company, if you know what I mean? Beautiful women are always hanging off his arms. I’m just plain and boring Marla.” She stifled a yawn.
“Whatever. You are not plain, and you’re only boring because you want to be.” Natalie pointed to the corner of the room. “I tried to get everything you’ll need for the next three or four days. You’re tired, and you need to rest. Go ahead and take a shower before you fall asleep. Remember to be careful around your wound,” she warned. “Don’t pick at the bandage or scrub at it too hard.”
Marla sighed. “I’ll be careful. What about you, what are you going to do?”
“I’m turning in too. It’s late, and it’s been a very long night.” She hugged her sister. “If you need me for any reason, I’m in the first bedroom, the one at the head of the stairs. Yell my name, and I’ll come running.”
Marla returned the hug. “Thank you for everything. I love you.”
“Right back at you. Enjoy your shower and sleep tight.”
FOUR
The click clack of Iron’s fingers on the computer keyboard was not nearly enough of a distraction. Copper’s mind was firmly fixed on the enticing woman currently taking up residence in his bedroom. “Find anything?” He asked the question in a desperate attempt to get his brain back on task.
“Rob Storey is definitely in the area. The best I can tell, he’s been here about two weeks.”
“That’s long enough for him to get a sense of Marla’s schedule, case out the school, and find out where she lives.”
“Yep, he’s a local too, so it probably wouldn’t be too hard for him to ask around and get all the information he wanted on Marla or Natalie for that matter.”
Copper growled deep in his throat and smacked the palm of his hand against his thigh. “You’re right. He has to know Natalie and Marla are sisters. It’s no secret that Natalie works for us.” He smiled an evil grin. “I almost wish the bastard would come a calling.” He rubbed his hands together. “He’d get one hell of a welcome,” Copper promised. “But there wouldn’t be anything pleasant about it, at least not for him. Me on the other hand, I’d love every gory second of it.”
Iron’s fingers stopped moving over the keyboard. He spun around in his desk chair and squared off with Copper. “What’s up with you, man? You seem to be taking this just a little too personally. I know Natalie is an important part of our business, but we hardly know Marla.”
He raked a hand through his already disheveled hair, took a couple of big steps, and turned to face Iron. “Marla gets to me, always has. I’ve tried approaching her before at various barbecues and parties, but in the past she’s always managed to avoid me.”
“You aren’t usually put off that easily,” Iron said with a chuckle.
“I was trying not to rock the boat with Natalie. I don’t think we could find a better assistant.”
“You got that right,” Iron agreed. “If we depended on Tina to keep the office part of the business running smoothly, we’d be screwed, maybe even bankrupt. Remind me why we hired that ditzy woman again.”
Copper grimaced. “I think Steel and Chrome were suckered by a pretty face. I bet they regret that decision now.” The two men snickered. “Worse than being bankrupt, could you imagine having to work with two women like Tina every day?”
Iron actually shuddered at the thought. “Is that the only reason you don’t want to upset Natalie?”
“Hell no, Chrome would kick my ass if I made Natalie angry enough to quit.”
“Ah, so I’m not the only one who noticed that sparks always seem to fly when those two are in the same room.”
“I’m pretty sure everyone here has noticed. I always thought it was funny, not so much anymore. I feel that same electric sizzle whenever Marla is nearby. The only difference is now I’m done with the tiptoeing. She could have died tonight,” he said in a voice that cracked w
ith emotion.
“I want her and I’m going to have her. If there’s one lesson we learned in the military, it’s that life is too short to waste time. I’m done with that. I’m reaching out and taking what I want.”
“Then why are you wasting time down here with my ugly mug?”
Copper laughed long and hard. “Right, like you don’t have to beat single women off with a stick whenever we go trolling in bars?”
Iron, who got his nickname because he loved to pump iron, flexed his muscles. “They admire the six-pack and the biceps, not necessarily the face.”
Copper snorted. “I know you’re not fishing for compliments. On that note, I’m out of here. I want to check on Marla.”
“You are so screwed,” Iron teased the other man.
“Not tonight but soon, bro, soon.”
Copper jogged from the room and bounded up the stairs two at a time. The pounding of his shit-kickers against the hardwood stairs echoed around him. It matched the erratic and wild beat of his heart. He came to an abrupt stop in front of his closed bedroom door. He was trying to coax her into his bed not send her running into the night. Besides, he still had some manners left.
He rapped his knuckles against the wood and waited for a softly spoken invitation to enter. When it didn’t happen, Copper decided Marla must be asleep already. He opened the door as quietly as he could and peeked inside. The bed was empty.
The sound of running water from the shower droned on in the background. It was another sound that got Copper moving however. The wrenching sobs were loud enough to drown out everything else, even his common sense and decency.
He walked into the bathroom without hesitating. It only took a few seconds for him to scan the scene. Steam hung heavy in the air and coated the large mirror hanging above the double sink. The tortured sound grabbed ahold of his heart and squeezed hard.
His eyes darted to the shower. The squeeze became a twist at the sight that met his eyes. Marla was slouched down on the floor, huddled into a ball in one corner of the shower. Her arms were loosely wrapped around her bent knees, which served as a resting place for her lowered head.