by Lea Hart
“Do we have a look-alike yet?” Hunter asked.
“There is a woman from the sheriff’s department who is about the same size and build. Let me see if she’s willing to be a decoy,” Brock said.
“Any reason to believe he’s violent?” Kane asked.
“He hasn’t been caught with a gun when he’s been picked up on violating the restraining order,” Erin said. “I think he’s just mentally ill.”
“Which doesn’t mean he lacks the capacity to lose his shit and pull something crazy,” Hunter replied. He looped his arm around Erin’s shoulder protectively and gave everyone a sharp look.
Brady ducked his head and snickered. Seemed the weekend at the horse farm had changed things between the two. Which he completely understood.
“We could start him at the library and then wind him around campus until you all got in position, then lead him over to the lake. Have Erin’s double on one side and him on the other. If he does something crazy, one of you could push him in the swamp and see if the baby gator wants to have him for lunch,” Claire said from her desk.
“We are trained operatives, darlin’. No way we’re going to let a gator have all the fun,” Brady replied as he gave her a wink.
Erin looked up at Hunter and shuddered. “I kind of like the gator idea because there seems to be some suffering involved. The man has tormented me for over three years and I’d like for him to have a small taste of what it’s been like for me.”
Hunter squeezed her shoulder. “Get that, guys? We’re feeding the asshole to the gator.”
The room erupted in laughter and Brady considered himself lucky to be joining ranks with the men gathered. This thing was going to be easy as pie and securing Erin’s safety would be damn satisfying. “So, is this his last shot at breaking the order?”
“Yes, thank God,” Erin replied. “This would be his third felony conviction and that means he’d have a good chance of getting the maximum sentence.”
Brock shook his head and spoke. “The only thing that stopped Lilly’s stalker was the fact that she drew a gun on her the last time she got close. Ruth had been released from the state mental facility due to overcrowding and she made it to Lilly within a matter of months. Despite the monitoring and restrictions.”
“Well, let’s hope this is the end for Alvin,” Erin said quietly.
Brady looked at his brother and noticed the hard expression on his face. Confronting Lilly’s stalker and shooting her hadn’t been easy for Brock, but there hadn’t been another choice. When someone raises a gun and threatens your woman, there is only one solution. “Let’s go into the conference room and lay this thing out step by step.” Brady heard murmurs of agreement, picked up his iPad, and waited for everyone to leave the room. When it was just he and Claire, he walked over and planted a kiss on her sweet lips. She didn’t fight him too much, so he figured that she was getting used to his constant need to show her affection. “Have a good afternoon. I’ll come and get you at the end of the day.”
“I’m thinking about arguing with you, but that would be silly because it turns out I like you hovering around me like a storm.”
“A storm?”
“Yeah, your whirling energy threatening to overtake me whenever you’re near.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked cautiously.
“So far, it’s good ’cause I like when you overtake me.” She pulled him closer and kissed his cheek. “Especially when I can’t tell where you stop and I begin. When you are buried so deeply in my body that I think we’re one. The moment when our breaths collide and we explode simultaneously.”
There wasn’t a working brain cell in his head. Claire had swept away his cognitive function with the words she used to describe what happened to them every time they were together. She was absolutely right. When they were intimate, it wasn’t just about their bodies joining. It was about their spirits and hearts, too. He never would’ve put it so eloquently, and she was dead-on. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m never going to get enough of you, darlin’. Never.”
When she held him close, he decided that was answer enough. Sometimes there were no words and he figured this was one of those times. He and Claire were on the precipice of falling completely for each other and that wasn’t anything the English language could describe. That he knew for sure.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thursday, August 3rd
Claire stood in front of the chest of drawers and frowned. “Definitely need some better undies.”
Brady strolled out of the bathroom and rubbed his short hair with a towel. “What, honey?”
Turning, she stared at the sexy man in her bedroom and knew she definitely needed to upgrade her sex appeal. The boring cotton in her drawer was in no way a match for the man with the Adonis body standing two inches away. “I’m going to run over to the mall after work and pick up a few things.”
“What kind of things?” he asked as he threw the towel over his shoulder.
“New underwear and stuff.”
“I’ll come along.” He took her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Give you my opinion and maybe test the stuff you’re looking at to see how easily I can get it off. ‘Cause that’s where your underwear belongs…on the floor.”
“Maybe I should just skip wearing any today.” She let her robe slip off, then stepped over to her closet and started flipping through her dresses. “It’s summer, after all, and the fewer clothes, the better.” A loud growl was the only warning she had that Brady had heard a word she said. His large hands gripped her waist and he had her in the air before she could get a word out. When she lay on her back on the bed, all she could see was Brady’s satisfied smile. He filled her vision and it seemed was about to fill her body. He moved her hands above her head and held them in one hand. The other was moving down the center of her body as his eyes darkened. “What are you doing?”
“Ravaging you. Talking about going to work without your lady bits covered has me nuts. The idea of anyone else but me seeing you isn’t acceptable.”
Laughing, she shook her head. “I wasn’t going to flash anyone. All I was doing was following your suggestion.” His large finger slid into her heat and she forgot the second part of her argument. “I, uh…”
He dropped his mouth next to her ear and whispered, “That’s it, honey. Let go. I’m going to get our day off to a real good start.”
His mouth dragged over her neck as he moved his fingers away and plunged deep into her waiting body. The moment he filled her up, she lost her ability to speak. Being connected to him physically was becoming a necessary part of her existence. As he moved in and out, she felt herself transported to a place where they existed as one. A place where she was whole and complete.
“You feel that, Claire?” Brady groaned. “We’re one and there’s nothing that’s ever going to separate us.”
Bowing her back, she tried to get closer. “Please…Brady.”
“You want more?” His hips drove relentlessly as he moved his hand between their bodies. Stroking her body like an instrument he’d been playing his whole life, he triggered her release.
A beautiful kaleidoscope of colors crossed her vision as Brady joined her and exploded. His release washed through her body, and she hoped he never changed his mind. Because if she had to be separated from him, she might not survive.
***
Claire checked her watch as they walked out of the restaurant. “By the time we get there, I’m not going to have much time to shop.” They had just finished dinner at the Texas Roadhouse and were about to head across the street to the Tippecanoe Mall. “Guess I’ll have to be quick.”
“Honey, I’m all for sexy undies, but please don’t feel like you have to do anything on my account. I like you just as you are.”
Patting his arm, she shook her head. “I need to up my game and get some pretty boyfriend underwear.”
He kissed her
head, then helped her into the truck. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“Honey, the point of this is to make you happy.”
“Already am,” he replied.
Once they were headed out of the parking lot, she checked her phone to see where Alvin was. She had him up in Shreveport and things seemed to be proceeding according to plan. “Are you guys going to be ready on Saturday for Erin’s stalker?”
“Yeah, we’ve run through the op a couple of times and we’re ready.”
“It would be great to accomplish this and get rid of the guy once and for all. It’s hard to believe that she’s had to deal with this for the last couple of years. I don’t know how she’s lived with it.”
“Guess it’s something that comes with being famous.”
“Hell of a price to pay,” she replied as she turned her phone off.
Once Brady had the truck parked, she jumped out and watched him shake his head as he came around. “What?”
“You’re supposed to let me open the door and then help you out.”
“I keep forgetting.” When he slung his arm around her shoulders and tucked her close, she let out a little snicker. “Guess I need some more training.”
“You sure do.”
They walked into the mall and the place was practically deserted. Made sense since it was a Thursday in the middle of summer. As they were about to walk into Victoria’s Secret, Brady’s phone buzzed. “I’m going in. Why don’t you wait here for me?” She pointed to a set of chairs across from the store. “That way you can be a surprised when I do a little fashion show for you later.”
“Can’t argue with that.” He kissed her head and collapsed into the chair.
Claire strode into the store and tried to decide where to start. Maybe she should get a rainbow of thongs and matching bras. She stopped at a display that had a pretty camisole in baby blue with a matching pair of panties. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at Brady and wondered if he might enjoy seeing her in something like that. After this morning, she figured he liked her naked best. Turning back to the display, she touched the material and enjoyed how it felt against her fingers. Yep, definitely needed to try it on. She flipped through the rack and found her size. As she moved toward another display, she noticed a man standing in the corner, staring at a woman across the store. The angry look on his face was surprising, considering whatever the woman was shopping for was probably for him. Or was it?
The agitated way he held himself suggested that either he wasn’t with her or he wished he was. She studied the woman and noticed that she looked totally relaxed, which suggested she either wasn’t worried or hadn’t seen him. As Claire moved to another display, she gave the man a wide berth and hoped he wasn’t going to do something foolish and make a scene.
By the time she hit the dressing rooms, she had quite a few things to try on. As she walked into one of the rooms, she noticed the woman she’d seen earlier walk into the room right next door. They exchanged smiles and then both shut their doors.
When she’d made it halfway through her pile, she heard angry voices and something being knocked over. That was odd. Standing still, she waited to see if she heard anything else.
Nothing.
Complete silence.
Sliding the camisole off her head, she slipped her bra back on and then her T-shirt. Opening the door slowly, she peeked her head out and saw nothing. Seemed that whatever happened had been resolved. She closed the door and started going through her pile, and realized she liked almost everything she’d chosen. Lifting the last bra she’d tried on, she imagined Brady’s expression when he saw her in it. It was a beautiful peach silk number that lifted her breasts up like an offering. It barely kept what she had in place, but she figured that was kind of the point. After all, she wasn’t here because she needed more sensible underwear. The pile of silk before her was about seduction, pure and simple.
He’d been the one in charge of their sex life since they started and she wanted to have a chance to be the one calling the shots. Being in control of him and his pleasure was something she wanted to experience, and she figured the bra and matching thong were going to help. Another loud sound erupted and she turned toward the door and decided it was time to quit fantasizing and get out of there. Just as she scooped up the pile, a loud male voice bounced off the walls.
Shit.
That wasn’t good.
Could it be the man she had noticed earlier? The sound of a bullet shattering glass told her that whoever it was—was more than a little angry. Dumping the things in her arms on the floor, she pulled her phone out and texted Brady. He might’ve heard it, but in case he hadn’t, she needed him to call the police. After she sent the text, she pressed her ear to the door and tried to determine how close the confrontation was to the dressing area. The full door of the dressing room was turning out to be both a blessing and a curse. Whoever was out there had no way of knowing who was back here and who wasn’t. Which might not work in her favor if he decided to shoot the whole place up in search of his intended target.
Her phone vibrated in her hand and she read two words; sit rep. Typing as quickly as she could, she relayed what she knew. Which was very little. As she tapped the phone against her leg, her brain started to work. She quickly typed a series of commands into her browser and was soon into the security camera feeds of the store. Going through each camera, she tried to determine which one would give her the best view of the dressing rooms.
Another shot rang out and she silently cursed. “Come on,” she said quietly. When the camera that covered the view of the entrance to the dressing rooms came on, she pumped her fist. “Bingo.” The guy she’d seen earlier stood with a gun at his side. There wasn’t any audio, so she had no way of knowing what he was saying. His lips seemed to be moving, so she didn’t know who he was speaking with. Taking out her tablet, she sent Brady a text, giving him the info she had. When he texted back, he instructed her to stay where she was and keep quiet. “What else am I going to do?” she murmured.
She wasn’t a dummy and knew not make herself visible. But doing nothing and cowering wasn’t an option, so she decided to gather intel as best she could and feed it to Brady. After all, it’s what she did best.
Going back to the camera feed, she tried to see if she could manipulate it enough to zero in on the guy’s face. If she could get a clear enough shot, she could send it back to the office and queue it for her facial recognition software. If they could determine which side of the crazy fence he fell on, it might make it easier to subdue him.
She furiously typed and prayed that she could get what she needed. When the camera moved and she had what she needed, she whispered, “perfect.” Manipulating the focus, she zoomed in and was finally able to get a clear image. She froze the picture and sent it to herself, then typed another series of commands, and let the camera zoom out. Going through the cameras again, she checked the store and noted that it had been cleared.
Which meant the only ones in danger were the women left in the dressing rooms. By her count, it was just her and the woman who was the crazy man’s focus. But she couldn’t be sure because she had no idea if other women had entered earlier.
Realizing the number didn’t matter and making the camera feed available to Brady did, she began working on making the link available. The sooner she could get the intel to Brady the better. Because the chances of him waiting were lousy. No way would he hesitate if he thought he could take care of the threat. After all, this was his wheelhouse, and the idea of letting someone else secure the situation was probably close to impossible.
Checking the camera that showed the entrance of the store, she noted one of the mall security guys was directing people away from the area, and she figured Brady was moments away from moving inside the store. She knew he had a gun tucked into the back of his pants, and hoped it was going to be enough to take out the crazy guy who was a couple of feet away from her.
Which was comforting, but also alarming bec
ause she didn’t want anything to happen to him. There was too much loss in her life to survive anymore. Once the image of the guy showed up on her phone, she sent it back to the office and queued it for the program that would help them see who they were dealing with. When she had confirmation it was about to run, she texted Brady an update.
The sound of a dressing room door creaking open alerted her that something was about to happen. Hopefully, it wasn’t anything that was going to escalate the situation. The sound of a gunshot rang out and she flattened her body against the wall. Holy shit. This was not going to end well.
Lifting her phone, she sent the link for the security camera feed to her tablet and then tried to send it to all the operators from TRG. Hopefully, it would work and would prove useful when the time came. Once she had seen that it had gone through, she texted Brady, and let him know she was about to call him and asked him not to say anything. If she gave him some kind of audio on the situation, he might be able to pick up something that could be helpful.
The pile of silk and lace on the floor caught her attention momentarily and she hoped like hell she was going to have a chance to wear some of it. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in the crossfire of some weird vengeance shooting in the middle of the mall.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Fucker,” Brady spat out as the sound of a gunshot rang out. He had his go bag in the truck, but there was no way he wanted to leave Claire to go out and get it. He’d called Brock a second ago and prayed his brother could come here quickly and bring it in. He had all kinds of things that could be useful, depending on how this thing unfolded. A flash bang would be the perfect thing to get the guy neutralized long enough to subdue him. His rifle would also be nice to have because if there was a shot to be made, he was going to be the one to damn well take it.
When Claire had texted him that she had control of the interior cameras, he’d grinned with pride. Didn’t matter if there was a man with a gun less than three feet away from her. She was operational and gathering intel. God damn, he loved her.