by Lea Hart
Caid pulled out his Beretta and pushed the button to release the slide. “Makes sense since we’ve got two newbies and a breacher from Team Two now.” He set the slide aside and took the spring out and then felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he smiled when he saw Courtney’s face and answered it quickly. “Miss me already, babe?”
“What do rotting corpses smell like?”
He put his finger in his ear and moved to the corner. “Should I be concerned by this question?”
“Not particularly, I was over at Borden’s earlier, and I’m not sure if his septic tank is overflowing or he’s got something rotting in his basement.”
Inhaling a long breath, he counted to five and told himself not to overreact or yell. “Babe, where are you now?”
“I’m at the Blackmarket Bakery in Northpark. Wayne and Lisa are meeting me here in a few, so we can do a cake tasting.”
“If you’re serious about the rotting corpse question, maybe it’s time I call a buddy of mine at SDPD and have him check it out.”
“I have no evidence, Caid, and don’t want to sound the alarm just because I have an overactive imagination. I would need to provide some hard-cold facts for any detective to take this seriously, and I’m not yet in possession of any.”
“When you use the word yet, how literal are you being?”
“I bet you need to go back to work, so I should…”
“Court, answer the question.”
“You didn’t answer mine.”
“Fine, the best way I can describe the smell would be rotting fruit or eggs. It depends on what stage the decomposition is in.”
“Well, that doesn’t give me an answer either way.”
“Promise me you won’t go back over there.”
“I better go; Wayne and Lisa just walked in.”
“Court…” the call ended, and he felt like pounding his fist into the wall. Letting out a long breath, he slowly turned and was greeted with all his teammates’ eyes glued to his face. “What?”
“Everything okay?” Ace asked as he wiped down the slide of his gun.
“Couldn’t be better.”
“What kind of trouble is your girl getting into?” Jax asked as he threw his bottle into the recycling bin. “Anything that requires bail?”
Caid flipped him off and strode over to the gun table and put his gun back together quickly. “She just needed some info.”
“What kind?” Colt yelled out.
Deciding to ignore him, he turned to Ace. “Why is Lisa doing a cake tasting? Did you guys set a date for the wedding and not tell me about it?”
“Lisa likes cake and decided the wedding gives her a great excuse to go out and try as many as she can, and do you really think I wouldn’t tell you if we’d confirmed a date?”
“No.”
“Feel like taking a run up to University Heights later on?”
“Not particularly, but I’m guessing that doesn’t really matter.”
“I’ll go,” Colt said as he walked out of his cage and closed it. “What kind of recon are we doing?”
Caid looked around the group and frowned. “Courtney wanted to know what rotting corpses smell like because she detected something weird at the author’s house she was at.”
“Fuuuuck, is she serious?” Jax asked.
“She wasn’t trying to sound any alarm bells and didn’t know if the septic tank had leaked or if there really was something stinkin’ up the basement.”
“So, you want to do a little stroll around the neighborhood and see if you can gather any intel then?”
Caid looked over at Ace and nodded. “Can’t hurt, right?”
“What are the chances the stench is due to a dead body?”
“The guy’s decorating leans toward instruments of torture and art that depicts disembodied body parts, so it’s hard to say.”
Colt let out a snort. “No, it’s not.”
“He writes thrillers, so it could just be professional curiosity.”
“Or a reflection of a sick mind,” Jax added. “Either way, it’s nothing your woman should be around.”
“I’m well aware of that, but I have to be a little more subtle the next time I express my feelings since she didn’t care for the way I did it last time.”
Ace lifted an eyebrow. “Did you try and forbid her from being in the man’s company?”
“Not in so many words, but that was certainly the underlying message.”
“Bet she didn’t take that well,” Jax commented.
“Let’s just say I won’t be using the same approach.”
Pushing himself away from the table, Jax slapped Caid on the back. “Can’t make this sneak and peek since I’m due up at the hospital but count me in for the next one.”
“Appreciate it, man.” Caid packed up his gun bag and put it inside his cage. “I’ll buy you guys lunch after we’re done.”
“Not necessary, brother,” Ace replied as he packed up his bag.
Colt locked his cage and then pulled his T-shirt out, so it covered his gun. “Speak for yourself, man.”
“Burger Lounge okay with you?”
“Perfect,” Colt responded as he strode toward the door.
Caid shook his head and wondered how many burgers it took to fill up a man who was 6’ 5”, two-hundred and seventy pounds.
Sighing, he took his gun bag back to his cage and knew it was time to figure out if Borden was just a weird freak who had a crush on his girl or a real threat.
And once he did, appropriate steps were going to be taken.
One way or another.
***
Courtney studied her best friend’s face and didn’t have a doubt which one was her favorite. “Are you really going to serve the coconut naked cake to all your guests?”
“You say that like I’m offering them poison and not the most delicious confection on the planet.”
“Not many people are fans of coconut,” Wayne commented. “So, I guess that begs the question…are you more interested in your happiness or that of your guests?”
Lisa scraped the plate clean, licked off her fork, and then smiled. “Does a person have their favorite cake on their birthday or what would be most popular with their guests?”
“Point made,” Courtney commented. “It’s your day, and you should have whatever makes you happy.”
“It’s actually Ace’s day too, but since he never met a sweet he didn’t like, I can pretty much have my way.”
“I’d say your way is guaranteed in most areas if you keep doing whatever it is you do to him behind closed doors,” Wayne commented, pulling the plate with the chocolate cake closer. “Because your big lion is a docile kitty now, and I’m thinking it has a lot to do with,” he waved his hands, “your talents.”
“Trust me; he’s still a lion, just a very contented one.” Lisa leaned forward and waved her hand in front of Courtney’s face. “You with us?”
Folding her arms, she shook out her hair. “Sorry, I was just chewing over a little mystery.”
“Well, don’t leave it at that, missy,” Wayne commented. “Spill all the dirty details.”
Courtney looked around the bakery and noticed no one was sitting close, so she cleared her throat. “I think Borden is hiding something in his basement and it might be…a dead body.”
“No way,” Lisa sputtered. “Corpses stink to high heaven, and decomposing bodies have very distinct odors.” She pushed the plate out of the way and leaned closer. “And those odors and fluids permeate porous material.”
“So, once you’ve got a rotting corpse, there’s no getting rid of the stench?” Courtney asked.
“Unless you have one of those companies that specialize in biohazard and trauma removal come in and clean everything up.”
“Now, I’ve lost my appetite,” Wayne wailed, covering his mouth with a napkin.
Courtney tapped her chin and looked out the window. “He was acting especially strange earlier, and I notice
d he double-locked the basement door. “There is something down there that he doesn’t want anyone to know about and what if…”
“You’ve let your imagination run away,” Lisa finished.
“I may have to go Nancy Drew on the situation and do a little investigating.”
“Are we breaking and entering?” Wayne asked as he clapped his hands. “Because if we are, I have the perfect outfit.”
“I’m welcome at the house any time, so a B&E won’t be necessary, but we’ll have to come up with a way to distract him, so we can pick the lock on the basement door and do a sneak and peek.”
“Love the technical terms you’re throwing around.”
“Thanks, Wayne.” She twirled her earing and smiled. “I picked them up from my hunky super-operator boyfriend.”
Lisa flipped up her hands, leaning back. “I need a full update on Caid, but first we need to discuss this whole girl-detective thing.”
Courtney looked between her friends. “I can mix up a little melatonin and valerian root and add it to his coffee. He’s an insomniac and only sleeps like every third day. This could be the perfect opportunity for him to get some much-needed rest and for me to see what he’s hiding in the basement.”
“Did the squirrel die from the mixture you gave him?” Lisa asked.
“No, he just was knocked out for half the day.” She folded her napkin and then put it under her coffee cup. “So that lets me know the toxicity I was worried about shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You scare me sometimes,” Lisa said quietly. “You’re discussing drugging someone and then going through their house like it’s a normal thing.”
“No, she’s not,” Wayne commented. “She’s facing a problem head-on and applying creative problem-solving techniques. What if psycho Borden has kidnapped someone, or killed them or is doing strange science experiments for the sake of research? If we do nothing, then we’re as good as accomplices.”
“Exactly,” Courtney replied with a smile as she patted Wayne’s arm. “You, by the way, are my new partner.” She waved her hand at Lisa and frowned. “The party-pooper over there is off the list because she’ll just hold us back.”
Lisa snorted. “I’ll be the one in the get-away car out front, ready to call in the cavalry when this shit goes sideways.”
“All right, you can do that.”
Stomping his feet, Wayne let out a little squeal. “I’m so excited. When are we going to Hardy Boys the shit out of the writer’s house?”
Courtney pulled out her phone and slid her hand over the screen. “Let’s check our calendars.”
“Are you going to tell Caid what you’re up to?” Lisa asked.
“No way, he’d just pee on my parade, forbid me to do it, and be a general pain in my ass.”
“So, the whole boyfriend thing is going well?” Wayne asked.
Smiling, Courtney pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, yes, he’s a dreamboat.”
“Despite the fact that he’s a control freak?” Wayne asked before sliding his finger through the chocolate frosting.
“Yes, but since I ignore most of his attempts at domination and simply find ways to get around it, it’s not been a problem at all.”
“So, he bosses and you ignore?” Wayne asked.
“Pretty much,” Courtney replied.
“I nod my head up and down when Ace is on a rant, and it’s enough for him to think I’m actually listening and somewhat agreeing,” Lisa said as she held up her phone. “We should do it next Friday since you work half-day at the library and Ace told me they may have a training-op on San Clemente Island. It will give us plenty of time to search the basement and be home before anyone knows what’s going on.”
“Perfect,” Courtney replied. “I’ll tell Borden that I have some new research. He always serves snacks and coffee, so I’ll just doctor up his drink, and he’ll be out before we know it.”
“Who’s going to pick the lock to the basement?” Wayne asked.
“I will,” Courtney commented.
“Are you any good at it?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
“And where did you learn this little life-skill?” Wayne asked.
“Summer camp. I was sent to an exclusive one on the East Coast, and let me tell you, rich teens with too much free time have a lot of larcenous skills. I not only learned how to pick a lock, crack a safe, and launder money, but I also have five names of people who can get me a fake ID and help me disappear.”
“She’s not kidding,” Lisa commented before sliding her phone inside her purse. “At the end of every summer, she made sure to share all her new skills with me, and they sure came in handy when I…needed them.”
Wayne looked between them and let out a laugh. “You two are pulling my leg.”
“Probably best you think that,” Courtney replied as she patted his leg.
“Don’t ask for details, Wayne. Because the less you know, the better when you get hauled in for questioning,” Lisa said as she crossed her legs.
Courtney gave them both a warm smile. “This should be fun.”
“As long as Ace and Caid don’t find out,” Wayne said quietly.
“Yeah, that would definitely make it less fun,” Courtney replied. And she planned on never letting the cat out of the bag because having to listen to Caid yell was not her idea of a good time.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Caid strolled up the walkway and felt a pinch in his chest when he saw Courtney lying on the grass under the big tree in the yard. Admiring the length of leg as she swung it back and forth across her knee made him remember how much he liked it when she hooked it around his back.
Stopping just outside her view, he listened to her chatter and wondered who or what she was speaking with. He cast his eyes into the branches of the tree and saw Milton munching on something and assumed his girl was trying to give the wayward squirrel a lecture. The way his head was tilted suggested he might actually be listening, and Caid knew if anyone could capture a rodent’s attention, it was Courtney.
‘Cause she sure as hell had his.
He wiped his thumb across his mouth and tried to imprint the image of the curve of her breast giving way to the dip of her stomach and the slight rise of her pelvis on his memory. Because it was one he planned on calling up often when he was on the other side of the world.
Hearing a loud bark-like grunt, he gave Milton a glare and then watched Courtney’s head turn. “Hey, babe.”
“What are you doing standing over there so quietly?”
“Admiring the view.” Closing the space that separated them, he collapsed next to her. Enjoying the new feeling of buzzing excitement he had whenever they were together, he bent down and felt her hand go to his chest. “What?”
“Your animal desire is showing, and if you do even one of the things you’re thinking about, we’ll get arrested for public indecency.”
He clasped her hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Then let’s go inside.” Feeling her chest rise and a shiver roll over her body, he grinned. “Unless you have more to tell Milton.”
She collapsed against the grass and let out a groan. “He almost made it into the house again, and I was forced to throw an orange at his head.” She pursed her lips and looked up at the tree. “He’s not intimidated by me in the least; in fact, I think he’s enjoying our back and forth.”
“Want me to shoot him?”
“No!”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” He ran his hand down her cheek and grinned. “Have I told you how freaking happy you make me?”
Fluttering her eyes, she smiled. “Not lately.”
“Well, you do.” A rosy pink colored her cheeks, and he loved the effect his words had on her. Not able to resist her a second longer, he pressed his mouth to hers, and the moment their tongues touched, the flame was ignited. Their teeth clashed, and he gripped her hip tightly, bringing their bodies flush. Her hand fisted his T-shirt, and a low moan made his need barely con
trollable.
Not able to stop himself, he ran his hand under her shirt and loved the way her stomach fluttered against his fingers.
Hearing a high-pitched squeak, he tore his mouth away and looked up. He sucked in a breath and then heard Courtney giggle. “Seems Milton doesn’t approve of our groping.”
“Nor will anyone who catches sight of us.”
Smirking, he bent down and ran his mouth along her neck. “Time to take this in the house.”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
Rolling himself up, he held out his hands and didn’t mind the way her eyes darkened when they hit the bulge in his jeans. “You see something you want?”
She put her hands in his and let him pull her up. “I do, as a matter of fact, and since we have about thirty minutes before the taco casserole is ready, I might do something about it.”
He pulled her against his body and canted his hips so his erection was pressed against her stomach. “Might?”
“Okay, definitely.” She put her finger on his shoulder and pushed him back. “Come on in if you want to…”
“No if in my vocabulary when it comes to you.” He watched her turn slowly and saunter up the steps with an unmistakable invitation in the sway of her hips and knew the next deployment was going to be the most challenging of his life.
Not because of what he’d likely go up against, but because for the first time in his life, he had someone waiting for him at home.
Caid watched his woman bend over and open the oven and didn’t think he’d ever seen anything sexier in his life. “Are you planning on torturing me?”
Looking over her shoulder, she let out a laugh. “I’m checking on the meal I made you and think complaining isn’t going to get you what you want.”
“Most of the blood has left my brain, so forgive my lack of manners, babe.”
She closed the oven door and threw the potholder on the counter. “I like your lack of manners because it lets me know you that you want outweighs your civility.”
“I don’t have much civility around you.”