Betrayal (Phantom Protectors Book 2) (3 page)

Ridge snapped his head up at the
general’s chuckle. “You underestimate my daughter.” The general rose and rounded the desk, leaning on it as he continued. “Gracie and her sister are my world. If anything happened to either one of them, it would all but kill me.” The general clasped his hands together and put them in his lap. “Don’t you get it, son? I gave you the most important mission there is to me as a father and as the general of this unit. Failing is not an option, and I wouldn’t have trusted just anyone with this assignment.”

Ridge stood up straighter and lifted his chin. “I apologize for doubting you
, sir.”

The
general returned back to his seat. “No apologizes are necessary.” He looked up at Ridge, brows furrowed. “If you don’t think you can handle the task, then tell me now, and I’ll assign someone else.”

Ridge’s gut clenched at the uncertainty
in the general’s gaze. His actions had caused the general to question his capability, and that wasn’t good for anyone, especially the person responsible for making sure the Phantoms were in top shape mentally and physically for their fight with the other territory bosses. “I can handle it. I’m just sorry you now have to deal with my brother. He’s going to pester you until he gets his way.”

The
general waved his hand. “I can handle your brother.”

A light knock on the door interrupted their convers
ation. “Enter,” the general commanded.

Jonah, the resident IT guru, pushed the door open and handed the new badges to the
general. “These will work for her. Do you need anything else?” Jonah glanced from the general to Ridge and back. The tension though somewhat dissipated with a better understanding of his assignment was still evident in the air around them.

The
general glanced at Ridge. “I don’t know. Does she need anything else?”

Ridge cleared his throat and turned to Jonah. “I’ll call you if she does.”

Ridge swiped the badges from the desk and left the same way he’d entered. He had one more stop to make before he left to go deal with Gracie. It was clear this was Ridge’s problem and his alone. He’d have to make one last-ditch effort to dissuade Brody from involving himself and spare the General from inquisitions.

Ridge spotted his brother in the dining area. He’d changed since leaving Ridge’s room. His shirt and
khakis were both pressed, and he’d even combed the mop on his head. Ridge twisted the chair around and sat on it backwards.

“When does the princess arrive?”

Ridge laid his arms across the back of the chair. “You already know her.”

Brody laid his fork d
own and leaned back. “Who is she?”

Ridge released a sigh.
“The general’s daughter, Gracie.”

Brody threw his head back and laughed as Ridge waited patiently for his brother to stop. Brody swiped at the tears on his cheeks. “Dude…you got babysitting detail?”

Ridge didn’t respond nor did his brother’s teasing produce a smile on his lips.

Brody chuckled then raised his brow. “You were right about one thing.”

“What’s that, hotshot?”

Brody grinned. “She’s way too much woman for you to handle
. You might need my help after all.”

Ridge stood
, towering over his seated twin. “I can handle Gracie just fine. She’s just a little slip of a woman.” He patted his brother on the back as he left. “I’ll have her eating out of my hands before nightfall.”

Brody lifted his fork and called over his shoulder. “Good luck with that.”

Ridge leaned back into the leather seat of his SUV and stared up at Gracie’s house, debating his plan of attack. Giving her the truth wasn’t even an option to consider. She’d be on her dad’s doorstep with the hour giving him a piece of her mind. No…getting Gracie to let her guard down was going to require finesse and possibly seduction even though she’d see right through his act, unless he played his cards right. Getting her to believe in his sincerity was going to be the key. Since it was such an uncharacteristic move on his part, it might just throw her off her game long enough for him to find another way to get close.

H
is nerves battled in his stomach as the tension in his shoulders tightened into painful knots. He was going to need help. If the rumors of the sexy vixen were true, he was in trouble. He could come clean about why he’d shown up unannounced and hope she wouldn’t throw him out. She’d resist on principle if she knew the truth. From what he’d heard, conforming to her father’s idea of what was best for her was normally the last thing she’d consider. He’d watched her handle her father through the years. She might be seven years younger than Ridge, but she was spirited and feisty, and he was way out of his league.

He took a deep breath
, grabbed the new badges from the passenger seat, and left the security of the SUV. The two-story log-style home with a garden of flowers in front and a wraparound porch was a contrast to the way he thought she’d live. He’d expected an apartment in a high-rise with little to no upkeep. Lifting his hand, he knocked and prayed for the best.

“Just a
minute,” she hollered through the door before she pulled it open seconds later.

“Why wasn’t your door locked?”

Gracie kept one hand on the doorknob and fisted her other hand on her hip. “Excuse me?”

Ridge shook his head. “I’m sorry.” Ridge glanced behind him before returning his gaze b
ack to her deep rich brown eyes that hinted she’d be able to see right through his deception. “I just think with everything going on that, maybe, you should keep your door locked, especially at night, living by yourself.”

Gracie crossed her arms over her chest and raised her brow
s. “Is there something you need, Ridge? Did my dad send you?”

Well
, if she wasn’t asking a loaded question, he didn’t know what one was. “May I come in?”

Gracie glanced over her shoulder before she stepped back into her house and held the door open. “I wasn’t expecting company until tomorrow.” She hurr
ied to the table, grabbed a file, and scurried out of the room, only to return a moment later empty-handed. “I would have straightened up had I known I was going to have visitors.”

Ridge stood tall with his shoulders back as he glanced around her small home. “Your father
did send me,” Ridge said as he stepped over to a bookcase and watched the uncertainty of her gaze. “Brody’s been up here several times since you moved back into town, and yet…this is the first time I’ve seen the inside of your house.” He turned back to her. “Can we sit and have a cup of coffee?”

Gracie
’s uncertainty showed on her face. Her teeth were going to leave indentions in her bottom lip the way she was chewing on the plump flesh. “Um, sure.” She turned, disappearing into her kitchen. He heard her banging around in the cabinets as he turned back to her bookshelf and ran his fingers over the titles, trying to figure out his next move. She had everything from mysteries to romance to paranormal. She had a vast array of books, no doubt the fantasy world she lived in where she thought it was acceptable for her to play spy.

He
strolled under the archway into her kitchen. The file she’d disappeared with was nowhere in sight.

Gracie glanced over her shoulder.
“Milk or sugar?”

He shook his head. “Black is fine.”

He let his gaze rove over her body. Her long straight dark brunette hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her black yoga pants cupped her bottom like a second skin, and her shirt rose as she reached above her head, giving him a flash of a tattoo on her lower back. Seducing her became one of the more appealing options he’d choose. She was a pretty woman; he’d heard the rumors of the hellion she’d been back in college. The General confided in him more than once that he’d threatened to lock her up in a convent. Ridge had worked so hard and so long on his career. It had definitely been too long since he’d had a woman in his bed, evidenced by his roving thoughts of Gracie, who was strictly off limits.

She cleared her throat
, and his gaze flew to her face. The smirk on her lips indicated she’d busted his perusal.

“Sorry.” He turned to the table and pulled out a chair. “Can we sit?”

Gracie nibbled again on her lower lip, drawing his attention to the plump pink flesh. “Uh…okay.”

She pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table and slid into it. “
Ridge, is everything okay? Is my father okay?”

H
er suspicion was warranted. It wasn’t as if he’d ever been to her house before today, and here he was barging in on her at night and asking for coffee. She was smart to realize something wasn’t quite right. “He’s fine.”

****

Gracie leaned back in her chair and sipped the hot coffee. It was strange her father’s second-in-command was in her home. She was clueless as to why he’d driven across town to her house, and it wasn’t like he was very forthcoming with information. She breathed a sigh of relief when he said the general was fine, but it still didn’t answer her question. What was he doing in her home? She glanced down at her watch. At nine thirty at night no less. “Ridge, isn’t it past your bedtime? Why are you here?”

He pulled something from his pocket and laid it on the table. “The
general asked me to bring these to you. He’s increased security around the compound and changed the codes.” He pointed to the badges. “So you’ll need those to get on base.”

Gracie’s
curiosity was eased when he’d given her a satisfying answer. Ridge was only a delivery boy for her father. “I could have picked them up tomorrow or next time I was in town.” She flipped the badges through her fingers. “You didn’t have to bring them all the way out here tonight.”

Ridge
leisurely stretched his long legs in front of him as he leaned further into the chair. “I didn’t mind. Your dad wanted to make sure you had them, and I offered.”

Her father sending Ridge out reminded her yet again of what he thought of her. The
general thought she was forgetful, unreliable, and couldn’t be counted on, everything her sister wasn’t. She pushed from the table and walked over to the sink, dumping the contents of her coffee down the drain. Placing her hands on the counter, she lowered her head. “You can tell him I’m fine.” She sighed and turned back to Ridge, wrapping her arms across her waist. “I appreciate you bringing them all the way out here, but I don’t have any plans to visit him anytime soon.” Her gaze held his, and for a split second, she thought something flashed in his vibrant blue eyes. She knew he had power; it oozed from him. It was almost like an unseen force in the air around him. She’d never witnessed him using it, and the Phantoms didn’t advertise their talents, but she could feel his. Even from across the room, it made the fine hairs on her arms stand up.

He rose from his seat
, carried his coffee cup to the counter, and set it down. He placed his hands on each side of her, effectively trapping her where she stood. “That’s a shame. I was hoping to see more of you.”

Gracie let her gaze linger on his lips. He was a
hairsbreadth away. All she would have to do was stand on her tiptoes and press her lips to his. His crowding her, as well as his flirting, was so uncharacteristic. She’d known this man for how many years, and this was the first move he’d made on her. Something was up. She would have expected it from Brody…but never Ridge. She liked to think she had a good head on her shoulders, but her gut was right more often than not. And right now, in this moment, she was being played.

She placed a sweet smile on her lips and batted her long eyelashes. She let her tongue glid
e slowly and sensually along her lower lip, wetting it in anticipation as she placed one of her palms on his chest and ran it up to his shoulders. “Why Ridge….I didn’t know you cared.”

He leaned down. His voice
was a whisper on the column of her neck. “I always have, Gracie.”

Gracie silently slid the drawer by the sink open and let her fingers trail over the cold me
tal of her revolver. She lifted it out of the drawer as she pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was sizzli
ng, almost electrifying when their lips met. Her eyelids almost slid closed of their own accord as she fell deeper into the erotic way his tongue stroked hers. She felt his groan of approval vibrate through his chest, and she knew she had him. Whether she understood his agenda or not, it was clear there was more to the reason of why he was here and it must have been important if he was willing to sink to this new low of pretending interest.

Gracie pushed on his chest and pulled her lips from his. She raised the revolver clutched in her hand and pointed it at his chest. “Who are you and what
have you done with the Ridge Connors?”

Ridge held up h
is hands in the air as he stepped back. “Seriously, Gracie, you’re going to pull a gun on me for kissing you?”

Gracie narrowed her eyes. “The Ridge I know wouldn’t have kissed me.” She tilted her head. “He actually can’t stand me.”

His lips turned up in a grin. “I wouldn’t say that.” He nodded toward the gun. “Don’t you think the gun is a bit extreme?”

She cocked the hammer
to prove her point. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. “Tell me the real reason you came and don’t give me anymore crap about the cards.”

Ridge crossed his arms over his chest
, pulling the fabric taut against his muscles. His jaw twitched. “Your father asked me to bring you the cards. If you don’t believe me, then call him.” He pulled his phone from the clip and held it out to her.

She shook her head as she eased her finger from the trigger.
“Then why the kiss? I’m sure he didn’t tell you to do that.”

He let his arms drop down to his side
. An easy smile played on his lips that sent her pulse racing. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Gracie released the hammer
, letting it rest back in place before she shoved the gun back inside the drawer and closed it. She sauntered past him to her front door and pulled it open. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

Ridge gave a slight nod as he stepped
over the threshold and out onto her wraparound porch. He placed his hand on the top of the doorframe and gave her his award-winning smile. He was a man all about business and the unit. If he weren’t, she might have asked him to stay, maybe even deepened the kiss and allowed for more. But she did know him. She knew his kind all too well.

He leaned forward. “I just wanted to get to know you
, Gracie. It took guts to infiltrate Floyd’s camp.” His grin grew, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. He let his gaze run the length of her and back up to her face. “Especially without any powers to protect yourself. I may have misjudged you.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “You intrigue me, Gracie Lou Lister, and that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

Gracie placed a hand on her hip and one on her door. “Surprised…I figured out how
to get to Floyd before you and daddy could?” She let her gaze glide down the length of his body enjoying the laid back look of his clothes she’d never seen him wear. Her gaze traveled down his low-cut jeans stopping briefly on the bulge behind the zipper, and back up to his face. Ridge didn’t know who he was playing with. She could dish out just as much as he gave. He made a pretty picture with his dark hair and blue eyes, a mystery that, any other day, she would want to solve. It was a shame really. She held his gaze. “Go home, Connors. I’m not your type.”

With a flick of the wrist
, she shut the door in his face and leaned back against the hard wood. His chuckle drifted to her ears before he called out, “At least lock your door, princess. I don’t want the boogeyman to come get you.”

She turned
the deadbolt and moved to the window, drawing back the curtains only an inch and peering out to watch him drive away.

Retrieving
the file from the kitchen drawer, she slumped down on her sofa again and flipped open the letter she’d typed about a charity benefit to be held tomorrow night. She picked up the mailing list and scanned the names, hoping something would jump off the page, but nothing did. A dull pain threaded her mind. Her headache from the morning splintered her resolve for finding answers. Grabbing the file, she hurried off to her room knowing the only cure for her migraines was sleep and plenty of it. The headaches had a tendency to get worse before they got better. She’d lived with them since their onslaught while at college and knew how to alleviate some of the pain.

Without turning on the light, she changed into her night clothes and crawled into her bed.
She held her fingers to her lips. Her last thoughts were of how Ridge’s lips pressed against hers had felt so right and so wrong at the same time.