Cowboy Cool: Book 5 (Cowboy Justice Association) (2 page)

Kaylee sighed heavily and got up from the couch, crossing over to the kitchen island where a laptop sat on the counter. “The only difference is I’ve received two from the same person. Normally I get one, ignore them, and they quietly go away.”

She came back and sat next to him on the couch and flipped open the laptop, tapping on the keys. “You can take a look for yourself. Boring stuff.”

Reed scrolled through the vitriol spewed on the screen feeling slightly sick that anyone could send that to a person, let alone a female. For someone concerned with Kaylee’s eternal soul, they’d used some hateful speech to get their point across.

Your whorish writing is the work of the devil and will sentence you to eternal damnation. Repent now and perhaps you will not be tortured and incinerated in the bowels of Hell. Fornication is a sin and your books lead good people down an evil path.

Then Reed opened the second.

Sin peddler. Slut. Fornication with beasts will send you straight to Hell and I will laugh as you are impaled on pitchforks and your flesh burned by flames. An eternity of pain and torture await you and I look forward to that day with glee.

“Fuck, this is one sick bastard,” Reed muttered, setting the laptop on the coffee table in front of him. “You get these all the time? Shit, what kind of books do you write again?”

“Erotic romance. It’s not even erotica. It’s always about two people falling in love with a happily ever after at the end. They don’t sleep around. They’re committed to one another.”

Reed could hear the impatience in Kaylee’s voice as if this wasn’t the first time she’d made that explanation. He hated to make her do it again but he needed to know what he was dealing with.

“This one talks about bestiality.” Reed pointed to the screen and Kaylee rolled her eyes.

“I have a shapeshifter series. The men are part of a wolf pack and they can turn into wolves. But they never have sex in shifted form.”

“Shapeshifters?” Reed repeated, not even sure what that meant. “Are you saying that the humans in your books can change into something else?”

This time she smiled at his confusion. “Sure can.”

“Whenever they want?”

“Yep.”

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

“And people like to read about it?”

“They think it’s hot.”

Reed sat back on the couch and stroked his chin. “This I have to read.”

Kaylee’s smile grew wider. “I can hook you up. I have some paperbacks in the spare room.”

Reed had a “To Be Read” list that he’d probably never be able to finish but he’d put her book at the head of the line.

“I may take you up on that, although I usually read on my e-reader.”

“I can handle that as well.” Kaylee gave him a questioning look. “So that’s what has Ava’s knickers in a knot. I think she’s overreacting.”

It was clear this woman wanted Reed to agree. While the emails were venom-filled there was nothing all that
personal
about them. The writer didn’t make any threats, nor did they seem to know Kaylee’s address or phone number or any other identifying characteristics. While nasty, they could have been to any author.

Still, Reed wanted a little more information.

“When did you receive them? And how do these people get your email address anyway?”

Kaylee sighed and got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen, pulling open the refrigerator door and grabbing a can of soda.

“My email address is on my website. For the most part I encourage my readers to contact me to talk about my books. As for when these arrived? The first on Monday of last week and the second one the beginning of this week.”

The timing didn’t seem urgent. Reed had seen stalkers flood their victims with communication every hour of the day and night, their obsession that great.

“Can I see some of your other emails like this?”

Her forehead wrinkled and she shook her head. “I don’t keep them. They’re not exactly souvenirs.”

“You delete them?” he persisted, dragging the laptop closer. “Could they still be in your deleted folder?”

“Maybe.” Kaylee shrugged and came back to sit next to him. “I don’t get a lot of these, Mr. Mitchell. When I do I just hit the ‘X’ and move on. That’s it.”

“Call me Reed,” he said absently as he combed through the deletes, not seeing anything of interest. “Does the originating email address mean anything to you?”

“If you’re asking if I know anyone named ‘bookchiller’ the answer is no.”

Reed studied the sender’s address but it was a generic email host that anyone could sign up for without identification. Honestly, the email could have come from anywhere if the person had some technology knowledge, or even basic search engine skills. Instructions for spoofing an email address were available on the web.

“Listen, I don’t think this is a big deal. From what you’re telling me this happens from time to time and you ignore it. Which by the way is a good practice. Don’t give people like this any attention.”

“So you’ll tell Ava that I won’t be bludgeoned to death in my sleep?”

Reed chuckled at Kaylee’s spunk. “I don’t know your neighbors or the crime statistics of Champaign, Illinois but I will say that I don’t think these two emails ring any warning bells. Now if things escalate, that’s a whole different story. I would, however, report these emails to the police. Just in case you get more and this becomes an issue.”

Kaylee groaned and slumped back on the cushions. “You have got to be kidding. What are the police going to do?”

“Probably nothing.” Reed closed the laptop and turned so he could look into her eyes. “But—and this is important—if this continues they’ll have a record of the harassment. They could also have a computer expert find the source of the emails.”

Jared could definitely do it, and Reed could as well if given enough time.

“Fine.” Her arms crossed over her chest and it made Reed wonder if she would really make the call. She definitely had a negative vibe about the entire situation. “I’ll call them but they’re going to think I’m wasting their time.”

“Speaking as a lawman, I’d rather people waste my time every now and then. There’s nothing wrong with caution.”

Her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed. Apparently this stubborn miss didn’t like being lectured. Too bad. He wasn’t done.

“Before I leave I’ll check your home for any vulnerabilities. That way you…and Ava…can feel safe.” He pointed to the front door. “You can help by not opening the door to just anyone. Next time ask me who the hell I am before you open the damn door.”

“I knew you were coming,” she countered. “Besides, this is a safe neighborhood.”

“You didn’t know me from Adam.” Reed wasn’t going to let her wriggle out of this. “I could have been a serial killer for all you knew. Once you open the door someone can get in. So don’t do that anymore. You have a peephole and a bar latch. Use them.”

“Do you talk like this to everyone, ordering them around?” she asked indignantly. “We’ve only just met.”

“I’m here as a favor to Logan and Ava. How you feel about that really doesn’t concern me,” he answered and watched as her cheeks turned an angry red. This one had a temper on her, and damn if Reed didn’t want to poke at it. Just a little. He was on vacation after all.

Sparks practically flew from her bright green eyes. “Then by all means check the house. I think you’ll find my home is quite secure, Mr. Mitchell.”

“I will.” Reed stood and started for the front door. “I’ll begin here if you don’t mind. I’ll be checking doors and windows so feel free to go back to what you were doing while I work.”

Kaylee huffed but lifted her laptop and tucked it under her arm. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

Reed didn’t know where that was but the house wasn’t that big. If he needed her he was sure he could find her. He chuckled as she strode down the hall, her shoulders straight, her gaze looking anywhere but at him. Her stiff posture didn’t stop the gentle sway of her generous hips as she walked away and he watched until she disappeared at the end of the hall.

Kaylee Blue had grit and sass combined with a fun and fiery temper. Too bad he wasn’t planning to stick around for awhile. A woman like that would be a delight to tame—in or out of the bedroom.

Scratch that.

She was Ava’s best friend and that meant she was off limits. Logan would kick his ever-loving ass if Reed upset his wife by loving and leaving her BFF. Friendship meant more to Reed than a tumble in the hay any day.

He would secure the house and hit the road. Better for him, better for her. He doubted Kaylee was the no-strings type anyway. She had husband, kids, and white picket fence written all over her.

No way he would ever do that again.

Chapter Two

“T
his is a nice restaurant,” Reed observed as they sat down at a table near a window. “Do you come here often?”

“Not too often. I’m usually working so I just cook for myself, but I thought it would be good to get out of the house since the weather was so nice.”

The fact was Kaylee couldn’t have stayed cooped up in the house with Reed one moment longer. When he’d started to investigate her windows and doors he’d decided that her security was woefully inadequate. One trip to the hardware store later and he’d been stripped to the waist, a tool belt around his lean hips replacing hardware and screws on her doors and locks on her windows. He’d even installed some motion triggered lights around the house and a camera for her front porch. She could now see who was at her door from her laptop. It had taken him all afternoon but she had to admit she did feel safer with all the work he’d done.

She also felt a little guilty.

He’d busted his very nice looking ass to help her and, especially at the beginning, she’d been less than appreciative about it. She’d decided the least she could do was be a good hostess and take him out to dinner. After all the work he’d done he deserved a good meal.

And she deserved to burn in that hell the email sender had talked about for the thoughts that had skipped through her mind as she’d watch Reed work. Despite every effort to the contrary her gaze had been drawn over and over again to his flexing muscles, wide chest, and flat abdomen. There ought to be a damn law against men as hot and sexy as Reed Mitchell. Even now sitting across from him she could smell the citrus tang of his aftershave mixed with his yummy male scent. He’d run back to his hotel for a quick shower and fresh clothes before picking her up for dinner. It might have been better for her sanity if he had stayed dirty and smelly.

Fuck, she needed a drink. And they needed to turn up the air conditioning. It was warm in here.

“Something from the bar?” the waiter asked as he handed them menus.

“Cosmopolitan,” Kaylee answered quickly. A little alcohol would settle her nerves. She was acting like she’d never seen a man before, which of course she had. It was just that it had been a long time. Before she moved back to the area.

Since she worked from home she didn’t get out much and didn’t meet a lot of people, unless you counted the nice UPS guy that delivered something to her house at least twice a week. He was a nice man but married and not really her type anyway.

Reed Mitchell, on the other hand, embodied the sexy, handsome, alpha male that Kaylee wrote about on a daily basis. She simply never thought she’d be having dinner with one. She’d always thought they were strictly make-believe and that thought had given her some comfort. If they were as real as a unicorn she couldn’t feel badly about not having one.

So much for that theory. Her proverbial Bigfoot was sitting right across from her.

Shit.

Reed ordered a draft beer and the waiter disappeared, leaving them alone. Kaylee fidgeted in her chair, crossing and re-crossing her legs. It had been months since her last date.

Not that this was a date.

“So, um, how long have you been a cop?”

“About seven years. How long have you been a writer?”

Kaylee immediately noticed that Reed turned the conversation back to her. Ava had said he was something of an enigma and it looked like he intended staying that way.