Damsel in Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 1) (12 page)

“That was…amazing,” she finally said.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not happy about that? Usually an amazing kiss is a good thing.”

“It is good,” she protested, trying to find the right words to explain what barely made sense in her own mind. “I just don’t want to move too fast, that’s all. I’ve done it before and it didn’t turn out all that well.”

For his part, Jason didn’t look too upset by her edict. “I can understand that and respect it. I’ve done the same. I guess it wouldn’t be bad to slow things down, especially since I’m supposed to be keeping you safe, not stripping you naked.”

Heat burned in her cheeks as a vision of the two of them undressed and writhing on a bed flashed in front of her eyes. She’d never been much for sex in the past – she usually ended up disappointed – but with Jason it promised to be very good indeed.

“So we’ll slow things down then?”

He’d agreed so she couldn’t understand why she felt depressed at the mere thought. It was just that the kiss had been so damn hot…

“Slow and steady. That’s what I always say.”

A take charge kind of man like Jason had probably never said those words in his entire life.

“Really? I haven’t heard you say that since I’ve met you.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Jason gave her a grim smile. “Actually I never say that. I was just trying to be a good sport about getting slapped down.”

“You didn’t get slapped down. I just…” Brinley took a deep breath and tried to explain. “With everything going on I feel kind of overwhelmed at the moment. It’s not that I’m not attracted to you. Because I am–”

“Brinley, stop,” Jason commanded, bringing a halt to her emotional babbling. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I get it. You have a lot going on in your life right now and it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. When the time is right we’ll both know it. And honestly? This isn’t the moment. But when it’s time I do have one request.”

He was grinning now and she couldn’t do anything but smile in return. He’d taken an awkward situation and turned it completely around. Another reason she liked him so much. “Name it.”

He leaned closer so he was whispering in her ear. “Be gentle with me.”

Choking with laughter, she sighed dramatically and tapped her chin in consideration. “I’m not sure I can promise that.”

To her delight Jason chuckled and dropped a kiss on her nose. “Fair enough. How about we head back to the barn?”

Jason helped her mount up and they rode slowly back, taking their time and enjoying the quiet of the evening. He was a special man not to have taken offense. She’d known plenty of males that would have pouted or been angry. He really did understand her need to slow things down.

The funny thing was…now that he’d agreed to do it, she wasn’t so damn sure that’s what she wanted.

Because she wanted him more than anything.

‡

T
he next morning
Jason peeked in on a sleeping Brinley before getting to work. Lying with her cheek pillowed on her hand, she looked peaceful and worry free. Not at all like the woman of last night who had been first angry with him for investigating her background and then obviously scared of the two of them moving too fast.

He had pushed too much but the fire that burned between them was too hot to ignore. One way or another, he was going to end up in bed with the pretty Miss Snow. It was only a matter of when, not if.

A knock on the door and Huck barking had Jason jogging down the hall to answer it before Brinley woke up. They’d both stayed up until about two in the morning and he wanted her to get some rest. He was used to not sleeping so it didn’t bother him as much.

“You’re late,” Jason said as he opened the door to his business partner and best friend Logan Wright. Logan had been a small town sheriff when Jason had met him but now he was a full-fledged partner in JLJ Consulting, doing most of the field work. Today he was going to watch over Brinley while Jason and West went to talk to Anita Hazlitt. “But I’ll forgive you if you have donuts.”

Logan, with his patented grin, held up a white paper bag even as he scratched Huck behind the ears. “Would I disappoint you? Now get out of my way. I need a cup of coffee stat.”

Jason stepped back to allow Logan to pass. “I just made a fresh pot. Help yourself.”

Dropping the bag on the counter, Logan reached into the cabinet and pulled down a mug, Huck right beside him.

“So all you need me to do today is a babysitting job? Sounds too easy. There must be a catch or something.”

Jason bit into the glazed cruller with relish before tossing a piece to Huck, who downed it in one gulp. “No catch. West and I are going to talk to Roger Gaines’s supposed girlfriend and I don’t want to take Brinley along. For all we know Anita is the killer. A crime of passion, so to speak. I don’t want Brinley in the line of fire if things go south.”

“So Jared found her? That man needs to sleep more.”

Logan was the father of twin toddlers so he didn’t have much room to talk.

“The way you’re slurping down that java it looks like you could do with a little more shut eye too.”

Logan grinned over his coffee cup. “I do okay in that department. But on those rare occasions both kids are actually asleep, Ava and I have much better things to do than rest.”

“I’m a poor, lonely bachelor so spare me the details.” Jason held up his sticky hands in surrender.

“With a pretty houseguest to protect you don’t sound too lonely to me,” Logan shot back with a laugh. “Be careful or you’ll end up like the rest of us. Married with kids and driving a minivan.”

“Don’t give me that shit. You love being a family man. And you don’t drive a minivan. You drive a truck.”

“By the grace of God,” Logan said dramatically. “But didn’t Jared tell you? He bought Misty a minivan last week. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes the default transportation for them. Poor bastard.”

“There are worse things,” Jason chuckled at the look of dismay on his friend’s face. “Although none come to mind at the moment.”

Logan leaned forward as if to say something very private. “Don’t tell anyone this…but the other day I was watching something on television. I don’t remember what it was. But a commercial for a minivan came on and I actually found myself thinking that it looked like a nice vehicle. Holy shit. Luckily I caught myself in time and told Ava to slap the crap out of me if I ever say the ‘M’ word. Of course she said she’d be happy to.”

“Your secret is safe with me. I’d hate to ruin your reputation as a pain in the ass alpha male stud.” Jason popped the last bite of donut into his mouth, the sugar rush just what he’d needed this morning to get going. “I told Brinley before she fell asleep that I was going to have my partner stay with her today so she won’t be shocked when she wakes up and I’m gone. Since we don’t know if she’s in danger don’t let her out of your sight. She may not like it but until we know more she’s going to have to deal with it.”

After refilling his cup Logan sat down at the island and rummaged through the bag for a chocolate frosted. “What is your gut telling you?”

Logan was an instinctual lawman, eschewing rules, regulations, and often evidence that pointed in a certain direction. He trusted the little voice inside of him more than anything.

“You sound like West. The thing is I’m not sure my gut can be trusted. It almost got me killed,” Jason admitted. He’d been following his instincts when he was captured by the drug cartel.

“You told me the story but I’m not sure I believe it. Your gut was telling you where the bad guys were. It was just shit luck you were captured. You saved some lives that day.”

“My gut is telling me there’s a lot more than we know about this case. We haven’t found the true motive.”

“Generally people kill for one of a few reasons.” Logan began ticking them off on his fingers. “Love. Money. Revenge. Anger. Maybe self-defense. Which one are you leaning toward?”

“None of them. That’s why this case pisses me off.” Jason slapped down his coffee cup in frustration. “Did the brother kill Gaines because of money? Did Enright kill for revenge? I don’t think it’s self-defense or anger as there were no signs of a struggle. That leaves love. And that’s why you’re watching Brinley today. Just in case Anita Hazlitt murdered Roger Gaines in a love gone wrong scenario.”

“Personally I like this Enright guy for it, but then I’m not following the case very closely. I only know what you’ve told me.”

“Right now he’s number one on my list as well.” Jason heaved a sigh and rinsed out his cup in the sink. “Jared is checking the man’s finances and West – in between all the other shit he has to do – has been looking into how happy that marriage is. Hopefully he’ll know something today.”

Logan pointed out of the front window. “Speak of the devil. He’s pulling into your driveway.”

Jason was in a hurry to get to Anita Hazlitt, who lived about an hour out of Tremont in Harper. Seth Reilly was the sheriff there so if there was any trouble, Jason knew that backup wouldn’t be far away.

“Take care of Brinley. And Huck.” Jason gave the dog a pat on the head. “I should be home before dinner.”

Logan popped a piece of donut into his mouth. “Jesus, will you just go find a killer? For someone that’s just supposed to be your neighbor you’ve got your tighty whities in a bunch. Huck and I will take very good care of your lady friend.”

Of course Logan would, but now that Jason was heading out the door he was finding that he didn’t want to leave Brinley behind.

He was going to miss her today. And that was ten different kinds of messed up. He shouldn’t be so attached to her this quickly.

But then last night’s kiss hadn’t been your regular garden variety first date kiss either. It had been so hot it about singed his eyebrows. Brinley Snow might look innocent, but she sure as hell didn’t kiss like one.

“See that you do,” Jason growled as he headed out the door to join his brother in the SUV. “And tell Brinley I’ll call her later.”

“Why bother? I can just pass her a note before study hall. Do you like Jason? Check yes or no.”

Jason slammed the door but could still hear Logan’s peals of laughter as he descended the porch steps. When he returned tonight he needed to remember to punch Logan right in that gut that he trusted so much.

‡

“T
his is it,”
West said as he pulled into the apartment complex parking area. “I hope she’s home.”

“According to Jared she works at night as a waitress so the best chance we have of talking to her is during the day. What I hope is that she actually knows something about this case. Who might want Roger Gaines dead and why?”

“I wish I were that optimistic, brother, but this job has made me cynical as hell.”

Jason climbed out of the SUV and looked at the building in front of him. Made of red brick with white trim, it looked like every other apartment building around with floors of doors lined up one by one. Anita Hazlitt lived on the third floor.

“Does that look like what I think it is?” West pointed to a door on the third floor as they approached the stairs. “What was the apartment number again?”

“303,” Jason replied grimly, taking the stairs two at a time. It looked like they were too fucking late. Yellow crime scene tape crisscrossed the apartment door.

“Fuck,” West hissed under his breath as they stood in front of the taped off entrance. “This is not good. Not good at all.”

“We’ll go see Seth. Hopefully Anita Hazlitt is okay.”

“I got a bad feeling about this. It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“What are you doing here? What do you want?” a feminine voice from behind them asked.

Jason whirled around and must have scared the young woman because her face turned pale and she practically fell over her own feet stepping back. West caught her arm and kept her from sprawling on the concrete. Tall and slender with short dark hair, she appeared to be in her early twenties.

“Easy there.” West patted the woman on the shoulder and then reached for his badge. “We’re the good guys. I’m Westin Anderson, Head of Detectives in Tremont and this is my brother Jason. We’re sorry if we scared you.”

The girls seemed to relax slightly but she still clutched her purse to her chest like a shield. She peered at West’s badge and then nodded. “Why are the cops from Tremont here? Sheriff Reilly said he was releasing the apartment to me this morning.”

Clearly they needed to talk to Seth and find out what had happened here.

Jason hooked his thumb at the door. “You live here? With Anita Hazlitt? We need to talk to her. Are you a friend?”

“I’m her roommate. Lita George.”

Her gaze darted back and forth between Jason and West as if she expected them to do something evil or violent. Jason held out his hand and gave her his best non-threatening smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lita. Do you know when Anita will be home? We really need to talk to her.”

“Is this about one of her cases? I always knew that she was going to get in trouble one day and I was right.”

Cases?

“Actually this is about her boyfriend Roger Gaines.” Jason watched for any change in Lita’s expression when he mentioned their victim’s name.

Lita rolled her eyes. “Did Roger tell you Anita was his girlfriend? She’ll get a big kick out of that. They were friends but she thought he was pretty geeky. Everyone did.”

“When you say cases, Lita, what did you mean by that?” West asked, giving Jason a sidelong glance. “What kind of trouble is Anita in?”

“You really don’t know, do you?” Lita tilted her head in question and tears welled up in her eyes. “Someone shot Anita yesterday evening while she was walking home from a friend’s place. I knew this was going to happen. She took too many chances and now look what’s happened.”

Full-fledged tears were running down Lita’s face and although Jason had a million questions for this young woman, the first thing he needed to do was comfort the poor thing. She’d obviously been through a great deal if what she said was true.