Was she alone ?”
“ I don’t know ,” the other man spat , “ I didn’t even get inside the front door. Christ ! I need some water !”
“ Quit whining like a bitch ! I thought you were supposed to be the muscle and she’s less than a third your size .”
His partner peered through reddened eyes . “ If you think it’s so easy, you get her .”
“ We’ve lost the element of surprise .”
“ I say we just take her out. Whatever it takes, I’m game. At least that way she’s out of the way and we get the package. We can be back in Los Angeles by midnight and everybody’s happy, especially Ricci .”
“ Did you see it on her wrist ?”
A distinct snarl lifted the other man’s upper lip . “ I didn’t see anything, asshole .”
He ignored the colorful language and continued . “ And since it’s not in plain sight, are you gonna risk ransacking the house with a cop sniffing around ?”
“ Okay, damn it ! You made your point. This stuff is killing me .”
He slapped his partner’s hands when he attempted to wipe his eyes . “ You don’t want to do that .”
“ Then get me some relief !”
He pulled away from the curb and sped down the street . “ She didn’t see you ?”
“ I don’t think so. I fell off the porch and crawled into the bushes before she hit the lights .”
“ Woman’s got balls .” He stopped at a nearby gas station . “ Wash that stuff off and then we’ll decide what to do next .”
His partner cursed again and scrambled out of the car .
***
Annessa sat with her back to the door and her head in her knees, screaming until her throat burnt.
“Annessa, stop screaming.” Casey’s raspy voice wrapped her like a warm blanket as he pulled her stand. “What happened?”
She lifted her head to see him in front of her wearing nothing but a towel and a scowl, dripping water on the living room carpet.
“Someone tried to get in the house.”
“Why the hell didn’t you come get me?”
“You were in the shower!”
“So?”
“So, you would’ve run out of here buck naked! Did you really want our neighbors calling that in? Yes, I’d like to report a streaker and oh, by the way, it’s Sheriff McIntyre.”
Her breathing began to slow when he pulled her against him and wrapped her with his arms. “Okay, calm down. Did you get a good look?”
“No. It was dark and he ran when I sprayed him with pepper spray.”
“Yeah, your aim is impressive,” he mumbled. He eased her back from him and led her to the couch. “Sit here while I call the department and Travis.”
“No! You can’t tell him.”
“Oh hell no, Annessa, we are not going down this road again. Your brother needs to know someone tried to break in the house.”
She opened her mouth to argue but the no bullshit look on his face stopped her. “Fine,” she relented. “Tell him about this, but not about my trouble over the phone. Tomorrow night after his shift ends, I promise. Just play stupid for tonight, Casey, that’s all I ask.”
She really expected him to barrel right over her with some sort of cop-driven logic, but instead he eased her to sit and picked up the phone.
“Tomorrow,” he said quietly, his tone not offering any sort of negotiation.
She heard her brother’s booming voice though the phone as he and Casey spoke, not surprised that Travis had lost his cool. He was such an enigma; in an emergency, he was a cool as a cucumber but when it came to one of his sisters, the man had absolutely no control.
Casey, however, never lost control. No matter what the circumstance, he took it in stride, barreling over everyone else with his calm, soothing demeanor. She knew firsthand it was useless to try to defy him; she tested him on numerous occasions and failed.
“I’ll pull deputies on the house tonight and call first thing in the morning.” Casey flinched as he disconnected and then glanced at her. “Twenty four hours, Annessa. I can’t keep this from him longer than
“ I don’t know ,” the other man spat , “ I didn’t even get inside the front door. Christ ! I need some water !”
“ Quit whining like a bitch ! I thought you were supposed to be the muscle and she’s less than a third your size .”
His partner peered through reddened eyes . “ If you think it’s so easy, you get her .”
“ We’ve lost the element of surprise .”
“ I say we just take her out. Whatever it takes, I’m game. At least that way she’s out of the way and we get the package. We can be back in Los Angeles by midnight and everybody’s happy, especially Ricci .”
“ Did you see it on her wrist ?”
A distinct snarl lifted the other man’s upper lip . “ I didn’t see anything, asshole .”
He ignored the colorful language and continued . “ And since it’s not in plain sight, are you gonna risk ransacking the house with a cop sniffing around ?”
“ Okay, damn it ! You made your point. This stuff is killing me .”
He slapped his partner’s hands when he attempted to wipe his eyes . “ You don’t want to do that .”
“ Then get me some relief !”
He pulled away from the curb and sped down the street . “ She didn’t see you ?”
“ I don’t think so. I fell off the porch and crawled into the bushes before she hit the lights .”
“ Woman’s got balls .” He stopped at a nearby gas station . “ Wash that stuff off and then we’ll decide what to do next .”
His partner cursed again and scrambled out of the car .
***
Annessa sat with her back to the door and her head in her knees, screaming until her throat burnt.
“Annessa, stop screaming.” Casey’s raspy voice wrapped her like a warm blanket as he pulled her stand. “What happened?”
She lifted her head to see him in front of her wearing nothing but a towel and a scowl, dripping water on the living room carpet.
“Someone tried to get in the house.”
“Why the hell didn’t you come get me?”
“You were in the shower!”
“So?”
“So, you would’ve run out of here buck naked! Did you really want our neighbors calling that in? Yes, I’d like to report a streaker and oh, by the way, it’s Sheriff McIntyre.”
Her breathing began to slow when he pulled her against him and wrapped her with his arms. “Okay, calm down. Did you get a good look?”
“No. It was dark and he ran when I sprayed him with pepper spray.”
“Yeah, your aim is impressive,” he mumbled. He eased her back from him and led her to the couch. “Sit here while I call the department and Travis.”
“No! You can’t tell him.”
“Oh hell no, Annessa, we are not going down this road again. Your brother needs to know someone tried to break in the house.”
She opened her mouth to argue but the no bullshit look on his face stopped her. “Fine,” she relented. “Tell him about this, but not about my trouble over the phone. Tomorrow night after his shift ends, I promise. Just play stupid for tonight, Casey, that’s all I ask.”
She really expected him to barrel right over her with some sort of cop-driven logic, but instead he eased her to sit and picked up the phone.
“Tomorrow,” he said quietly, his tone not offering any sort of negotiation.
She heard her brother’s booming voice though the phone as he and Casey spoke, not surprised that Travis had lost his cool. He was such an enigma; in an emergency, he was a cool as a cucumber but when it came to one of his sisters, the man had absolutely no control.
Casey, however, never lost control. No matter what the circumstance, he took it in stride, barreling over everyone else with his calm, soothing demeanor. She knew firsthand it was useless to try to defy him; she tested him on numerous occasions and failed.
“I’ll pull deputies on the house tonight and call first thing in the morning.” Casey flinched as he disconnected and then glanced at her. “Twenty four hours, Annessa. I can’t keep this from him longer than
Similar Books
