Not being an idiot, Reese caught on real quick. “Do you
actually need me?”
“Yeah, sure. But, hell, it’s a hundred degrees here, with no
shade to be found.” Rowdy smiled at the girl. “I’ve got a little sweetheart here
offering to let me cool off in the...” Rowdy tipped his head at her. “Where’d
you say you work, sweetheart?”
She smiled brightly. “The cigarette store.”
“Right.” Then back to Reese: “The cigarette store. You know the
one, right by the...” He looked around as if he didn’t already know the name of
the tattoo parlor by heart. “Killer Designz. Yeah, with a
z
.”
“Shit,” Reese said, understanding the silent message Rowdy
conveyed. “I’m on my way.”
“All right, but make it quick. I have better stuff to do than
wait around on you.” He smiled at the girl. “And she’s standing right in front
of me.”
Reese didn’t find the humor in that. “Damn it, Rowdy, are you
in any danger?”
“Nope.” To make sure that was true, he checked out the
surrounding area again, but saw no one suspicious. “I’ll give you fifteen, and
then I’m heading in with the lady. After that, you can damn well wait on
me.”
Soon as he closed his phone, the little lady took his hand and
started back-stepping toward the street, trying to haul him along with her.
“Not so fast, sweetheart.” Rowdy Yates did not get dragged away
by women—at least, not women fully clothed and on a street corner. “Before I let
you distract me too much, I need to give my buddy a few minutes to get
here.”
She gave another pretty pout. “But he’s already kept you
waiting, and it
is
hot out here.”
“True enough.” When he didn’t budge, she had to stop, too. “You
should go on in. I’ll join you if I can.”
Undecided, she toyed with the end of her hair, shifted her
feet, and finally opened her purse. “At least let me leave you my name and
number.”
The way she said that seemed genuine enough. She looked and
sounded the same as every other girl who wanted to get him horizontal. Maybe he
was making a big deal out of nothing.
Then again, she was in this place, at this time, and it seemed
awfully coincidental that she’d come on to him right when he wanted to follow
the other guy.
She scrawled some info on the back of a receipt, but instead of
handing it to him, she clutched it to her chest. “How do I know you’ll
call?”
“Look at you.” He let his gaze linger on her impressive rack as
he murmured, “I’ll call.”
That compliment had her beaming. “Better still, let’s set up
something right now.” She traced a pink tongue along pinker lips. “How
about...tonight?”
Fast work, but he’d play along. “All right. Sure.” No reason to
make her suspicious. Not when she might have info he needed. “Where do I pick
you up?”
“I’ll meet you. Is midnight too late?”
Figured it wouldn’t be that easy. “Tell me where, and I’ll be
there.”
“The Drunken Dawg. You know it?”
Well, hell. Of course he knew it.
He’d just bought it.
His smile this time felt mean, but maybe she wouldn’t notice
that she’d hit a nerve. “Yeah, that works.” He took the paper from her, glanced
at it and shoved it in his back pocket. “Midnight, DeeDee. I’ll be there.”
Now that she’d gotten what she wanted, she turned to sashay
away.
Rowdy focused first on how her shorts hugged a really nice ass,
then dropped his gaze down the long length of those shapely legs.
And there it was, the fucking tattoo, not on her arm as
expected, but down the back of her left calf.
Huh. So, sexy DeeDee wasn’t so enamored with him after all. At
least he knew he’d found the right place.
* * *
R
EESE
HATED
LEAVING
Alice on the heels of her getting that damned phone call. It left him
antsy and angry, but Rowdy wouldn’t have pulled him away for anything
unimportant.
On his way out the door, still shrugging into his shirt, he
dialed Logan and brought him up to speed.
Once in the car, he called up Peterson. She needed to know
about Cheryl, but he also mentioned that Rowdy needed him.
“You will update me immediately after you find out what’s going
on.”
“Soon as I can. Sure.” Rather than continue driving one-handed,
he disconnected the call and put all his concentration on reaching Rowdy. He
wore dark sunglasses and an absurd ball cap that, hopefully, would keep him from
being too recognizable should he have to return to the area later.
Reese found Rowdy slumped comfortably on the curb, his back
against a lamppost. Unsure how they should play it, Reese pulled up, let the car
idle and waited.
Rowdy came over and got in on the passenger side. “Go right
around the corner there, and then park it. Let anyone watching think that we’re
doing a deal.”
“A drug deal?”
Shrugging, Rowdy said, “Why not? But we have to make it quick.
Dealers and junkies don’t sit around in the dealer’s car shooting the
breeze.”
Keeping the details short and sweet, Rowdy told Reese about the
lights on inside Killer Designz, and the guy he recognized who’d disappeared
after the woman had come on hot and heavy.
“Could be a coincidence.” But Reese didn’t like it. He eyed
Rowdy and, feeling edgy for many reasons, quipped, “Maybe she just liked your
smile.”
Rowdy took him seriously. “I wondered, since I do get hit on a
lot.”
Looking at him over the dark sunglasses, Reese said,
“Braggart.”
“Just stating a fact. Women have never...” He hesitated, shook
his head. “Almost never been a problem for me.”
Rowdy’s love life was the least of his concerns at the moment.
“If you don’t think it has anything to do with the case, why mention it?”
“Because she had the same type of tat as that dead girl, same
as the one Alice described seeing on Cheryl.”
Reese cursed low.
“I didn’t see it until she was walking away. Instead of being
on her arm, it was on her calf.”
Great. Now the sick fucks were mixing it up, putting the tats
in different locations. “Wonder if there’s any significance in that. If maybe a
leg tattoo has a different meaning than on the arm.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Could be for different buyers,
or as a sign of what she’s carrying.”
“They could be anywhere,” Reese mused aloud. “Back of the neck,
shoulder, midsection...”
“Even a tramp-stamp.”
“Small of the back, right?”
“Yeah.” Rowdy gave it some thought. “You can ink just about
anything on your body.”
“But we should assume it’d be a location easily seen. It’s not
like these ladies can go around naked without drawing attention.” Reese glanced
toward Killer Designz. “I need to get inside there.”
Hedging, Rowdy looked out the passenger window, then turned
toward Reese in a rush. “It’d be easier for me.”
Reese didn’t even bother looking at him. “Forget it.” He put
the car back in gear. “Where are you parked?”
Defiance held Rowdy silent until Reese started driving forward.
Hands curled into loose fists, gaze unflinching, Rowdy directed him. “Turn
right, circle the block. I’m up at the other end, by the park.”
Smart, not to be too close. Without showing it, Reese waited
for the arguments to start.
“You’re a cop.”
“Seriously?” Reese pretended surprise. “I’ll be damned, I think
you’re right.”
“One look,” Rowdy said, not amused by the sarcasm. “That’s all
it takes. Everything about you screams
officer of the
law.
”
“I’ll manage.” Somehow. But Rowdy might have a point. Unlike
Logan, who had successfully pulled the wool over Pepper’s lustful eyes, Reese
wasn’t quite as anxious to try the undercover routine.
But given that they were so short-staffed right now, he might
not have a choice.
“That’s me,” Rowdy said, nodding at a beat-up truck.
Reese pulled up alongside Rowdy’s ride. No one paid any
attention, not with the park filled with kids and young moms, people with their
pets, joggers and walkers. “How is it you have a damned different vehicle every
other day?”
“I rotate when I don’t want anyone to tag me.” He didn’t exit
Reese’s car. “So, what are you going to do?”
It might not be routine, but he decided Rowdy had a right to
know. “Cheryl called Alice.”
Other than the pinching of his brows, Rowdy showed no
discernible reaction. “She’s okay?”
“Alice or Cheryl?”
He slashed a hand through the air. “I’m assuming you have Alice
well in hand.”
Reese stared at him.
“Keeping her safe, I mean.” Rowdy rubbed his face with both
hands. “Jesus, don’t tell Alice I phrased it like that.”
In many ways, Rowdy’s rapport with Alice resembled the
relationship he had with his sister—full of platonic concern, caring,
protectiveness.
And good thing, since Reese’s heretofore unknown jealous streak
shone bright around Alice. “For now at least, Cheryl is alive. She wanted to
meet Alice.”
“No fucking way.”
Not that Rowdy had a vote in the decisions, but... “You took
the words right out of my mouth.” Reese pulled down his sunglasses. “Cheryl
called the extra cell Alice had, and she used the code Alice set up, claiming
her life was
peachy.
”
“You can’t let her—”
“Absolutely not.” Pushing the sunglasses to the top of his
head, Reese rubbed his unshaven jaw. “Alice asked if she could make it tomorrow
instead of tonight, and Cheryl said she’d call back.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.” Reese saw a small group of women eyeing them. Two of the
women had kids with them. The other three were whispering and laughing
about...something.
“They’re just flirting,” Rowdy said. “Ignore them.”
So, even though he hadn’t looked, Rowdy knew they were there?
Talk about situational awareness....
“Alice is probably going nuts worrying about Cheryl right now.
Damn, man, I’m sorry I pulled you away.”
Alice had promised to let him know immediately if she got
another call, and other than taking Cash out, she wouldn’t budge from the
apartment. “You did the right thing.”
“I don’t know about that. Holding back was not my first
choice.”
Reese turned to him with a frown.
Holding up a hand, Rowdy stalled his objections. “You said you
wanted it by the book, so I’m trying.” Bracing that hand on the dash, Rowdy
turned to fully face him. Tensed muscles showed along his arm, his shoulder.
“But now you have to do the right thing, too.”
Reese narrowed his eyes.
“You have to let me check out Killer Designz.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
N
EEDING
SOME
AIR
,
Reese
got out of the car and walked toward Rowdy’s beat-up truck. Was it stolen? No,
he didn’t think so. Put to the test, Rowdy was certainly capable of boosting a
ride, but he’d only do so if necessary to keep his sister—or probably any
innocent—safe.
This wasn’t one of those times.
When Rowdy joined him, Reese said, “How many vehicles do you
have?”
“Five. I told Pepper to pick one to drive.” Hands in his back
pockets, he gave a small grin. “Logan looked ready to blow a gasket.”
“You weren’t offended?”
“That he loves my sister enough to feel territorial? No.”
Good attitude. “He doesn’t want to change the dynamics of your
relationship. He just wants Pepper to have a better life.”
Rowdy laughed. “Save the pep talk, Reese. Logan doesn’t need
your help, and I don’t need you to explain things to me.”
Two women walked by, cutting close to them, full of sly looks,
their hips rolling in an attention-grabbing sway.
Rowdy smiled at them, said, “Ladies,” and then dismissed them.
“So, tell me, Reese. You going to make the smart move here?”
Before he could answer, a dark-haired woman lifted her cell
phone and took a pic of them. Rowdy looked her way, and she blew him a kiss. Her
girlfriend giggled behind her.
Rowdy just winked.
“Un-fucking-believable.”
With a lift of his shoulder, Rowdy discounted the attention.
“Focus, Reese. You need to let me hit up that tattoo place. The assholes inside
have already seen me in the area, so they won’t think I made a special trip to
check them out. And even if they’re suspicious, they won’t be after I meet with
the chick tonight—”
“Not happening.”
“—at my own damn bar.”
After soaking that in, Reese strolled over to stand in the
shade. Cash would probably like this place. He saw other people with dogs, some
of them chasing Frisbees. “So you bought it?”
“Yup.” Rowdy sat on the front bumper of the truck and continued
to check out the flirting women. “There are drugs at the bar already.”
“Most bars.” Did he dare let Rowdy walk into danger?
“Yeah,” Rowdy agreed, “but Avery says it’s a big problem
there.”
“Avery?” That got Reese’s attention.
Rowdy turned away. “She’ll be the new bartender.”
Since when did Rowdy Yates avoid eye contact? “A woman as
bartender?”
“Your sexism is showing.”
That was so ludicrous that Reese laughed. “Who is she?”
“I told you. She’s a waitress who will replace the bartender.”
Suddenly Rowdy looked struck. “Son of a bitch.”
That whispered curse alarmed Reese. “What is it?”
“I just realized...” He turned to face Reese. “Avery was
telling me the women she wouldn’t date.”
“What?”
He waved that off. “Inside joke. She’s not gay, thank God.”
“Okay.” Where was Rowdy going with this?
“The thing is, she pointed out the smokers and the
complainers—and a woman with unusual tats. I didn’t see the tats because, at the
time, it didn’t matter to me. But Avery described them as ‘not pretty.’ She said
the woman had her calf and her shoulder inked.”
This was getting too close for comfort. “At the bar you just
bought?”
“Yeah, and Avery said the drug use there was an issue.” He
shook his head, saying in an aside, “I promised her I’d clean that up, but I
never imagined....”
“Your bar could be an exchange point.”
Quick to change the subject, Rowdy pushed off from the truck.
“The thing is, I’m to meet DeeDee there tonight, and I officially own the place.
So this is on me, whether you like it or not.”
Damn it, he hated feeling like things were out of his control.
“You know, DeeDee is setting you up.”
“Yeah, probably. But I can handle myself. And maybe the plan is
just for her to feel me out a little, to see if I’m onto them. The way I figure
it, I can lead her on, admire her tattoo and tell her that I’ve been thinking of
getting one, too. Maybe she’ll tell me what it means, but probably not. Either
way, it’ll explain why I was at the parlor, looking around, maybe throw the
hounds off the scent a little, you know?”
Though it had merit, Reese hated that plan. Unfortunately, he
didn’t have a better one. “Normally I’d want you to sit on meeting with her, at
least for a day or two. Give me time to look into it, maybe set up something so
we could throw out a net and get everyone involved. Not just the muscle, but the
main people, too.”
“Yeah, I know. And if everything wasn’t coming together this
way, I’d agree. But with Cheryl calling, we need to gain some ground before
Alice gets compromised.”
“That won’t happen.” Even thinking about it set Reese’s muscles
in spasms and made his chest feel too tight. “I won’t let it.”
“I know.” Hands low on his hips, Rowdy said, “But I’ll be
helping to keep an eye on her all the same.”
He surprised Rowdy by saying, “Appreciate it.” Hell, the way he
felt right now, he wouldn’t mind having the National Guard standing at her
door.
After everything Alice had been through, he knew he’d gladly
give his own life to ensure she never got hurt again.
“I’ll hit up the tattoo parlor in a bit,” Rowdy said, unaware
of his dark musings. “Then I’ll meet with DeeDee tonight and, hopefully, we’ll
find out something useful before Cheryl calls Alice back.”
It was a horrible conflict for Reese. Never in his life had he
turned a blind eye to injustice. But the idea of Cheryl reaching out to Alice
made him sick with an urgent need to shield Alice from any and all possible
danger—especially the danger posed in assisting a desperate young woman.
He couldn’t take the phone from Alice; not only wouldn’t she
allow that, but it could be the only lifeline left to Cheryl. Neither could he
insist on answering the call himself, because they all knew Cheryl was a tool
being used to get to Alice.
His head throbbed, and his vision tried to narrow to Alice,
only
Alice. He was a damned cop, a detective,
and he had a duty to serve and protect.
But in every second, Alice dicked with his concentration.
When two of the flirting women walked past again, eyeing him
without reserve, Reese gave them an absent nod of greeting.
They reacted as much over that as they had Rowdy’s attention,
and he frowned. He preferred that they keep their sights on Rowdy and off
him.
In an effort to focus, he said to Rowdy, “You know I should be
paying you.”
Rowdy barked a disbelieving laugh. “Fuck that.”
But Reese couldn’t let it go. “Police work with civilians all
the time. And we pay.”
“I said no.”
So damn proud. Off to the side, Reese saw the women plotting.
Shit. Rowdy wasn’t the only one familiar with flirting females. Before Alice, he
might have relished the fun distraction.
But now...it was a mere annoyance.
Before they interrupted, he said to Rowdy, his tone surly, “You
think it’s any easier for me? You think I like asking for your help? That I like
owing you? Well, I don’t.”
Taken aback by the quiet attack, Rowdy scowled. “Didn’t say
that.”
“Then let me even it up a little.”
“Given the drug deals Avery told me about, it looks like you
and Logan will already be lending me a hand. I can only do so much to keep out
the criminal element.” He grinned, because not that long ago, he’d been
considered part of that element. “The rest is up to the boys in blue.”
“That’s my job. It’s a given that I’ll be there for that.” He
gave Rowdy a direct stare. “You know, with your background what it was, you
might not realize this, but people—good people—like to lend a helping hand to
those in their inner circle. And now, with Pepper marrying Logan, who happens to
be my best friend, that circle includes you.”
“Inner circle, huh?”
“Whether you like it or not.”
With a half grin, Rowdy gave it considerable thought before
making a quiet admission. “I have plans to renovate the bar. Right now, it’s
pretty shitty. Buying it didn’t completely strap me, but it’s going to be tight
for a while.” He gazed off at the playground area where kids kept the swings
going high. “When I was solely responsible for Pepper, I couldn’t...”
“Cut it too close?” Reese offered. He knew that Rowdy had
looked out for his sister in every way imaginable, including keeping a store of
cash on hand in case they needed to make a fast getaway.
“Yeah.” The grin widened. “I never wanted to be caught without
an escape plan.”
Because Pepper had depended on him.
But who could Rowdy depend on? Back then, no one.
At such a young age, a ton of worry had been dropped on his
shoulders. He’d had to grow up fast, and overall, he’d done an inspiring
job—with everything. “I’m impressed you had enough for a cash deal. Few could
swing it. As to manual labor, count me in.”
“You like to sweat, do you?”
“Do I look like I avoid a workout?” Reese was big enough and
muscled enough that not even Rowdy—who wasn’t a physical slouch himself—could
downplay his strength.
Rowdy laughed. “You’re a fucking hulk and you know it.” He
nodded toward the women. “Seems to me they’re noticing, too.”
Reese ignored that reference to their female audience. He plain
and simple didn’t care. “Once Logan knows your plans, he’ll want to help, as
well, and since Dash owns a construction company, he’ll probably have all kinds
of useful input.”
“Jesus, round up a posse, why don’t you?”
“They’re your family now. You’ll get used to it.” Or at least,
Reese hoped he would.
Slowly, Rowdy nodded. “All right, then. It’s a deal. I’ll keep
you posted on what’s happening and when.”
The women chose that auspicious moment to intrude. The
dark-haired one led the pack, coming up to Rowdy first. “Hi.”
“Hi, yourself.” Rowdy included the rest of the ladies with a
smile.
The woman turned to Reese with a dreamy look. “Are we
interrupting?”
God, he knew that smile, knew that look in her eyes and what it
meant. He needed to get home to Alice, not play games with...well, beautiful and
sexy women who weren’t Alice.
Disgusted, he rubbed his face, knowing he was whipped, without
much effort on Alice’s part. All she’d done was accept him, and he’d fallen
headlong into monogamy.
Last night she’d wanted confessions from him, but damn it, this
was all so new. He wasn’t even sure what he felt. He only knew that he felt it
in spades.
When Reese just stood there, probably looking dumbfounded,
Rowdy brought the woman’s attention back to him with a touch on her chin.
“Sorry, darlin’, but he’s newly taken and still fighting it. And, yeah, we are
sort of busy at the moment. But if you like, I can give you my number, and maybe
we can hook up some time.”
She sighed. “It was a little unrealistic to think you’d both be
available.”
Rowdy laughed. “Should I be insulted that I was second
pick?”
A blonde pushed her way around the brunette. “I’ll take your
number, no problem at all.”
Grinning, Rowdy dug out a card.
Reese eyed him. He wasn’t yet a businessman, so was the card
strictly for hooking up with women? Probably.
“I’ll be busy tonight,” Rowdy told her, “but ring me tomorrow
and we’ll see what we can cook up.”
Another woman asked, “All of us?”
“Works for me.”
More than a little put out, Reese crossed his arms over his
chest. Even before Alice, he wasn’t in the habit of setting up orgies, yet Rowdy
appeared to take it in stride.
It drove home just how different their lives had been.
The brunette gave him another sultry look, then daringly
reached out to stroke his shoulder. “It’s a shame you’re unavailable. I’d have
shown you a real good time.”
“It’s my loss,” Reese told her.
“If things don’t work out, let me know. We’re at the park here
nearly every day.”
Doing...
what,
he wondered. Picking
up strangers? “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Rowdy gave her a swat on the ass. “Move it along now, honey.
We’ve got business to complete.”
Laughing, she rubbed at her backside and led the others
away.
“That one’s going to be a handful,” Rowdy murmured. “I like
that. Doesn’t even bother me that I was second pick.”
Reese watched them go, until Rowdy gave him a nudge. “You
having regrets, or looking for tattoos?”
“Tattoos.” His only regret was that he was away from Alice
right now. She’d be worried about Cheryl, anxious, and he didn’t want her alone.
“Other than a butterfly on one ankle and a rose on a shoulder, I didn’t see any
ink.”
“Me either.” Rowdy lifted one brow. “And I was looking
real
close.”
Understandable, given the women were all hot. So, why didn’t
Reese care, damn it?
Rowdy laughed. “You’re in love, dude, just go with it.”
“Fuck off, Rowdy. We—or at least I—have work to do.”
Unfazed, Rowdy watched him. “Why is it a problem? Alice is a
sweetheart.”
Why was it a problem? He had to keep a clear head, be unbiased,
analytical...and he couldn’t, not with Alice involved.
Rather than spill his guts to Rowdy, Reese came to a decision.
“All right. You can go check out Killer Designz.”
Brows up, Rowdy said, “Was that still in question?”
“But you’re not going alone, and not without backup.” To get
things arranged, Reese pulled out his cell and put in a call to the lieutenant.
After he explained what he wanted to do, he expected her to argue.
He expected her to refuse.
Lieutenant Peterson surprised him by enthusiastically
agreeing.
Seemed everyone enjoyed going undercover except him.
* * *
S
LUMPED
IN
THE
corner
of the small motel room, Cheryl suffered in miserable silence.